The Pearl Brooch

by Logan, Katherine Lowry

  JL pointed toward the modular chair next to the sofa. “Have a seat. I’m JL. This is my husband Kevin.”

  Robert set his backpack on the floor and sat in the chair next to Kevin. “We live in Farmville. We came up yesterday to visit our surrogate mother here in Richmond, and while we were there she went into labor eight weeks early. This is all so new to us. We don’t know what to do next.”

  “Neither do we,” JL said. “I’ve never known anyone who had a preemie. They don’t teach you how to cope with the NICU in birthing classes.”

  Kevin stroked the back of JL’s head. “JL had an emergency Cesarean four days ago.”

  “Seems like four months.” JL shuddered. “Lawrence was born at twenty-eight weeks—”

  “And we’ve had an emergency every day since then,” Kevin added.

  Robert wrung his hands. “They’re doing an assessment on our daughter now. We don’t have any information yet. Up to then it was a textbook pregnancy. Then this…”

  “The staff is excellent,” Kevin said. “As soon as they finish the assessment, you’ll be brought in as members of the team, and they’ll tell you everything. Keep you informed of all procedures. And there’s always a nurse or other staff member available to answer your questions.”

  “We don’t know what we’re going to do. We only came here for the night. We haven’t made any plans,” Lisa said.

  “We both teach at Hampden-Sydney College,” Robert said. “We thought we’d have six more weeks to get the nursery finished and class schedules finalized so one of us would always be available to take care of Ruth. Now we don’t know what’s going to happen.”

  “Are you teaching this summer?” Kevin asked.

  “Two classes. Tuesdays and Thursdays,” Robert said. “I teach economics and business. Lisa’s an artist and teaches fine arts. She can stay here, but I’ll need to come and go.”

  “They told us in admissions that the NICU has a parents’ room for overnight stays here on the floor,” Lisa said. “The charge nurses decide each day who gets to use it based on who has the sickest baby. We’ve asked to be put on the list, but we won’t know until later.”

  “If we don’t get the room, I’ll drive home tonight. Find someone to cover my classes and pack clothes for us for a few days,” Robert said. “Maybe Lisa can sleep in the chair next to Ruth’s bed tonight.”

  “What about you guys? Do you live close by?” Lisa asked.

  “We live in Kentucky. We have family in the area, but we got a room at the hotel across the street,” Kevin said. “We both work remotely, so it’s not a problem for us.”

  Robert grabbed a bottle of water out of the holder on the side of his backpack. “What do you do?”

  “We work for a family-run company that breeds Thoroughbreds and makes wine,” Kevin said.

  “Do you travel a lot?” Robert asked.

  “We do,” JL said. “But it’s not overnight travel. When we go somewhere, we stay for several weeks at a time.”

  Lisa glanced at her watch. “We could stay a few nights at the hotel, but it’s not an option long term. We have good insurance, but if Ruth is here for several weeks, the bills are bound to mount up. Robert said he would work it out. All I need is a place to shower, and I’m fine with sleeping in a chair.” She looked down at Blane. “Will your family keep your son?”

  “Blane loves visiting his cousins. In fact he’s happier in Richmond than he is at home. Kevin brought him up today for a visit and then alarms went off.”

  Robert’s phone dinged with a text message. He read it, then put his phone back into his shirt pocket. “I was surprised they were doing surgery in the pod.”

  “When they told us what they were going to do, we were shocked,” Kevin said. “But they have everything they need there, and it was too risky to take time to transport him to the OR. It inconvenienced the parents in the pod, but the babies are their priorities. Not us.”

  JL nudged him. “Look. There’s Anne. They must be finished. You go talk to her.”

  Robert stood. “I hope you get good news.”

  Lisa patted JL’s arm. “We’ll talk later.”

  Robert and Lisa reclaimed the sofa where they’d been sitting. Lisa opened a book and Robert got out his phone.

  Anne pulled a chair up in front of Kevin and JL. “It went well. Gas-containing cysts invaded the intestinal wall and led to a perforation. We irrigated and aspirated the site to minimize the peritonitis and sewed him up. He tolerated the surgery well, and he’s medicated right now.”

  “Can we see him?” Kevin asked.

  “Yes.” Anne smiled down at sleeping Blane. “But you might want to take him home first. We need to keep the pod quiet and avoid stressing Lawrence.”

  “You said I should be able to do kangaroo care later today,” JL said in a hopeful voice.

  “Not today. We’ll see how he is tomorrow,” Anne said. “The surgeon is in the pod dictating surgical notes. She said she’d be there to answer your questions.”

  JL squeezed Kevin’s hand. “Go talk to the doctor. Then you can take Blane to the plantation.”

  Kevin tapped keys on his phone. “Elliott will be here in two hours. I’m texting him to come earlier and bring Meredith, and she can take Blane back with her. I don’t want to leave right now.”

  “Okay,” JL said, “but you go with Anne to see Lawrence and talk to the doctor. You’ll know what questions to ask. Come back when you can, then I’ll go in there until Elliott and Meredith get here.”

  “You need to rest,” Kevin said.

  “I can make it until I get back to the room. As soon as Meredith leaves with Blane, we’ll go to the hotel. For now, I’ll close my eyes and rest while he’s still asleep.”

  Kevin slipped out from under Blane’s feet. “I’ll be back in a few minutes. Text me if you need anything.” He kissed JL and Blane, then hurried from the room. Anne spoke briefly with Robert and Lisa, and they jumped up and followed her out.

  JL closed her eyes and leaned back against the wall. She had just dozed off when someone kissed the top of her head.

  “You look done in, ragazza tosta.”

  She slowly opened her eyes. “Where’d you come from?”

  Pete picked up Blane’s feet and sat next to her. “The parking lot. I didn’t expect to find you in the waiting room. What’s going on?”

  “Lawrence had a perforated bowel. They operated on him, and they said he did okay. Kevin just went in to see him.”

  “Why didn’t you send a message? I would have come sooner.”

  “We thought we’d hear from the surgeon before anyone could get here.”

  “You look like you’re barely holding up. Why don’t I take you and Blane to the hotel?”

  “Kevin sent Elliott a text to come up early and bring Meredith, so she can take Blane back to the plantation.”

  Pete pulled his phone from his pants’ pocket. “That’s crazy. I’m already here. I’ll take Blane.” He tapped the keys on his phone, and a few seconds later, it dinged with a reply. “It’s Elliott: ‘I’m coming up there. Meredith will stay here to take care of Blane tonight.’ Good. That’ll give you and Kevin time to rest.”

  “Why are you here in the middle of the afternoon?”

  “I had a meeting with the Virginia Wine Marketing Office to talk about a joint promotion project between wineries in Virginia and Tuscany.”

  “Why you?”

  He shrugged. “We all play multiple roles in MacCorp. But I’ll put my foot down if Meredith ever asks me to go house-hunting.”

  “Worked out okay for Connor,” JL said.

  “Yeah, well… He just got lucky.”

  Blane rolled over. He pushed on her belly, and she sucked air through her teeth. “Damn. That hurt.”

  “Switch places with me. Or better yet, I’ll sit in the chair and hold him so you can stretch out. You’ve got to be uncomfortable with a gut full of stitches.”

  “He’ll be okay without a pillow now.”
She lifted Blane’s head and scooted out from under him. Pete arranged a chair so she could sit and put her feet up on the sofa. “You know what I think?”

  He pulled up another chair. “Most of the time I have no idea.”

  She smirked. “Ha. Ha. I think Meredith just wanted to give you something to do while you wait to talk to David about Sophia and the brooch. I don’t think you should wait any longer.”

  “I’d be surprised if David doesn’t already know. Have you ever known Elliott to keep a secret from him?” Pete asked.

  “I’ve never known Elliott to keep a secret, period, except for Kevin’s true parentage,” she said.

  “You’re probably right, but David is Elliott’s alter ego. He’s never kept a secret from McBain. Never. Ever.”

  “David didn’t know about Kevin.”

  “Elliott might not have confessed that he was Kevin’s father, but David knew the truth.”

  Blane opened his eyes. Looked curiously at Pete, then at JL. Yawning, he sat up. “Hi, Uncle Pete. Did you come to see wee Lawrence?”

  Pete held out his arms. “Come here and give me a hug.”

  Blane rolled off the sofa and climbed up into Pete’s lap. “Wee Lawrence is having an op-ration. He’s a sick laddie.”

  “I heard, but they’re done now, I think.”

  Blane jerked around toward JL, his eyes wide. “Is it true, Mommy? Wee Lawrence is okay now?”

  JL smiled, hoping she could hide her worry from him. “Your daddy is with him, and he should have news for us any minute now.”

  “Hey, partner,” Pete said. “Why don’t you go back to the plantation with me? I bet Uncle Matt has homework for you.”

  Blane scooted down. “Oh no.” He slapped his forehead. “I forgot about schoolwork. I have to go to the pan-tation, Mommy, or I’ll be up till…till…” He looked at his watch. “Forever.” He tugged on Pete’s hand. “Let’s go, Uncle Pete.”

  Pete was a gem, a true friend, and had come to her rescue so many times. “You sure you don’t mind?”

  “’Course not. This little guy is like my own kid. Aren’t you, Blane?”

  “No, I’m not your kid. You’re my uncle. Let’s go.”

  “Kiss JL goodbye.”

  “She’s not JL. She’s Mommy. Why do you call her JL anyway? It’s a silly name. Her name is Jenny Lynn O’Grady Fraser.”

  Pete chucked him lightly under the chin. “Which is why I call her JL. Who’d want a name like Jenny Lynn?”

  “Not me. I like being Blane Fraser.” He gave her a sloppy kiss on her lips. “Bye, Mommy. Uncle Pete can help me take a bath tonight.” Blane leaned in and whispered. “He’s got a penis like me and Daddy and Grandpa Elliott. I seen it. It’s bigger than Grandpa Elliott’s.”

  Pete straightened and grinned. “God, I love that kid.”

  JL tried to swallow a laugh, but when it threatened to burst out, she had to cover her mouth with her palm. When she got herself under control she said, “Blane, it’s not polite to talk about people’s pieces and parts.”

  “But everybody knows us guys have penises.” He held his hands out to his sides and pumped them up and down. “What’s the big deal?”

  “Pete can explain it to you on the way back to the plantation. Give me another kiss.”

  Blane kissed her again. “Come on, Uncle Pete. Can we stop by Target on the way home?” He dug into his pocket and pulled out a few bills. “I still have money. I can buy wee Lawrence another present.”

  “What’d you have in mind?” Pete asked.

  “Oh, I don’t know. He can’t do much yet.” Blane looked down at the money. “Maybe I’ll get a new Xbox game.”

  “Did you get the money out of the bank to buy a present for Lawrence?” JL asked.

  Blane nodded, with a deep, gusty sigh. “Guess that means I have to spend it on him or put it back in the bank. But Mommy. Can’t I take a’vance on my div-dends?”

  “You can, but only if it’s an emergency, and you still have to donate a portion of it to your charity.”

  He smacked his lips and looked at the ceiling as if deep in thought. “I don’t really need anything.” He gave her the bills. “Will you put this in the account?”

  “Sure, but what if you have expenses when you go horseback riding with your uncles?”

  “If I do…” He looked up at Pete with a serious face. “If I need money, will you float me an interest-free loan? I’m good for it.”

  Pete patted his shoulder. “Sure thing, buddy. Let’s haul out of here.”

  “You mean haul ass?”

  “Blane Allen Fraser!” JL said. “Watch your language.”

  “I’ll try to, Mommy. But Daddy said I needed to haul ass this mornin’ or we’d never get to the hospital.”

  JL rolled her eyes. If Blane repeated comments she’d made lately, it’d be worse.

  Pete winked at her. “Text if you need anything.” He and Blane clasped hands and headed toward the door just as Lisa returned. JL had noticed she left her book on the sofa.

  “Oh, my God! Pete Parrino?” she said. “Is it really you?”

  “Lisa!” Pete dropped Blane’s hand and pulled Lisa in for a hug. “I haven’t seen you in decades.”

  “I know,” she said. “How are you?”

  “Been better. Been worse.”

  Blane stuck out his hand. “I’m Blane Fraser.”

  Lisa leaned over. “I know who you are. I was talking to your parents while you were sleeping.”

  “Do you have a wrinkly baby like wee Lawrence?”

  “I do. Her name is Ruth.”

  Blane turned around. “Mommy, wee Lawrence has a friend now in the NICU. But it’s a girl!”

  “I know. I met Lisa a while ago.” JL joined them. “I’ve known you most of my life, Pete. Partnered with you for a decade. Heard more stories than I can recall, but you never mentioned anyone named Lisa.”

  “Lisa and Sophia were best friends in high school.”

  “Small world,” JL said.

  “Do you know Sophia?” Lisa asked.

  “Only what Pete told me.”

  “I saw her several years ago, while I was in Florence doing research for a Renaissance class I was scheduled to teach. We spent a week going to museums in Florence and Rome.”

  Robert walked in. “Excuse me. Lisa, Ruth’s medical team wants to meet with us now. Come down when you’re ready.”

  “Oh, okay. I’ll be right there.” She hugged Pete again. “Are you here in Richmond? I’d love to catch up.”

  He pulled out a business card and handed it to her. “I’ll be here for another week or so.”

  “He’s staying at Aunt Charlotte’s pan-tation, too.” Blane grabbed Pete’s hand and tugged him along. “Nice to meet you, ma’am. I hope your Ruthie-pie doesn’t need an op-ration like wee Lawrence.”

  “Ruthie-pie?” JL asked. “Where’d that come from?”

  Blane tapped his head. “Out of here, Mommy. Did it sound like Grandpa Elliott?”

  JL shook her head, sighing. “When you get back to the plantation be sure to do your homework.”

  “Nice to meet you, Miss Lisa.” Blane glanced up and studied her face. “Lisa? You have half of Mona Lisa’s name.”

  A laugh warmed Pete’s voice, and he said teasingly, “Ask her what her first name is.”

  Lisa shook her head and waved away the question. “No. No. No. Please don’t.”

  Blane tugged on Pete’s hand again. “She doesn’t want me to ask, so let’s just haul ass.”

  “Blane Allen,” JL snapped.

  He tried to wink, but he didn’t have enough eye control and ended up blinking both eyes. “I’m just teasing ye, Mommy.”

  “Yeah, I can tell.”

  “Let’s get out of here before you end up in time out,” Pete said as he hurried Blane to the door.

  Watching them disappear Lisa said, “What a heartbreaker.”

  “Pete or Blane? They’re two peas in a pod.”

  “Speak
ing of pod, I’ve got to go.”

  “I’ll walk with you. Kevin was going to come back for me, but he’ll text if he can’t find me. Let me get my gear.” JL gathered up her purse, sweater, and bottle of water while Lisa picked up her book. “What are you reading?”

  Lisa showed JL the cover. “I grabbed this out of my studio so I’d have something to read during the ride. I could leave it here and nobody would take it.” They walked out of the waiting room and into the corridor.

  “What’s it about?” JL asked because the cop in her wanted to know, plus her spidey senses were floating off the chart. This meeting wasn’t random. A brooch was at work. How? Why? Which one? She didn’t know, but given time, she’d figure it out.

  “It’s about an eighteenth-century artist named Maria Cosway. She had an affair with Thomas Jefferson while he was ambassador to France.”

  “The only reason I know Jefferson was in France is because I saw a Broadway musical and memorized the lyrics Thomas Jefferson’s coming home. He’s been in Paris for so long.”

  “Hamilton! Wasn’t it awesome? I started taking dance lessons when I was three, just so I could dance on Broadway. By the time I reached high school age, I was more interested in painting and sculpting. Dance fell to the wayside.”

  JL linked arms with Lisa. “Well sister, we’ve got a lot more in common than preemies in the NICU.”

  “I can’t believe you know Pete. What happened between him and Sophia was criminal. I know Sophia never got over him.”

  “Pete never got over her.”

  “So what’s keeping them apart now?”

  “Oh,” JL said. “Just time.”

  26

  Paris (1789)—Sophia

  Sophia crutched back to her studio, quietly closed the door, and leaned against it, her heart pounding.

  If she had a key, she’d lock it to keep Thomas out. Of what? The room or her heart? It was too late to lock her heart. He’d already found his way in.

  How insane. She couldn’t fall in love with a man from the past. And she couldn’t fall in love with this man—a Founding Father, a man she disagreed with on fundamental principles, a man who’d impregnated an enslaved woman.