The Proud and the Prejudiced (16 page)

“Have you spoken to him?”

“Not since…these were taken.”

“Call him.”

“No. He wouldn’t want to speak to me. I outlined
for him precisely every quality of his that I despise – and they are all still
true. He will always think he is better than me or you or anyone outside the
upper echelons of the Hollywood elite. There isn’t room for both me and his
ego. I’ll be fine. I just hate having all this aired in public. I’m surprised
the tabloids haven’t hunted me down for an exclusive.”

“Well, they’ve actually tried to reach you, but
Mrs. Jellyby and I have been fielding the calls.”

“You’re kidding.”

“She was hoping you would do it, thinking it would
help ratings, but I told her in no uncertain terms the answer is no. You are
not in front of the camera. You are entitled to your privacy.”

“Too bad
The Intruder
doesn’t think so.”

“You know, we can keep the photographers off the
lot, but eventually they will find out where you live.”

“I’m sure this will die down before then. Besides,
I’ll be leaving for Napa soon, although I was thinking of cancelling because of
the way Giselle has been lately. I’m worried about her.”

“Oh, Giselle will be fine.”

“Well, keep an eye on Rich. I don’t think he’s
good for her.”

“Everyone will be fine. You need a few days away
from here, out of L.A. When you get back, no one will even remember any of this
thing with Peter.”

*****

Robert had a castle. If I had known that sooner,
I might have gone with him more eagerly. It was as if it had been taken out of
an encyclopedia. He spent a lot of time explaining about being in the House of
Lords and how he came to be a duke, how the castle had been passed down through
the generations. He was a Knight of the Red Garter and several other orders
passed to him from his father and his father’s father and so on. It was all
impressive, but it didn’t make me love him.

I tried to reach Tony, but he wouldn’t take my
calls. I wrote the first of what would be hundreds of letters to him. If Robert
had known I thought of Tony as something other than a brother, it would have
devastated him.

Mother told me Tony would not take her calls
either. He would only speak to Annette. He wanted nothing to do with his mother
after finding out his parentage.

“Annette won’t tell him the truth, that you
aren’t related,” Mother said. “When she found out about the two of you…I think
it made her resent you because you had gotten closer to Tony than she ever had.
She is angry and bitter and full of hate for both you and me.”

With twenty bedrooms, sleeping arrangements
were not a problem, until the second night. I knew what Robert expected from
me, and I had made him wait over a year and across an ocean. I had no reason to
save myself for Tony anymore.

The servants had been dismissed early so we
could have a romantic evening alone. After dinner, we sat on a sofa in the
parlor drinking cognac. When we set our glasses down, we moved closer together,
put our arms around each other, and started kissing. As Robert kissed and
fondled my breasts, I recalled those nights in the back of Ben’s car. Then my
memory traced to that night when Ben had come to my bedroom, and Tony had burst
in on us.

I could feel the beginnings of tears in my
eyes. To block out the past, I started kissing Robert’s neck. I took his face
in my hands and looked into his eyes and said softly, “Love me.”

He gently took my hands from his face and held
them. “Come with me.” He stood and pulled me up.

Robert led me to double doors, which he opened
to reveal an enormous bedroom – larger than Mother’s party room – and a bed to
match. The room and the furniture were amazing, and he saw me caught up in
their opulence.

“Every time a ruling body got new furniture, we
got the old.” He smiled and proceeded to the bed as I remained in the doorway.

“This was a baron’s room a few hundred years
ago.” He lay across the bed horizontally, his feet still on the floor, and
looked up at the painted ceiling and then at me. “This is the most fantastic
bedroom in the entire house, and never once have I slept here. I have never so
much as sat on this bed before.”

He sat up and extended his arm out to me. I
walked over and got up on the bed beside him, pulling my feet under me.

“They say that he was a very good baron but a
very poor gentleman.” I lay back with my arms over my head, and he reclined on
his side, head on his hand, looking down at me. “According to the legend, he
courted a beautiful contessa in hopes of winning her legacy, but she hated him
with a passion because she could see right through him.” He took my hand and
rubbed it against his cheeks and lips. “But to resume friendly relations
between their two families, she accepted his invitations to dinner.” He started
kissing my hand and fingers between words. “On one such occasion he drugged her
wine and then led her to this bed and made love to her so she would be forced to
marry him, which she did; but she refused to lie with him ever again, so he
never had a legitimate heir. His plan backfired, for he fell in love with
another woman but couldn’t have her because of his wife. He had sacrificed the
chance of love for wealth before he realized the great price he was paying.”

We were silent a moment, both reflecting on the
tale. “How sad,” I said.

Robert reached behind him and turned off a
lamp, leaving only the light from candles burning all around the room. He had
planned this, I thought, but I was glad he had.

“And you’ve never made love before?” I shook my
head. “Then let me make love to you.”

He kissed me, his body to the side but his lips
over mine. Then he pulled me up and slowly undressed me as we continued to
kiss. I reclined vertically, naked before him, and he gently moved his fingers
from the hollow at the base of my neck to my navel and then back again, and he
traced that same path with tender kisses. He unbuttoned and removed his shirt,
and he finished undressing as I got between the sheets. I closed my eyes until
I felt his warm body beside me.

He squeezed me in his arms then loosened his
grip enough to kiss me ardently. I held onto him as we kissed and arched my
neck as he nibbled at it, savoring the pleasure. He stopped a moment, and I
realized he was sheathing himself. When he turned back to me, slowly his hand
traced my frame then grasped behind my knee as he moved on top of me. Without a
word, he plunged inside of me.

With the pressure came pain, seeping into the
walls of my inner self. The pressure continued to build as he moved until I
reached the point where I thought I would burst. With this came the pang of
memories, and I began to cry from the deep hurt of both.

Finally he stopped, but I still clung to him. “It’s
all right now, darling, it’s over now.”

No, it’s not, I screamed in my head. It would
never end. My love for Tony would always rule me. I knew he should have been my
first. He should have been my only.

I regained my composure and looked into
Robert’s frantic face. “I’m all right now,” I lied, echoing his words.

Relief replaced the worry on his countenance.
“Thank God. I’ve never been with a virgin before. I promise, next time it will
be better for you.”

We snuggled together, and I rested my head on
his chest as he ran his hand down my hair. He told me again and again how much
he loved me, how happy he was that he finally had me with him. I began stroking
his chest and running my fingers over each contour of his body. I kissed his
chest and neck and whispered, “Make love to me again.” He looked at me
confused. “You said it would be better next time.”

He smiled, then he chuckled and rolled on top of
me. I could never be with my true love, but this was the closest I had ever
felt to anyone.

*****

Alice knocked on Giselle’s dressing room door.
“It’s Alice. Can I come in?” After a lengthy pause, Giselle granted her
permission to enter, and Alice closed the door behind her. Giselle sat at a
dressing table facing the mirror, and Alice tried to catch her eye in the
reflection.

“I feel like you’ve been avoiding me.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Giselle said with a
world-weariness Alice never would have expected from her.

“We haven’t done anything together since the
Olympics. Why don’t you have dinner with Eileen and me tonight?”

“I already have plans with Rich.”

“Of course. Rich.”

Giselle finally lifted her face and met Alice’s
eyes in the mirror. “Yes, Rich. He and I are together now, and you need to get
used to it.”

“I just don’t think he’s good for you. You’ve been
late for tapings several times now, you’re having trouble with your lines,
you’ve lost weight, and those dark circles under your eyes say you haven’t been
getting much sleep.”

“OK, yes, we’ve been going out to clubs a lot, but
I have been ‘little miss responsible good girl’ all my life. I’m just blowing
off some steam. I’ll try not to be late anymore.”

“So what are you doing to blow off steam?”

“What do you mean? Going out dancing.”

“So Rich hasn’t…you haven’t been doing any drugs?”

Giselle’s pale face blossomed with rosy cheeks,
and she averted her eyes. “Yes, a little coke – but just a little. And molly a
couple of times.”

“Did Rich give it to you?”

Giselle’s head jerked around, and she glared at
Alice. “No, and why would you think such a thing?”

“Because you weren’t using it before you and he
got together.”

“That’s not altogether true. You know at the
Christmas party, we –”

“You know what I mean. Regularly – like a habit.”

“It’s not a habit. Rich didn’t give me anything.
He doesn’t even use coke. A friend of his from Malibu gets it.”

Malibu?
“Well, will you lay off the party
favors?”

Giselle sniffed and nodded.

“There’s something else I needed to talk to you
about. Jack called me a few days ago.”

Giselle started but then turned back to the
mirror. “Why would he be calling you?”

“Because he can’t reach you. He says he’s been
calling and texting you for weeks.”

“Why should I take his calls when he wouldn’t take
mine?”

“I know, but he wants to apologize and explain
what happened. I think you should at least listen to him.”

“Why? Nothing he could say would make a
difference. I’m with Rich now.”

“Well, you need to be careful with Rich. You don’t
know everything about him.”

“And you do?”

“I know that he could hurt you.”

“Not as badly as Jack.” Giselle pushed herself up
from the dressing table and whirled around on Alice. “Look, I know you liked
Rich, and maybe something could have gotten started; but you went off with
Peter, and Jack went off with whoever, and Rich and I were there for each
other. I’m sorry things didn’t work out with you and Peter, but you had your
chance with Rich and you didn’t want him. You blew it. So get over it!”

“That’s not –”

“I think you should go.”

With an exasperated sigh, Alice turned and walked
out but didn’t make it twelve feet before she ran into Rich.

“And what have you been telling my lady love?” he
asked, stepping close to her.

“I told her she needs to cut back on the partying
because it is affecting production.”

“And you think I’m responsible?”

“Do you deny it?”

“Just helping her mend her broken heart.”

“Well, do your mending early enough so she’s ready
to tape.”

She tried to pass, but he blocked her path in the
narrow hallway. “I saw those pictures, Alice.” He reached up and tucked her
hair behind her ear and rubbed her cheek with his fist. “You try to pretend you
aren’t hurt, but I could see it in your eyes. He did break your heart. I can
help you, too.”

“What about Giselle?” As he ran his hand behind
her neck, she was filled with disgust – not just with him but with herself for
not being able to see through his shtick.

“I’ll work it out with Giselle. She likes you.
Once I’ve explained everything, she’ll play along. I’m good with easing women’s
pain – especially pain caused by Walsingham.”

She flinched at the name and twisted out from his
hand. “Can I get back to you on that?”

She pushed past him and walked straight to the
writers’ room. They had a storyline to revise.

CHAPTER 16

Eileen insisted they splurge and rent a convertible
for their wine tasting tour of Napa Valley. Alice relented but had to wrap a
scarf around her head to keep her hair out of her mouth.

“I think you look very French,” Eileen said. “Very
je ne sais quoi
.”

“Or very
Thelma and Louise
. And how can
something be VERY
je ne sais quoi
?”

“I don’t know, Alice. We’re on vacation! Don’t be
copy-editing me – even in your head.”

Alice had to admit the open-air enhanced the
experience of driving along the Silverado Trail viewing the spectacular
landscapes of row after row of grapevines with hills and mountains in the distance.
After L.A., Napa seemed like another planet – or at least another continent.
They stopped at the wineries they had mapped out on the route, and that evening
she arrived at their resort deliciously tipsy.

Alice checked in with Peacock, and he assured her
the only drama had occurred on set.

“So I take it Rich doesn’t know yet,” she said.

“No, we are going to wait until the last possible
moment when he absolutely must see the script.”

“I don’t blame you there. Good luck! I’m almost
sorry to miss it!”

Day two proceeded much as day one but on a
different highway and with different wineries, except Alice detected a subtle
change in Eileen. Whereas they had planned it as a wine
tasting
trip,
Eileen actually developed an interest in the production. After she had tasted
all the samples, Alice would wander outside to inhale the beauty of the
vineyard while Eileen talked yeast and bottling.

The third winery on the third day offered some of
the best wines they had had on the trip, as well as a host more than willing to
provide a few extra samples. As he and Eileen launched into a discussion of
varietals, Alice said she would be outside.

“The house on the property is incredible,” she
said. “Would they mind if I got a closer look.” He offered no objection, so out
she went.

She wound along the paths in the direction of the
villa – no other word would do it justice – which turned out to be much farther
than she had thought. As Eileen clearly would not want to leave anytime soon,
Alice pressed onward. She hadn’t made it quite two-thirds of the way when she
came upon the last thing she expected to find in a vineyard – a little girl
sitting alone under a large fig tree. The child watched her approach, so Alice
had no choice but to acknowledge her.

“Hello,” Alice said and kept walking.

“What’s your name?”

Damn. So close
. She turned to the girl.
“Alice.”

“Like
Alice in Wonderland
?”

“That’s right. What’s your name?”

“Britney. How old are you?”

“How old are you?”

“Seven.”

“Then you are old enough to learn not to ask a
lady her age,” Alice said smiling, and the little girl smiled back. “Seven is a
scary number.”

“Why?”

“Because seven ate nine.” The little girl giggled.
“What are you doing sitting under this tree?”

“Waiting.”

“This is a good place for that – nice shade.
Waiting for what?”

“My parents to find me. They’re talking.”

“Where are your parents?”

Britney pointed at the main house.

“You live there?” The little girl nodded.
Holy
crap!
“Then perhaps you won’t mind if I ate one of your figs.” Britney
shook her head, and Alice reached up and plucked two ripe figs nestled
together. “Do you want one?”

“They haven’t been washed.”

Alice examined the figs. “Well, they look clean
enough to me.” She grabbed a few more then sat down next to the girl.

“Alice in Wonderland sat under a tree too,” her
new friend said.

“And this fig says, ‘Eat me.’” After Alice took a
bite and did not drop dead, Britney accepted one and bit into it. “That’s a
beautiful house. You must love living there.”

She shrugged. “Not really.”

“I would love to live in a house like that.”

“I want to live in Hollywood and be an actress!”

Naturally.
Alice finished one fig, and –
sleepy from the walk and the wine – leaned against the tree and bit into a
second. “Do your parents know you are out here?”

“No.”

“Then how do you know they will find you?”

“My daddy will find me. He says he loves
Alice
in Wonderland
, so he will know to look for me under a tree.”

“Don’t you think you should have told them you
were leaving?”

“I don’t like it when they talk about the
divorce.”

Just as Alice thought she was getting the picture,
someone came out from behind the tree, and the little girl jumped up.

“Daddy!”

“Peter.” Alice couldn’t be sure if she had
actually spoken aloud since her heart had lodged in her throat the moment she
saw his face.

“Daddy! Her name is Alice, just like in Wonderland
– and she’s sitting under a tree!”

Her appearance had stunned him as well, and he
only managed to say, “Yes.”

Britney continued to jump around and say words
that Alice could not hear through the fog of shock as she and Peter stared at
each other. She felt so exposed under his scrutiny, she wanted to grab some of
the fig leaves to cover herself.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, but not in
the accusatory tone she would have expected – just gentle curiosity.

“I’ve come to kidnap your daughter and hold her
ransom for wine and figs.”

Britney tugged on his arm. “Daddy, Alice gave me
figs and didn’t wash them, and we ate them.”

“Oh, really?” he asked looking from daughter to
former-almost lover.

“I like to live on the edge. Sorry to have been a
bad influence on your daughter.”

“I doubt that’s possible.”

She wiped the fig juice off on the skirt of her
light dress and started to push herself up from the ground when he offered his
hand. She took it, and he pulled her to her feet.

“So you won’t tell me why you’re here?” he asked
with his eyes on hers.

“Eileen and I are taking a little vacation,
touring vineyards. She’s still in there talking grapes. I should get back to
her.” Only then did he release her hand.

“Yes, I should take Britney back to her mother.”

“I won’t keep you. Britney, it was very nice
meeting you.”

“Bye.” The little girl waved, and Alice turned and
walked away as fast as she dared.

Oh, God. Oh, God. Oh, God
. She could not
believe what had just happened.
Of all the vineyards in the world, and he
had to walk into – Oh, God! This must be his vineyard!
She had no idea who
owned the winery – his name wasn’t on the label – but he would never believe
that. He would think she tracked him down deliberately.
For what? To try to
get him back? Shit, he really might think I planned to kidnap his daughter.

She had walked quickly and with her head down and
arms across her chest and hadn’t paid attention to the paths until she realized
she had gone the wrong way. She stumbled around some more until she decided she
would never find the right path and would just have to march through the
grapevines or die in the middle of Peter’s vineyard.
They’ll find my body
and say I just couldn’t live without him.

“Alice.” His voice filled her with trepidation and
relief, since at least he would know the way out. “Where are you going?”

She fixed a smile upon her face before turning
around. “I was about to sacrifice myself to Bacchus. I seem to have gotten
hopelessly lost. Could you tell me which path to take?”

After all the publicity and the photos of them in
the tabloids, Alice thought he would want to get her off his property as soon
as possible, but he said, “How ‘bout I walk with you?”

As they began to walk, she searched the catalog of
her brain for any topic they could discuss that would not be attached to a
painful memory.

“So this is your vineyard?”

He laughed. “No, not hardly. It’s beautiful,
though. I wouldn’t mind living out here. It belongs to my wife’s…my ex-wife’s
boyfriend. She and my daughter have been living here since we split.”

She wondered if it was the man from his wife’s
affair. “Your daughter is charming.”

“She thought the same about you.”

“I…you know I had no idea she was your daughter. I
wasn’t trying –”

“No, I know. It’s just a coincidence, a happy one.
I hope it is for you as well.”

She felt a flutter in her heart or her stomach or
both. Here she had believed she would be the last person he would want to see,
and he called their chance meeting a “happy coincidence.”

“Where are you staying?” he asked.

“The Veritas. You?”
No! Why did I ask him that?
He’ll think I want know.

“I’ve actually rented a small house not far from
here.”

“To spend time with your daughter?”

“That’s right. How long have you and Eileen been
here?”

“Since day before yesterday.”

“What do you think of the area?”

“I love it. It’s so beautiful – so different from
Southern California. Reminds me of Tuscany.”

“You’ve been to Italy?”

“Yes, a few times with my mother. She loved it.
This is like my Tuscany away from home. Except Tuscany is really Tuscany away
from home. I don’t know what the reverse of that would be. I’m sorry, I’m not
making much sense. That’s the problem with tasting really good wine – I don’t
want to spit.”

He laughed softly. “No, I think you make perfect
sense. Like a little piece of Tuscany here at home. I agree. I am seriously
considering finding a place out here.”

“What about your house in the Hollywood Hills? Or
would you keep it as well?”

“No, you’ve seen that house. It’s too big for one
man. I think I’m ready to get away from L.A.”

“Really? You’ll start a vineyard, open a winery?”

“Oh, no, none of that. Just the house. Although I
might try to find one with a fig tree.”

They had arrived at the winery, and Eileen’s
expression as she watched them emerge made it seem as though zombies had walked
out of the vineyard.

Peter offered her an abbreviated hug and a kiss on
the cheek. “Good to see you, Eileen.”

“What…what…what?”

“We just ran into each other,” Alice said. “I
couldn’t figure out how to get back here, so Peter showed me the way out. Are
you finished with your wine lesson?”

Eileen had not yet recovered and only nodded as
she continued to gape at them.

Alice turned to Peter, thought of offering her
hand to shake but decided that would feel too awkward. “Good seeing you again,
Peter. Thanks for showing me the way. Maybe I’ll see you again some time with
another happy coincidence.”

They were almost to the car when Peter walked up
behind them and said, “Wait,” and Alice turned to face him. “It doesn’t have to
be a happy coincidence. I mean, we don’t necessarily have to wait for the next
coincidence. Jack is coming in town this evening. Would you consider dinner?
The four of us?”

Alice couldn’t move or speak, paralyzed by the
invitation. Eileen stepped in. “Yes, I would love to see Jack again, and you
and I could catch up. Why don’t you tell me when and where, and we’ll meet you
there.”

“Would you like to go to Alsace Aquitaine?”

Alice shook herself out of her stupor. “You have
reservations there tonight?”

“Not yet.”

“I thought you had to make reservations two months
in advance.”

“Is that a yes?” She nodded. “I’ll see you at
eight?”

They agreed by silent assent and climbed in the
car.

All the way to the resort, Eileen interrogated
Alice and demanded to know every detail about what had occurred at the
vineyard, and Alice did her best to satisfy her.

“Do you want to know the variety of fig? I think
they were mission but I’m not sure.”

“I know it must have been so uncomfortable for
both of you.”

“Yes. Especially at first.”

“If you would rather not go tonight, I’ll call and
cancel. I completely understand.”

“What? And miss out on probably our only chance to
eat at Alsace Aquitaine?”

“I’m serious, Alice.”

She said nothing a moment, silently recounting
each glance and every emotion elicited. “No. I want to go.”

“Are you sure? Do you really want to go?”

“Yes, I really do.”

Alice and Eileen arrived at the restaurant and
were led outside to the courtyard. Peter had arranged for a table for four to
be set up for their own private dining. Both men greeted Eileen with a kiss on
the cheek, but only Jack offered one to Alice, which made her wonder if Peter
held a grudge after all, despite the invitation and his behavior at the
vineyard.

Jack wanted to know everything going on with
All
My Tomorrows,
but Alice hesitated because of the pending lawsuit as well as
everything she had said the night she and Peter fought. Eileen jumped in with
all the latest news and gossip about the cast and crew, since Alice had kept her
up to speed on all the events since she left the show, but they all avoided any
mention of Giselle.

“And how is Mrs. Jellyby?” Jack asked. “Are the
ratings going her way?”

“No,” Alice answered. “They’ve been on a steady
decline since we returned from the Olympics, but we’re optimistic about a new
storyline we are introducing.”

“What do you have up your sleeve?”

“You know I can’t reveal the storyline of a soap
opera!” They all groaned and prodded until she relented. “As long as you
promise it won’t leave this table. We have decided Brother Raife is not a good
match for Sienna after all.”

“Do you mean you’re writing Rich out of the show?”
Eileen asked.

“For the most part, yes.” Alice glanced at Peter,
who stared silently at her from under a raised brow.