Mystery Wife

by Annette Broadrick

  He saw the polite question in her face and heard it in her "Yes?" split seconds before she recognized him. She froze, her eyes widening in shock. "Raoul!"

  "Yes. I know I should have called first. It was very impolite of me to show up with nb warning, but I—" He stared at her hungrily. "I don't need to ask how you've been. You look won—um—quite well."

  She blinked, almost as though she fully expected him to disappear as a result of the action. He grew more anxious. "If you have company or if you are busy I'll just—" He waved his hand halfheartedly at the cab parked out front.

  "Oh! I'm sorry, no, it's fine. I mean, you've just surprised me, that's all. I had no idea— What I mean is, you were the last person I expected to see standing on my doorstep."

  "Would you mind if I let my taxi go? I'll get another one when I leave, if that's all—"

  "Of course. Please. Come in."

  He signaled the cabdriver, who saluted and pulled away from the curb.

  Alisha stepped back, leaving the door open for him while she led the way into the first room off her hallway. Her lounging robe swirled around her as she turned and faced him. "As you can see, I wasn't expecting company. There's no school this week so I've been rather lazy."

  Following her into the room, Raoul walked over to her and took her hands in his. "Please don't apologize. It was inexcusably rude of me not to call.''

  "Are you here on business?"

  "Yes, as a matter of fact. Well, actually, I had to fly to New York on short notice and decided as long as I was there, I'd come on to Dallas on the off chance I might be able to see you."

  She blinked again, this time with something like astonishment that he would consider a flight halfway across the country a chance to "drop in."

  "Would you like some coffee? Have you eaten? I could-"

  "I'm fine. Really. Please, have a seat. I won't stay long. I just wanted to visit for a while, if that's all right."

  She sank into a nearby chair as though obeying his command, but she knew it was because her shaking knees would no longer hold her weight.

  Dear God, what was she going to do! Raoul DuBois was here. Here! Right in her living room. She had never expected to see him again. There had been no reason to ever see him again, certainly not now. Not here.

  He sat across from her and she had a chance to study him. He was much thinner than she'd ever seen him, and he looked older. His thick black hair had silvery flecks that were particularly pronounced over his ears.

  "How is Sherye?"

  His gaze was steady when he said, "She died almost two months ago."

  "Oh, no! Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't know."

  "How could you? We kept her passing private. I saw no reason to make a media circus out of the circumstances surrounding her death."

  Leaning toward him, she folded her arms and rested them on her knees. "Did she ever regain consciousness?"

  "No."

  She felt a tearing somewhere deep inside of her, as though something had been ripped away. She'd meant what she'd said to Janine. She'd never known Sherye and had no desire to meet her. Still...

  Her eyes filled and she fought to control her tears.

  "I didn't mean to upset you," he said quietly.

  "It isn't that. I mean, of course I'm sorry she never recovered. Who knows how different she might have been if she'd been given another chance. It's just that—" She stopped and cleared her throat. "I've done some amateur sleuthing on my own, with Janine's help. I was able to prove to my own satisfaction that Sherye and I were sisters."

  He leaned forward. "You have proof?"

  "Looking at us is enough proof, wouldn't you say? I don't believe in that kind of coincidence." She placed her elbows on her knees and propped her chin on her clasped hands, her knuckles white with tension. "I've been in contact with some of my parents' friends, as well as one of our neighbors at the time I was born. They remembered that my mother had insisted on having a home birth. Having a midwife and giving birth naturally was really being talked up back in those days."

  His eyes narrowed. "I seem to recall that Sherye's mother was a midwife."

  "Yes. Looking back it's clear that Mother wasn't aware she was carrying twins. Obviously Thelma Hopkins didn't tell her that she'd actually given birth to a child by the time the ambulance arrived and whisked her to the hospital, leaving the midwife to stay behind and clean up." Her gaze had gone inward as she recalled what she and Janine had discovered.

  "A woman who knew Thelma told me that Thelma once told her that Sherye wasn't really hers. She'd said that Sherye's birth mother was a young unmarried girl who died during childbirth. Rather than turn the baby over to authorities Thelma decided to claim her as her own."

  "You mean, no one ever questioned her about it?"

  "The authorities had no reason to question a home birth and a single parent registering the birth."

  "I wonder if Sherye ever learned the truth?"

  "How else did she find me?"

  "You mean she contacted you?"

  "I don't know. All I know is that according to a letter I wrote to Janine I received an unexpected invitation to a teachers' conference in Paris, all expenses paid. I don't remember going, but it would explain my being in France at that particular time."

  "Do you think Sherye had something to do with the invitation you received?"

  "It seems likely to me. I don't like to speak ill of her. She's certainly paid for whatever she might have done, but whoever was behind it had carefully planned every detail, including dyeing and restyling my hair. No one but Sherye would have a reason to go to such lengths to duplicate her appearance."

  "That's true."

  "According to the people I spoke to who knew her, Thelma was always considered a little strange. Look what she did, after all. If she had any kind of conscience it must have eaten at her. From all accounts, she was obsessive about Sherye. I can't imagine what sort of childhood Sherye had under the circumstances."

  "Sherye once told me that her mother was the one who was so eager for Sherye to model. That's how she got involved when she was so young."

  "Thelma must have wanted to show her off to the world. If so, then she must have felt she successfully reached her goal, regardless of the long-term effects it had on Sherye."

  "I can see that this episode didn't end for you once you returned home, did it?"

  She shook her head. "I kept thinking about how it was for me growing up. I always wanted to have a brother or sister, but Mother never got pregnant again. If I'd had any idea that I had a sister, one who looked just like me, what a difference that would have made in my life."

  "And in hers, as well."

  "Yes."

  Raoul couldn't keep bis eyes off Alisha. There was a glow about her, despite her sad expression, that continued to draw his attention. When she caught him staring at her, he attempted to cover his lapse in good manners by hurrying into speech. "I wasn't at all certain you would want to see me again."

  "Why?" She sounded honestly puzzled.

  "Because I'm a reminder of what happened to you."

  "That works both ways, you know. I'm even more of a reminder to you."

  "Not anymore. Not really. You and Sherye have such different personalities that it is easy enough now to see how little you were alike. Physically, Sherye grew very frail during her last months, while you seem to be blooming with good health."

  She flushed in embarrassment, which surprised him. He tried to figure out a cause for her uneasiness and kept the conversation simple. "I like your new hairstyle. The softer color is very attractive."

  She touched her hair. "I've never worn my hair this short before. I decided to experiment, looking for an easy style to keep." Once again she inexplicably blushed.

  There it was again. His presence must be making her uncomfortable, despite her polite acceptance of his unexpected appearance. Raoul glanced at his watch, then got up from the chair. "Well, I've kept you long enough, I'm sure. I just wan
ted to stop by to see you for a few minutes. The children have been delighted with your cards and letters. You've been very kind to remember them."

  Alisha reluctantly came to her feet. "I've missed the children very much," she said softly.

  He moved nearer. "And me? Have you missed me at all?"

  She looked away, refusing to meet his gaze. "I've missed all of you, of course. I told you before that I enjoyed being a part of the life there at the chateau."

  "Alisha, I know it's too soon to speak of this, and I—"

  As soon as he began to speak she turned away from him and for the first time since he'd arrived Raoul saw her figure in full profile. The sight literally took his breath away.

  She now had her back to him, walking behind the sofa so that the piece of furniture was between them, effectively shielding her from his view.

  "Please don't say anything, Raoul," she said quickly. "I appreciate your stopping by and I..." She paused and lifted her chin slightly before calmly continuing. "We can't pretend that Sherye didn't exist, nor can we pretend that I don't bear an uncanny resemblance to her."

  Raoul interrupted her, growling, "Why not? Aren't you busy pretending that you're not pregnant with my child?"

  Chapter 15

  She hadn't really thought she'd be able to hide her condition from him. Actually, she'd been unable to think at all from the time she opened the door and saw Raoul DuBois standing on her front steps.

  She'd hoped the casual robe she wore would be enough camouflage to give her time to adjust to his presence, as well as time to come up with the explanation he was sure to demand when he discovered her condition.

  She'd just run out of time.

  The unexpected news about Sherye had distracted her from the ominous realization that she'd made a serious error in judgment when she'd decided not to notify Raoul when she first found out that she was going to have his baby. Janine had warned her at the time that she would be sorry if she decided not to tell him. She'd pointed out that he sounded like the type of man who would insist on his rights as well as on taking care of his responsibilities. She'd also pointed out that he didn't sound like the type of man Alisha would want to antagonize if it could be avoided.

  There was nothing more annoying than to have a friend who was invariably right.

  Now that Raoul was here in her living room looking his most intimidating, Alisha discovered that she would have much preferred to discuss the subject with him with an ocean between them rather than a sofa.

  Unfortunately her discovery was too late.

  Raoul stalked around the sofa, so that she lost even that dubious protection from his thunderous gaze.

  She took a deep breath, held it, then slowly released the air in her lungs, intent on finding and hanging on to some semblance of calm. "You surprised me," she admitted with a hint of a shrug. "I didn't know what to say."

  "I surprised you!" He took her by the arm and guided her around the sofa, silently indicating that she should sit down. He sat beside her, facing her so that their knees touched. She could feel the heat radiating from his body. "Why didn't you tell me!"

  How could she have imagined such a scene? She had never expected to see him again. She tried to pull her chaotic thoughts together to form some semblance of order.

  "I seriously considered contacting you when I first learned about it, but so much had happened. You already had so much to deal with that I thought—''

  "You're saying you didn't want to tell me because you wanted to protect me?"

  "Well, yes, that was part of it. You aren't responsible-"

  "If I'm not responsible, then who is? Oh, and if you're going to try to convince me of another immaculate conception, you're wasting your breath. I know exactly who's responsible."

  "I didn't mean— What I was trying—"

  Unable to sit still, Raoul left the sofa and strode across the room, running his hand through his hair. He spun around and faced her. "What an unthinking fool I've been. I never gave the possibility of pregnancy a thought. Not once! I let you walk out of my life without once considering the fact that you could be carrying my child."

  "Well, you-"

  "When is it due?"

  "Will.. .you.. .please.. .stop... interrupting.. .me?" she shouted, jumping to her feet.

  He froze and stared at her as though she had metamorphosed into an alien monster creature.

  He was close.

  She couldn't remember when she'd been so angry. He wouldn't give her a chance to explain, to defend her actions, or to offer her apologies. Raoul DuBois might be the unanointed ruler of his own private kingdom in France, but he was in her home at the moment and he was badgering her.

  Enough was enough.

  She seated herself once again and folded her hands in her lap. "Now then," she said in a quiet—a very quiet—voice. "I can understand that you're upset, but if you will attempt to calm down for a moment, I'm confident that we can discuss the matter like two rational adults."

  He strode over to the window and glared at the unsuspecting view, grasping his hands at his back. "Don't count on it," he muttered between clenched teeth.

  She took another deep breath and began to speak. "I found out I was pregnant when I went for my annual preschool-year medical checkup in August—"

  He spun on his heel, redirecting the glare to her side of the room. "August! You've known for months and didn't find it necessary to— "

  She held up her hand much like a policeman stopping traffic. A muscle in his jaw jumped, but he said nothing more.

  "I'd only been home a couple of weeks at that time. I knew that Sherye was in the hospital and that she was your first priority."

  "Don't be ridiculous! I'm just as responsible for your condition as you are. Even though we thought we were married to each other at the time, I should have—"

  Once again she held up her hand until he stopped talking. "I know what we thought at the time, but we were wrong. You were legally married to another woman. You are an honorable man. There was no reason to cause you any more problems than those with which you were already dealing. You see, there was nothing you could do at that point."

  He looked at her in disgust. "So you were going to blithely carry on without any help."

  She eyed him for a moment before making a sudden decision. "Very few people know this... and it isn't something I can talk about very easily... but I had a miscarriage not long after my husband was killed. Had I managed to carry that baby full term I was fully prepared to be both mother and father to it. I was devastated when I lost it. I knew that I wouldn't have any help, since both my parents and Dennis's parents were gone. But it didn't matter, then. I wanted very much to have my baby." She rested her hand on her softly rounded belly. "I still do," she said softly. "I don't deny that I was shocked to discover I was pregnant. I'd lost track of time and the possibility of a pregnancy had never entered my mind. But once I overcame the shock, I felt that God had given me another chance to have the family I've always wanted."

  He studied her for a moment in silence, then sat in the chair across from her. She continued in a steady voice, praying he would understand why she'd made the choices she had.

  "Because of the circumstances that occurred this summer, I knew there was very little you could do other than to help me financially. I don't need financial help. I'm perfectly able to care for myself. I teach because I enjoy teaching, not because I need to work." She gave him a rueful glance before saying, "I'll admit I told my classes that I had gotten married unexpectedly this summer—to a European who would not be moving to the States. I intimated that I would be spending my summers in France.'' She smiled, remembering that day. "I must say they found it all extremely romantic."

  Raoul took his first deep breath since he'd discovered her secret. "Thank God for that. At least it will make things a little-"

  She held up her hand and he stopped speaking as though she'd physically covered his mouth with her hand. In a very gentle voice she said,
"I made up the story, Raoul. It is fiction ... a fairy tale... something to protect the baby."

  "Granted, but close enough to the truth."

  "Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, Raoul. As you know very well, we are not married. We were never married."

  He gave her a heartwarming smile and said, "Which we can remedy immediately."

  Sadly she shook her head. "I should have known that you'd feel honor bound to marry me if you could."

  "True. I do feel honor bound. I can marry you... and I intend to marry you."

  "No, you can't. Sherye's only been dead—"

  "I can't concern myself about the conventions of the matter when there's a bigger issue here. You are carrying my child."

  Of course she had known that he would feel possessive toward the child. She had gotten to know Raoul DuBois rather well last summer. In a conciliatory voice she replied, "Yes. I know that. Perhaps next summer if everything works out I can fly over to visit with you and the family."

  Once again he gave her a look that conveyed quite convincingly that he thought she had lost her mind. "You're joking, right? This is your idea of a joke. You will come to visit us during summer vacations and bring my child with you? How very thoughtful of you. So kind.""

  "Please don't be sarcastic."

  "Then please stop being so ridiculous."

  "I'm not. There are many children who only live with one parent, but that doesn't mean they can't learn to love both parents."

  "You're being unreasonable."

  "Not at all."

  "I disagree with your logic."

  "A marriage would not work between us."

  "How can you say that!" he shouted, then paused when he saw the look in her eye. In a deliberate whisper he leaned toward her and said, "How can you possibly say that when we had a perfectly acceptable, enjoyable marriage last summer?" He gestured toward her protruding stomach. "How else do you explain, even justify, how you got into this condition? We obviously enjoyed each other's company. My mother and sister admire you, my children adore you. Getting married is the absolute best solution."