“I’m afraid that’s out of the question.” She leaned back in her chair and rested her elbows on the arm, clutching her pen with both hands. “I can’t do it. It will hurt too much.”
Tony pulled a stack of papers out of the case. “You won’t need to worry about that,” he said. He tossed them in front of her.
“What are these?” She leaned forward and picked up a packet, recognizing the layout of a legal court document.
“These,” he said as he sat in the chair across from her, “are the documents to legally dissolve my stakes in all of my companies. I will sell shares, give some away, and hand over corporate responsibilities to someone else, depending on the company. Metaphorically, I’m putting this game back in the box. When these documents are executed I will be penniless and, in a few short months, homeless, too.” He straightened his tie. “I started with nothing. I can certainly start over.”
He said it all very matter-of-factly while his insides turned to a boiling mass of fear and emotion. “But I can only face something like that with you by my side, cara.”
“What?” Robin furiously flipped through a packet of paper. “What are you talking about?”
“Well,” Tony said, “you have an issue with my money and my status. So, I’ll make those things a non-issue.”
“What about your employees?”
“Obviously, some of them will need new employers.”
Robin tossed the packet on top of her desk. “Is this some kind of joke?”
He narrowed his eyes and very dangerously said, “Why in the name of the most holy God would you think anything about this is a joke?”
“Because you sound very casual about something that should be much more important to you.”
He was around the desk, gripping the arms of her chair with both hands and leaning down so that his face was close to hers before he even realized he was in motion. “This is one of the most important things in my life, I can assure you. But, as important as it is, you are a million times more important. Do you understand that?” He shook the chair so that it rattled. “Do you get that I would do anything for you? Sell off everything, become a penniless pauper, have a celibate marriage – anything I need to have you by my side.”
Robin’s breath hitched and she put her hand on her chest. “How do I – ?”
Kneeling to take her hands with his, he gentled his voice. “My darling love, you tell me what to do. You tell me how to fix it so that you are willing to be with me. I don’t need companies or money or things. But I need you.”
Tears slid down her cheeks, breaking him into a million pieces. “You can’t disband Viscolli Enterprises,” she said. “God uses it for too much good.”
“Robin, that is exactly wrong. God does not need me. I need Him. And I assure you, He will find other ways to use us.”
“No.” Shredded pieces of Tony’s heart landed at her feet at the finality of the tone in her voice. “No. You can’t do that. There are ministries, shelters, orphanages. I can’t be responsible for that.” Tony bowed his head and closed his eyes. He rested his forehead on their joined hands, broken. “If you will make me a couple of promises, then maybe I can marry you.”
It took a second for her words to penetrate the mist of desolation in his brain. As soon as he understood her, he looked up. “What promises?”
Robin took a deep shaky breath and brushed the hair on his forehead. He felt the tingle from the touch of her fingertips go down the nape of his neck. “I can’t jump right in to your world. I need to gradually get my feet wet. Keep our social engagements to a bare minimum for at least a year.”
“Done.”
“Don’t leave my side during a function and leave me floundering without you.”
“Cara, I would not want to leave your side for any reason.”
“I don’t want to talk to any reporters without you.”
“Already done.”
As her eyes welled with fresh tears, she put a shaking hand on his cheek. “I’m so afraid of our wedding night. I can’t even think straight. How will I get through the ceremony in front of all those people? How will I ever handle the reception and the small talk and hours of socializing knowing what waits for me?”
Tony reached forward and cupped her cheeks with his hands. “My darling, what horror of horrors waits for you is me. Robin, my beloved, I will never hurt you. You don’t need to be afraid of me. But, I promise you, that everything will go at your pace and any time you want to stop, I will stop. Every time. As for the other, I have an idea.”
Greater Than Rubies: CHAPTER 14
T two p.m., Barry’s phone chimed and he distractedly said, “Yes, Elizabeth?”
“Sir, Tony Viscolli is here to see you.”
Intrigued, Barry slipped off his reading glasses and shut the lid of his laptop. “Send him in.”
Tony never came to visit him. Barry always went to him. It didn’t bother him because, after all, Tony was the client. In their personal meetings, they typically met outside of their individual offices. But their last meeting two days ago had taken place in this very office and ended with each of them feeling extremely tense. Barry wasn’t even certain exactly where their friendship stood right now.
He pushed back from his desk and stood, slipping on his suit jacket as Tony came through the door. Tony carried a leather portfolio, but was dressed down in khaki slacks and a black cotton sweater. Barry could see the wet cuffs of his pants and knew Tony had spent the morning out on the water, rowing. He knew that was what Tony did to get completely away from all distractions and to think while his body worked the boat through the water. He also knew Tony chose that sport above all others because it was the sport of choice for the blue-bloods of this part of the country.
As Barry rounded his desk, his friend spoke first. “I owe you an apology for the way I spoke to you the last time we were together,” he said.
Barry paused in the buttoning of his coat. He raised an eyebrow, but did not reply. Tony continued speaking. “I was extremely emotional at the moment and not quite acting myself.”
Barry nodded. “Hence the whole ‘are you sure you want to do this’ question from me and the observation regarding your mental state.”
“I understand. I needed to do it, but I understand why you questioned it and what you said.” He opened the portfolio and pulled out a stack of papers. “Robin and I have reconciled.” He set the papers on the conference table near him. “You can destroy these documents.”
Barry waged an internal debate for about ten seconds before finally stepping forward. “Can we talk?”
“Of course,” Tony said. He pulled out a leather chair from the table and sat, crossing his legs and brushing at his knee.
Barry sat next to him and said, “Tony, if there is even the most remote possibility of any issues with this marriage, I’m asking you as your best friend and your Best Man to reconsider it.”
Tony raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”
Barry sighed. “We never really talk about this so I’m not sure how I should approach it. I’ll just get this out of the way. Are you aware that my wife is often unfaithful? Are you aware that, as far as I know, she hasn’t been faithful to me for at least the last six years?”
Tony kept his face perfectly schooled and nodded once, holding Barry’s eyes with his own. He did not speak.
Barry seemed to relax a little bit, his enormous shoulders lowering as some tension left them. “For the longest time, I focused on the book of Hosea. I really am trying to do God’s will in my marriage, Tony. The fact is, I love my wife and I intend to keep my vows even if she doesn’t. But there is nothing worse than waking up in the morning, alone in my bed, knowing how much my wife despises me, and knowing there is absolutely nothing I can do about it because I’ve tried everything already.”
Tony closed his eyes and took a deep breath, running a finger over his forehead. When he opened them again, Barry could read love, friendship, and sadness in them. “I don’t know how
you do it, Barry. But know that if there is anything at all I can do to help you, I wouldn’t hesitate.”
“I know,” Barry said impatiently. “I’ve never doubted that. I just want to make sure you don’t end up in a similar position as that in which I find myself. I thought I was marrying a princess who would be my queen. Instead I married a diva.”
“Thank you for being candid.” Tony sat forward. “Robin is coming from a background of abuse – mental, physical, and sexual – she’s a poster child. It’s incredible she survived her childhood. Her issues stem directly from that, not from – and understand I mean no disrespect to you in saying this – not from being an overindulged self-important diva.”
Barry snorted and thought that it would be wrong to laugh. But he wanted to. “Okay. I think you should know that I really like Robin. I’m sorry that I might have ever given you any other impression. It’s just that I don’t want to end up seeing you hurt.”
“Barry, thank you. For everything.”
Barry grinned and teased, “Don’t worry. I’ll bill you for the hour.”
Tony laughed. “Of that I have no doubt.”
Barry schooled his features and said, “My prayer is that the two of you will be happy for the rest of your lives.”
Tony stood and slapped his hand on Barry’s shoulder. “That is my prayer for you as well, my friend.”
ACQUELINE Anderson took a moment to lecture, “The purpose of the trousseau is to start your marriage off with a bunch of amazing clothes that you feel absolutely beautiful wearing.”
She stood in the middle of the carpeted floor of the high end boutique on Newbury Street, just a short distance from Maxine’s new apartment. She wore a royal blue pantsuit with a yellow and blue scarf and yellow high heeled shoes. Robin felt rather underdressed beside Barry’s wife wearing her black slacks and a pink sweater with comfortable walking shoes. “If you feel beautiful in your clothes, you will naturally project beauty,” Jacqueline said.
Robin nodded, understanding what the red head said. She currently felt frumpy and unattractive next to the stylish beauty.
“So, we need to see what styles work for you, then we’ll pick out some outfits from there.”
Jacqueline lifted her hand and the sales clerk came forward. “Mrs. Anderson, are we ready?”
“We are. Miss Bartlett, who will very soon be Mrs. Viscolli, needs to get an idea of what you offer, then we’ll make some selections.”
“Wonderful!” The clerk led them to some comfortable chairs. “Please have a seat here.” She raised her voice slightly and said, “Ladies?”
From the back, a train of models walked through the small area in front of Robin and Jacqueline. Mirrors all around them showed the clothes they wore from all angles. Robin murmured to Jacqueline what she liked or didn’t like about outfits, shoes, and accessories. When the show was over, Jacqueline took the lead and let the clerk know what else they wanted to see.
Two hours later, the clerk rang up the incomprehensibly expensive bill and Robin used the credit card Tony had given her that morning to satisfy the tab. She signed the receipt, arranged for the packages to be delivered to Tony’s apartment, and assumed they were all done for the day. Until Jacqueline spoke and said, “Now, let’s go two doors down. They have a fabulous new line.”
“More?” Robin asked.
“Of course! We’re starting with nothing. You have a whole month in front of you in Italy, darling. Six outfits from one store does not a full trousseau make!”
At the next shop, Jacqueline already had an idea of what Robin liked, so they didn’t have to go through that learning experience again. Instead, they just shopped, bought, and shopped some more. Four stores and more money than Robin used to earn in a year later, they found themselves sitting across from one another in a trendy little cafe.
“That was an absolute blast,” Jacqueline said, taking a delicate sip of her tea. “I haven’t shopped on that scale in ages. Far too long, in fact.”
Robin wished she could prop her feet up somewhere. “I can’t believe we just spent that much money on clothes,” she said, picking up her coffee.
“You need a base. Your sister, what’s her name? The one that’s obviously mixed blood.”
“Maxine.” Robin tried not to feel resentment over the mixed blood remark. After all, it was true.
“Right. Maxine. She has great taste. I’m surprised she hasn’t handled this for you.”
Robin smiled. “Well, she would have loved to, but I wanted a chance to spend some time with you, too. After all, your husband and my soon-to-be husband are like brothers.”
“Indeed,” Jacqueline said, her mouth twisting in distaste.
“I assume we will spend a lot more time together.”
“Honey, something about me and Bartholomew you should know is that we spend as little time together as possible. He and Antonio do all their stuff without me.”
Robin frowned. “Why?”
“We just prefer it that way.” She waved a dismissive hand. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t be friends, right? Mrs. Viscolli needs to know there are people she can count on to be her friends regardless of what her last name once was.”
Robin pondered whether Jacqueline Anderson would even give her the time of day if she didn’t currently sport an engagement ring from Tony Viscolli, but dismissed the negative thought. Whatever Jacqueline’s motivations, Robin wanted to stay on friendly terms with her. She would hate having any bad feelings between the two of them as often as Tony and Barry were together.
Greater Than Rubies: CHAPTER 15
OBIN poured herself onto the couch. “Oh my heavens, I don’t think I’ve ever felt so relaxed.”
Maxine slouched into a chair and Sarah took the big cushion on the floor. “Who knew a ninety minute massage, manicure, pedicure, and facial could just suck the life right out of you?” Sarah said.
“I think I’m going to arrange to have this done monthly,” Maxine said.
“Wouldn’t you worry your bones would turn to Jell-O?” Robin asked. A rubbery arm covered her eyes, blocking out the track lighting.
“At this point, I don’t think I’d care.” Maxine closed her eyes. “I’m hungry, but I honestly don’t want to move.”
Sarah rose on her elbow. “How are you feeling about tomorrow, Robin? We haven’t had a lot of time to talk about how you and Tony got back together.”
Robin rolled her head and looked at her youngest sister. “I am not as nervous as I was. Tony has been praying with me daily about my fears. I’ve talked to Sofia and Caroline a couple of times. Somehow, the wedding night thing doesn’t horrify me as much as it did.”
Maxine shuddered. “I don’t think I can ever get married.”
With a snort, Sarah stretched. “You fall in and out of love daily, Maxi. How could you ever commit to one man and marriage?”
Only Robin saw the hurt cross Maxine’s face before she blithely answered, “Hence my point.”
Robin sat up, slowly. “I would have said six months ago that I’d never even date, much less marry. Obviously, God’s plans for us aren’t always what we have in mind, for which I am infinitely thankful.” She groaned and pushed her loose body to her feet. “Rehearsal is at seven, dinner at Barry’s immediately after. I have some errands to run. Don’t be late.”
OBIN put her hands in the pockets of her trench coat and waited for Peter to unlock the back door of the church. “I’m hoping for warmer weather tomorrow afternoon,” she said with a smile.
“Supposed to be lovely tomorrow. With everything else, you should not stress about that,” Caroline said, hugging her close. Their five foster kids played a game of chase on the lawn next to the building.
Peter finally got the door unlocked and opened it wide, letting Robin and Caroline precede him. “Lads and lasses,” Caroline sing-songed with a clap of her hands, and all five children never broke stride. They just pivoted on their feet and dashed into the open church.
The w
omen slipped inside and Caroline went to a far wall, throwing switches to light up the room. They crossed the hall, passing administrative offices, and went through the door leading to the main sanctuary through the choir loft. Caroline threw some more switches, and the sanctuary lit up.
“Oh Robin, how beautiful!” she exclaimed. Then, her voice took on a warning note. “Kids, don’t touch a thing. Absolutely nothing.”
Huge bouquets of white roses, freesia, and lisianthus stood in tall pedestals at the end of the aisle near the main doors, and white cloth draped from the pedestals and swooping from pew to pew, closing off the main aisle. Where the cloth attached to the pew, red and white roses in bouquets held together with white satin ribbon were attached. At the front of the church, identical pillars of flowers flanked the pulpit next to large candelabras.
“Thank you. I think the decorators did a tremendous job,” Robin said, turning when the door behind her opened. In walked Maxine and Sarah. “Hi you two,” she said with a grin. Nervous excitement fluttered in her chest.
“Hello, bride,” Maxine said, hugging Robin. She stepped back and took off her coat. “Do you want me to hang up your coat, too?”
Robin shook her head, “No. I’ll leave it on for now.”
The door opened again and the photographer, Gerald Parr, came in. “Gerald,” she said, walking forward with her hand extended. “Welcome to Boston Bible.”
“Thank you,” he said as he shook her hand. “This architecture is amazing. I may take some time in the morning and just snap photos of the building.”
“Peter here is one of the pastors. I’m sure he could speak for the church and say they didn’t mind.”
“Absolutely,” Peter said.
The door opened again and Tony, Barry, and Derrick came in. Tony went straight to Robin. “Cara, my bride to be.” He gave her a gentle kiss, then hugged her tight, giving her a reassuring squeeze. “Are you ready?”
Greater Than Rubies, a Novella inspired by the Jewel Trilogy Page 15