“It is.” Anna glanced at Kat staring down into her nearly empty glass. She took Kat’s glass and handed it with her own to Brad. “Would you mind getting us a refill?”
“No, not at all.” His gaze shifted between Kat and Anna. Hitching a shoulder, he smiled and headed for the makeshift bar.
“You do realize there’s a pattern here, don’t you?” Lowering her voice, Anna turned her back to the people in the room.
“It’s not the same,” Kat defended.
“No?”
“No. For one thing, he’s only five years younger than me.”
Anna said nothing.
“He’s going for his doctorate. He has a career plan.”
Anna shifted a little closer, lowering her voice to a near whisper. “Does it happen to include traipsing around the world?”
“I wouldn’t be surprised. But it doesn’t matter. I have no intention of taking this anywhere past a flattering flirtation.” Kat’s chocolate eyes gleamed with determination.
“I see.” Anna had to think about this. It wasn’t like every man Kat ever dated was trouble. Only most of them.
“Besides,” Kat paused, turning her attention out the nearby window. “I don’t think under the circumstances starting up a bicoastal relationship with Mark’s brother would be the dumbest thing I’ve ever done, but it certainly wouldn’t be the brightest. The kid’s only flirting with me. I’m thirty-four and it makes me feel good. Is that so awful?” She turned back to Anna.
“No. I can’t say that it is.”
Grinning like a schoolboy who just got a date with the head cheerleader, Brad walked up with two ginger ales. “Erin certainly is a sweet kid, isn’t she?”
“She’s older than you,” Anna pointed out, ignoring the curious look that crossed Brad’s face.
As if deciding whatever spurred the curt remark wasn’t worth worrying over, his confused expression cleared and an impish grin took over his face. “I don’t get why Babs kept you all hidden from the rest of us.”
“Maybe it was you she was hiding from us,” Kat suggested.
“Touché.” He laughed.
“Sorry to interrupt.” Mark weaved his hand around Anna’s waist. “It’s time to head out. Sid’s waiting.”
The view of San Francisco Bay from the lawyer’s office was beyond breathtaking. The city gleamed like a picture postcard. Not even the heavy brown coating that normally lingered over Oakland dared make an appearance today. Barb would have loved it. Her favorite memory to bring up in conversation would be about standing in her dorm room at night, arm and arm with her three friends, looking out at the brilliant bay and singing along to Journey’s popular song about San Francisco, Lights. She’d recounted the incident so often there were times when Mark would swear he had been there with them.
“Glad you could all make it.” Sid picked a large file up from his desk and began dispersing papers. “I’m sure you’re all aware we have a few issues with the will as it stands. Although it is three years old and does not specifically name baby Marcia, it’s quite legal.”
Mark flipped past the first page. He could hear the others in the room doing the same thing. His eyes stopped at page five.
“We’ll start with what’s not in the will.” The large leather chair creaked as Sid shifted. Leaning back, he looked at each person in the room. “Tom and Barbara did start a college fund for little Marcia. There’s also a bank account with Marcia as right of survivorship. Both are separate and apart from the will.”
Anna set her pages on her lap. “If they took the time to start a college fund, why didn’t they update the will?”
“I’ve found that even though everyone knows they’re going to die someday, very few people actually expect to. Tom and Barbara were no exception. No matter how many times I’d remind them to come in, they simply didn’t get around to it.”
Mark flipped to another page. Sid was a great lawyer, but why couldn’t these things be written in plain English... All the rest, residue and remainder I give, bequeath and devise to any children who may survive me, in equal shares, per stirpes...
“We’ll skip through the preliminaries.” Sid picked up his copy of the will and ran through all the pertinent information.
With no other living relatives, Tom left his half of the business to Barbara, and in turn, Barbara left it to Mark. Each of their closest friends were to choose whatever belongings they wanted from the house. First Mark, then Anna, then Kat, and lastly Erin. The house itself was bequeathed to her surviving friends from college to always have a place to call home in San Francisco. Along with the house came a hefty stock portfolio to pay for maintenance and taxes. Thanks to a standard addendum about future children, all remaining assets would be sold and given to Marcia.
“What if we don’t want it?” Anna asked. Kat and Erin nodded their agreement.
“Miss Bartiglioni, anyone can refuse any inheritance at any time. If one of you refuses his or her share, it will be added to the balance of the estate and distributed to the remaining beneficiaries.”
“It all belongs to Marcia.” Kat said, stiffening her back, and as before, the rest of the people in the room nodded.
Sid looked around the room. “If everyone here is in agreement, then whomever the court appoints to protect Marcia’s interests will be very happy.”
“That’s it? We all just say no and it’s all hers?” Erin spoke for the first time since entering the attorney’s office.
“Legally, no, but essentially, yes.” Sid shrugged. “This will take time. I understand, Miss Bartiglioni, that you have temporary guardianship of Marcia.”
“Please, call me Anna.”
“Very well, Anna.” He smiled. “Are you prepared to petition for permanent custody?”
There was no way Mark or anyone else in the room could have missed the sheer panic that flashed across her eyes. Her normally darker Mediterranean skin tone paled to an ashen white.
“I...haven’t had time to give it any...thought.” Letting go of the papers on her lap, Anna gripped the arms of the Louis XIV side chair until her knuckles were as white as the clouds in the beautiful northern California sky.
“Arrangements will have to be made for Marcia’s financial support. It would be best to have clear from the beginning who will be responsible for Marcia.”
“I understand. It’s just--” Anna hesitated.
“We need to discuss this,” Kat interjected.
“Surely a day or two won’t matter?” Erin asked Sid.
Mark marveled at the immediate unity. All for one. He’d heard Barb use the expression often enough. If he’d had any doubts about the depth of the friendships, they were long gone. And yet, as close as they were, Barb hadn’t told them everything.
“Finances,” he added, “won’t be a problem. I can help out until the legal stuff is out of the way.”
Sid nodded. “Very well, but the sooner we get this in motion, the better.”
“Agreed.” Mark couldn’t argue there. He wanted everything set in stone as soon as possible. No matter how much it hurt, Marcia would be better off far away from California.
Amanda Prescott sat on the floor in the corner of what used to be her son’s room.
“So many mistakes,” she mumbled. The photo albums put away forever ago in the attic now lay sprawled around her. Surrounding her with memories of the day her baby was born, his first day of school, birthdays, basketball trophies, so many happy memories.
“We did our best.” Howard Prescott extended his hand and pulled his wife off the floor into a gentle embrace. “Train up a child in the way he should go. You can be proud of the man he became.”
“He didn’t tell us.” Her head resting on her husband’s shoulder, she blinked back the tears. “A baby. Our grandbaby. He didn’t tell us. Why?”
“He didn’t understand. Maybe now, in heaven, he does. You can’t turn from the Lord without facing consequences.” Howard patted his wife’s back in an awkward effort to soothe
.
She nodded, pulling back from her husband, brushing away the tears. "I have so much to do.” She tried to smile. “This room won’t do for a little girl.”
Howard took a step back and scanned the surrounding walls. “Could use a fresh coat of paint. Got any color in mind?”
“Yellow. Like sunshine.”
“Genesis One ‘and God said let there be light’. Excellent choice.” With a curt nod, his lips pressed tightly together, Howard turned and walked away. A man on a mission. Preparing his world for his granddaughter’s homecoming.
Outside the towering glass building, Anna stood in the Bay breeze. She’d always loved the coolness on her face.
“Now what?” Erin asked, taking a deep breath of that same seaside air.
Damn good question. “I don’t know.” Anna reached for her phone. She’d put it on silent and the thing was buzzing away in her jacket pocket. “Hello.”
“It’s done. Not only have the right forms been hand-delivered, I waited to see what Junior was up to. He and his secretary just left for the day, and so far, they haven’t done anything with those papers I saw.”
Anna could hear the relief in Liz’s voice. “Even though I hadn’t wanted to go that route without first trying to smooth it out myself, at least it can’t get any worse.”
“Well, there is something else.” Liz hesitated. “I found old man Peterson in your office this morning sniffing about. Said he was looking for the open to buy for last week. I printed him my copy.”
“Damn.”
“Any idea when you might be coming back?”
“No, not yet. I’ll keep you posted. As soon as I know, you’ll know.”
“Got it. Anything else?”
“No. Not at the moment. And Liz?”
“Yeah?”
“Thanks.” Anna smiled at the expected ‘no problem’ and disconnected the call. Staring at the phone she wondered if she should try Harrison again. He still hadn’t returned her call from yesterday. If his current schedule was any indication, this political ride was going to be even more insane than she’d expected.
Twenty minutes later she stepped through the front door of the house when her pocket began to buzz again. “Hello.”
“Is it over?”
“If you mean the funeral, Harrison, yes.” A quick glance around the house told her all the guests had gone. She didn’t think she could have taken anymore condolences from heartbroken strangers.
“Have you booked your flight home yet? Things have started to pick up. I’ve got a commitment for support from the Ross family. It’s six figures. We’re in.”
She didn’t have to see his face to know he was grinning from ear to ear and already planning furniture placement for his new office in Albany. “That’s wonderful news.”
“So what time is your flight?”
Plopping down on the sofa, she kicked her shoes off and rubbed her feet together. “I haven’t made plans to return yet. Things are still very much in the air.”
“Up in the air? Anna, I'm sorry, really I am, but Barbara is gone. She doesn’t need you anymore. I do. We’ve been working hard for this. We can’t afford to make any mistakes, and we don’t have much time.”
“Much time for what?” She nodded at Erin when she asked with gestures if Anna wanted some tea. Even though everyone was as anxious as she to collapse in the nearest chair, they’d busily made their way to other places in the house leaving her alone to speak with Harrison.
“Voters don’t like politicians running on an immoral platform.”
“If you’re referring to our living together, I think immoral is a rather strong choice of words.”
“We agreed. If a political career panned out, we’d get married.”
Caught by surprise, she sat up straight. “Married!”
Mark had just stepped into the room carrying her cup of tea. She wasn’t sure which of them was more surprised at her outburst.
“It’s what we planned,” Harrison said calmly.
How could she have forgotten? Resting her elbow on her knee, she dropped her forehead into the palm of her hand. “Harrison. I can’t do this right now. I’ve had a long day. We just got back from the lawyers. Things aren’t as clear as I’d have liked them to be. I really can’t think about weddings right now. Especially not mine.”
Mark couldn’t hear what Harrison was saying. His steady voice usually boomed loudly through the phone and across the room, but whatever he said now, it was most definitely not sitting well with Anna. Her one hand clutched the phone tightly, the other fisted around a handful of hair as though she were ready to pull out every strand. Didn’t the man realize she didn’t need more stress? He’d give anything to be able to climb through the phone and stuff a fist in the self-absorbed jerk’s mouth.
“Everything all right?” He asked as she disconnected the call.
“Could be better.” Raking a hand through her hair, she took a deep breath and leaned back against the sofa.
“Anything I can do?”
Her eyes fell closed. “Bring Babs back.”
What did he say to that? He’d gladly get in that car and change places with Tom and Barb if he could, but he couldn’t.
“He wants me to come home. Now.” She didn’t open her eyes. “It seems this political plan of his is coming together. He needs me. If we’re married his chances are pretty good he’ll win the party nomination.”
“And if you’re not?” He set her cup of tea on the table in front of her and sat down beside her.
“I’d be an albatross around his neck. Living in sin doesn’t go over well in the polls, even in New York.”
“Is that what he said?” Mark found himself closing and opening his own fist. If the man loved her so damn much, he should have asked her to marry him long ago, on bended knee, with flowers and green champagne, and all the beautiful words she deserved.
“I believe he used the word immoral.”
This time his fist clenched and stayed closed. “So you’re going to marry him?”
“There’s a problem.”
He resisted the urge to snap, 'Only one?'
“He’s made it very clear, he doesn’t want a baby in his house.”
“His house?”
“Apartment. House. Whatever, it’s his.” Sluggishly, she sat up and reached for the teacup.
“What do you want?”
“To wake up from this nightmare.”
A tiny drop of tea landed on the corner of her mouth. Mark had to practically sit on his hands to resist the temptation to reach out and wipe it away. When the tip of her tongue peeked out between her lips and scooped the errant drop away, an unexpected stab of longing shot through him and settled achingly in his groin.
He needed to refocus. “Do you want to marry Harrigan?”
“It’s Harrison, and I used to think so. I hadn’t meant to move in with him. I always thought I’d have a ring on my finger first. I guess you could almost call it an accident.”
“How do you accidentally move in with someone?”
“Life was busy. If I wasn’t working until all hours of the night, there was always someplace to be. Opening night at the theater, receptions, concerts, or fundraising galas for every charity under the sun. Staying at his place was safer than taking the subway home too late at night. On weekdays it was especially convenient. Getting to work from Park Avenue in the morning was faster than commuting from the Bronx. The next thing I knew I had pretty much moved in, so we made it official. I got my own closet and Harrison had the master bedroom redecorated. The first year I kept thinking any day he’d wake up and say life is perfect, let’s get married. Somewhere along the line I stopped expecting it.”
“But he’s asked you now?” Something about the far off look in her eye wasn’t sitting right with Mark.
“Not exactly. If memory serves me correctly, I was running late for a meeting with old man Peterson and was frantically searching for a particular sketch I wanted to show him. Wh
en Harrison mentioned, ‘If running for office works out, you’ll need some help to plan the wedding,’ I didn’t catch what he was talking about. I was focusing on the upcoming meeting. When he clarified our wedding, I smiled, and nodded. I didn’t even have time to drink my coffee, there was no way I could stop and think about a wedding.”
“Romantic fellow, isn’t he?”
Anna laughed. “He was once. I guess I forgot about it.”
“You forgot he was romantic or about your own wedding plans?”
“The plans. It was definitely a forgettable proposal.” Her gaze shifted out the window, and the corner of her mouth tipped in a wistful smile that made her eyes sparkle. “I remember every flower, every card, and every trinket Harrison ever gave me. Before I moved in with him we had more candlelit dinners at quaint restaurants than most people probably have in a lifetime.” The smile slipped and the earlier far off look replaced the sparkle in her eyes. “But the truth is, once the hunt is over, romance falls by the wayside and life gets... comfortable.”
He wondered if she realized she still hadn’t answered his original question. “So you do want to marry Hansen?”
“Harrison,” she enunciated clearly, then leaned back again and closed her eyes. “Right now, I don’t know much of anything.”
“We’ve got company.” His mom brought Marcia into the room. “She seems a little restless. I think she’s been waiting for you.” Bouncing in the woman’s arms, the baby flung herself at her Uncle Mark.
“Hey, angel.” Mark took a few steps toward his mom and gathered Marcia against him. Grinning she clung to him and he wondered would he really be able to let her go? Could he let a virtual stranger take this sweet child clear across the country? But he knew. If it would keep Marcia safely away from those people he’d let Anna take her to Timbuktu.
“I think Aunt Anna needs a hug,” he said sweetly.
The broad smile slipped from Marcia’s face.
“What do you say we go make her feel better?” The closer to Anna they got, the more Marcia’s bottom lip began to quiver. As Mark leaned over to give the baby to her aunt, she let out a scream that could have easily pierced his eardrum.
The Champagne Sisterhood Page 12