All That Glitters

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All That Glitters Page 3

by Ruthe Ogilvie


  It was raining hard as he descended the stairs and the ramp that led out to his jet. He could hear the hum of the engines as he approached.

  Gabe, his chief caretaker and butler, was standing by the huge door with his slicker. “It’s all ready to go, Sir,” he told Francois, as he held the umbrella over his head to shield him from the drenching rain. “Are you sure you don’t want me to accompany you to Paris? It’s almost a two hour flight. You might get sleepy.”

  “No, Gabe,” he assured him, “I’ll be fine.” He pulled himself up into the sleek, silver bird, sat down at the controls, waved to Gabe, and took off.

  The flying time to Paris gave Francois a chance to mull over his plan for Cammie. As far as he could see it all fit perfectly, and a pleased smile broke over his face. Contemplating this made the flight seem shorter, and in what seemed almost no time at all, he was circling over Orly Field. He quickly spotted the runway, and glided gracefully down to a perfect landing. He taxied to his private gate, with plenty of time to disembark, and make his way to Gate #7 of Parisian Airlines.

  The plane from California arrived on schedule, and Cammie and the others were among the first ones off the plane.

  As Francois strode across the airport to greet them, Hildy almost fainted. For one wild moment, she thought she was coming face to face again with Gregory Wilcox! She stood there, stunned. The resemblance was so strong it was positively eerie. She shook her head and blinked, trying to erase what she was sure must be an illusion.

  But Zack, also, seemed to tense up when he saw him.

  Jay simply stared, speechless.

  Noticing this gave Hildy a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. This is crazy, she thought. But as Cammie rushed into Francois’ arms, Hildy’s fists clenched, and she felt a sudden, strong impulse to turn and run, taking Cammie with her.

  Zack came quickly to her rescue as he put a steadying hand on her shoulder and tried to calm her down.

  “Mom—Dad!” Cammie’s excited voice sounded to Hildy as though it were coming from far away. Cammie grabbed Hildy and Jay by the hand and pulled them over to him. “This is Count Francois Dubonnet,” she announced with great pride, “the man I’m engaged to marry!”

  With a big smile Francois extended his hand. As Hildy returned the handshake, she thought she saw Greg Wilcox’s phony charm oozing from him. I’m imagining things, she told herself, and made a great effort to regain her composure.

  Then he spoke. So many years had passed since she had heard Greg’s voice, that she had forgotten what it sounded like. But it all came back. Yes, she could have sworn it was Greg’s voice coming from Francois!

  She started to shake. This is stupid! she told herself. He’s not Greg. Greg is dead. Besides, she reasoned, Francois is much younger than Greg would have been, if he were still alive. This is nothing but my fear for Cammie that’s at the bottom of this hallucination.

  Hildy looked at Jenny and Peter. As they shook hands with Francois, she could tell that they, too, had noticed his startling resemblance to Greg, but they didn’t seem disturbed by it. It has to be a coincidence, Hildy tried to convince herself.

  Jay’s voice cut through Hildy’s thoughts. “Honey, we’d better go to the carousel and pick up our luggage. We’ve had a long trip. We should go to the hotel and get some rest.”

  In a daze, Hildy found herself agreeing. She moved like a robot going through the motions. Jay took her arm in an attempt to steady her. Zack walked beside her, holding her other arm.

  Cammie followed with Francois, hanging on to him, laughing and talking excitedly. She was with her beloved Francois once more, and that was all that mattered.

  Their luggage was waiting on the carousel, and they were soon on their way to La Grande Veue Hotel, the same hotel where they had stayed twenty-one years ago when it was brand new.

  Francois had rented a limousine for the occasion. This, however, didn’t impress Hildy, or any of the others. Limousines were a way of life to them. If Francois did this to try and get on our good side, thought Hildy, he’ll have to do better than that. As they rode along, she scolded herself. This is the man that Cammie wants to spend the rest of her life with, and she tried to convince herself that she was letting his resemblance to Greg color the situation.

  Traffic was heavy, and the limousine didn’t arrive at the hotel until shortly after noontime. The bellman and doorman recognized Francois, and rushed around trying to please him. They whisked away their luggage to deliver to their rooms.

  The hotel was every bit as grand and beautiful as Hildy and Jenny remembered.

  “It’s just the same, isn’t it?” Jenny exclaimed as they entered the lobby. “Nothing has changed!”

  If only that were true, thought Hildy. But it wasn’t the hotel she was thinking about.

  It didn’t take long to get settled in their rooms. They decided to order sandwiches from room service, rather than going to the restaurant. Francois had invited them to his suite for cocktails at seven. It was one-thirty now—plenty of time to rest.

  Hildy napped fitfully. Horrible memories—memories she thought were long gone, and part of a nightmare past—returned full force to haunt her. She moaned in her sleep, and Jay reached out for her hand in an effort to comfort her.

  CHAPTER V

  It was almost seven o’clock in the evening when Jay woke up. Someone was knocking on their door. Cammie, Jenny, Peter, and Zack stood there, all dressed for the evening.

  “Honey,” Jay told Cammie, “we’ll be ready in a few minutes. You go ahead and we’ll join you there.”

  Hildy was already in the shower. When she emerged from the bathroom, Jay had already put their suitcases on the bed, ready to unpack.

  Hildy took out a lovely, blue cocktail dress with a few sparkly rhinestones sprinkled across the bodice. Silver sandals and a silver evening purse complemented the outfit.

  Jay quickly showered and donned navy blue slacks and a white dinner jacket, ready to join the others by seven-fifteen in Francois’ suite.

  Francois had made reservations at the restaurant overlooking the Seine—the same restaurant where Peter took Hildy and Jenny on their first night in Paris twenty-one years ago, and they were all looking forward to it.

  The others were already in Francois’ suite when Hildy and Jay arrived.

  Zack looked quite the man-about-town in his beige slacks and navy jacket, and Peter was handsome in brown slacks and a tan jacket.

  Jenny, looking very chic, wore a pale tan chiffon dress with a few scattered sequins, and beige pumps.

  Cammie looked like something out of a romantic past in a pale lilac cocktail dress with matching sandals. Her reddish blond hair was swept back from her face, revealing her lovely features.

  Francois, dressed in uniform complete with epaulets, and looking every inch a Count, was all charm as he greeted them. “I’ve been waiting till we were all here for a special surprise I’ve prepared for Cammie,” he said, as he ushered them into the suite and over to the hors d’oeuvre table and bar. “Help yourselves. What would you like to drink? We have everything here.”

  If it were not for her past experience with Gregory Wilcox, Hildy would have been completely taken in by him, and she could easily understand how Cammie was so mesmerized by his charm. But this is what frightened her. It’s so easy, when you’re Cammie’s age, to be overwhelmed by all this glamour, she thought. Still—maybe the whole thing is completely innocent, and I’m the one who’s being mesmerized because of what happened to me. Just because he looks like Greg doesn’t mean a thing! He seems genuinely loving and attentive. Come on! Be fair!

  As soon as they were all settled with their drinks, Francois handed Cammie a large, velvet box. “Open it,” he told her.

  With trembling fingers she untied the bright purple ribbon and bow. He held the box as she lifted the cover.r />
  Francois reached in and pulled out a beautiful, jeweled tiara, covered with mostly diamonds and a few scattered sapphires and rubies. “This is what you’ll be wearing when we entertain,” he said, placing it on her head.

  Cammie was speechless. Her blue eyes sparkled as brilliantly as the jewels in the tiara. She looked more like a Princess than a future Countess.

  Francois smiled smugly—at least it seemed so to Hildy—as he handed Cammie a smaller velvet box. When she opened it, a three-carat diamond solitaire ring lay nestled in the fold. He carefully removed it, and placed it on the third finger of her left hand.

  With tears in her eyes, Cammie threw her arms around him. Complete and utter adoration shone on her face as she gazed at him.

  “Nothing is too good for my beloved Cammie,” Francois declared.

  Hildy felt rooted to the spot! Was history repeating itself? Greg had given her a three-carat diamond ring when he proposed to her, and she had thought he must love her a lot to buy her such an expensive ring. Now Cammie was obviously thinking the same thing about Francois.

  But it’s no proof! Hildy wanted to scream. Look what happened! She felt helpless. Evidently telling Cammie about Greg had made no impression at all. She shivered. Francois sounds just like Greg with his false promises—dazzling Cammie with all the jewels that will be hers, and dangling the title of Countess enticingly under her nose. Hildy prayed that Cammie wouldn’t come down to earth with a thud the way she did when she learned the truth about Greg.

  In an attempt to hide her emotions, Hildy rose from her chair and walked over to pick up some hors d’oeuvres. Jay joined her.

  A concerned Zack followed her to the hors d’oeuvres table. “Are you all right?” he asked in an undertone.

  Hildy glanced at Cammie, who was excitedly showing her jewelry to the others. “I don’t know,” she answered. “The question is, is Cammie all right? I don’t like this. It’s too similar—” Her voice trailed off.

  A ring on the telephone interrupted them. “Time to leave for the restaurant,” Francois announced as he hung up. “I made an eight o’clock reservation. The limousine is waiting downstairs. We’ll have just time enough if we leave right now.”

  Jay placed Hildy’s stole around her shoulders and started to walk with her to the door, when Francois approached them, smiling his most engaging smile, and offered her his arm.

  Zack, who had been watching from the other side of the room, came quickly over to them. “You go ahead and take charge of things,” he told Francois. “We’ll take care of Hildy.”

  Hildy threw him a grateful look. It wasn’t easy to hide her fears. Her mind was in a turmoil. Why does he look so much like Greg? How can any two people look so much alike, and not be related? But, she reminded herself, lots of people are dead ringers for movie stars that they’re not related to.

  Their arrival at the building brought Hildy abruptly back to reality as they left the limousine and approached the elevator that would take them up to the penthouse.

  As they entered the lavish restaurant, Cammie gazed at the twinkling lights down below, spreading clear across the city of Paris. “Oh, Mom!” she exclaimed. “It’s everything you said it was!” She turned to Francois and grabbed his hand. “Oh, Francois,” she said with stars in her eyes, “it’s so beautiful! Look! The River Seine looks like a huge smile grinning up at us!”

  Francois stared at her as much as to say, “What a stupid metaphor!” Hildy could see clearly that it wasn’t a look of understanding or indulgence, like someone in love, but an expression of total disdain. They’re not on the same wave length, she realized, and her heart sank.

  She didn’t sleep much that night. When she awoke it was with a sensation she hadn’t felt for twenty-one years—that old familiar punch in the stomach that used to attack her every morning when Gregory Wilcox was tracing her every move, ruining her life. But Greg is dead! So why do I feel this way?

  Then she remembered, and began to shake as it all came flooding back—Count Francois Dubonnet and his amazing resemblance to Gregory Wilcox! And their daughter was engaged to marry him! She pulled the bed clothes up over her head as if to erase the picture, but the nightmare was still there. She sat up in bed and stared at the walls.

  * * *

  Jay was awake—had been for hours—thinking about Cammie. He reached up and pulled Hildy down into his arms, as if by so doing he could protect both her and their precious daughter.

  A deep sob escaped from Hildy’s lips. Up to now she had been pretty much in control, but Jay’s tender gesture broke down the wall of protection she had built around herself, and she could no longer cope with it alone.

  Jay’s arms tightened around her. Hasn’t she suffered enough because of Greg? He’s been dead for twenty-one years! So why is all this coming back to haunt her now?

  He held her, trying to comfort her. “You know, honey, this probably doesn’t mean a thing. So he looks like Greg. Lots of people resemble each other. We can’t fault him for the way he looks.” He bent down and kissed her. “They say everyone has a double somewhere in the world,” he continued. “I’ll bet that’s all this is. Lightning never strikes twice, they say.”

  “I hope you’re right,” Hildy replied. “I thought all this was behind us.” She sat up, determination burning in her eyes. “And that’s the way I’m going to treat it. It was a long time ago when all this happened, and it’s ridiculous to think it can repeat itself.” She rose and put on her robe. “I’m going to take a shower. Maybe I can wash away some of this fear,” she said in an attempt at lightheartedness.

  Jay stared off into space, thinking. As soon as he heard Hildy turn on the water in the shower, he picked up the phone and called Zack’s room. “Zack,” he asked in a low tone, “how do you feel about Francois?”

  “I hesitate to say anything detrimental about him, Jay. I don’t want to alarm anyone, especially Hildy, without knowing the facts. But I feel uneasy. I don’t trust him. I don’t know what it is, but something isn’t right. Something weird is going on. I wish Cammie weren’t so infatuated with him. I’m afraid right now she can’t think straight. I may be one hundred percent wrong about him. Maybe he’s everything Cammie thinks he is, but I wish she wouldn’t rush into anything until we’ve had a chance to do some checking.”

  Just then Hildy came out of the bathroom, and Jay said a hurried goodbye.

  “Who was that?” Hildy asked him.

  “I was just talking to Zack, trying to make plans for the day.”

  “Oh,” Hildy said, apparently satisfied with his explanation. “So what did you decide?”

  “Huh?” Jay was still thinking about what Zack had said, and at first what she asked him didn’t register.

  “I asked what you decided we should do today,” she repeated.

  “Oh—I guess we’ll spend the day in the city. Is that okay with you?” He headed for the bathroom, hoping to ward off any further questions.

  “Fine,” she answered. “Did you ask Zack how he felt about Francois?”

  For a moment Jay was stymied. This was what he had hoped to avoid. “Oh—yes,” he replied. “He said he’d like to get more facts before coming to any conclusions.”

  He went into the bathroom and shut the door in an attempt to avoid further questions. He had wanted to ask Zack to do some detective work today to find out more about Francois, but when Hildy came back into the room, he figured he’d better keep quiet as Zack had suggested. Wait until we find out something more concrete. She’s upset enough as it is, and if we turn out to be wrong we will have spared her any unnecessary worry.

  When he finished his shower, Hildy was already dressed in her jeans and running shoes, perfect for touring Paris. Jay followed suit. They decided dressing comfortably would be the order of the day, regardless of the fact that they’d be traveling with a Count, w
ho might expect more formal attire.

  They needn’t have been concerned. Francois was dressed the same way when they all met in the lobby fifteen minutes later.

  The limousine was waiting as soon as they finished breakfast, ready to take them anywhere they wanted to go. But the happy anticipation they had felt about seeing Paris again was marred by the deep feeling of apprehension that kept gnawing at them. If anything, Francois looked more like Greg this morning than he did yesterday. The same voice, the same walk—even the same mannerisms!

  * * *

  Like an agoraphobic, Hildy felt trapped and exposed. She wanted to hide in some secluded haven where no one could hurt her or her family. Her eyes were screaming “Help!” as she looked with pleading at Jay.

  Why is Francois rushing Cammie? Why is he in such a hurry to marry her? She hated to be so suspicious, but she couldn’t shake the ominous feeling that there was something behind all this that Francois wanted to keep secret.

  A feeling that bordered on terror gripped her as they walked through the lobby toward the limousine that waited for them just outside the front door of the hotel.

  Her heart raced with fear. Stop this! she chided herself. Your imagination is running at full speed! You’ve got to keep a cool head for Cammie’s sake.

  CHAPTER VI

  As the group walked through the lobby, Zack studied Francois closely. I have to find out more about him, he decided. “If you don’t mind,” he said to Jay, “I’d like to use this time to look up an old friend. I’ll see you at dinner. Do you plan to eat here?”

  Jay threw him a grateful, knowing look. “Yes,” he answered for the rest of them, “we’ll eat here and get to bed early. See you around seven-thirty in the lobby.”

  As soon as Zack was sure they were out of sight, he walked over to the Concierge. “Is there a special organization that has records on lineage—genealogy—marriages—that sort of thing?” he asked him.

  “Oui, Monsieur,” replied the Concierge. “The library two blocks from here has that information. Any cab driver will know where it is.”

 

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