Colder Than Ice

by MacPherson, Helen

  “Hi, sis. That was some party last night. I can’t believe the number of eligible millionaires that were squeezed into one room. There was one lovely gentleman who followed me around the whole evening. Hmm, such a nice man.” She walked across the softly shadowed room and looked out the almost floor to ceiling window. “But that’s not the most amazing news. It seems your friend the archaeologist’s in town, so my gentlemen friend said. So what do you intend to do about that? I think we should try and track down exactly where she is.” She turned to the bed and after a shocked moment, her eyes hardened. “After all these months, you better be telling me there’s no one else in that bed except who I think should be there. Because if it’s anyone else, so help me, I’m going to give you a bigger beating than the one I gave you when you put laxatives in my brownies when you were thirteen.”

  Michela slightly raised the sheet and Allison nodded. Michela pulled back the bed sheet enough to reveal Allison’s head. “Your timing is impeccable as always. Let me introduce Dr. Allison Shaunessy.”

  “Hi,” Allison said, sounding embarrassed.

  Christine blushed and went to the bed and shook Allison’s hand. “Thank God you turned up. I thought this one,” she motioned at Michela, “was about to join a damn convent. She’s been like a bear with a sore head since arriving home. In fact, she tends to get like that quite a lot.” She sat down on the bed. “I can remember a time…”

  Michela gave her a warning look. “Do you think we could discuss this later?” She motioned with her head toward the door.

  “Oh, of course. You do intend to make it down to breakfast, don’t you?” Christine stood and smiled. “Don’t be long or it’ll be lunch before you get down there.” She hurried out the door.

  Michela slumped down. She turned and brushed the ever-errant fringe out of Allison’s eyes. “That about seals it. I hope you don’t mind the whole world knowing about us. Aside from being a magnet to men, my sister could put a telephone company out of business. She should give up her calling as a surgeon and go into the gossip business, full time.”

  Allison laughed at Michela’s frustration. “I told you last night and I’ll tell you again, I don’t care who she tells. I’m happy with things as they are.” She pulled Michela to her and they rekindled the passion of the night before.

  ALTHOUGH THEY DIDN’T quite manage to make breakfast, Allison and Michela joined Christine for lunch, surprised by Charlotte’s presence. After proper introductions, Christine and Allison took the time to begin to know each other.

  After lunch, while Christine took at walk, Allison and Michela retired to the library.

  Michela opened the heavy velvet burgundy brocade curtains that held the room in darkness. “Have you done a full tour of the house yet?”

  Allison shook her head. “I think Ella started to last night, but Charlotte stopped her, saying there’d be more than ample opportunity to do that in the next few days.”

  Michela chuckled. “I’ve had the long and the short tour and believe me, when you get the time we won’t see you for days. It seems Elizabeth was the first in a long line of explorers. A lot of the rooms hold the different collections from expeditions. This library holds the first part of the memorabilia of Elizabeth’s expeditions.”

  Allison went from object to object. Like a child in a candy store, she lingered over and savored every little artifact.

  Michela watched Allison and was pleased at the excitement radiating in her face.

  Allison turned to Michela and smiled. “These are amazing. It’s as if there’s a little bit of every expedition she ever went on.” She held up to the afternoon light the intricate carving of a dragon—her hands bathed in the warm green of the delicate object. “This jade sculpture is exquisite.”

  Michela nodded. “By what’s contained in this room alone, she must have spent a great deal of time traveling. From what the modern-day Charlotte has said, her Great Grandmother Charlotte spent her a lot of time separated from the intrepid explorer.”

  Allison carefully returned the jade object to its resting-place. She went to Michela, hugged her, and looked up into her eyes. “So, where do we go from here?”

  Michela shrugged. “My tenure is about up with the Institute and so I’m just about free to do what I want. As far as I’m concerned, I’m happy to be wherever you are.”

  Allison gave Michela a quizzical look. “I thought last night you said there was a lot more to be done with the Mars expedition, not to mention the other projects you had in train. Also, from what you mentioned in Antarctica, I thought there was enough work to keep you entrenched there for years.”

  “It’s work that can be easily done by anyone. The hard part, establishing the projects, is finished. I’m sure someone else can take over. I’m more happy to be where you are than—”

  Allison released Michela and stepped back. “I can’t ask you to give up your career to follow me. You’re a professional with a hell of a lot to offer. You should stay here and see your projects through. It wouldn’t be fair for me to expect anything else.”

  “Are you saying you’d rather I stay here than be with you?” Michela asked. “Is that what you want?”

  Allison pushed down her growing anger. “That’s not what I said at all and you know it.” Michela walked to the window. “Oh, for God’s sake, Michela, be sensible about this.”

  Michela wheeled. “Be sensible? Me be sensible? You’re the one who’s talking about being on one side of the world while I’m here.”

  The door opened, and Charlotte stood in the doorway, a concerned look on her face.

  “What’s going on in here?” Charlotte demanded. “I can hear you half the way down the hall.”

  Allison pointed at Michela. “She won’t see the sense in remaining in a good job.”

  Michela pointed at Allison. “And she doesn’t see the logic in me moving to Australia to be with her.”

  Allison snorted. “I did nothing of the sort. You’re stretching the truth.”

  Charlotte slammed her hand on a small coffee table. “Time out, ladies, time out!” Michela and Allison blinked at her in surprise. “Both of you, come and sit down before I have Ella throw a bucket of water over you.” They obediently followed Charlotte to a small couch and sat at opposite ends.

  Charlotte stood before them and rubbed her hands together. “Alli, did you not mention to me the other day that you were in between jobs?” Allison nodded. “Do you remember the man I introduced you to last night? The one from Lindstrom Holdings, the one I wanted to buy a building from?” Allison nodded again. “There’s a very good reason why I want to buy that building. I’ve decided to establish a museum. But this one’s going to be a little different. In fact, truth be told, I don’t know why I didn’t come up with the idea years ago.”

  She turned to the painting of her great grandmothers and smiled. “The human race has been around for such a small period of time and yet within that time both men and women have made such great progress. Unfortunately, we rarely hear about the accomplishments women have made because most of the accolades go to men. Don’t misunderstand me, I’m not suggesting for a moment their discoveries haven’t been seminal in their own right, but where is the history of women? Where are their discoveries lauded, their papers kept, their deeds remembered? One only has to look back over the past one hundred and fifty years or so to realize how remiss society has been in retaining such history.

  “Look at Madame Curie, a double Nobel winner in both physics and chemistry. Then there’s Amelia Earhart and Australia’s own Nancy Bird - aviatrixes’ in their own right, the latter learning to fly when she was merely thirteen. Of course there are the explorers such as my own great grandmother that more than dot the canvas of the past one hundred and fifty years. What about Maria Mitchell, the first American professor of astronomy, discovering a comet in 1847. In the field of sport there are so many women whose feats are rarely mentioned, if at all. Babe Didrikson-one of history’s most famous all-round ath
letes. The Australian, Fanny Durack, who won the only ladies swimming event at the Stockholm Games of 1912, despite the obstacles put in place by her own country. For each one of these women, there are ten whose stories have never been told. I want to create a legacy and ensure young men and women get not only history, but herstory as well.”

  Charlotte tapped to her chest. “So, where is this old woman going with this? Well, the answer’s simple. Alli, the museum has a patron and that’s me, but if this project is to work then I need a Chairman to run the Museum and you’re the first person I want to offer the job to.” She held up her hand to halt any comment from Allison. “No, you won’t be tied to a desk for your time here. I would see you continuing to engage in archaeological exploration, for at least half of your year. You can choose your staff as you see fit. All I ask is that you make my vision come alive. Give the opportunity for the young men and women of tomorrow to realize the depth and color in the tapestry that is the history of this world of ours. Oh, and of course, there’s always the benefit that you and Michela will only be slightly separated, rather than a hemisphere apart. But if the argument I walked in on is any measure, maybe you two need a hemisphere between you.” She smiled and headed to the door. “I’ll leave you to think about it for a while.”

  As the lock clicked into place, Allison scooted over and took Michela’s hands. “She’s right. We argue like cats and dogs. Can we ever live in the same hemisphere, let alone the same continent?”

  Michela smiled and cupped Allison’s cheek in her palm. “Do you want the job?”

  Allison turned to the portrait above the fireplace, her eyes distant as she contemplated such a mammoth task. She returned her gaze to Michela. “More than anything I’ve ever wanted, in the professional sense that is.”

  Michela pulled Allison into her arms and lightly kissed the top of her head. “Then the only remaining question is can you bear to live with me?”

  Pulling back, Allison chuckled. “After what I’ve been through, that shouldn’t be too difficult. I hope in six months time, you’re not asking the same question about me.”

  They kissed and relaxed in each other’s arms, secure in their future and the myriad of challenges that lay ahead.