Consequences (37 page)

Then her mind went from the wedding to Thanksgiving. She could hardly believe it truly was Thanksgiving. She’d arrived at Tony’s house on March 20. Now she’d be eating Thanksgiving dinner with him and some associates and planning her wedding. She imagined drowning in chocolate sauce, too much of a good thing!

As a means of escape she let her mind float to childhood Thanksgivings. They usually went to her grandparents’ home, where Grandma made all the traditional foods. She remembered helping her grandma and mother bake pies. At Thanksgiving they usually had pumpkin, apple, and sometimes pecan pie, and always too much food. Even when she lived with Emily and John she baked pies and helped Emily with cooking. Part of her wanted to go down to the kitchen and offer to help. But she knew that wouldn’t be appropriate.

She was somewhere deep in her memories when Tony entered the bedroom. He wore slacks and a burgundy ribbed turtleneck sweater which looked wonderful stretched across his broad shoulders and chest. He wore suits so often. Claire liked seeing him in something other than a jacket and tie. He smiled and joined her. “Good morning, my fiancée.” He kissed her lips. “How are you feeling today?”

Claire propped herself up. “Good morning, to my fiancé, I feel well. I was just thinking about Thanksgivings when I was young. Did you eat all the traditional Thanksgiving foods when you were young?”

He sat next to her on the edge of the bed. “Claire, don’t talk about the past. We have a future ahead of us, let’s look ahead.”

“I’m sorry, I guess I’m reminiscing.” She touched his arm. “Tony? Who is coming to dinner?”

“First, let me tell you . . .” his voice was brimming with excitement, “I have been on the telephone all morning. Patricia is going to contact Shelly, and a statement regarding our engagement will be released tomorrow. Also, you have an appointment tomorrow at a very exclusive bridal boutique in Manhattan for a wedding gown. They are expecting you, the future Mrs. Anthony Rawlings. They want to meet your every need.” He kissed her lips and continued to hold her gaze with his chocolate brown eyes. “I want you to have the dress of your dreams. Patricia will also choose a wedding planner and coordinator to meet with us when we return to Iowa. Since Christmas is on a Saturday, the wedding will be December 18, which too is a Saturday. I hope you don’t mind, but with the wedding only three weeks away I decided to have it at the estate. Now we don’t have to worry about booking some place, and security is already set. We just need to decide how many guests and where on the estate to hold the ceremony and reception. I did reach Catherine. She is thrilled, and told me to tell you so.”

Claire felt inundated, information overload! She laid her head back on the pillow. “Maybe this is all happening too fast.” Tony didn’t say anything, but his smile became subdued. “It isn’t that I don’t want to marry you, I do. But three weeks, that seems very rushed.”

He scooped her into his arms. “I promise you, money can make anything happen. Don’t worry about it. We will marry on December 18, and it will be amazing.”

“I just worry about disappointing you.”

“Claire, this is
your
wedding. I want you to be happy. I also know you are not back to yourself. I don’t want you to overdo. Just enjoy all the things your money can buy and watch the wedding take shape. It will be spectacular.”

“My money can’t buy us a piece of gum.”

He laughed and kissed her. “My dear, in three weeks and two days you will be able to buy a gum factory if you want. I want you to share all that I have. You will have everything the world has to offer.”

Claire struggled with the meaning of his words. “Tony, I don’t want your money. I have not done anything to deserve part of your fortune. I’m happy to share your name, I don’t need any more.”

“My love, you have done more than you will ever know. And I am pretty sure you will do more.” He leaned down to kiss her, and his hands were busy with the buttons on her slacks.

“Don’t we have guests coming?”

“They aren’t due until 1:30. I am pretty sure we can be successful multiple times before then.” He removed her slacks and started removing her sweater. He straddled her legs as he removed his sweater and undid his slacks. His smile was seductive and his chest moved with his breaths of anticipation. Claire could smell his cologne and knew that if he bent down she would taste the scent on his neck.

“But, Tony—” He put his finger to her lips.

“Shhh, I have better things for those beautiful lips to do than talk.”

They left the bedroom together just before 1:30, and Tony spoke. “I am sure you realize, but I am going to say it for the sake of clarification. Just because we are engaged, divulging private information is still forbidden.”

Claire looked up at his eyes and wondered what he possibly thought she would say to his associates. “I promise I know that.” They continued to the front stairs, where muffled voices could be heard from the sitting room. “Now who am I meeting?” As she asked, the voices came into range, her eyes moistened, and she looked to Tony for confirmation. “Is it really them?”

He gently held her shoulders, “Yes, I invited them to surprise you for Thanksgiving but now you have even bigger news to share.”

“I can tell them about our engagement?”

He smiled. “Of course, didn’t you say you wanted Emily to stand with you?” She wanted to run down the stairs or cry out, but his grip on her hand tightened. “Claire, follow my rules.”

“I will.”

When the soles of their shoes hit the marble floor, John and Emily turned toward them. They’d been enjoying the view from the sitting room windows. Her family looked just as Claire remembered: John tall with dark blond hair and playful blue eyes, and Emily with the Nichols brown hair, cut short and sassy, and Claire’s sparkling green eyes. Claire ran to Emily and hugged her.

“I didn’t know you were coming. It is a wonderful surprise. Oh, Emily, it is so good to see you!” And then she hugged John. “And, John! Oh, let me introduce you to Anthony.”

Emily told Claire it was good to see her too. However, she and John made eye contact, sharing an expression of concern. Claire looked so different. They proceeded politely as Claire made introductions. “Anthony, this is my sister Emily. And, Emily, this is my fiancé Anthony Rawlings.” Emily and Tony shook hands. Anthony emitted charm.

“Very nice to meet you, Mr. Rawlings.” Her brain made sense of Claire’s words. She looked at her sister in disbelief. “Did you just say fiancé?”

Claire continued with introductions, “And, Anthony, this is Emily’s husband, my brother-in-law John Vandersol. John, please meet my fiancé Anthony Rawlings.” The two men shook hands and exchanged greetings.

Gracious as ever, Tony said, “Please, we are about to be family. Call me Anthony.” Claire smiled and they all sat down to chat before dinner. Jan entered the room to offer some hors d’oeuvres and drinks. Claire showed Emily her engagement ring and told them about his romantic proposal in Central Park. John and Emily were speechless, perhaps in shock. Tony was very attentive, holding her hand, putting his hand on her shoulder or thigh. Claire rambled on, cautious to not divulge any personal information.

During Thanksgiving dinner, Claire learned Emily had attempted to reach Tony around her birthday. She didn’t know what else to do. She had no way to reach Claire, and she saw pictures of the two of them together in magazines. Apparently, it is not easy to get calls or e-mails through to Anthony Rawlings. Just recently an e-mail finally reached him and he had called. It was during a telephone conversation about a week ago that Anthony invited them to NYC for dinner.

Claire apologized for her inconsiderate behavior. She should have done a better job staying in touch. Life had been a whirlwind since she started working with Tony. The important thing was that they were together now. She asked them if they were driving home to Troy tonight or staying in the city. John said they decided to spend some time in the city, after all it was a three-hour drive home.

Tony then surprised Claire again. “Well, Emily, Claire has a reservation tomorrow at a bridal boutique in Manhattan. I am sure she would love to have you join her to look at wedding dresses.”

Claire tried not to stare at him. She looked to Emily. “Yes, I would love to have you join me if the two of you don’t have plans.”

Emily looked at John. “Of course, I would like to help you.”

“Emily, I would also like you to be my matron-of-honor. Would you please stand with me at our wedding?”

“You want me? Of course, I will.” Emily sounded cautiously enthusiastic. “But did you say the wedding will be the eighteenth of December?”

“Yes, it will be. That is all the more reason to find some dresses soon.” Claire smiled at her sister. “Hopefully they will have some bright pink puffy bridesmaid’s dresses.” Emily laughed.

From her peripheral vision Claire could see Tony’s fleeting expression of disbelief. She turned to her fiancée and smiled. “Tony, it is a long-standing joke. Emily made me wear a green dress at her wedding. Since pink is my favorite color, I have long threatened to have her wear the puffiest bubblegum pink dress I could find when I married.” He exhaled and smiled, relieved she wasn’t serious.

Once they finished eating Tony invited John to the living room for the four o’clock football game. He asked the ladies if they would like to join them, but Emily said she would rather catch up with her sister. Tony kissed Claire before leaving the room. It appeared very sweet, but Claire saw the warning in his eyes.

Jan poured the ladies coffee and cleared the table. Claire and Emily sat at the table, drank coffee, and tried to catch up. Once they were alone Claire knew the conversation would be more difficult to dodge. Emily was full of questions. How was her little sister, a meteorologist in Atlanta, suddenly engaged to one of the wealthiest men in the country? How did they meet? Where has she been living? Why hasn’t she been in contact? Why is she so thin? Why is her hair blonde? Did she really like living this way, being waited on and having house staff do everything? She always liked cooking. Now she says she hasn’t cooked, why? What is Anthony like? Why were they marrying so fast? Is she pregnant? Wasn’t he much older than her? Did she love him?

Claire did her best to be evasive with some answers and more detailed with others. Above all she told Emily that she did love him. It didn’t start that way. It was strictly a working relationship. Tony could be a wonderful, kind, romantic, gentle man. She also told Emily that Tony was
very
private, begging her to not repeat anything about their relationship to the media or anyone else. Claire didn’t understand at first how tenacious the media could be, but the longer she had been with Tony the more apparent it became. She asked again, not for Tony but for her, please don’t share private information with others. Emily said she understood.

Emily was very happy to hear Claire sound so happy and excited about Anthony and the wedding. However, what about her weight, she was too thin. And what about meteorology? Did she plan to ever work again in her chosen field? Claire was tired of all the questions. Formulating answers made her head hurt. She wanted to hear about Emily and John.

Emily proceeded to tell her stories about John and the law firm, and about her class and teaching. She talked about some of their friends in Troy and Albany that Claire knew when she lived with them. She also talked about some friends back in Indiana. Claire laughed as they remembered stories from childhood.

The names were people Claire hadn’t thought about in some time. Her mind wandered, thinking about the guest list for the wedding. She wondered if she had anyone to invite other than Emily and John. She thought about college friends, and that reminded her of Meredith. Claire knew Meredith did not intend for her sneak interview to produce such drastic consequences, but nonetheless it had. Perhaps college friends were better not invited.

They joined the men when they thought the game was nearing its end. However, it was far from over, it was getting interesting. Both men seemed to be cheering for the Saints. Claire wondered how John and Tony would get along. They were both incredibly strong willed. Tony was not accustomed to being anything less than the alpha male. John seemed to respect Tony; after all, he was Anthony Rawlings.

Claire loved and respected John. Ever since the death of her father and her grandfather, John was the man of their family, an omnipresent influential part of her life. Now seeing him there next to Tony, she reconsidered her assessment. Tony dominated in structure, probably four inches taller, and in demeanor more self-assured. They both shouted at the screen as the Saints regained the lead with less than two minutes to go. Then the room fell silent when it appeared the game would be tied with a field goal. The Dallas kicker missed the field goal, wide left, and the men simultaneously stood and cheered. Seeing these two men united in a common goal, Claire felt her chest swell with delight.

After the game they sat in front of a warm fire and enjoyed the lovely view of the city and delicious dessert. As Claire sipped coffee, forgoing dessert, Emily told Tony all about the pies Claire used to make. She explained what a great cook and baker Claire was. Tony seemed very interested in this new information.

They discussed the plans for the next day. Tony needed to work, and John graciously agreed to stay at the hotel and do some work also. Eric, their chauffeur, would bring Claire to their hotel and pick Emily up for the bridal boutique. Emily offered to take a taxi, it was no problem, but Claire and Tony insisted. It was settled. Claire would be at the Hyatt Regency at nine in the morning to pick her up. Their appointment was for ten.