CHAPTER TWO.
FRIDAY 30TH DECEMBER, 1994 - NEW YORK CITY.
Josephine Grayson sat with her elbows resting on the Mahogany writing bureau in the drawing room, her chin resting in her cupped hands, as she stared forlornly out of the window at the street below.
Her heart was heavy, her mind still caught up in the discoveries that she had made in her mother's boxes of treasure.
She had not slept well, and when she had finally slept, in the wee small hours, she had dreamed of the happy family life that she had always longed for, her parents, sharing loving looks and tender caresses, happy and loving, just as she had always hoped for, herself, knowing the warmth of their love, both of them loving her as she had always dreamed.
And her brother, on the periphery, his face always just out of focus, a pale blur, watching, and she could actually feel his happiness, his awe and love, watching the happy family scene, smiling on all of them, touched by their happiness, seemingly giving them his blessing ....
She had woken late, feeling groggy and melancholy, her head dull, her heart heavy, and it had been an effort just to get out of bed.
Tomorrow was New Year's Eve and on January 2, she would start her new job with the F.B.I.
And, she had been forced, in the last twenty four hours, to make a decision about the hotline, one that had left her feeling very low and despondent.
If no-one called with anything concrete by the end of tomorrow afternoon, that being, December 31st, then she would be forced to close down the office, and let Maureen and Olivia go.
Happy New Year ladies ....
With all the pressures of adjusting to a new job, Josephine knew that she would not have time to do justice to the search, and as the hotline had offered nothing but disappointment, she did not see the point of opening it up again after the holiday.
To say that she was disappointed was an understatement.
She had started out with so much hope .....
But ....
Sad though it was ....
It was the right thing to do.
After all, she did not have unlimited resources.
She had had to face facts.
There had been plenty of time for someone to come forward ....
She simply had to accept that if her brother was alive …. He was content to remain forgotten.
Anonymous ....
His way of punishing the woman who had abandoned him all those years ago?
Perhaps ....
But it was a punishment that the sister that he was blissfully unaware of did not deserve.
She heard the telephone ring, and let out a deep sigh, knowing that Mrs Ludlow would get it.
Josephine could not believe that her quest was over so soon.
She had been so hopeful only days ago, but then ....
That call that had come in, about her search being pointless because both the woman and the child were dead.
She had been so sure that it was a smoke screen. A false trail.
How then had she lost hope so quickly?
Why had her hopes suddenly turned to ashes?
She still believed with all her heart that he was alive, but ....
How to reach him?
To reassure him, and those around him, loving him, protecting him, that all she really wanted was to know him. Have a chance to get to know him .... And love him.
And give him the same opportunity .... To know her. Get to know her ....
Love her ....
A tear slid slowly down from the corner of her eye, and Josephine closed her eyes and squeezed them tightly shut.
I tried Mother .... I really tried. But I can't make him come to me. If he wants to remain hidden ....
I'm sorry. I failed you ....
Again ....
"Dr Grayson?" Mrs Ludlow's voice broke in to Josephine's thoughts, and brought her back to the present. She quickly wiped away her tears, and pulled herself together enough to face the older woman.
"Yes Mrs Ludlow?"
"There is a telephone call for you, doctor."
"Thank you," Josephine sighed deeply.
Perhaps it was Patrick O'Shea calling to see how she was. He had promised to get in touch, but she had heard nothing from him in almost a week now.
Or, maybe it was someone from the Bureau?
She rose stiffly, smoothing down her long pleated black silk skirt and matching black sweater with small pink rose buds around the neckline, both of which had suited her dark mood when she had dressed this morning, and walked slowly out in to the black and white checkered hallway and picked up the telephone receiver.
"Josephine Grayson."
"Dr Grayson, gee, you don't sound too great, doctor ....." The voice on the other end of the line responded to her lackluster tone of voice. "Hi, it's Maureen, over at the office ...."
"Yes, Maureen?" Josephine sighed despondently. Was she about to hear about another crank call ....
"Doctor, Olivia has a man on the other line, he says that he must meet with you. He won't give her any details, but insists that he must meet with you, today ...." Maureen explained excitedly.
"Tell me what his exact words were, Maureen ...." Josephine demanded, tears suddenly welling up in her green/gold eyes, as she suddenly had a brainstorm, and heard brief snatches of conversation between the two middle aged women at the other end of the line.
"Dr Grayson, Olivia says that he told her to tell Dr Grayson that he must see her, speak with her .... she knows about what ...." Maureen imparted verbatim.
"Keep him talking, Maureen."
"Yes doctor. Olivia is trying, but apparently he's in a payphone, and only has a quarter."
"Then get the number so that we can call him back, if necessary. Damn! I hate these three way conversations!"
Josephine was smiling through her tears now, her heart pounding in her ears, knocking frantically against her ribs.
At last ....
Thank God ....
At last ....
Something positive ....
At last ....
And how did she know?
Because the caller knew that she was a woman ....
And how did he know that?
How could he have known that?
Her flier and press announcement had been deliberately ambiguous.
Deliberately genderless.
The only way that he could have known was if he had done some checking on her.
And why would he do that?
Because he was alive ....
Joseph ....
And the caller wanted to know what she wanted.
Wanted to protect the boy .... man ....
Her brother ....
Only someone with a vested interest would go to so much trouble, and take so much time to make contact.
She was sure of it.
A breakthrough at last!
"Dr Grayson?"
"Yes, Maureen?" Josephine pulled herself together quickly.
Lord, she was on an emotion roller coaster ride these days!
"He says that he wants to meet with you in Central Park, by the Carousel .... damn .... Oops, I'm sorry, doctor, he ran out of money," Maureen explained.
"Did you get the number?"
"Sorry doctor ...."
"Never mind, Maureen. Thank you .... looks like I'm going for a walk in the park ...." Her voice suddenly trailed away, as a thought occurred to Josephine. "Did he say how I would recognize him?"
"No. Sorry doctor," Josephine then heard a brief snatch of conversation between the two middle aged women, who had spent the best part of the last two weeks dealing with silence, boredom and lonely old people wanting a shoulder to cry on, waiting for just this one call ....
Josephine could have kissed them both and knew that she would slip a little something extra in to their paychecks, to show her appreciation and gratitude, and to take the sting out of winding up the hotline and closing down the office.
"Olivia says that he sounded kind of old," Maureen imparted as she returned to the line. "You know the way older folks use language," She tried to explain.
"Thank you, Maureen."
"Oh, and one more thing, doctor, he had an accent. English, Olivia thinks ...."
"That's terrific, Maureen. Thank Olivia for me."
"I will doctor. You certainly sound better now. Please let us know how you get on," Maureen added, somewhat sheepishly.
"I'll stop by tomorrow with your paychecks. We'll talk then ...."
"Goodbye doctor."
"Bye Maureen."
A short time later, Josephine hurried down the wide central staircase, clad in low heeled black leather boots, a heavy black wool coat and a dark blue woolen scarf wound around her neck, pulling on navy thermal woolen gloves as she strode purposefully across the hall.
"Will you be back for lunch, doctor?" Mrs Ludlow asked in soft tones, still feeling a little awkward that she had caught the younger woman crying earlier, although, on second glance, Mrs Ludlow had to admit that the doctor looked a lot better.
There was more color in her cheeks, and a spark of life in her beautiful green/gold eyes.
The telephone call seemed to have made all the difference. Whoever it was that had called had certainly lifted the doctor's spirits.
It had been a woman on the other end of the line.
A friend?
A new work colleague?
No matter. It was good to see that she had been lifted out of the doldrums.
Prepared to dislike this young woman in the beginning, despite what Mrs Reeve had told her, Mrs Ludlow had found herself, grudgingly it had to be said, admiring her devotion to her mother. Her love and tenderness and support had touched the old housekeeper deeply and although they might never grow to be friends, the older woman was at least now prepared to accept that Dr Grayson was the mistress of the house now, and should be treated with the respect that that position deserved.
"I don't know, Mrs Ludlow," Josephine smiled softly, appreciating that in the past few days, the older woman's attitude had soften toward her, just a little. "I don't think so ...."
"Should I ask Mr Ludlow to go for the car, doctor?"
"No, thank you Mrs Ludlow. It's a pleasant enough morning ...."
And so it was, for December. The sun had broken through earlier, and the chilly wind dropped to a more pleasant gentle breeze. It was more like late October out there than the last but one day of December.
"I feel like a walk in the park," Josephine intended to walk just a little way, to the end of the next block, and then hail a cab.
"It would be no trouble, doctor ...."
"I know that, Mrs Ludlow, and I do appreciate the thought, but I've been cooped up here for days, and the fresh air will do me good."
"Very well, doctor."
Mrs Ludlow watched the young woman pick up her shoulder purse, then cross the black and white checkered tiled hallway on a jaunty stride. She let out a soft sigh as the doctor actually skipped down the stoop to the sidewalk, and walked quickly down the street.
Mrs Reeve had been right. Her daughter did have a good heart.
After Philip's assurances earlier in the week, that she did intend to keep both of them on, whilst she still lived here in New York, and would then make certain that they were retained by the new owners of the house, or seeing to it that they were financially secure in their retirement, had gone a long way to settling Esther Ludlow's nerves, and had made her more inclined to give the younger woman a chance to prove herself as an employer.
She had allowed herself to begin to understand the younger woman's grief, and pain, and had come to admire her dignity, strength and courage, and respect her determination to build a new life for herself.
As to that other nonsense in the newspapers ....
Only time would tell if that would bring joy, or only more pain.
Which ever it turned out to be, it was none of their business, Alfred Ludlow had told her, and if it helped to keep the good doctor here in New York indefinitely, then that could only be good news for both of them.
Mrs Reeve had tried to warn her of the difficulties ahead, but Esther had not really understood the urgency.
So there was a half brother …. And maybe Dr Grayson would find him, but it was unlikely, after forty years.
And if she did find him? So what? What would really change in the household?
Now that Dr Grayson had taken a job here, with the F.B.I. the Ludlow's future was looking more rosy by the day.
Even the doctor herself seemed to be settling into her new life.
Mrs Ludlow smiled softly to herself as she returned to the kitchen with it's sparkling sink and pristine work surfaces, everything neatly stored in cupboards, the pantry bulging with shelves of dry goods and canned goods and other essential provisions, the freezer bursting with vegetables, ice cream and other perishables, and thought to herself that Mrs Reeve had indeed had every reason to be proud of her daughter.
And Mrs Ludlow suddenly thought that with Dr Grayson as mistress of the house life from now on would never be dull.