Thurston House (1983)

by Steel, Danielle

  My God, what will people think? he whispered to her and she smiled, and whispered back.

  Just tell them I eat a lot. They asked him about his job.

  He was going to work in September, when he came back, and he would be working for the father of a friend. The boy's name was William Blake, and when they saw Jon off on the ship, he introduced Sabrina to Bill, who had a radiantly pretty young girl with him. She never took her eyes off Jon, and Sabrina learned that she was only eighteen, Bill's sister, and it was obvious that she had a ferocious crush on Jon. She introduced herself to them as soon as she discovered who they were.

  Hello, my name is Arden Blake. She shook hands with Sabrina, and then Andr+!, glanced only casually at the loose red dress Sabrina wore, and then went on to tell them how wonderful Jon was, although he seemed totally indifferent to her. And Daddy thinks he's going to do just fabulously. That's why he's sending him to Europe with Bill, as a sort of bonus before he even starts. ' Sabrina was furious hearing about it, but nothing showed in her face. Jon had told her that he got up the money himself, not that he was traveling for three months as someone else's guest, and first-class on the Normandie, not to mention the hotels they would -1/2be staying at. She knew who William Blake, Sr., was, everyone in the country did. He was the biggest banker in New York, and she had had some dealings with him before she'd sold John's mine, with some investments John had had. She looked at her son now and wanted to throttle him, but it was too late to discuss it with him before they sailed. Instead she went on talking to Arden innocuously, remembering with amazement that she had run her father's mines at the same age. It was incredible to think of that, particularly with this sweet, innocent girl, who was so totally gaga over Jon. Mummy and Daddy and I are going over next month and we're going to meet them in the south of France. She practically fainted at the thought and Sabrina smiled.

  Just be sure he behaves himself, she warned the pretty little green-eyed blonde. I don't always trust my son.

  Mummy says he's the nicest boy she knows. He's going to be my escort at my coming-out party in December. She absolutely glowed, and when the boat horn sounded for them to get off, Sabrina saw Jon kiss her on the lips and then three other girls after her. There were four of them sailing on the ship, all classmates from Harvard, and Sabrina hated to think of the mischief they would get into. But she hated more to think that someone else was paying for the trip. He had very effectively forced her hand. She was going to have to send a handsome check to William Blake, Sr., to cover the expense of the trip. She could not allow Jon to go as someone else's guest, and God only knew what sob story he had told them.

  I want to discuss that with you when you come back. She looked meaningfully at him and handed him an envelope that she had meant to be a graduation gift. She had been so proud of his paying for his own trip, she was giving him a thousand dollars to spend, but now, it was just an additional expense and she wasn't pleased. Be nice to Arden Blake, she whispered to him, she's a sweet girl. And she had the uncomfortable feeling that he was going to take advantage of her.

  She's my ticket to success, he winked and whispered back, and Sabrina almost felt sick. Later, Sabrina saw her waving frantically from the dock as her own mother watched. Sabrina almost wanted to warn her of what her son was like, but how could she do a thing like that? He stood on the deck outside his suite, smiling down at them all, looking more handsome than she had ever realized he was. He was a tall, thin, terribly handsome fiery-eyed young man with jet black hair, and blue eyes like Camiile's, and a face for which any woman would have died. It was almost painful to look at him. And Sabrina turned to Andr+! with a sigh as they left, and told him what Jon had said about Arden Blake. She also told him about how he had financed the trip.

  At least you know he'll never starve. He's too clever for that.

  Too clever for his own good.

  Sometimes I wish Antoine were. He's so damn impractical he couldn't fight his way out of a paper bag. All he thinks about are principles and ideals, and intellectual mumbo jumbo most of the time. Sabrina smiled tenderly. Andr+! wasn't too far off, but Antoine was such a decent boy. He was intelligent, but somehow above the practical side of life. He would have rather read philosophy than eat, would rather pursue some vague, abstract idea than conquer a technical one. He was a dreamer in a way, and yet a brilliant one.

  He's a lovely man, Andr+!. You should be proud of him.

  You know I am. He helped her into the cab and then smiled at her and glanced at the small protruberance as she sat down. And how's our little friend? She had felt it move for the first time a few weeks before, and now it seemed to be moving a lot, he could feel it too and it delighted him. Jumping up and down?

  She's going to be a ballerina, I think. She jumps around a lot. More than Jonathan had or the baby she had lost.

  Or a soccer player. Andr+! smiled. And that afternoon they went to visit their old friend, and she was delighted for them. She thought it nonsense that they were sensitive about their age.

  If I could, I'd have one now! She was exactly ninety years old and Sabrina thought she looked terribly frail. Enjoy every moment of it ' it is the greatest gift of all. The gift of life. And as they looked at her, they knew it was true. She had lived ninety full, wonderful, rich, giving years. She was an example to everyone ' in sharp contrast to Camille. Sabrina talked to Amelia about her for a while, and then finally they left when Amelia's nurse came in. It was time for her nap, and they both noticed that she looked tired. She kissed them both good-bye, and as she did, she looked deep into Sabrina's eyes. You're just like your father was, Sabrina. He was a fine man. And you're a fine woman. There's none of her in you. But there was in Jon. Sabrina knew it to her very soul, and she regretted it bitterly. But she said nothing now. Be grateful for this child. She smiled tenderly at them both. And may she bring you great joy. And then she laughed. I think it will be a girl. She put a hand on Sabrina's tummy, and then kissed them again.

  The next day they took the train home again, and Sabrina settled in to Napa for the summer, and in August their new house was ready and they moved in and the following month, they moved into the city, so that Sabrina could be close to the hospital, and they called Jon when he got home. He had had a marvelous time, and he mentioned Arden Blake once or twice. He had already started his new job, and it seemed to be mostly play, thanks to Mr. Blake. Sabrina had indeed sent him an enormous check with her thanks, to cover Jon's trip, and it had gone back and forth once or twice, and he had finally accepted it. He had told her that he was very fond of Jon, as were they all, and Jon seemed to like them too.

  I'm going to Palm Beach with them for the holidays, he crowed, and Sabrina was disappointed.

  I thought you'd come home then. The baby will have arrived' .

  But he had no interest in that. I won't have time. I only have two weeks. I'll come out next summer probably. The Biakes are renting a house in Malibu, and I'll probably stay with them for a while.

  Don't you have to work?

  No more than Bill does. I get the same vacations he takes, that was the deal.

  Sounds awfully cushy to me.

  Why not? I work as hard as he does.

  I'd say he has an inside track, wouldn't you?

  Maybe I do too. Jon sounded very confident. Arden is crazy about me, and Mr. Blake thinks I'm tops.

  Sounds like you found yourself a lucky job. And of course he had. And when she attempted to discuss the sneaky way he had arranged the trip to Europe for himself, he brushed her off.

  You didn't have to pay for it, Mr. Blake said he would.

  I couldn't let him do mat. And you shouldn't have either, Jon.

  Oh Christ, if you're going to give me a speech on morality, Mother, I think I have to hang up.

  Maybe it's something you should think about, Jon. Particularly in regard to Arden Blake. Don't use that girl, son. She's a sweet person and a very innocent child.

  She's eighteen years old for chrissake' .
/>   You know exactly what I mean. He did, but he wouldn't admit it to her.

  Never mind. I'm not going to rape anyone.

  There's more than one way to do that.

  She worried about him a lot, although he seemed happy in New York, from the cards they got from time to time, and as October wore on, Sabrina lost interest in everything but herself, as the baby got big and she got increasingly uncomfortable. She could barely walk up the stairs of Thurston House as her due date approached, and when the big day arrived and the baby didn't move down, she and Amaru began to take long walks.

  She must like it in there, Sabrina sighed, I feel like she's never going to come out. She looked at Andr+! woefully as he laughed. She could barely walk now. And she had to sit down every few steps. She felt a hundred years old and as though she weighed three hundred pounds, she claimed, but she was in good spirits too.

  What are you going to do if it's a boy? You keep calling the poor thing she.'

  He'll have to get used to it, poor thing. But three days after the baby was due, she woke Andr+! out of a sound sleep at four o'clock with a broad smile on her face. This is it, my love.

  How do you know? He was still half asleep, and hoping for a reprieve until the next day. Or morning at least.

  Trust me, I know.

  Okay. He wrestled himself out of bed, and woke up with a start as he saw her double over suddenly. He leapt out of bed and held her in his arms, and then led her gently to a chair, as she looked at him with a slightly panicky look in her eyes.

  I think I may have waited too long. ' She was panting a little bit and she looked more than a little uncomfortable ' but I didn't want to wake you up ' and I wasn't sure at first ' ohh ' She grabbed his arm, and he felt suddenly terrified.

  Oh my God ' did you call the doctor yet?

  No ' you'd better ' oh Andr+! ' oh my God ' call '

  What's happening? He led her back to the bed with a panicked look and grabbed for the phone. What do I say to him?

  She gave a moan and fell back on the bed. Tell him I feel the head. ' She lay there panting as he dialed, and gave a small shriek suddenly. He had never been through anything like this before. He had waited politely in the hospital lobby for several hours when Antoine was born, and he had never seen his wife in labor at all.

  The doctor answered the phone and Andr+! told him what Sabrina had said, and he asked Andr+! hurriedly, Does she feel like bearing down? He tried to ask her, but she wouldn't listen to him, she was grabbing his sleeve and her face was contorted with pain. It had gone so rapidly he couldn't understand anything.

  Sabrina, listen to me ' he wants to know ' Sabrina ' please '

  The doctor was listening to her at his end, and he shouted into the phone at Andr+!. Call the police. I'll be right there.

  The police? Andr+! looked horrified, but he had no time to think of anything or call anyone. Sabrina was literally crawling across the bed, and sobbing now.

  Oh God ' oh Andr+! ' please '

  What can I do?

  Help me ' please '

  Darling ' There were tears in his eyes and he had never been so desperate in his life. It had been easier wrestling her from the abortionist's hand at gunpoint seven months before. That had required only a little bit of sangfroid and some bravery. This required skills he knew nothing about, but as she turned to him now and looked at him helplessly, writhing in pain, he suddenly forgot all that he didn't know, and instinctively reached out to her and held her hands, speaking to her soothingly. He knew now that he would never get her to the hospital. She had woken him too late, and it had all moved too swiftly ahead. She had pulled her clothes off, and lay there covered only by a sheet, just as she had lain there once before, so long ago, and there was something familiar to it now. It was as though she had forgotten all of it, and now she remembered it perfectly, like a distant dream. She looked at Andr+! and for the first time in an hour she almost smiled at him. Her face was damp, her eyes were dark, and she suddenly pushed with all her might as he held her shoulders for her, and when she stopped she looked up at him and smiled this time.

  I told you ' I wanted ' the baby ' born ' in this house ' And as she said the words, she pushed again, and he held her in his arms again, holding her from behind where she lay, so that he had the same perspective as she and he was not quite sure what was going on. There was nothing to see, and all he could feel was the tremendous straining of her entire body as she pushed, and then slowly she began to scream, a low deep ancient agony, as his whole body tensed and she almost sat up this time. Oh Andr+! ' oh God ' oh no ' Andr+! ' It seemed an endless sound as he cooed meaninglessly to her, holding her in his arms, tears running down his face, and this time she gave a sharp cry, and then another one, and she fell back against him each time as the pain began to ebb and then she would tense again, and suddenly he sensed a quickening of the pace. He knew ' he knew ' it was as though he felt just what she did and he talked to her.

  Go on ' go on ' go on, darling' yes, you can '

  I can't! ' She was screaming in pain and he wanted to tear the baby from her to end her pain.

  You can!

  Oh God ' oh no ' Andr+! ' She tore the sheet back as she writhed, gripping him, gripping the bed, pushing until she could not breathe or move or cry, and as he watched, a round head pushed its way out and he screamed with her.

  Oh my God ' Sabrina! He could not believe what he saw, the face was turned up toward them, and as though he had always known what to do, he went to the other end of the bed, and held the tiny head as she pushed again, and the shoulders pushed free this time as the baby began to cry for the first time, and he helped it gently out from its mother's womb as he cried with her. She was crying and laughing now, and he urged her on again, and a moment later, the brand-new child lay in his hands as he looked miraculously at his wife, and held the baby up to her. It's a girl! He was crying unashamedly and he had never seen anything as beautiful as the baby he held or the woman he loved. He went to Sabrina's head again as she lay back now, and he held her shoulders as she began to shake, covered her with the sheet again, and placed their baby in her arms. Oh, she's so beautiful ' and so are you '

  I love you so much ' The cord still throbbed between the two, and Sabrina looked as though she had climbed Everest. She looked up at him with newborn love, and he kissed first the mother and then the child.

  You're incredible. It was an experience they would never forget, and as he looked at her he knew that he would never love her more than he did now. She was the loveliest sight he had ever seen, with their baby in her arms.

  And then slowly, she smiled at him, still shaking, but looking so pleased. That wasn't so bad for an old girl, was it, Andr+!? He was totally in love with her, and with their child. It was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen, and when the doctor arrived with an ambulance ten minutes after the baby was born, Andr+! opened the door with an enormous grin.

  Good evening, gentlemen. He looked so happy and so proud that they knew they had come too late. And the doctor flew up the stairs to find Sabrina happily nursing her child.

  It's a girl! she announced to him with delight, and both father and doctor laughed, and then the doctor closed the door, looked at them both, cut the cord, and made sure that Sabrina was indeed all right, and he looked at her with astonishment.

  I must say, I didn't expect this from you, my dear.

  Neither did I. She laughed at them both, and reached for Andr+!'s hand, and looking at him with gratitude in her eyes, said, I couldn't have done it without you.

  He was amazed at the undeserved praise from her. I didn't do anything but watch. You did it all.

  Sabrina looked down at the baby lying peacefully asleep at her side. She did it all herself. What a miracle she was, lying there.

  The doctor looked at her again. He was satisfied, and the baby was doing fine. A good seven and a half pounds from the look of her, maybe more, but mother and child were fine. I really ought to take you to the hospital
and let you rest there but there was no reason to disturb either of them, it had been a perfectly normal birth what do you think?

  Sabrina did not look pleased. I'd rather stay here.

  I thought you would. The doctor did not look surprised.

  Well ' He looked at them both so peaceful there. 'Til tell you what. Sabrina beamed at him. I'll let you stay at home, but if there are any problems at all, any fever, any discomfort you think is unusual, he turned to Andr+!, then call me at once. He wagged a finger at Sabrina then, And don't wait until it's too late this time! She grinned at them both.

  I thought I could wait awhile. I hated waking everyone in the middle of the night. And both men looked at her and laughed. She had anyway, and far more dramatically. It was only five fifteen right then, and it was still dark. And Dominique Amolie de Vernay had made her entrance into the world. Dominique had been difficult to find, but they had long since agreed on the middle name.

  When the doctor left, with the ambulance, Andr+! brought her a cup of tea, and the maid who had been waiting patiently for the baby's birth came upstairs to wash her and return her to Sabrina as soon as possible. The bed was changed, Sabrina was bathed, and as she lay in her bed again, sipping tea, with Dominique at her breast, andr+! looked at her unbelievingly, as the sky paled and the sun came up, and suddenly he laughed. Well, what shall we do today, my love? They looked at each other and laughed and laughed. How long they had waited and how swiftly it had come, and as Sabrina drifted off to sleep in their bed, she remembered back to the hideous place she had gone to in Chinatown ' and she still saw Andr+! speaking quietly to the man with the gun ' and how they had fled downstairs ' and suddenly here she was with a tiny baby girl asleep beside her, and her husband at her side.

  They called Antoine when Sabrina woke up again. He had been just about to leave for the fields, and he answered the phone distractedly. Andr+! came right to the point. It's a girl!