The Complete Legacy Series: Books 1 - 6

by Paula Kay

  Douglas was nodding, and Gigi could tell by the look on his face that he was deep in thought. She guessed that something about this initial conversation was not sitting right with him either.

  “So, how exactly do you partner with them? We’re looking forward to seeing more about how the orphanage is run here and what your day-to-day operation needs are,” Douglas said, directing his question again towards Frank.

  “You know, we’ll be able to answer a lot of your questions later—during the tour and over dinner. I’m guessing that you two might like to freshen up and maybe have a little rest before we show you around a little bit?” Loretta said.

  Gigi nodded. “And hopefully we can meet some of the kids?”

  “Yes, although we might save that for tomorrow. We don’t like to get the kids too riled up before bed, and they’ll be excited to meet new people from America,” Loretta said, smiling.

  “Many of the children dream of being adopted by Americans—or of moving to America to go to college once they finish their studies, so they are always very interested when our American volunteers arrive,” Frank said.

  Gigi nodded her head in agreement, but she felt quite disappointed to learn that she might not even be seeing the children until the next day. She was anxious to connect with them—it was what she was most excited about—and the plans that Loretta and Frank were laying out for the evening seemed rather boring to her. She’d rather stay and eat dinner with the kids, in truth, but she held her tongue, not wanting to appear rude. Besides, they would be here for a whole month. There would be plenty of time for playing and helping with the children. At least she hoped that it would be the plan for them while they were there.

  “Let me show you where you will be staying,” Loretta said, motioning for them to follow her into the house for the first time.

  Gigi looked up at the beautiful chandelier she saw as she entered the enormous foyer. The area was really quite spectacular. There was a table with a huge bouquet of flowers and a wide staircase on either side of the room. If she didn’t know better, she could have been entering any home back in her own neighborhood of Sausalito. It was so unlike what she’d expected the orphanage to look like that she couldn’t help feeling shocked.

  Loretta seemed to notice her look and Gigi tried to put on a neutral smile.

  “Wow. It’s really beautiful,” Gigi finally managed.

  “Thanks. We like to surround the kids with the kind of living environment that we try really hard to get them adopted into—the steps lead to where the children sleep,” Loretta said. “We’ll be able to show you around upstairs tomorrow.”

  Gigi noticed Douglas’s furrowed brow. Something was bothering him and she didn’t imagine that he was going to be silent about it much longer.

  “What exactly do you mean by the kind of living environment?” he finally managed, directing his question towards Loretta. “Do you mean that they are only adopted by wealthier people, people that can afford to live in homes with expensive chandeliers?”

  Gigi cringed. Douglas’s sarcasm was apparent, and he’d raised the question that was bothering her also. She thought Loretta looked a bit taken aback—maybe at a loss for words as she seemed to be looking to Frank to help her out.

  “Well, yes. The reality is that many of our clients—potential parents—are very wealthy. It is a difficult process to adopt a child from this country and it does require a fairly large investment. It’s unfortunate, but there’s a lot of red tape involved here. Do we have kids being adopted by people, other than the very wealthy? Sure we do, but to be honest, it’s not who we target with our campaigning—”

  “And we don’t apologize about coming from the same social circles ourselves,” Loretta interrupted her husband.

  Gigi definitely detected a note of defiance in her voice, and she couldn’t help but worry that she and Douglas were now totally getting off on the wrong foot with their hosts. This initial meeting was not going very well. She sighed, looking at Douglas. But it was also what she appreciated about him—his willingness to speak his mind and ask hard questions to get at the truth of the matter. She knew that there’d be a big conversation coming between them just as soon as they were alone together.

  Loretta was forging ahead with her speech, mostly directing it at Douglas, who was clenching Gigi’s hand more tightly by the minute.

  “It’s what has allowed us to find good families for many of these children—being able to use the influence that we do have back home—we won’t apologize for that, because it’s giving these kids a chance that they never would have had without us. We’re proud of what we do here.” Loretta reached over to hold Frank’s hand as she finished speaking, looking more than a little frustrated.

  Gigi touched Loretta’s arm lightly. “I don’t think Douglas meant to upset you. We believe that the work you are doing here is quite amazing. Isn’t that right, dear?” she directed to Douglas.

  “Yes, yes. I’m sorry if I’ve upset you. Please don’t take my questions the wrong way.”

  Loretta was nodding her head and smiling now.

  “It’s just my nature to want to fully understand what it is that my wife and I are supporting. And we do want to support you. We wouldn’t be here if that wasn’t the case,” Douglas said.

  Gigi admired her husband’s effort to try to get things back on track between them and their hosts. She really couldn’t wait to talk to him when they were on their own. She was dying to hear his real thoughts—his first impressions of everything—to see if they matched her own.

  “No worries.” Frank was reaching out to shake Douglas’s hand, his other arm around his wife’s waist. “Loretta just gets a little passionate about the work we do here—it’s been a big investment of time and money for us, so I’m sure you can understand where we’re coming from.”

  Douglas nodded.

  “Absolutely. So let’s just leave it at that for right now and, like you said, there will be time for more questions later—questions that I’m sure we’ll have.” Douglas laughed and the two men started walking down the long hallway, Loretta and Gigi following close behind.

  They followed Frank as he took them past a huge dining area with multiple big tables and elaborate place settings already set up. From the large windows, Gigi could see a big courtyard outside, bordered on three sides by the home. She imagined that this might be where the children played, but other than the basketball hoop and the tennis court she could see in the distance, it didn’t seem all that inviting to kids, in terms of a play area. She wondered again what the children were doing. It seemed to her that they’d be having a little playtime after a day of school, but they were nowhere to be seen.

  After several seconds and a few hallways, they arrived at what seemed to be a separate wing of the house.

  “This is where you will be staying,” Loretta said, opening the door wide for them to enter their guest quarters. “We’ve put you in one of the private suites. Down the hallway are several other shared rooms where the volunteers sleep. You’ll be meeting them soon.”

  Gigi stepped into the big room, again feeling like she could have been entering a quaint little B&B back home in Marin County. “Wow, it’s really beautiful.” She walked further inside, taking in the large seating area, huge bed, and what looked to be a spacious bathroom off to the other side. The decor was impeccable. She could tell that no expense had been spared in making the room as “Americanized” as possible. Again, she was feeling shocked at how different it was from what she’d expected, but she was definitely going to hold her tongue until Loretta and Frank had left them alone. She glanced over at Douglas, hoping that she could catch his eye and somehow relay to him that he should also mind his words.

  “Everything looks lovely,” Douglas was saying to Loretta. “I’m sure we’ll be quite comfortable.”

  “Great. We’ll let you two rest a bit. How about if I come by here to get you at six o’clock? We have a reservation for a restaurant at seven-thirty. So t
hat should give us time to give you a tour and then head over for dinner,” Loretta said.

  Gigi looked at her watch and saw that they’d have two hours. The idea of a short nap was suddenly very appealing to her.

  “That sounds perfect. Thanks for everything,” Gigi said.

  “We’ll look forward to dinner,” Douglas said.

  And then Gigi and Douglas were finally alone.

  Chapter 12

  Gigi crossed the room to sit next to Douglas, who’d already taken a seat on the large sofa in their room. He grabbed her hand and pulled her closer to him.

  “How are you feeling, darling? Tired?” He asked.

  Gigi closed her eyes for a second, which made her realize just how tired she really was. “Yes, I suppose I would like a little nap before dinner.” She put her hand on his knee as she looked up at him. “What about you? Are you tired?”

  “Not so much tired as I am confused and just a tad annoyed still.”

  Gigi sighed. “I know what you mean. I couldn’t wait until we were alone to talk.” She let Douglas take her feet into his lap while she laid her head down on the opposite side of the sofa, appreciating how good it felt to finally lie down for a minute. “What are you thinking, honey?”

  “Well, what are you thinking?”

  Gigi studied his face for a second before she responded. She was trying hard not to jump to conclusions—to remain open about everything until they had more information, until they’d spent more time with Loretta and Frank and, more importantly, the children.

  “I have to admit that my first impression of the place—of them—is nothing like what I’d anticipated.” Douglas was nodding his head in agreement. “They just don’t seem—the place doesn’t seem like the same orphanage we saw on the news program, does it?”

  “No, it doesn’t. Not by a long shot, actually. It’s what’s been bothering me the most, along with the statement Frank made about campaigning. I mean, I do get it, but it’s a strange word to use in relation to the needs of the kids here, don’t you think?” Douglas was looking at her intently, waiting for her response.

  “Yes, I agree. The whole thing was odd. I feel like the segment that aired on TV was potentially only a half-truth about the situation here. In the program—and really in the magazine article too—they certainly portray themselves as having a facility that cares for children of all ages, including the little ones, who it’s now pretty obvious to me do not actually live here.”

  “Yes. We’re going to have to get to the bottom of all this. As uncomfortable as it all might be, we need to know what we’re investing in—who we’re investing in and what their genuine motives are,” Douglas said carefully.

  “I agree. I still don’t want to jump to any conclusions yet. We haven’t seen the kids or spoken to any of the other volunteers. Let’s try to keep an open mind about it. Don’t you think? For a while, I mean—while we do the actual work that we came here to do,” Gigi said, really hoping that they could be on the same page with it all, because she didn’t want their experience to end before it had even started.

  “Of course, darling. I agree, and I think we’ll have a much better idea over the next few days as we see the day-to-day operations of the place.” He seemed to be studying her face again before pulling her up to kiss him. “Don’t worry, love. I’m sure everything is going to be fine.”

  Gigi nodded and tried to stifle a yawn behind her hand.

  “Now why don’t you crawl into bed and have a little rest? I’m going to stay up and do some reading, so shall I wake you in an hour?”

  Gigi kissed him again. “That sounds like a lovely idea. Thank you.”

  Gigi sat opposite Douglas in the seating area of their room after a nap and shower, feeling refreshed and more positive. She noticed that Douglas seemed to be studying her, with a funny smile on his face.

  “What’s that look?” She flashed him a smile, waiting for a teasing comment that usually promised to please her.

  “Oh, nothing. Just enjoying how lovely you look. And happy,” Douglas said.

  “I am happy. Regardless of what happens here, I’m going to appreciate the experience. I’ve already made my mind up about that.”

  “Good. Me too.” Douglas smiled. “And don’t worry. We will find you some babies to hold.” He laughed but her heart jumped when he said it. She was determined to get to the kids—regardless of what Loretta’s ideas were of what they should be doing while they were here.

  Before long, Loretta was knocking on the door and they were heading out to finish the tour of the building and grounds—everything except actually seeing the kids, which Loretta had promised they would be doing first thing in the morning.

  “And what time do the kids eat dinner?” Gigi asked as they passed by the dining room. “I would have thought maybe we’d get a glimpse of them eating tonight before we go out.”

  Loretta looked at her watch. “Oh, they eat pretty early—at five o’clock—so that they can be doing their homework in their rooms by six, which is where they are now.”

  Gigi nodded, holding her tongue. They certainly did seem to have a focus on studies around there. Not that it was a bad thing, just that from what she’d heard so far, they didn’t seem to be giving the kids any free time—for playing or just hanging out.

  The thought reminded her of when Arianna was young. After seeing the young girl go through a very rough few months with a packed schedule, Gigi had finally had a much-needed talk with Mr. and Mrs. Sinclair about how overtired she was. In her opinion, it had just been way too much—piano lessons, tennis lessons, horse-riding lessons, various clubs at school, the private tutor, plus all of the social invitations that Arianna was getting to various birthday parties and such.

  She had feared being so vocal about her thoughts, but in the end the schedule did change and the Sinclairs seemed to respect her for voicing her strong opinion. They had trusted her by this time and knew how deep her love for Arianna was, Gigi practically having raised the little girl since they’d adopted her as a baby.

  “And this is where the children practice their various instruments.”

  Gigi was jolted out of her memories as Loretta gave them a tour of yet another wing of the spacious building. There was a large room with a baby grand piano and several smaller rooms leading down a hallway where the kids could practice any number of different instruments.

  “We have a few local music teachers come in a couple times a week to give the children their lessons. Each child must pick at least one instrument to master throughout their time here—”

  “We believe it’s a good discipline for them to learn.” Frank interrupted his wife as he entered the room, greeting Gigi and Douglas for the first time since they’d parted ways a few hours before.

  “Oh, good. You made it.” Loretta turned to Gigi and Douglas. “Frank had a meeting with a couple of potential donors who are in town.”

  “Never a quiet moment.” Frank laughed.

  Gigi caught Douglas’s eye as they followed Loretta and Frank out to the car waiting for them in the driveway.

  Chapter 13

  The ride to the restaurant was a short one. Gigi held Douglas’s hand in the backseat of the sedan, with Loretta sitting to the left of her and Frank up front with the driver. They made small talk about the weather, and Gigi was reminded of her hunger as her stomach rumbled from a long afternoon without any food. She assumed that they were being taken to have a meal that would feature the local cuisine, and she was really looking forward to trying it.

  A few moments later they pulled up to a restaurant that could only be described as something that had been plucked straight off the streets of Rome or any big tourist town in Italy.

  “Oh.” Gigi couldn’t help the surprise from escaping her mouth. “Are we eating at an Italian restaurant?”

  “Oh yes, it’s one of the best in town. We’re actually part owners,” Loretta said as they were making their way out of the car. “Do you like Italian food?�
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  Gigi didn’t even try to hide the glance she sent in Douglas’s direction. The annoyance she was feeling was almost laughable at this point.

  “I love Italian. It’s probably my favorite type of food.”

  Loretta’s smile widened.

  “And we had it the night before we flew here.” Gigi laughed. “I just assumed that you’d be taking us to a restaurant that is more typical of Guatemala. I’ve been reading up about it and am quite anxious to try the local cuisine.”

  “Oh, I don’t think you’d be missing much not to eat it.” Loretta laughed. “We’ll be sure that you get a taste. It’s mostly corn and beans, with lots of chilis thrown in. Personally, I prefer the restaurants that offer international menus when I go out, but we do offer a mixture in the dining room back home.”

  Gigi was trying very hard to hide her irritation, but quite frankly Loretta was really starting to grate on her nerves. Was Loretta really thinking it so odd that Gigi and Douglas would come all the way to Guatemala with anything less than an expectation of eating some local food? Douglas reached for her hand and leaned in to give her a quick kiss as they were walking into the restaurant.

  “It’s okay, honey.” He whispered into her ear. “I’ll take you somewhere for tamales tomorrow.”

  Gigi smiled in response, squeezing Douglas’s hand. He had spent several nights prior to their departure, patiently listening to Gigi recount her daily research about the country that she was so excited to visit. He’d heard her talk about all of the various types of tamales and how much she couldn’t wait to sample the different varieties. She sighed as they made their way to one of the best tables in the room. There’d be plenty of time for her and Douglas to eat exactly what they wanted. She’d try not to let her frustration ruin the evening. Besides, she was starving by this time and pasta did actually sound pretty amazing.