Secrets From the Past

by Barbara Taylor Bradford

  ‘He could take a weekend off, surely? And I could look after Chloe here for a few days while he goes back to London.’

  This idea of Cara’s alarmed me, and I wanted to end the conversation, nip it in the bud. So I said, ‘It seems you’ve got it all worked out in your head. But I’m afraid it won’t fly.’ I suddenly wondered what Jessica would say about these plans, and was about to say this, but changed my mind. Instead, I asked, ‘So, have we cleared the air?’

  ‘I think so. I’ll try not to be so blunt in the future, and I’ll apologize to Jess. What about the bone density tests? Shall I make an appointment for next week?’ she asked, moving on abruptly, for once understanding I was irritated.

  ‘Yes, but make it early in the week.’ I jumped up. ‘I’d better get back to the pictures of Venice.’ I was somewhat relieved she’d let the matter drop, and I hoped I’d got my message across about Geoff and his child. The fact that Cara even wanted a child around her astonished me; she worked eighteen hours a day most of the time, including weekends, and was so focused she was in another world.

  Cara walked across the floor, turned at the door. ‘I think there’s a lovely coffee-table book in those pictures, Serena, but you’ll need a few more, don’t you think?’

  ‘I agree, but you told me there are a lot of Venice shots in Dad’s archives.’

  ‘Tons. Over there in the files in the credenza.’

  ‘I’ll look for them in a while.’ I sat down at the desk, once more staring at Tommy’s dummy.

  Cara left the studio, quietly closing the door behind her.

  I realized as I analysed the dummy of the Venice book that it was actually much more complete than Courage had been, except for needing a few extra photographs at the end. Dad had called it La Serenissima, using the ancient name for the city in its heyday when it was first a republic. It meant ‘The Most Serene’.

  After half an hour I got up and went over to the credenza, which contained the built-in filing cabinets. In the top drawer La Serenissima was written on several folders, each one marked with a red star. This was Dad’s usual way of indicating that the folder contained his favourite shots.

  Taking them back to the desk, I looked at them all and was even more thrilled. They were staggeringly beautiful, and I understood that with the addition of these the Venice book did not require much work at all. I couldn’t wait to tell Zac.

  Later, when I went up to the terrace for tea, I saw that Jessica was alone. ‘Where’s Cara?’ I asked, joining her at the table.

  ‘She’s gone to see a client. Unexpectedly. She said we’re not to wait for her, that she’ll grab a cup of tea when she comes back.’

  I nodded, then told Jess about the conversation I’d just had with her twin. I missed out nothing.

  Jessica laughed when I’d finished my tale. ‘Well, it’s true, she did take my breath away for a moment last Friday. I couldn’t help thinking she was being rather dumb. But you’ve always known she’s got a blind spot when it comes to people’s feelings. She’s too honest, that’s her real problem, actually.’

  I nodded, and poured myself a cup of tea. ‘She says exactly what comes into her head. No editing. But listen, what’s so amazing to me is her unexpected involvement with Geoff Barnes. You talk about having the breath knocked out of you when she blabbed about the osteoporosis. I was blown away when I heard about the affair with Geoff.’

  ‘I was, too. Flabbergasted.’ Jessica studied me for a moment. ‘I’ve thought about their involvement for the last few days, and come to realize that Geoff is a lot like Jules. Not in his looks, I’ll grant you that. Jules was movie-star handsome, and Geoff’s plainer in appearance. But he is much taller – fits better with Cara, in that sense. Anyway, Geoff has the same kind of niceness, which is what made Jules so warm; likeable, I guess that’s the word. I think Cara sees that, understands that Geoff’s character is underscored by the same kind of genuineness and reliability that Jules had.’

  ‘Now that you mention it, Geoff is a very authentic person. But I hadn’t made the connection between Jules and Geoff, to be truthful. How do you feel about having Geoff and his daughter staying here?’

  ‘Oh, I don’t mind, Pidge, I really don’t. Actually, I’m pleased about Cara and Geoff. She’s had some really bleak, depressed days over the past two years, ever since Jules died. I want her to have a little happiness now. Anyway, the house is big, and it’s nice to have company. And you’ll be leaving soon, won’t you? You’ve got to get back to work on Dad’s biography, and now’s the time, because you’ve finished sorting out Courage. And I think it’s marvellous, by the way; it’s going to be a great book.’

  Pausing, Jessica smiled. ‘That was a mouthful, wasn’t it, Pidge? But you will be leaving me, and I’ll miss you.’

  I heard the sudden sadness in her voice, and exclaimed, ‘I do have to go, yes, but I’ll be back later in the summer. Zac wants to come with me, because he has to write the text for Courage. We’ve only sorted the photographs and created sections so far, got them in proper order, the way Dad envisioned it. Also, Zac wants to try his hand at writing a memoir.’ I cocked my head on one side, and endeavoured to suppress a smile when I said, ‘We’ll be back here before you can say Jack Robinson.’

  ‘I ought to throw this cupcake at you,’ Jessica cried, grinning as she picked it up. ‘I thought we promised each other we’d never use any of Granny’s sayings.’

  ‘That’s true, but I couldn’t resist.’

  ‘When do you think you’ll be leaving?’

  ‘In about a week or ten days. I’m happy to tell you I have already found those additional pictures for the Venice book. I just have to create the last few sequences. And it’s easier to do it here.’ I paused, gave her a pointed look. ‘And I don’t want Zac to think I’m breathing down his neck in New York. I want him to devote all his time to his mother, all the time she needs him to help her get well.’

  ‘I understand. Cara mentioned she’s going to make an appointment for you both to have the bone density scans. Early next week.’

  I nodded. ‘That’s right. I told her to make it as soon as possible.’

  ‘I’d like to explain something to you,’ Jessica said, sounding tentative. Then she cleared her throat, and went on in a stronger voice. ‘About this form of osteoporosis.’

  ‘Go ahead,’ I replied, and sat back in the chair, focused on her, unexpectedly feeling a little nervous.

  ‘My condition has been caught early, which means I can lead a relatively normal life,’ Jessica explained. ‘And if you and Cara do have it, then you’ll be pretty much in the same category as I am. You’re eight years younger, of course, so you’ll be better off than Cara and me in a sense. The doctors have prescribed a drug called calcitonin, which slows bone loss, along with painkillers and various calcium supplements.’

  ‘And they’re helping, aren’t they?’

  ‘Yes, they seem to be starting to work already. A lot of women who suffer from osteoporosis are often treated with bisphosphonates, which are the most powerful drugs to slow bone loss.’ Jessica took a sip of tea, and went on, ‘But most doctors won’t prescribe them for women who are still of childbearing age, like me, Cara and you.’

  ‘Why is that?’ I asked a little anxiously.

  ‘Because the long-term effect of the drug on the developing baby’s skeleton is not yet fully understood. It’s all about not damaging an unborn child.’

  ‘I understand that completely, Jess. And you do feel all right, don’t you? You’re not in great pain, are you?’

  ‘No. I’m really doing fine. And incidentally, I’m glad I spat it out, told Allen. He’s been so understanding, and it doesn’t seem to bother him. It’s made me feel much better, talking about it, being open and honest.’

  ‘I think he’s serious about you, Jess.’

  A small smile played around her mouth. ‘I think he is too, and guess what?’ She leaned across the table and said softly, still smiling, ‘I am too. About him.
I believe there’s a future for us together.’

  ‘I realized that before you did!’ I exclaimed buoyantly.

  ‘So aren’t you the clever one! Just like Mom. Always spotting relationships budding, affairs starting and all that romantic stuff – long before anyone else. So, Pidge, what about you and Zac? Where do you two stand?’

  ‘We’re together. We’re serious. Actually, we’ve been talking about getting married next year.’

  ‘Why next year? Why not now?’ she asked, a brow lifting.

  ‘He wants to feel right about himself, his health, wants to be sure he’s got his PTSD under control.’

  ‘That’s understandable,’ Jess agreed. ‘On the other hand, don’t leave it too long, Serena, don’t let time slip away. Get married, make a home, get new careers, be together in the best way. You can trust him, because you and I know he’s never going back to the front. And neither are you.’

  ‘You’re absolutely right,’ I answered. ‘I’ll never wear a flak jacket again.’

  Little did I know on that sunny May afternoon how wrong I was when I said those words. But then none of us knew what the future would bring, or the sorrow and pain we would encounter. What was in store for us was a secret.

  THIRTY-TWO

  We went to the African Queen.

  We put on our jeans, our best silk shirts and sparkling fake earrings, and set off from the house, the three of us in a congenial mood. Cara drove us there – to the charming little port in Beaulieu-sur-Mer where the famous old restaurant was located.

  It had been one of our mother’s favourite spots, and we had been going there for years, so what better place to celebrate her birthday? It was 15 May, and if she had lived she would have been seventy-two years old today. I found that hard to believe. In my mind’s eye she was the beautiful blonde superstar of my younger years, and she always would be. My sisters felt exactly the same as I did. Our mother was forever young in our hearts.

  Cara took the Moyenne Corniche to Beaulieu. The traffic was light, and she was lucky enough to find a parking spot on the port. This was helpful to Jessica, who was now wearing a soft cast on her foot and feeling better, but she still couldn’t walk far.

  Our table was ready when we arrived, and the bottle of pink Veuve Clicquot, which Cara had ordered in advance, was waiting for us in a bucket of ice. As we sat down we were assailed by a cacophony of sounds – the chatter, the laughter, the rattle of china, crystal and cutlery, the joviality in general. The delicious smells emanating from the kitchen were mouthwatering.

  The African Queen had always been a lively spot, and so popular it was often hard to get a table. But because of our long family history with them we were never refused.

  A waiter came, opened the bottle and poured the champagne, and the three of us clinked our glasses and said, ‘Happy Birthday to Mom’, as we had done for the past four years since her death. And then we sat and reminisced about her for a while, recalling her joie de vivre, her lovely quirkiness.

  At one moment Cara glanced around, said sotto voce, ‘The posters are starting to look faded, don’t you think?’

  Jessica and I followed her gaze, and saw that she was correct. The walls were covered with framed posters of Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn in the old movie The African Queen, from which the local bistro took its name.

  I said, ‘I could ask Harry to get them some new ones. He has a friend who deals in old movie posters and memorabilia. But maybe everyone likes the faded ones.’

  ‘That’s more than likely,’ Jessica interjected. ‘I’d leave it alone, if I were you. I’m sure they know where to get the posters. These are not the ones they started with. This place has been open for thirty years or more.’

  ‘They’ve probably got a storage room full of them,’ Cara muttered, sounding cynical, and reached for the menu. ‘I’m having my usual,’ she announced, then glanced at the menu anyway.

  We all ordered the same thing. To start, we selected warm white asparagus, now in season, with vinaigrette dressing, followed by moules marinières and pommes frites – mussels steamed in a broth of white wine and served with French fries.

  My sisters were in a good mood and both appeared to be happy. And so was I. Now that I had finished sorting the last photographs for the Venice book, I would soon be returning to New York.

  Zac’s mother was continuing to improve, and he was in good shape. He called me twice a day and sounded great, almost like his old self. Zac loved his family, felt a sense of responsibility to them; being in their midst and taking charge had undoubtedly distracted him.

  Harry had said the same to me only last night, had remarked that Zac was so focused on his mother’s health and his father’s wellbeing, he didn’t have time for his PTSD. But I knew Zac was missing me and wanted me to go to New York as soon as possible. And that was my aim.

  As for Jessica and Cara, they were both following their hearts, and were engrossed in their romantic liaisons with Allen and Geoff respectively.

  This genuinely pleased me. I was now fairly certain Jess and Allen were going to end up together on a permanent basis. I wasn’t sure about Cara and Geoff, although I knew how genuine and sincere Geoff was. I would have to wait and see what transpired between them.

  Halfway through the meal, Jessica suddenly brought up the subject of the jewellery auction, when she said, ‘I’d like us to go through Mom’s safe tomorrow, so that we can decide what to sell.’

  ‘I thought we were selling everything,’ Cara exclaimed.

  ‘All of the important pieces, yes,’ Jessica responded. ‘But there are some smaller things, items that are less valuable. I thought perhaps we should each choose some of those things for ourselves, as keepsakes, for sentimental reasons.’

  ‘Whatever you want,’ Cara replied, and I nodded in agreement, then asked, ‘When are you thinking of having the auction, Jess?’

  ‘Next spring. You see, it—’

  ‘Why so far off?’ Cara cut in, frowning at her twin.

  ‘Because of the Elizabeth Taylor Auction. Christie’s is holding that in New York this coming December, and right now part of the very extensive Elizabeth Taylor Collection is touring the world. I believe it’s not possible for me to compete with that kind of ballyhoo.’

  ‘I agree,’ I said.

  Jessica continued, ‘There are hundreds and hundreds of lots of jewellery, paintings, clothes and accessories in Taylor’s Collection. It’s immense. This aside, our mother’s jewellery has to be photographed, properly evaluated and documented, and I have to create a catalogue. There’s a lot more to an auction than you can imagine.’

  ‘You know your business better than we do,’ I said. ‘I trust your judgement, and I’m sure you feel the same way, Cara, don’t you?’ I fixed my gaze on my other sister.

  ‘You’re right, Serena, Jess is the boss.’ Settling back in the chair, she told her twin, ‘Whatever you do is okay with me.’ This was said in a soft voice, and she reached for her champagne and lifted it to Jess, then took a sip.

  My eyes were still on Cara, and I realized she looked particularly beautiful. She wore her long black hair loose tonight. It framed her face, which seemed more delicate than ever, like a finely sculpted piece of alabaster. Her skin glowed and her black eyes were bright with life. She seemed happier than she had for years, and there was a tranquillity about her.

  ‘Are you going to marry Geoff?’ I blurted out before I could stop myself. Jessica was sitting next to me, and immediately squeezed my knee under the table in warning, but did not utter a word.

  Cara laughed out loud. This took me totally by surprise, because she was always so serious, even glum at times. Cara rarely ever laughed, and especially like this – so joyously, freely, uninhibitedly.

  I sat staring at her, dumbfounded, not knowing what to say.

  Finally, Cara spoke. ‘He hasn’t asked me, Serena. You see, I’ve yet to meet his little daughter, Chloe. I know her reaction to me and mine to her is extremely importa
nt to Geoff. So I’m biding my time. Anyway, I don’t want to rush into anything, we need to know each other a little longer. However, I’ll be honest, I would consider it. We’ve discovered we’re extremely compatible.’ She paused, looked at me and then at Jessica, and added, ‘In bed and out of it.’

  Jessica broke into her pealing laughter, grabbing her twin’s hand and squeezing it. ‘I’m so happy for you! And incidentally, that makes two of us – being compatible with our boyfriends, I mean.’

  ‘Three of us,’ I announced, laughing with my sisters, loving them both so much. They had always been part of me and would be for as long as we lived. They were as loyal and devoted to me as I was to them … that was the way our mother had raised us.

  THIRTY-THREE

  On Monday morning, Cara and I went to Nice to see Jessica’s doctor and have our bone density tests. On Tuesday we sorted through Mom’s safe and made an inventory of the important jewels. Later that same day we went through her three wardrobes of haute-couture clothes, and did the same, listing everything.

  Jessica said she would have the fashion expert at the auction house inspect the clothes, so that the best could be selected. They all looked fabulous to me, and I said so.

  It was Wednesday afternoon that I stumbled across a selection of additional Venice photographs, and they made me catch my breath in surprise. And not exactly in a good way.

  I was tidying up Dad’s studio, putting everything back in the filing cabinet, when I noticed a blue folder on the bottom of the lower drawer.

  Picking it up, I took it over to the desk, opened it and looked at the photographs inside. The first few were of a young woman, scantily clad in a short greenish-grey filmy chiffon dress, dancing in a huge room.

  I realized the room was in a Venetian palazzo, because of the interior architecture, the Venetian chandeliers, and the few antiques scattered around.

  The photos showed the young woman in motion, her arms held out, floating around her, or above her head. Her body movements were graceful, her long legs shapely. It seemed to me she must be dancing to actual music, so convincing was she. The pictures were all lovely, especially those in colour.