CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE
Sara reached out and touched Kellen’s hair. Kellen sat still, watching the reflection of her own face next to her daughter’s in the dressing table mirror.
“You have such pretty hair, Mama,” Sara said.
Kellen smiled. “So do you.”
Sara made a face and watched as Kellen twisted her red hair into a heavy plait and pinned it up.
“I like it better down,” Sara said. “Wear it down tonight.”
Kellen looked at her own reflection. “All right,” she said, removing the pins. She shook her head, and her hair fell loose about her shoulders. She picked up a brush.
“Let me do it,” Sara said, taking the brush. “Where are you and Daddy going tonight?” she asked.
“A ball.”
“Like in Cinderella?”
“Yes, just like that.”
“You should wear a crown.”
Kellen laughed. “Would you bring me that black box over there on the bed?”
Sara brought her the black velvet case. Kellen opened it, and Sara’s eyes grew wide.
“Will this do instead?” Kellen asked, holding up a necklace. It was a string of small diamonds, dominated by four large stones in the middle —- a ruby, an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond. They were all emerald cuts, each about five carats. The sapphire was midnight blue, the emerald the color of a pine forest. The ruby was an intense blood red, and the diamond was as colorless and clear as water.
It had been ten years ago that she had finally taken out the little key that had been in the old cigar box Josh had given her after her father’s funeral. She had gone to the bank and there, in the safety deposit box she had found the stones. Josh told her the story about how the stones represented the first newspapers, the ones her mother had bought for Adam. Kellen had the stones made into the necklace but had rarely worn it.
“Oh, Mommy, it’s beautiful,” Sara whispered.
“Turn around,” Kellen said. Sara faced the mirror, and Kellen held the necklace around her neck. It rested against the blue flannel of Sara’s nightgown, the colors dancing in the light.
“This is a very special necklace,” Kellen said softly. “Your Grandfather Adam bought these stones for your Grandmother Elizabeth. And then he gave them to me.” She paused. “Someday, when you’re older I’ll tell you all about it. And someday, the necklace will belong to you.”
Sara looked up at Kellen. “I wish I could have met them. I mean, I love Grandpa Josh and Grandma Anna, but it would’ve been nice having another Grandpa and Grandma.”
Kellen gathered her into her arms. “I know, baby,” she said. “They would have loved having you, too.”
Sara turned back in the mirror. “Nanny Katie says I look like the pictures she’s seen of Grandpa Adam. Is that true?”
“Yes, you do,” Kellen said.
She saw Stephen’s reflection in the mirror and removed the necklace from Sara’s shoulders.
When Sara saw Stephen, she spun around. “Daddy! You look so handsome!” she said.
Ben toddled into the room and climbed up on the bed, the nanny following a moment later.
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Hillman,” she said. “He just got away from me, been running me ragged all day. Too much energy, this one has.”
Kellen stood and picked Ben up. “That’s all right, Katie. He’s just overexcited because I let him stay up to see his father.” She kissed Ben’s cheek. “Now, don’t give Katie a hard time tonight, okay?” She turned the boy over to the nanny.
“He’ll probably fall asleep soon. If not, just read him that story I started today. The book’s by the bed.”
She bent down to kiss Sara good night. “Sleep tight...”
“Don’t let the bedbugs bite,” Sara finished.
Stephen kissed the children good night, and Katie led them away. As Kellen walked back to the dressing table she could feel Stephen’s eyes on her back.
“Where did you get that dress?” he asked.
Kellen turned. “I found it in a trunk in the attic last week when it was being cleared out. It must have belonged to my mother.”
She faced the mirror. The Vionnet gown was forty years old, and its white satin had deepened to ivory. But its ingeniously pure design looked more modern than anything Kellen had in her closet.
Kellen ran her hands over her hips, smoothing the satin. “I decided at the last minute to wear it tonight instead of that black thing,” she said, gesturing toward a demure crepe dress hanging on a closet door. She turned around slowly. “What do you think?”
Stephen stared at her. “It’s...provocative,” he said.
“Well, coming from a husband, that’s a compliment, I suppose,” she said lightly. She picked up the necklace. “Would you help me with this?” She held her hair off her neck as Stephen fastened the clasp.
“You haven’t worn this in a long time,” Stephen said.
Her fingers lightly touched the jewels. “I know. But for some reason, I wanted to tonight.”
Her eyes met Stephen’s in the mirror. “Thank you, Stephen,” she said softly.
“For what?”
“Letting me keep this.”
“I couldn’t let you sell your necklace just so I could get my plant. Though the offer was greatly appreciated.” He lifted up her hair to kiss her neck.
Kellen shut her eyes.
“We’d better get going,” she said.
As they drove, Stephen talked about the newspaper but Kellen was barely listening. She was a thousand miles away, in Paris, reliving the first night she had spent with Garrett, the feel of his lips on her neck in the cool dark catacombs.
She glanced over at Stephen and felt sick with guilt. She had been thinking about Garrett constantly in the last week, ever since Clark had told her that he was returning. Stephen hadn’t mentioned Garrett at all outside their one discussion. But she sensed an unease in him, as if he, too, were waiting to see what would happen.
The car pulled up to the opera house, and the valets helped Kellen out. The Black and White Ball was a mammoth affair, a fund-raiser started in 1956 to commemorate the 1906 earthquake, and it always attracted a diverse crowd. Everyone dressed in some variation of the black-and-white dress code.
The scene in the lobby took on the bizarre look of an old movie. Black-and-white balloons hovered in the air, anchored by white ribbons. Everywhere were huge sprays of white flowers. And on each table was a candelabrum with white tapers and a stunning arrangement of irises, so dark purple that they appeared black. The orchestra was playing “Moonlight and Shadows.”
Stephen and Kellen made their way through the crowd, stopping to make small talk with acquaintances. Finally, they found their table. Clark Able was already seated, absorbed in jotting notes in his gold notebook. He looked up and his face creased into a smile as his eyes traveled over Kellen’s gown.
“Why Kel, you look absolutely ravishing...ten years younger,” he said.
“Why do your compliments always sound so suspect?” she said, but she was visibly pleased. She scanned the room.
“There’s Tyler!” She waved, and he headed their way.
“God, what a zoo,” Tyler said, sliding into his chair. He nodded to Stephen. “How’ve you been, Stephen?”
“Busy, as usual. How’s the refurbishing going?”
Tyler smiled. “Great. Kitchen remodeling starts Monday.”
“I still don’t see what in the world you’re going to do up there all alone,” Kellen said.
Tyler shrugged. “I’ve been thinking about trying my hand at winemaking. Some of the equipment is salvageable, and the vineyards have some prime cabernet sauvignon grapes.”
Kellen frowned slightly. “But you don’t know anything about growing grapes or making —-”
“I can learn,” Tyler said. “I’ve bought some books.”
Kellen and Stephen exchanged glances. A waiter filled their glasses with red wine. “Besides,” Tyler said, picking up his glass
. “When you sell wine you sell two things. The liquid in the bottle and the mystique that surrounds it.”
“Well, there’s no mystique to this stuff,” Clark said, holding up his glass. He rose. “I’m going to find a martini.”
Kellen listened as Tyler began to lecture Stephen on the virtues of California wines. Her attention wandered back to the crowd. Most of the men wore tails but the women had taken the black and white theme to extravagant heights. White diamonds were the jewels of choice, rings the size of golf balls, earrings handing like crystal stalactites, and necklaces dripping down décolletage like icicles.
A woman appeared, her face powdered white as death, her lips blackened, and hair dyed pitch black and coiled like a flame rising from her head. Another wore white bird feathers over her ears, looking like a ballerina who had wandered away from Swan Lake. Suddenly, the crowd parted and a woman walked through dressed in a nun’s habit.
“Look at that,” Kellen said, poking Tyler.
“That’s Grace Slick,” he said.
Kellen noticed a man coming toward their table. Stephen rose to greet him then turned to introduce him. “J.D. Waverly, this is my wife Kellen and her brother Tyler.”
The man was about thirty, with a pleasing face and an engaging smile. Kellen suddenly recognized his name. J.D. Waverly had just been elected to the board of supervisors, the youngest person ever to hold the office. His father had also served on the board for years and had been a powerful political force in the city for decades until his death nine years ago. The Waverly family was well-known around town for its political and social involvement.
“It’s a pleasure to finally get to meet you, Mrs. Hillman,” J.D. Waverly said. “My father knew your father. He told me many stories about the battles they had.”
She smiled at him. “My father had his share of enemies. I’m sorry your father had to be one of them.”
“To the contrary,” J.D. said. “My father might have been a Republican, but he was one of Adam Bryant’s greatest admirers. He always said Adam Bryant was the only man in town with guts enough to stand up for what he believed in. The fact that your father was a Democrat...” J.D. smiled. “Well, my father forgave him for that lapse.”
“But you’re a Democrat, aren’t you?” Tyler said.
“Yes, the black sheep of the family.”
Stephen invited J.D. to join them. Kellen listened as the conversation turned to national politics but she let her eyes wander to the dance floor. The orchestra switched suddenly to a labored version of “Feelings.”
Clark came back to the table and bent low to Kellen. “Let’s dance,” he said.
“What?”
He tugged on her arm.
“Clark, what’s the matter with you?”
“We need to dance. Now.”
He almost dragged her out onto the dance floor.
“I just found out that Garrett is supposed to be here tonight,” Clark said.
“Here? Tonight?”
“You look like a trapped rabbit planning its escape,” Clark said. “You can’t just leave now. You have to face him and it’ll be easier here, in a crowd.”
“We don’t have anything to say to each other,” she said.
The music stopped and they stood in the center of the dance floor. “Well, maybe you can kid yourself, but you can’t kid me. I know you too well,” Clark said. “You won’t have a moment’s peace until you see him.”
The music began again and they began to dance.
“You’re trembling,” he said.
“I don’t want to see him, Clark.”
“Just go up to him, say hello, and pretend like nothing happened.”
She stared at him. “He hurt me, Clark. It may have been a long time ago, but I still feel it.” Her eyes darted out across the room.
The song ended and Clark started to steer her back to the table. “No, give me a moment first,” she said. “I don’t want Stephen to see me upset.”
“Let’s go hit the bar. You look like you need a drink.” He took her hand and led her through the crowd.
Clark ordered two martinis. “Here, this is better than a Valium.”
Kellen sipped her drink, her eyes searching the crowd.
“Good Lord, get a load of Lilith,” Clark said, nodding toward a nearby table.
Kellen followed his gaze and saw Lilith chatting with Ian and Clarisse. She was wearing a white Grecian-style gown with a huge diamond and gold necklace that hung like a bib on her chest. Her dark hair was pulled back in a bun, and her gaunt face was the color of mahogany.
“All gold and teeth, just like King Tut,” Clark said. “That woman’s amazing.”
Clark chatted on, making bitchy comments about other women’s dresses, obviously trying to divert Kellen. But her eyes continued to search the crowd for Garrett. Finally, she turned to set her drink on the bar and froze.
There he was, standing in a doorway, just ten feet away. She could see every detail of his face. His dark hair was shorter, his face tanner, his body a little thinner.
Her heart was pounding, and she wanted to run. But she couldn’t move. She couldn’t even look away.
Suddenly, as if sensing her stare, Garrett looked her way. His eyes locked on hers, and in that instant she felt like she could read every thought in them. A second went by, two, three, and eight years vanished. Sounds and colors blurred and for one mad moment she stood poised, ready to rush to him. The dark pull was still there, as strong as ever.
She felt Clark’s fingers on her arm, a gentle tug back to reality. And then she saw Enid Atherton appear at Garrett’s side and slip her arm through his. A second later, another woman appeared. She was blond, pretty, and very young. She took Garrett’s other arm but Garrett didn’t look at her. He was still looking at Kellen.
Clark was saying something but Kellen ignored him. Without taking her eyes off Garrett, she took a deep breath and went toward him. Garrett watched her approach.
Enid saw her and intervened. “Why, Kellen, dear,” she said, with a smile. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen you.”
A few people turned to watch. Enid was very old and frail, but she still commanded respect as the social high priestess.
“I get out so seldom these days,” Enid went on, “only on the most special of occasions.” She smiled up at Garrett. “And this is certainly one.”
“You’re looking well, Enid,” Kellen said. She looked at Garrett, waiting for him to speak. But he just continued to stare at her. “Garrett, it’s been a long time,” she said evenly.
“You look as beautiful as ever,” he said.
Enid’s glance went from Kellen to Garrett. “Kellen, I don’t think you know my granddaughter Amy,” she said, gesturing toward the blond. Kellen and the girl exchanged polite greetings. “Amy will be starting UCLA soon,” Enid said. “She wants to go to New York and be a television journalist. What ideas children have today.”
“Granny Enid,” the girl said with a sigh.
“It’s a hard profession to break into,” Kellen said. Her eyes drifted down to the girl’s hand resting on Garrett’s arm, but she quickly looked up into Garrett’s eyes.
A few more people had sidled up to their half-circle and Kellen felt their eyes on her. “Are you staying in town long?” she asked Garrett.
“I expect to,” he said.
“This must be quite a change after living in New York for so long,” she said. She was amazed to hear her own voice, so cool and neutral.
“A welcome change,” Garrett said. “I don’t like New York, really. I feel more at home on the West Coast.”
A black-and-white collage of faces pressed closer, people holding drinks, their eyes expectant. Clark was now standing at her side. She tried to think of something to say that would provide a graceful exit but her mind was a sudden blank.
At that moment, Ian edged up to Garrett’s side, with Lilith close behind. Kellen watched as Ian greeted Garrett in a familiar manner that made it
clear that he had been in touch with him recently.
I was right, she thought. Garrett is trying to cut a deal with Ian.
Lilith peered at Kellen. “What a stunning necklace,” she said, her eyes narrowing on the stones. Lilith had heard the story behind the necklace’s origin and had always secretly coveted it. She wagged a finger in Kellen’s face. “You’re not supposed to wear any color tonight.”
Kellen was suddenly aware of someone standing close behind her. She turned and saw Stephen staring at Garrett. She realized then that they had never met each other, yet an introduction now seemed absurd.
“It isn’t fair,” Lilith said, “for you to wear that necklace when the rest of us must make do with plain old diamonds.” She glanced around looking for sympathy and caught Garrett’s eye. “It’s not fair, is it, Garrett?”
Garrett’s eyes were focused on Stephen’s hand, now placed lightly around Kellen’s waist.
“No, it’s not fair at all,” he said.
As his eyes held hers Kellen felt her face grow warm. He still wants me, she thought. And after all this time, I still want him. She felt Stephen’s hand slip from her waist.
And Stephen knows, she thought. He feels it, and he knows.
Stephen extended his hand to Garrett. “I don’t think we’ve ever met,” he said. “I’m Stephen Hillman, Kellen’s husband.” The men stared at each other for a moment then Garrett shook his hand.
“Mother, don’t you have something to ask Kellen?” Ian said.
Everyone’s attention shifted to Lilith, who smiled, aware of the ears listening. “Kellen, dear,” Lilith said, “I’d like you to come to dinner tomorrow night. Garrett will be our guest. And Stephen, you’ll come, too, of course.”
Kellen looked at Ian, who stared at her with a small smile as he swirled his ice in his glass.
“We’re busy, Lilith,” she said.
“We have some things to discuss, Kellen,” Ian said. “Just some business. Mother and I just thought it would pleasant to get the family together for a nice dinner.”
“Some other time,” Stephen said.
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