Love & Learn Page 11
In his mind, this was how it was going to be from now on. He and Julia would be going off on fun little adventures, getting to know each other. He was getting such a kick out of showing her the city and seeing her reaction to everything. He’d taken her to the opera last night, completely spur-of-the-moment, after he’d discovered at the dinner table that she had never seen a live opera performance. She had loved it. And there was so much more he could show her. So many things he was looking forward to experiencing again, through her eyes.
She never spoke about her family in Los Angeles, or what had happened with her mother and stepfather, never mentioned her friends or anything to do with her old life. At least not to him. But she had a keen eye and was constantly commenting on their surroundings in a way he found endearing and fascinating. He just loved the way her mind worked. She was clever, he’d been relieved to discover, and he was pretty sure that she got it from him. His ex had been a nice enough woman, but she had not been one of the great thinkers of her time. No great intellectual. But his daughter definitely had potential. She had gone to her local high school back in LA, but he had enrolled her in an exclusive private school with a great reputation and an impressive academic record. They even had school uniforms, something that Julia had initially balked at, but he had explained to her what the reason for the uniforms was, and she’d agreed to give it a try. He was sure that she’d love it.
When she started school again on Monday, he would go back to writing. His publisher had been calling him, but Henry had let the calls go straight to voice mail. He knew that Greg wanted him to get back out on tour, but there was no way he was going to leave New York now. Not until he had gained custody of his daughter.
As for Danny, he was sure that Julia would come to realize—eventually—that the boy would be better off with his Aunt Heather. And Lizzie would surely find an apartment soon; he was certain of that. She looked so professional when she set off to work every morning, and the stories she told at the dinner table every evening had reassured him that she wasn’t just faking it at the law firm. She really was very good at her job. That kind of talent always rose to the top. The fact that she had a magic touch with the baby was just icing on the cake. The nanny from the agency was amazing. On top of caring for the baby, she kept the apartment spotless and had dinner ready when Lizzie got back from the office. It was very impressive, and he was going to give her a glowing referral, once Danny returned to California.
Henry had booked a private town car to take them all to the City Clerk’s office where the ceremony was to take place, and he was waiting in the living room while the girls, as he called them, got ready. Julia had started out in her own bathroom but had gone into the ensuite to get Lizzie’s help with her hair. He could hear them talking in there. He couldn’t tell what they were saying, but it sounded as if they had a good time. The baby was dressed and ready, sitting in his crib, where he had an activity center that made little noises when he pushed buttons and turned knobs. He seemed content enough to be there on his own, so Henry walked into his office.
The day after tomorrow, he thought as he looked at his desk. That’s when he would start the new book.
The only way Greg was going to let him off the hook with the rest of the book tour was if he told him that he had already started working on something new. Greg knew better than to disturb an author when he was writing. And since Henry wouldn’t leave New York for the foreseeable future, that’s what he’d have to do.
He just hoped it wouldn’t be as excruciating as the last time. There had been several times when he’d been on the verge of giving up. And not just on that particular book, but on writing, all together.
Writing was the thing he loved most of all, but it could also be the death of him, sometimes.
His phone buzzed. When he checked the screen, it was a text from the car hire firm, informing him that their car and driver were waiting for them downstairs.
“Lizzie,” he called out. “Julia. We’ve got to go.”
He walked back out into the hallway just as Julia came out of the bedroom. She looked stunning, and his chest swelled with pride. His daughter was a bright and beautiful young woman, and he was going to use all his resources to make sure that she made it in life. He had never had an influential dad who could help him out with money and connections, but he could imagine how much easier life would have been if he had.
Julia hurried into her room and fetched Danny. The boy had a neat little suit on and looked much better, now that his nose had stopped running. He might even be considered a cute child, but then, weren’t all children cute? Henry patted his pockets and checked that he had his phone, keys, and the marriage license. Yep.
There was some movement in the doorway into the master bedroom, and he glanced over.
And then he froze.
He had given Lizzie money for a wedding dress, and he knew that she’d gone out on her lunch break to find one. But she hadn’t shown it to him and hadn’t told him anything about it.
Even if she had, he didn’t think it would have prepared him for the sight of her.
She was stunning.
The dress was white—of course—but not a glaringly bright white. It was an elegant and soft ivory color, with an uneven hem and delicate lace details here and there. It looked nothing like a traditional wedding dress, but at the same time, there was no doubt in anyone’s mind that that was what it was. She had on a cute little hat, white gloves and high-heeled satin shoes that looked vintage.
She ran her hand over her skirt to smooth out an imagined wrinkle in the fabric. “Well,” she said. “Do I look alright?”
He just stared at her.
34
Lizzie
She didn’t know what to think when he didn’t say anything. Had she picked the wrong dress? She knew it wasn’t the typical wedding dress, but as soon as she’d spotted it, she’d known that this was the dress that she wanted to get married in. Even if it was just a pretend wedding, she wanted to look good.
“You look amazing,” Julia gushed. She was carrying Danny, who looked very smart in his little suit, with a bib to protect the tiny suit jacket from his abundant saliva. Julia was much more relaxed with her brother now, compared to only a week ago, and the boy responded to that. Instead of wailing and pulling his sister’s hair, he now smiled and made kissing noises. It was adorable, and Lizzie could feel her chest expand. It was unbelievable that these children, who had only just lost their parents, could smile at all.
Sure, Julia had been on the verge of tears just a few moments ago, when they were talking in the bathroom, but that was to be expected, and she had made sure that Julia knew that she could always come and talk to her about her mother and step-father, before leaving the bathroom. Looking at her now, you’d never guess that she cried herself to sleep most nights. She looked like any other teenage girl, about to go to a wedding.
Children were incredibly resilient!
And that was good because that meant that they wouldn’t be traumatized when she moved out in a few weeks. Julia had spent a lot of time with her father this past week, and their relationship had improved in leaps and bounds. And with the competent nanny’s help, Henry would soon be able to bond with the baby as well. He was going to be an amazing dad, once he’d grown into the role. And when he’d done that, her work here would be done.
Lizzie felt tears pricking the back of her eyes and blinked. It was just the children, the poor orphaned children, that made her emotional. Not her own part in all this. She didn’t really play a part in this family. She was just doing Henry a favor, in exchange for him allowing her to stay here a while longer.
That was all. Just a simple tit-for-tat.
The City Clerk’s Office wasn’t exactly the most romantic place in the world, but Lizzie thought that it was probably better that way. There was a metal detector at the door, which was a hassle to get through with the stroller. Then they had to get a number at the front desk and wait their turn with se
veral other couples on some dreadful green waiting room sofas. There was some paperwork, and they both had to show their ID’s. Then they were shown into one of the two chapels. The ceremony was over in two minutes.
The officiant must have performed thousands of weddings, and the words came out a bit robotic. And there was nothing special about the room where the wedding took place. Calling it a chapel was a bit of a misnomer. There was a garish blue backdrop behind the podium where the officiant stood and some very unflattering lights. No chairs, just a single purple couch where they put their things. Very utilitarian. But that was just as well. Otherwise, she might have been fooled into thinking that there was more to this than there actually was.
It was difficult enough not to get emotional, standing next to Henry, looking dashing in his charcoal suit with a small rose boutonniere that he’d bought from a guy named George, who had a flower stand right outside. He’d bought a small bouquet of matching champagne-colored roses for her as well, and they went perfectly with her dress. So thoughtful! And seeing Julia’s enthusiastic smile in the corner of her eye made Lizzie tremble when she spoke her vows. The flowers in her hand trembled as well.
In the car on the way back, afterward, Julia leaned forward to look at them both. “So, where are you guys going on your honeymoon?” she asked.
Lizzie smiled. “Back to the apartment,” she said. “We have two children to take care of now. We can’t just take off on a honeymoon.”
Julia fiddled with the straps to Danny’s car seat. “But you will go on a honeymoon eventually, though?” She looked down. “I wouldn’t want you to miss out on account of us …” she murmured.
Lizzie patted her arm. “Oh, don’t you worry about that, darling. I don’t want a honeymoon. I’d much rather stay here with you two.”
Julia looked out the window, as if indifferent, but Lizzie thought that she could hear the girl sniffle. She glanced over at Henry, who stared out the window on the other side. No sniffles from that end, at least.
No, this marriage didn’t mean anything to Henry. It was just another business arrangement to him. She couldn’t imagine what it must be like, to be able to just throw money at every problem that reared its ugly head. To be able to handle every possible situation that occurred, by pulling out one’s credit card and waving it about.
She wondered if she’d ever know how that felt.
Probably not.
But right now, she leaned back against the luxurious leather seat and looked at her husband and their two beautiful children, allowing herself an indulgent little fantasy. This wasn’t a real family; she knew that. At least not one that she was a part of.
But it was a lovely little fantasy to indulge in, just for a little while.
35
Henry
They went out to dinner that evening. Henry had booked a table for three at one of his favorite restaurants and arranged for a sitter to look after the baby, but when Julia found out that Danny was to stay at home, she’d announced that she wasn’t coming either. Henry had been surprised at how disappointed he’d been at her decision.
“It’s the least I can do,” Julia had declared. “If you’re not getting a honeymoon, you should at least get to eat your first dinner as husband and wife alone. It won’t be a romantic night out with me there!”
“B-but …” he had stuttered, but there was of course no way of explaining to his daughter that he couldn’t care less about spending time alone with his new wife, romantic or otherwise. That all he wanted to do was spend time with his newly discovered daughter. Her, he found fascinating. What kind of dinner conversation could he expect with a stripper?
Somewhere at the back of his mind, he did remember the meal they had shared in a hotel room, all those weeks ago, but he did not want to think about that. About her naked body across the table from him. How the sight of it had affected him. What it had made him do to her. All night long.
No, that was not where he wanted his mind to wander. He and Lizzie might be sharing a bed for appearances, but there had been no physical contact all week, and that was the way he intended this marriage to be. There was no reason to over-complicate things by dragging sex into the equation.
This was strictly a business arrangement in order to facilitate the custody proceedings. He had no doubt that his ruthless lawyer could have secured the custody for him, either way, but he didn’t want to force the decision on Julia. No, he wanted his daughter to stand up in court and proclaim that she wanted to live with him, her father.
As soon as he’d been granted custody of Julia, the dreaded Aunt Heather could get custody of little Danny. He was confident that Julia would see the logic in that, eventually. The age gap between the siblings was too big, and they needed such different things from their parents. It made no sense to keep them together. And they were only half-siblings, after all. Julia would understand. She was a sensible girl.
Now, he was sitting in an armchair in the living room, nursing a pre-dinner drink. He could hear Julia’s voice from the children’s room. She was reading Danny a bedtime story. The babysitter was in the kitchen, making some formula. And Lizzie … Yes, where was Lizzie?
As if he’d conjured her, she appeared in the doorway.
“What time was the car coming back for us?” she asked, closing her little evening clutch. It sparkled in the light from the ceiling lamp.
He tried to reply, but it took several attempts before he could even figure out how to work his tongue and lips to make any coherent sounds.
She had looked stunning in her wedding dress, but now, she had changed into an evening dress. It was dark pink, with a plunging neckline—oh, god, help him—and a short hem that showed off her incredible legs. He had to force his eyes away from her body, but focusing on her face didn’t help one bit. Her skin was smooth like satin and looked as if it was lit from within, her lips were red, full, and shiny from lip gloss, and her eyes were dark and enormous, looking straight at him.
He emptied his glass to give himself a moment’s reprieve. His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he got up from the armchair. “It’s here now,” he said. “Let’s go.”
She went into the children’s room, and Henry stood in the door, watching her kissing the baby goodnight and giving Julia a hug. He wished he could do the same, but they weren’t at that stage in their relationship just yet. It looked so natural when Lizzie did it. Her affections for both children seemed so effortless. Almost as if she wasn’t pretending at all. It was impressive.
Downstairs, the smartly dressed driver stood by the back door of the car, holding the door open for them as they stepped outside. It wasn’t the same town car as before. Instead, it was a long, gleaming limousine, and the driver was in a black suit with a little black cap.
Lizzie glanced up at Henry. “I’m sorry that Julia didn’t want to come,” she said. “I know you wanted her to.” She nodded at the limo, “I know that you got this for her.”
He grunted. She was too damn perceptive for her own good. “It’s your wedding day,” he muttered. “Enjoy.”
She slid into the back seat, almost giving him a heart attack when she bent over in front of him to duck into the car. He followed her, sitting as far away from her as possible on the wide leather seat. She glanced at the vast empty space between them but didn’t say anything.
“We could just stay at home,” she said. “I mean … We don’t have to go out.”
He sighed. “No,” he said after a pause. “We’ve got the sitter, so we don’t have to worry about the kids for a few hours. Let’s go to dinner, have a glass of wine, and relax. It’s been an intense week.”
She nodded. “It sure has.” She looked more closely at him. “But it has gone amazingly well, don’t you think?”
He smiled despite himself. “Yes, it has. She is amazing.” And then he started telling Lizzie about something Julia had said when he had taken her to the opera last night. As he was speaking, he slowly became aware of the way she was looking at hi
m. “What?” he asked.
She looked uncertain. “I think it’s great that you and Julia are getting to know each other. But …” She paused. “You promised to take care of her brother as well, remember? The nanny has been amazing, and I know that I’ve been at work a lot of the time, so perhaps I’ve missed something, but I haven’t seen you interact with Danny at all.”
He didn’t know what to say. “She’s my daughter,” he said, after a while. “He is … not my son.”
She frowned. “He will be, once you get custody. I hope you don’t intend to let an army of nannies raise him. They can make sure that he is dressed and fed, but they are not his parents.”
He made a non-committal gesture. They were almost at the restaurant. “It’s only been a week.”
“Yes …” she said, still looking at him with those large, dark eyes.
It felt as if she could see straight through him.
36
Lizzie
She’d been so impressed by Henry’s willingness to shoulder the responsibility of raising two children, one of which he had no biological bond with. But now she got the feeling that he wasn’t as committed when it came to little Danny. As if the boy was an unwanted bonus in a package deal and would be shoved to the side and ignored as Henry built his relationship with his daughter. All he ever talked about was Julia. Her school. Her needs. What she had done or said. All his plans for her.
Oh, he had a lot of those. Although she hadn’t gone back to school yet, he had already begun talking about colleges and possible career paths. He didn’t even know her, for goodness sake. And the girl had just lost her parents. She would be vulnerable and confused for a long time to come. Perhaps she didn’t need someone who spoiled her and bought her everything she even looked at twice, plus a lot of things she’d never even looked at, at all.