Property of a Noblewoman (34 page)

He and Jane were talking about it one afternoon, after they threw anchor for the night in a small cove. They’d had great sailing that day.

“It’s so weird how things work out, isn’t it?” Jane said, looking pensive. “I was so upset when I couldn’t get the clerkship I wanted, and got stuck at the surrogate’s court. But if I hadn’t been there, I would never have been assigned to handle your grandmother’s safe deposit box, and met you.” She smiled at him, as they lay in the sun on the deck, relaxing after their sail.

“And if I hadn’t gotten sidetracked into the jewelry department, someone else would have gotten that assignment, to do the appraisal, and my mother would have never found out about her mother, and I wouldn’t have met you.” He leaned down and kissed her.

“It kind of makes you believe in fate, doesn’t it?” she said thoughtfully.

“Or blind luck. But there was a little too much luck here, for it to just be pure happenstance. It all fits together perfectly, and came out right in the end. And fortunately, you got rid of the boyfriend.” She had heard from one of her law school friends, who knew John, that he had gone back to L.A. with Cara, and they were starting the business he’d mentioned, with her father’s help. Jane was very glad she’d had the guts to leave him when she did, or she might never have gotten to know Phillip, and fallen in love with him.

“How’s your mother doing, by the way?” she asked casually. “It feels like she’s been gone forever.” It had given them more time together. Valerie didn’t interfere, but she was a big presence in his life. Luckily, Jane liked her a lot, and Valerie led her own life.

“She’s been away a long time,” he agreed. “I think it’s some kind of rite of passage for her, after finding out about her mother.” And after the auction, she would never have to worry about money again, not that she had. But she was secure now, and had a solid fortune behind her that would allow her to do whatever she wanted for the rest of her life. He was happy for her, particularly about the discoveries about her mother, and even finding her father’s relatives, which had been a stroke of sheer luck. Yet another. “I think she’s coming back right after Labor Day. But she says she wants to travel more now. She might as well while she can,” he said, and Jane agreed. “After the auction, she can do whatever she wants. It’ll be great for her.” And for him one day too. He was cognizant of that. “I think she’s gotten acquainted with the man who owns her mother’s house now, the place in Naples. I met him in March, when I was doing research on her. My mother said something about meeting his kids and seeing his gallery in Florence. I liked him a lot. I gave her his number. I’m glad she looked him up.”

They cooked dinner in the galley that night, and their two weeks in Maine were even better than they’d hoped. The weather was perfect. They ate lobster almost every night. They saw old friends of Phillip’s, and Jane liked them. Their two lives were blending smoothly, and they felt even closer to each other by the time they got back to New York at the end of the Labor Day weekend. And they both had new jobs to look forward to in the coming weeks. Phillip was excited to see his mother when she got home, and hear about her trip. She had been all over Italy for the past two months. And he knew from Penny that Winnie was desperate to see her too, and missed her. Valerie had called her regularly, to check on her, and Winnie complained about how long she’d been gone.

It was an odd feeling for Valerie when the plane touched down at JFK. She felt as though she had been away for years, and had come back a different person. Her heart was with Saverio in Florence and Naples and Rome, but this was her home. And it felt incomplete now without him. She was glad he was coming in two weeks. There was a lot she wanted to share with him here. And she was ready to join him in his life in Italy, at least part of the time, and he was right – why let their age limit them from what they wanted to do and could still enjoy? They could do anything they wanted. They had the money and the time, and they had been lucky enough to find each other, or had been destined to find each other, as Saverio said. Whether destiny or blind luck, it was a precious gift, and Valerie was ready to embrace it, and Saverio was too. He had finally told her about the woman who died ten years before. And he wasn’t going to wait to lose the woman he loved for a third time. He wanted to enjoy every moment they could share, for as long as they could, and hopefully for a very long time.

Valerie called Phillip when she got home that night – he and Jane had just gotten back too. She was happy to know he was so close. They immediately agreed to have dinner together the next day, with Jane of course. And he told her about their new jobs.

“Fantastic!” She almost said
“Bravi!”
and stopped herself. Her Italian had improved a lot over the summer. “How was Maine?” She loved hearing the happiness in his voice. Jane was good for him, and Valerie was pleased that he was going back to the art department at Christie’s. It was what he had wanted for more than two years.

“Maine was perfect,” Phillip answered. “We had a ball. I don’t think I’ve ever eaten that much lobster in my life. And I can’t wait to hear all about your trip, Mom. You were all over the map. Sardinia, Portofino, Naples, Rome, Florence, Venice, Siena.” She had sent Fiona and Winnie postcards from each place, and emailed him a lot. The only thing she hadn’t told him was who she was with on her travels. And she wanted to tell him right away. Now that they knew their plans, Phillip deserved to know.

They agreed to meet at “21” the following night for a homecoming celebration, and she was going to visit Winnie in the morning. She had wanted to call her when she got home, but knew she’d be asleep. She led an entirely different life from Valerie’s late nights with Saverio now. Valerie’s whole life had changed over the summer. She knew that Winnie would be unhappy about the traveling Valerie would do, but she’d just have to adjust. Valerie was not going to stay in New York full time, and give up Italy, to take care of Winnie. And she was worried about Phillip’s reaction too. There was no telling how he’d respond to her having a man in her life.

Valerie unpacked what she’d brought home that night, and walked around her apartment. The painting she’d started of Marguerite was still sitting on the easel in her studio, unfinished, and she wanted to finish it now. And her apartment looked cozy, but different. There was something missing now. It was a relic of her past life, with no evidence of her new one. She set a photograph of Saverio down next to her bed, and felt better, as though to prove he really existed. He called her at two in the morning, when he woke up at eight in Rome, and it was a relief to hear his voice.

“I miss you!” was the first thing she said to him.

“Anch’io.”
So do I. “How was the flight?” he asked her, happy to hear her.

“Long. But I slept most of the way.” They had stayed up late talking the night before. There was so much to plan now, and discuss.

“Have you seen Phillip?” He sounded as concerned as she was. There was no predicting how her son would react to him, although she said he had an important woman in his life now. But men were strange about their mothers, and possessive of them. He might take the news of their love affair very badly, although they both hoped that wouldn’t be the case. Saverio’s children were very pleased, and liked her.

“I’m seeing him for dinner tomorrow night. I’ll see Winnie in the morning.” Neither of them was worried about her, and Winnie’s suspicion and disapproval were almost a given, and to be expected. He was amused by Valerie’s descriptions of her. She sounded like a cranky old lady, but he could tell that Valerie loved her and accepted her as she was.

“Call me after your dinner with Phillip tomorrow night. I don’t care what time,” Saverio instructed her.

“It’ll be too late for you. It’ll be four or five in the morning. I’ll call you when you get up.”

“Go to sleep now,” he said gently. “It’s late for you. Call me when you wake.” It would be late afternoon for him. They were going to have to get used to the two time zones now. She loved their little inane conversations, and just having him be part of her life, having him to share things with, and do things with. She could hardly wait till he arrived in two weeks. It seemed like an eternity to both of them, and she had some hurdles to cross first. A big one. Her son.

Saverio kissed her goodnight over the phone, and she lay in bed, thinking about him, before she fell asleep. It was hard to believe, but it was real. They had found love at their age.

The next morning Valerie called Winnie when she got up.

“So you’re finally back,” Winnie said in a querulous tone. “I was beginning to think you’d decided to stay there.”

“I’m here,” Valerie said simply. “Can I come by for a cup of tea?”

“I’m playing bridge at noon,” she said, annoyed. She needed to punish Valerie now for being away for so long. Valerie had expected it and wasn’t surprised.

“I’ll come now. I’ve been up for hours.” She had woken up on European time, and called Saverio. He’d been on his way back to Florence from Rome, and he talked to her from the car. She had promised again to call him after dinner, and he wished her luck. It was the operative word now.

Winnie looked well when she opened the door, a little thinner but otherwise fine. And she grudgingly hugged Valerie and was visibly pleased to see her.

“You shouldn’t have stayed away so long,” she complained. In the end, she had gone to Martha’s Vineyard, and stayed with Penny and driven them all nuts. Penny had sent Valerie several emails about it that made her laugh. And Winnie had told her the children were badly behaved when Valerie called her there.

“I was having a good time,” Valerie said honestly, and she’d been in no rush to come back. It was the blessing of having grown children. She didn’t
have
to come home.

She followed Winnie out to the kitchen, and they made tea. The housekeeper was vacuuming Winnie’s bedroom, so they were alone. “I met a man,” Valerie said as Winnie sipped her tea, and nearly choked.

“You what?” Winnie stared at her.

“I met someone.” She felt sheepish and a little embarrassed. Winnie was silly, but daunting at times.

“Does he know how old you are?” she said with a look of stern disapproval.

“Yes, he does. He’s four years younger. We’re both grown-ups.”

“You’re geriatric, for heaven’s sake, acting like adolescents.” She had a way with words. “Is he American?” Valerie shook her head.

“Italian.”

“Of course.” Winnie’s lips were a thin line, even thinner than usual. “He’s after your money.”

“Actually, he’s not.” She wanted to say “he’s after my body,” but didn’t think Winnie could withstand the shock or the information. “He’s a very successful art dealer. He’s coming here in two weeks. Would you like to meet him?”

“No, I would not!” She was outraged, but at least Valerie had offered. “I’m not meeting some Italian gigolo.” She had completely ignored what Valerie had said about what he did for a living. “So that’s what you’ve been up to all this time! How pathetic! You’re lucky he didn’t kill you in your sleep.” It was an awful image but was how she thought, and it was almost laughable that she’d suggest it about one of the most important art dealers in Florence and Rome. They sat in silence in her kitchen for a while, as she digested what Valerie had said.

“Couldn’t you be happy for me, Win? It’s nice to have someone to share my life with. He’s a nice man. He owns the château where my mother lived. That’s how Phillip met him. And I looked him up.”

“You could have met someone here, if you were so desperate.”

“I wasn’t. It came as a total surprise. Blind luck. Or destiny, as he says.”

“I still think he’s after your money. He probably read about the auction, and was lying in wait.”

“I wish you didn’t think that way.” But she always had. Her parents had been that way too. Shut down about everything, and angry at the world. Valerie knew Winnie would come around eventually. She always did, grudgingly. She’d adjust. It just wasn’t pleasant while she worked her way through it. Valerie left a little while later and told Winnie she’d call her in a few days. Winnie didn’t answer, as Valerie closed the door and left.

Valerie got to “21” that night before Phillip and Jane. She was nervous, waiting for them, and tried to appear calm when they arrived. But Phillip knew her better and saw instantly that something was happening. She looked great, happy and relaxed, her eyes were bright, her hair was beautiful, and she had a deep tan. And she was wearing a new dress she’d bought in Rome. Actually, Saverio had bought it for her, and it was shorter than she usually wore, but it was great on her. She looked stylish and full of life, as she chatted about her trip, and Phillip waited for the other shoe to drop all through dinner. He knew her too well, and her surprises weren’t always good news. He hoped this wasn’t a bad one.

“Okay, Mom, what’s up?” He finally broke the ice. He couldn’t stand it anymore, as they ate dessert. The dinner had been delicious, but she had only picked at hers, another telltale sign. She wasn’t a big eater, but she ate nothing at all when she was nervous.

She thought about Winnie as she gazed at Phillip, and hoped he’d take the news better than she had. But fortunately, Phillip was more like her, open-minded and positive, most of the time at least. But she still couldn’t guess how he’d feel about his mother having a romance, since it had never happened before.

“I met someone in Italy,” she said cautiously. There was no other way to say it, and he stared into her eyes, not sure he had heard her right.

“A man?” He looked blank, as though he didn’t understand, and Jane held her breath. She had gotten it on the first try, and didn’t know how he’d react either. Sometimes even adults had crazy ideas about their parents, particularly men about their mothers.

“Obviously. Not a woman, for heaven’s sake.” Valerie smiled nervously and decided to dive in fast. “A very nice man. We’ve been together all summer, and we like each other a lot. To be honest, I love him.” Full disclosure. Phillip looked as if he’d been shot, as Jane winced. This was a biggie. She wondered if Phillip was going to feel she was being disloyal to his father.