LoveMakers

by Gould, Judith

  It had been the night of Elizabeth-Anne's greatest triumph, the crowning touch to an empire which had been forged out of nothing.

  The crowning gem: The Hale Castle.

  It was Elizabeth-Anne's shining achievement, a lasting monument to herself and her family, to her dream.

  Only now that she looked back on it did Dorothy-Anne realize that the day the Hale Castle had been conceived had been the beginning of the end. She should have realized it at the start - that the grandest of all the grand hotels would be Great-Granny's last achievement. But how could she have known? Great-Granny had always been building and expanding. It had been in her life's blood. Only after it was all over, and Elizabeth-Anne was dead, had she realized the truth.

  Elizabeth-Anne Hale had been secretly battling the cancer for years, but had never let anyone know. She had sent her loved ones away on business trips or vacations, or had disappeared herself, supposedly to relax, but in truth to enter the hospital for surgery or treatments. She had done it all quietly behind everyone's back. And while the cancer was eating deeper and deeper, and her time was running out, she had gone on to build her greatest achievement of them all, and had fought to live until the day it was completed.

  It only proved to Dorothy-Anne how little she knew of the remarkable woman to whom she had been so close all her life.

  All those years together - and yet in the end Elizabeth-Anne hadn't confided her deepest secret.

  Oh, how could. I have been so blind?

  For three long and sleepless days and nights now, she had been torturing herself with that same question.

  Even on that last night, I didn't realize she was at the point of death.

  But how could she have known? Even on that last night of Elizabeth-Anne Hale's life, during the inauguration of the newest star in the hotel chain, the old lady had gathered the last remaining vestiges of her strength and had given the Illusion that all was well with the world and with herself.

  The inauguration had been more than just that. It had been Great-Granny's farewell party to all she held near and dear.

  And no one had known it until after it was over.

  The grand ballroom of the Hale Castle had been filled to capacity. Two thousand guests had been invited, and over eighteen hundred had shown up. At Elizabeth-Anne's request, Dorothy-Anne stood on the right side of the wheelchair on the dais, Freddie on the left. They each held one of Elizabeth-Anne's hands. Behind the chair, Miss Bunt stood silent with grim decorum, an expressionless sphinx whose eyes alone gave away her impatience with Elizabeth- Anne's insistence on attending what she considered a senseless event. In a group off to one side were Henry and Chessy, although Regina had not traveled all the way from California for the event.

  The pride glowed in Dorothy-Anne's face. She didn't think she had ever seen her great-grandmother looking quite as beautiful as she did on this particular evening. There was something regal about the way she sat poised in her wheelchair, as thought it were a throne. And why shouldn't she be such a commanding presence? Dorothy-Anne asked herself. Elizabeth-Anne was, after all, the supreme ruler of an empire that dotted the globe, and she looked every inch the royal sovereign.

  At ninety, her eyes were lively and sparkling, and her aquamarine silk gown lent her a delicate, luminous beauty. Her face wore an expression of ceremonial amusement as though she were being entertained by an army of court jesters. Occasionally, she would tilt her head sideways and look up at Dorothy-Anne through her hooded eyes, a sly twinkle saying, 'See? See what we've done together, you and I? All is revel and merriment. They kow-tow to me, and tell me what they think I want to hear, but deep inside they all hate me. And you know why? They're wondering how we've done it, that's why! But we'll never tell them the secret. Vision and hard work, daring to dream, and putting every last bit of energy behind it - that's all it took, and the fools don't even know it! They all think it was some kind of luck or magic, or, worst yet, a talent of mine! Oh, if they only knew the truth, how disappointed they'd all be.'

  Dorothy-Anne saw all this in her great-grandmother's gaze and, squeezing her hand, she nodded happily as tears shone in her eyes. Beneath the voluminous folds of her maternity gown, her child was approaching the time for delivery. A new child was soon to be born, the first of Great-Granny's great-great-grandchildren. 'I hope it's a girl,' Elizabeth-Anne had confided in her only a few days earlier. 'In this family it's the women who make the difference. Oh, don't get me wrong. The men have done their share. But the women - they're the strength, the backbone! Oh yes, I do hope it's a girl! What more could a silly old woman want?'

  A great-great-granddaughter.

  And the Hale Castle, conceived and built against all odds, completed at long last.

  Yes, what else indeed?

  No wonder she looks so happy, Dorothy-Anne thought. This is her moment to bask in the sun. And she deserves it, by God. She deserves every last accolade, every bit of comfort, every outpouring of love and respect. Ninety, going on ninety-one this week, and she's still not resting on her laurels.

  Instead, she had built the Hale Castle. All told, the cost had come to more than a quarter of a billion dollars after the price of the property, design, construction, and decor had been tallied. It was said to be the single most expensive structure in the entire world.

  It towered seventy-two stories above Fifth Avenue in midtown. Just to accumulate the entire square block property had taken several years of patient, secret bidding. Dozens of real-estate agents, none of whom were aware of the identity of his client, had bought up the individually owned parcels of land, one by one. Then the existing buildings had been razed, the rubble trucked off, and the foundations dug. Elizabeth-Anne had hired one of the nation's pre-eminent architects to design the Hale Castle. Not for her one of those carbon copy, steel and glass boxes. She wanted something that would add an extra cachet - her own - to the New York skyline.

  Dorothy-Anne had sat through many of the countless meetings between client and architect, and she had followed every phrase of the progress closely.

  'You have carte blanche,' Elizabeth-Anne was fond of telling the architect, half in jest, half in seriousness, 'as long as I end up with what I want.'

  The architect had laughed, but Elizabeth-Anne's vision had been specific and he found himself inspired by it. She wanted a modern building of medieval style. The plaza would be graced by a modern version of a medieval drawbridge and a moat with a narrow reflecting pool. She wanted the public rooms to be imposing, 'baronial' in scope. And the top was to be crowned with turrets and towers, like something out of a childhood fairy tale.

  The architect had managed to achieve all this brilliantly. From the moment that the plans were first made public, the building became the focus of a raging architectural debate heard round the world. Some critics praised the daring design concepts combining the fifteenth and twenty-first centuries; other denounced it as an abomination.

  Elizabeth-Anne knew she had made her statement.

  She was delighted. The furor only fueled everyone's excitement, and it was the sort of publicity that no amount of money could ever have bought.

  And, once the luxury palace had been completed - ready for occupancy by the hotel, as well as condominium buyers and office space renters - Elizabeth-Anne had further amazed her staff. 'Charge through the nose,' she had instructed. 'Make it as expensive and exclusive as it can possibly be.'

  And as she knew it would, the Hale Palace had snared the rich, the famous, and the powerful. One Arab businessman bought three entire floors of condominiums, and combined them to become what was probably the largest and most expensive triplex - including indoor swimming pool - in all of New York, possibly the world. Even before the building had opened, all but two of the ninety condominiums had been sold.

  Now, watching Elizabeth-Anne closely, Dorothy-Anne reveled in the excitement of the glittering event before them. Their guests had come from near and far. The mayor, governor and vice president were rubbing shoul
ders with Supreme Court justices, society dowagers, businessmen, tycoons, members of the press, novelists, and film stars. All the movers and shakers had come out in full force to celebrate the grand opening.

  It had all the makings of a Hollywood premier, down to the red carpet on the sidewalk and the searchlights crisscrossing the sky.

  By ten o'clock, the reception line had long since fizzled out, a fact for which Elizabeth-Anne was extremely grateful. The palms of her hands were sweaty. She was feeling tired, and wished the party were already over, but she had the determination of a last wish, a last goal to achieve to carry her through. Once she had done what she had come to do, then she would have her rest. A long and final rest.

  She glanced over at the orchestra and caught the conductor's eye. At a signal from her, he added a few, flourishing finale notes to the dance music and then moved straight into a pulsating rendition of 'If You Wish Upon A Star.'

  'This is it.' Elizabeth-Anne turned to Dorothy-Anne. 'Wish me luck.'

  Dorothy-Anne smiled, leaned down, and kissed her great-grandmother on the cheek. 'Good luck, Great- Granny. Though I'm sure you won't need it. You never do.'

  'Flattery,' the old lady said crisply, 'will get you everywhere.' She twisted her head around to look up at Miss Bunt. She gave a regal nod, and the ever-faithful nurse wheeled the chair forward, to the edge of the dais. As soon as the music came to a crescendo, the lights dimmed, and a single white spot bathed Elizabeth-Anne in its startling, silvery glow.

  The ballroom became very quiet. People pushed their way forward and faced the dais. A gray-haired man in a tuxedo was setting up a microphone in front of Elizabeth- Anne.

  Elizabeth-Anne smiled her thanks at him. Then she cleared her throat and spoke in her precise, ringing voice. 'Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you all for coming and making the inauguration of this building such a success. And I thank you even more for taking a few minutes out to listen to the ramblings of an old woman.' After some polite laughter, she went on.

  'As you all probably know, many said it couldn't be done. Not a building like this.' She waved one hand in a dramatic gesture. 'Not one combining stores, offices, rental apartments, condominiums, and a hotel. In fact - ' She broke off and allowed herself a nervous little laugh. 'For a while there, I wasn't quite so sure it could be done, either.' She pretended to let out a deep breath of relief, and the crowd again laughed good-naturedly.

  'Nevertheless.' She clapped her hands together. 'What is done is done, and I'm glad it's finished. The New York skyline has changed a little bit once again, and that is what gives this marvelous city its magical excitement and its character. I love the constant state of flux, of things always changing. I'm proud to have been part of it for so long.

  'I love this city. I came here in 1928, and I've been here ever since. I've been proud to call myself a New Yorker. This city has been good to many of us, and to no one so much as myself.'

  She paused again as a murmur of approval rippled through the crowd.

  'However, to show you just how much times change, and without taking too long, I would like to read you an advertisement which Hale Hotels ran recently in the New York Times.'

  She turned around and held out her hand. Miss Bunt produced a pair of reading glasses and a newspaper clipping. Carefully, Elizabeth-Anne put on the glasses.

  'I should warn you that I wasn't even aware that this advertisement had gone in. Of course, why should I be? Hale Hotels has become so big that I really can't know what's going on in every department. Anyway, I saw this advertisement and I read it. Now I would like to share it with you.

  ' 'Technical Support Analyst. Hale Hotels Corporation has an immediate opening for a Data Processing professional to handle new software releases, evaluate software packages, troubleshoot program inefficiencies, system tune the IBM 38 and provide procedures and standards for a group of programmer analysts. The ideal candidate will have a college degree, at least three years of RPG ILI experience, and in-depth knowledge of the IBM 38.' ' She took off her glasses and folded her hands in her lap, then stared out at the sea of upturned faces. 'What the hell,' she asked with a wry smile 'are 'troubleshooting program inefficiencies,' 'system tune' and 'RPG three?' '

  There was a roar of laughter, and thunderous applause.

  She nodded. 'My sentiments exactly. It just goes to show how much times change. Why, for heaven's sake, I started Hale Hotels without even graduating from high school! However, I'm too old and cantankerous, and much too set in my ways to start changing now. So, in light of this, and in light of the fact that I'll be turning ninety-one this week - '

  A burst of thunderous applause cut her off. She had to wait for it to subside before continuing. She inclined her head. 'Thank you, thank you,' she said crisply. 'However, longevity itself does not deserve applause. Nor does success which is directly due to longevity. As Forbes Magazine quoted me as saying in a recent interview, anyone can get where I've gotten. You've only got to live long enough.'

  There was more applause and laughter.

  'Now, down to serious business. Since I've finally grown up and decided to join the ranks of senior citizens, I might as well start collecting my social security. Therefore, I would now like to appoint my successor. Lord knows, everyone has waited long enough for this moment. Well, it is finally that time. At long last. I think I could use a little peace and quiet. After all, I'm no longer as young as I used to be.'

  There was more hearty applause; the orchestra broke into a few stanzas of' Auld Lang Syne.'

  Elizabeth-Anne held up her hands to silence the guests. 'It is possible,' she said with typical candor, 'that when you first see who I've chosen to succeed me, you'll say to yourself, 'Well, the old girl's finally flipped her lid.' ' She smiled patiently, shook her head, and wagged an admonishing finger. 'Believe me, I haven't. I built this corporation when I was a single mother raising four children, and though I'm not the spring chicken I once was, I am of sound mind and body. Furthermore, as the advertisement I have read to you indicates, it is indeed time for young blood to take over.' She paused and took a deep breath. 'Ladies and gentlemen, I am proud to introduce my successor, the new, and probably the youngest-ever chairman of the board of a corporation of this size, Dorothy-Anne Hale Cantwell.' And with that, Elizabeth-Anne took her great-grand- daughter's hand in hers and lifted it high.

  Dorothy-Anne stared down at her great-grandmother, open-mouthed. Tears were welling up in her eyes. 'Me?' she asked in disbelief.

  'Yes, you,' Elizabeth-Anne answered. 'You will succeed me as head of the Hale empire I have built.'

  There was thunderous applause as Elizabeth-Anne was wheeled back a few feet on the dais, holding Dorothy-Anne's hand in her own.

  'Like me, when I first started out, you are soon a mother,' Elizabeth-Anne told her great-granddaughter. 'But that is beside the point. Women are just as capable of running a business as men, and mothers as capable as single women. It's up to you to prove that and clear out the myths.' She smiled. 'Believe me, darling, nobody is as well suited, or as talented, to run Hale Hotels as you. Nor do I trust anyone else as implicitly. You've been living hotels ever since you were a baby. Do you remember?'

  Dorothy-Anne looked as though she was going to burst out crying. 'Do I remember?' she whispered. 'How could I ever forget?'

  She laughed then, feeling the tension break, and wiped her eyes. Leaning down as far as her swollen belly allowed, she embraced Elizabeth-Anne. Then Freddie kissed both their cheeks in turn. The other members of the family stepped forward to offer their congratulations to Dorothy-Anne. Only Henry did so perfunctorily, a cold, fathomless look in his eyes. For an instant, Dorothy-Anne felt a pang of regret. She knew that her father had always thought he would be the one to step into Elizabeth-Anne's place when she retired. At forty-one, this could only be a bitter disappointment to him. But she knew there was nothing she could do. They had never mended the open wound between them. Dorothy-Anne couldn't reach out to him now.

  Elizab
eth-Anne took a deep breath, the tears shining in her still bright eyes. 'And now,' she said softly to Dorothy-Anne, 'you'll have to excuse me. I'm a little tired. It's way past my bedtime, and tonight I can rest easy. Hale Hotels is in good hands. The papers have already been drawn up, and I've done what I came to do. Now I plan to go home, relax, and enjoy myself. Right now, with a good night's sleep, and tomorrow, with breakfast in bed. Maybe I'll even get a chance to watch some television.' She raised her voice. 'The rest of you stay and enjoy the party. But you'd better listen to my great-granddaughter when she breaks it up! She's a tough cookie. Like me.' And with that she leaned back wearily, her face clenched as if she were in pain.

  'Great-Granny,' Dorothy-Anne asked worriedly. 'Are you all right?'

  Elizabeth-Anne opened one eye and glared at her with an expression of amusement. 'Of course I'm all right!' she snapped in pretended irritation. 'Why shouldn't I be? Doesn't a retiree get any peace?' Then she turned around and raised one hand, the fingers making a fluid forward gesture. 'Home, Miss Bunt!'

  Sniffling noisily, Miss Bunt wheeled Elizabeth-Anne down the ramp. The crowd fell back to make a path, and throughout the ballroom, the music and applause were deafening.

  The queen had abdicated. A new queen had been crowned.

  When they returned to the Madison Squire, Elizabeth-Anne told Miss Bunt, 'I think I'd like to sit outside on the terrace by myself for a while, if you don't mind - ' Her voice was soft, but she was cut off by a wave of pain that arched her back like a cat's and contorted her face. Miss Bunt recognized the symptoms; over the past few months she had grown familiar with them.

  'Has your pain killer worn off?' Miss Bunt asked thickly. 'Shall I get you another pill?'

  But the attack had passed, and Elizabeth-Anne now only breathed somewhat heavily in its aftermath. Her spirit was still strong. 'Now why should I want that?' she asked irritably.

  The nurse knew there was no point in arguing with Elizabeth-Anne, even about this, and dropped her gaze.