"Hello." She walked toward them. "I must admit, you have me quite curious." She held out her hand. "My name is Maud Parks."
"I am Vanley Bancroft, and this is my friend, Davia Binns."
"Ah," Maud said. "You mentioned Anton?"
"Yes." Vanley nodded. "We were curious about him. We found your names and his on an emancipation letter."
Oh. Maud's eyes widened. "Where?"
"In an office where I work." Davia piped in nervously. "We were thinking that he was related to my boss."
"Who is your boss?" Maud asked, a touch sharply, looking from one of them to the other.
Vanley cleared his throat. "Anita Parkinson."
Maud's eyes clouded over. "Where are my manners? You two can come inside and have a seat."
Davia looked at Vanley curiously. There was something there. Definitely. The lady's countenance had practically changed when she mentioned Anita.
They followed her into a beautifully furnished house and she led them onto a patio that had a view of the city. "Have a seat," Maud said, gesturing to them. She sat down across from them. "Would you like some refreshments?"
"No, thank you." Vanley and Davia said almost in unison.
Maud nodded. "My husband is not here this morning. He had to attend a business function." Maud gestured with her hand across the view. Her two brown bracelets jingled against each other. "It is a lovely day is it not?"
"Yes." Vanley said. He anxiously wanted to hear more, like who was Anton Parks and how he was related to Anita. He did not want to discuss the weather.
"Well," Maud said, "Anton is our son. Since you saw that emancipation document I am sure you must know that."
Vanley nodded. "We figured. How is he related to Anita?"
"You mean her boss?" Maud looked at Davia. "I have no idea." Her eyes shifted away. She was lying.
"Tell me about your boss." She looked at Davia after she had regained her composure. "Is she a good person?"
"Yes," Davia said readily. "She is easy to work with. Very professional and she's a fair boss."
Maud nodded. "Good."
"About Anton," Vanley said. "Where is he now?"
Maud inclined her head. "I haven't heard from him in years. It seems that when someone emancipates himself from his parents, he wants to be cut off for good."
Vanley sighed. "Was he adopted?"
"He was our son," Maud said vaguely, not answering the question at all.
"I mean," Vanley said, a tad desperately, "was he Anita Parkinson's real son?"
Maud cleared her throat and paused. "Why don't you ask Anita? Why have you come all the way to Kingston seeking answers from me when she's right there."
Davia looked at Vanley. Because Anita would not answer, that's why.
They chitchatted for a while about nothing of consequence, and then Maud saw them out. She lingered in the hallway leading to her front door. "I am so sorry I could not help you more."
"Do you have any other children?" Vanley asked curiously.
Maud shook her head. "No. So you can understand what a tragedy it was to lose our only son."
"Why did he ask to be emancipated?" Vanley asked, looking at her enquiringly, her arched eyebrows rose in the air and she laughed uncomfortably.
"Children sometimes don't see eye to eye with their parents. They defy parental rules and want to be able to control their own destiny."
Davia's eyes roamed over the place and then she zeroed in on the mantelpiece. There were several pictures of what looked like family members. One was with a much younger Maud and a man who was hugging her, presumably Felix. There was a young boy in the middle. He resembled Anita!
She pinched Vanley in his side and he looked at her curiously. Maud was still rambling on about her son, without really answering the question Vanley asked. Davia indicated to the picture with her thumb.
Vanley gazed at it. The boy really resembled Anita. He couldn't resist he walked to the mantelpiece.
"Is this Anton?" He asked Maud.
Maud nodded. "Yes that's him. He was eight at the time."
There were no other pictures of him in the array of pictures. Vanley looked at the grinning boy even closer. He had close cropped curly hair, and a gap toothed smile. He had to be related to Anita. Even their smiles were similar.
Maud was obviously lying; she knew who Anita was. This child was related to Anita in some way. He looked at the boy again. Anita was obviously this child's birth mother.
He stepped back from the picture and looked at Maud. "He resembles Anita."
"He does?" Maud said flatly, then in an obviously dismissive gesture opened the front door with a flourish. "You guys have a safe journey back up to the hills."
She practically pushed them through the door.
When they sat in the car, Davia laughed. "I don't get it. There is no shame in adoption. I mean, what's the big secret? First there is Anita with her secret and then these people."
"Maybe they were terrible parents," Vanley said. "Their son couldn't wait to be emancipated, and we arrived here claiming to know his birth mother. I saw some guilt in her eyes. Did you see it?"
Davia nodded. "I did. So what are you going to do with this information?"
"I don't know." Vanley said, feeling curiously let down. "I don't know."
Chapter Fifteen
Vanley dropped Davia home. Though he had made an effort, after their trip to the home of the Parks, to entertain Davia by showing her around Kingston, his heart had not been in it. He was now feeling mentally exhausted.
He drove toward his house slowly. He kept running through his mind all the things he had uncovered about Anita so far. She had been a lesbian. She had a secret child: maybe eighteen or older. He shuddered, suppose that child was the same age as he was? He certainly had to face the fact that Anita was old enough to be his mother. His own mother was just six years older than Anita. She admitted that she couldn't have children now, and he wanted children.
He ran through the revelations and realized that he could work with everything that was in her past. Her having been a lesbian made him queasy, but he could deal with that if that was squarely in her past. They could always adopt children or get a surrogate.
He exhaled as he slowed down near his gate. He looked at the dashboard; it was six-thirty. Anita would be home. He had to tell her that he knew her secrets, and that he loved her anyway.
This was going to be his last ditch effort to let her see sense. Anita had made him jump through hoops through the years; she had even unwittingly caused him to turn into a detective, sifting through her many secrets so that he could be with her.
He was through with running after her and begging her to be with him. It ended tonight. Tonight was the night. He was through with her excuses and her keeping him at arms length. He drove to her house with a determined set to his face.
When he pulled up at her gate, he felt a little tremor in his heartbeat. It was going to be hard to let her go. He started rewording his resolve in his head. If she pushed him away, maybe he could give her another chance. Maybe tonight wasn't really the night to let go.
No. He had to stick to his resolve.
He inhaled when he drove into her driveway and only exhaled when he pressed the buzzer beside her door.
The veranda light came on and she pulled the door opened.
"Vanley! What are you doing here?"
Vanley swallowed. She looked tousled. Her usually impeccably combed hair was in a tiny ponytail and she was in a sweat pantsuit.
She still looked good to him though. Her dog came to stand beside her. He barked once and then started bouncing up on his leg.
"Can we talk? Vanley asked.
"You look really serious," Anita said. "Want to come in?"
Vanley shook his head. "I don't want to sit down. I just need to get this off my chest."
Anita folded her arm. "Okay. Shoot."
"I know your secret," Vanley stared into her eyes, "and I don't care!"
Anita shook her head. "You don't know my secret or you would care."
"I know you were a lesbian!"
"I was never a lesbian!" Anita said indignantly.
"You were in a relationship with Carol. She practically told me that herself when I was here, but I was too dimwitted to understand what she was saying, maybe because the thought had never crossed my mind."
Anita nodded. "I was in a relationship with Carol."
"So?" Vanley looked confused.
Anita shook her head. "This is pointless."
"No, it's not," Vanley said. "I know about Anton."
Anita inhaled sharply. "You do?"
"Yes." Vanley scratched his chin. "How old is he? Who is his father?"
Anita leaned on the doorjamb in relief and laughed mirthlessly. "Anton is dead. Leave him out of this."
Vanley started pacing. "Anita, don't lie to me. I can deal with you having a secret son or a past colorful life. I know and I'm not going anywhere. See, here I am. Your big old secrets are safe with me."
Anita rubbed her arms, feeling all shivery inside as Vanley passionately declared that he knew her secrets.
"How did you find out about Anton?" She asked, puzzled. "Did your uncle say something to you?"
"No," Vanley said. "It doesn't matter how I know, does it?"
"You've been snooping in my past?" Anita asked, feeling somewhat let down. She had expected him to keep the boundaries regarding her past life that she had laid out.
"Yes," Vanley said. "I have, because you won't tell me about your big secret. I was dying to know."
Anita's eyes clouded over. "Yesterday, when Davia mentioned Anton to you, was she searching for a reaction? Is she snooping in my life too?"
Vanley clamped his mouth shut. Davia didn't want to lose her job.
Anita mumbled. "What do you know, Vanley?"
"I know that Anton was emancipated from Maud and Felix parks. I went to visit their house. I met Maud Parks. She's quite a character."
Anita laughed harshly: the sound was devoid of humor. "You went to visit the Parks?"
"Yes. This is what your secret is doing to me."
"But why?" Anita asked plaintively. "Why can't you leave me alone? I am the wrong woman for you. I always knew that. I have told you that from the beginning." Anita inhaled tremulously. "Listen to me, Vanley." Vanley looked at her; she had tears in her eyes. "I know what I am talking about. Okay? I have been around long enough to know when something will not work. You and I will never work. Am I getting through to you?"
Vanley felt warm under his collar. He could read her beseeching look and see the finality in her eyes: the plea for him to leave her alone. He felt small. She had never sounded like this before. He was willing to let her past rest. He was willing to overlook their age disparity, but now she was rejecting it. A frustrating finality was speaking to him from her eyes.
"Let it go," she said harshly. "And stop snooping in my life. Anton Parks is none of your business. Got that?"
She was willing him to say yes. He wanted to say yes. His heart was breaking in pieces and yet he couldn't say that one little word. It was extremely hard to let go of a dream. He stared at her as if he was staring across a chasm. Anita was literally trembling from her head to her toes. Little reactionary bursts of nervousness even had her lips trembling. She waited for Vanley to speak.
This was it. He had to admit that he would have nothing to do with her again. She had never definitively told him in so many words to leave her alone. They were both giving up something here tonight. They stared at each other, the only sounds being the soulful cries of the weeping willow trees in the distance.
"Yes," Vanley said and nodded. "I will leave you alone. Happy?"
Anita nodded uncertainly. "Thank you."
Vanley made a rude sound and stomped off the veranda. He headed to his car. That was it. He had promised himself that this would be it. He had laid it all on the line. Told her that he knew and didn't care and she still rejected him. His Anita era was over. It could have been over much earlier if he had listened to God, and move on; he realized that now, but it still hurt badly. Her rejection was terrible. He felt like howling like a lost soul.
*****
Anita went into the office earlier than usual. She glanced at her watch: it was seven thirty-five. She hadn't slept a wink all night. She was in battle mode. She first marched to Bancroft's office.
The secretary hadn't even come in yet. She pushed opened his door without knocking and marched to his desk. He had just come in, she could see. His briefcase was still on his desk, and he was just about to sit down.
He looked up at her barging towards him and sighed. "What's wrong?"
"I want to go to Dominica to head up the school there. I can do it."
Bancroft sank into his seat. "Why? I thought you were gunning for my job here. I thought that you wanted to prove to the establishment that a woman could be president at Mount Faith."
"Stop kidding. We both know that this is not going to happen anytime soon, unless you unexpectedly kick the bucket, like Edward Carlisle did. With all the exercising, eating right, and clean living you are doing, you wil be here until you retire." Anita said urgently, "You have most of the board members in your corner. Just speak to the board; push my name for Dominica. I know they've been looking at Joe Masters; make them consider me as well."
Bancroft shook his head. "I like you here."
"Your nephew knows about Anton," Anita said, a sliver of panic attacking her anew when she thought about it.
"He does?" Bancroft looked appalled. "How?"
"He doesn't know anything much," Anita said huffily, "but he knows Anton existed and he thinks he is my son. I am going to fire Davia this morning. She snooped in my files."
"Hold on a second," Bancroft said, holding up his hand. "One thing at a time. My nephew doesn't really know anything and you want to run off to Dominica? That's not logical."
"It is," Anita said, sighing. "I have feelings for Vanley as well. I've always had."
Bancroft shook his head. "No you don't. You can't."
"Yes, I do," Anita said, "I listened to you. I stayed far away from him but I still loved him. I really pushed him away last night, but I think I need to move away for his sake."
Bancroft leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. "That is probably for the best."
"What is so wrong with me anyway?" Anita asked. "I told him that I cannot have children. He thinks I was a lesbian and that I had a son, and he still wants to be with me. There is something there."
Bancroft snorted. "No, there's not. There can't be anything there."
"We are playing God with his life," Anita said sadly. "Maybe he can deal with my secret if we let him."
"Maybe," Bancroft said. "Maybe he can but..."
"But I am not good enough to be a part of your family." Anita folded her arms. "I am supposed to be your friend, but when it comes to family the buck stops there."
Bancroft opened his eyes and looked at her through a slit and inhaled. He rubbed his nose bridge. "Anita, Vanley loves his ministry. You are not compatible with that. One day he'll want to have children. One day he'll regret this madcap decision to marry a woman far older than himself and he'll be trapped."
Anita shook her head. "Or he'll be miserable with someone else."
"He'll cope," Bancroft said. Then he contemplated her. "So, you think you can handle a small university?"
Anita looked at him incredulously. "Of course. Fifteen years ago when you came here and we just met, you knew I was competition even then."
"You are right; you are competition. "I'll talk to the guys." Bancroft rocked back in his chair. "Maybe D.M. Carter will give me a hard time as usual. He is Joe Masters' friend; that will make the whole selection process even harder, but you are in a higher position than Joe. He'll look petty choosing Joe over you."
"You can make it work," Anita said. "If it comes through, I would have to move in three months. That
would barely give me enough time to sort out my business here but I'll make it work."
"Yes." Bancroft sighed. "Do you have to fire Davia? You'll be leaving anyway."
"Yes, I have to fire her," Anita said, "I can't trust her after this. She snooped in my files, and she has feelings for Vanley..."
"And you are jealous," Bancroft intercepted before Anita could list all of Davia's faults.
"Something like that," Anita admitted.
"Well," Bancroft said, "before you crush Davia's spirit, send her to me."
Anita nodded. "I wasn't planning to crush her spirit. I actually like the girl."
She marched out of Bancroft's office and headed to hers.
*****
"Good morning, Anita." Davia was at her desk. Early as usual and perky, Anita thought resentfully.
"You are fired," Anita said flatly, filtering all emotion from her voice. "Nobody snoops in my private files and shares them with somebody else and still works with me. I can't trust you anymore."
She headed for her door. She needed to call HR for a replacement, and she had a whole lot of work to do.
She turned back and saw Davia's crestfallen expression. "Luckily for you, you have friends in high places. President Bancroft wants to see you."
Davia nodded. "Look Anita, I am..."
"Sorry?" Anita asked snarkily. "Save it. Just don't do the same thing with your other job okay? No snooping."
She went into her office and closed the door. Her late night was catching up with her. Her head was throbbing. She took two aspirins and sat at her desk staring into space. Once again, she would escape if Bancroft came through for her with the board. The thought depressed her. Would she be spending the rest of her life running from her emotions, denying her past? Was she doomed to be unhappy forever?
*****
Bancroft tapped his fingers on the desk after Anita stormed out of his office and glanced at the phone. He knew within himself that Vanley was not going to give up on Anita so easily. If hearing all the things he had about Anita hadn't turned him off, then he wasn't going to give up pursuing her until he was broken.
A Younger Man (Mount Faith Series: Book 7) Page 12
