“The Clarks knew where the real birth certificate was and planned to give it to her when she turned eighteen.”
“They got sick and died before then. My mother never knew this existed.”
“There’s also a letter,” he added, handing a sealed envelope to Anne.
She tore it open and began to read.
My Dearest Daughter,
My heart is breaking in a million pieces. Because of the stupid things I’ve done, I have to give up the only thing in the world that means anything to me. I’m in terrible danger and must leave you with another family until we can be together again.
There is a trust fund set up in your name. When you turn eighteen, you will be notified of this. As soon as it’s safe and if all goes well, we’ll meet each other at last. I just hope when that day comes, you will find it in your heart to forgive me.
All my love,
Your mother, Evelyn Montgomery
Anne looked up slowly. “She says something about a trust fund. A trust fund came to me from out of nowhere. It’s the only reason I was able to go to Lakeshore.”
“I believe there was some kind of clause about heirs, in the event your mother was no longer living. The firm that handled it must have had enough information to find you.”
Anne shook her head sadly. ”I wonder if that money would have made any difference. Mom inherited some money from the Clarks but the men she hooked up with sucked it dry. She kept hoping her mom would appear and all our problems would go away. We never heard anything about a trust fund. If we’d stayed in one place instead of always running away, the money might have found us. Maybe things would have been different.” Anne paused, remembering the life she had with her mother. “But, then again...probably not.”
“I’m sorry, Anne. I know this is a lot for you to deal with right now. At least you’ve found some of your family. If you ever need anything, you can count on us. I’m just glad Romero doesn’t know about you. Our secret is safe.”
“I’m not so sure it is. I played in an orchestra for his grandniece’s engagement party. He kept staring at me.”
“That’s not good. Not good at all. You look a lot like your grandmother. He may have recognized that. You need to keep away from anyone associated with that man.”
“Including Mitch Randolph?”
“You know him?”
“Sort of...”
“Anne, I don’t want to hurt you but they have business dealings with Romero. I wouldn’t put it past him to use Randolph’s son to spy on you.”
“I haven’t seen him lately,” she admitted. A gnawing ache settled deep inside her as the pieces of a heart breaking picture began to fall into place. Why else would Mitch pay any attention to her, other than to use her? “I...I need to go now.” She covered her mouth and ran to the nearest bathroom. Curling in a ball on the floor, she tried to cover her sobs but finally gave in and wailed out loud in agonizing grief.
Kara joined her husband outside the door. “Is Anne all right?”
“No,” he said, putting his arm around her. “But there isn’t much we can do right now. She needs some time alone.”
Anne collected herself moments later, splashing water on her face and dabbing her eyes with a tissue. When she returned to their room, her suitcase was sitting on the bed.
“Kara brought it,” Ashley explained. “She said you’d be right up.”
Emma was beginning to lose patience. “Okay, enough drama! Fess up,” she insisted. “What’s going on here?”
“How do I begin?” Anne replied, her words slow and measured. “Do you remember when the waiter at Giovanni’s thought Ashley and I were related?”
Emma nodded. “Yeah, I remember. He was so sure about that, he wouldn’t let it go.”
“Well, I found out we are.”
CHAPTER 9
Richard Montgomery seemed more relaxed after that evening, as if a terrible burden had been lifted off his shoulders. They all settled into a comfortable routine until the end of the visit.
On the morning of their departure, mild temperatures replaced the damp, chilly air, bringing with it the promise of spring. All three were packed and ready to load into the waiting car.
Kara and Richard Montgomery came outside to see them off. He put one arm around Ashley and the other around Anne. “Maybe some time when we’re in town, we could all go to Giovanni’s.”
“Really?” Ashley stared at him in total amazement. “That would be awesome!”
Kara hugged everyone goodbye. “We sure enjoyed having you. Hope you can come and see us again.”
Emma winked at her, whispering, “We’ll do pizza.”
Late April brought a flurry of activity with major projects due, papers to finish and hours spent in the practice room honing music to perfection for jury exams. Emma’s junior year recital date was set for early May.
Anne cautioned Pete to forget about his research for the time being. “It’s best if my true identity stays a secret. But Tony Romero can’t live forever. If anything changes and I think it’s safe, you’ll have an exclusive,” she assured him.
He shrugged it off good-naturedly. “Hey! At least I know I was on the right track.” He looked back and forth between Anne and Ashley. “I still can’t believe you’re cousins.”
“Me, too,” Ashley agreed, “But I like it!”
Emma and Pete were already caught up in wedding plans. “So far, all we’ve managed to get is the chapel,” Emma revealed. “Everything is booked at least a year ahead of time. We still have to find a hall, a photographer, a band, a printer to do the invitations and someone to do the flowers. My mom is searching the internet to see what she can find out. It’s all so overwhelming.”
“There’s something else we should tell you...” Pete said to Anne, hesitating because she might not welcome the news. “I’ve asked Mitch to be my best man. And, of course, Tom will be coming from California.”
“The Three Musketeers will be reunited,” Ashley cheered, excited at the prospect of seeing Tom again.
Anne couldn’t share her enthusiasm. “I understand, Pete. After all, he’s your friend. I’ll just try to avoid him as much as possible and I’m sure he’ll do the same. It’ll all be fine.”
By June Emma decided it was time to shop for dresses. “Our mission today,” she announced, like a general outlining a battle plan, “is to find the most awesome wedding gown in the whole universe.”
They had lunch at the Walnut Room and afterward, headed to the bridal salon. Anne and Ashley sat on the sofa while Emma modeled dresses.
Ashley shook her head vigorously at the sight of the first dress. It was fitted around the waist and hips, flaring out at the bottom. “The mermaid look is definitely not you.”
The gown with the dropped waist also didn’t pass, along with a few others. Some were considered okay, unless something better came along. Finally, Emma came out in a lovely sleeveless V-neck dress. Below the beaded bodice, the organza A-line skirt flowed to the floor, making Emma look like a princess.
“That’s the one!” Anne cried out, clapping her hands together.
“I second that,” Ashley agreed.
Emma admired herself in the three-way mirror. “You’re right. This is the one.” She twirled around to face them. “So now, all we have to do is find bridesmaid dresses that will make all the young men swoon at your feet.”
Anne arched one brow, throwing Emma a dark look. “Seriously?”
They decided they liked the style of Emma’s gown so much, they ordered dresses with a similar neckline in vintage red. Their dresses, however, hung straight to the floor and featured a sash in front. A simple design, but very elegant.
“Perfect,” Emma said when she saw Anne model the gown. “You both will look like Greek goddesses.”
After that day, Emma and Pete lived in a world of
their own, trying to get everything accomplished in time for the wedding date. Anne missed all the wonderful days they had spent together. She was happy for Emma but knew things would never be quite the same.
September arrived and along with it, a new crop of students coming to Lakeshore. Anne and Ashley watched the spectacle from their window. Anne read their faces and could almost guess what they were thinking. Much like last year, some of the new freshmen glowed with anticipation, while others seemed a little uncertain.
Anne looked forward to taking more courses relative to her major this semester, although Composition and Orchestration would be difficult. She remembered all the groundwork John Dusek had laid for her to meet the challenge of these advanced studies.
“You sure had a lot of faith in me,” she said, during one of their phone visits, “preparing me for all this.”
“Somehow, against the odds, I had to believe things would work out for you. There were times when I had doubts but forged ahead with the faith it would happen. I’m sure glad I did.”
“It’s not easy, though. Some people think majoring in music is like basket weaving. All you have to have is a little talent and all the courses are a piece of cake.”
John laughed at their ignorance. “Yeah, I’d sure like to see some of them give it a try. Then we’ll talk.”
She always said goodbye with a smile on her face when their conversations ended. Anne never asked about Mona. The memory of the door locking behind her severed any ties they may have had. Their paths would never cross again.
With the wedding only days away, they went in for their final fittings. As each of the arrangements fell into place, Emma grew more excited. “Roberta Moreno said she would sing for our wedding. She’s going to be famous someday. I can’t believe my luck! And we’re having a string quartet play the processional and recessional. It’s going to be so amazing!”
Emma’s sister, Betty, the maid of honor, planned to arrive a few days early for a last minute dress fitting. Emma’s mother and father arranged to have the priest at their church in Ohio perform the ceremony.
The bridal party met at the chapel Friday evening for the rehearsal. Emma introduced everyone to her parents, her sister, Betty, and Father Tomlinson, who had known her from the time she was born.
Anne’s heart fluttered with anxiety at the sight of Mitch and Tom. Tom greeted Anne and Ashley with a hug. “Wow, I sure missed you guys.” Mitch hung back and simply nodded shyly.
Emma’s family hired a stretch limousine to take them to dinner at the same steak and seafood restaurant Mitch had taken her. It seemed like a lifetime ago. The maid of honor and best man sat next to each other. Father Tomlinson, Pete’s parents, and Emma’s parents congregated at one end of the long table. Ashley wore a radiant smile sitting next to Tom, while Anne was paired with the other groomsman, Pete’s brother. He was seventeen but seemed years younger. She kept her silence, tuning out the lively conversation around her.
The next day Emma’s mother treated Emma, Anne, Ashley and Betty to a bridal breakfast at the hotel where they were staying. Just before leaving, Anne confided to Ashley, “A bridal breakfast? I’ve never seen anything like this. Back home, everyone I knew got married by the preacher and had a reception in the church basement. It was usually a potluck.”
Emma walked into the room with a triumphant smile on her face. “Then you don’t know about Polish weddings. My dad says they used to go on for days. My parents have waited all their lives for this moment and they’re determined to make the most of it.” She gave a courtly bow and gestured toward the door. “Ladies, our carriage awaits, so let us proceed to the morning’s festivities.”
Emma’s mother, a tall, slightly plump woman with blonde hair, had the same sense of humor as her daughter. Anne enjoyed her company at the breakfast, feeling none of the discomfort from the night before. Afterward they went to get their hair done in preparation for the wedding at five.
Later that afternoon they arrived at the chapel to get dressed. Space was provided for them in a meeting room off the sanctuary. Emma’s mood changed at that point. Suddenly she began worrying about every little detail. “Do I look okay?” she asked repeatedly. “Do you think Pete will like my dress?”
Anne threw her an impatient look. “Trust me. You look totally amazing in the most fantastic wedding dress in the whole universe. But why are you fretting about all this? I told you before: Pete would love you in a Purina Chicken Chow sack.”
“Do they still make those?” Betty asked, her eyes widening.
Emma laughed. “Not anymore but Anne told me she saw one once.”
“Yep, I sure did. I’m just a barefoot country girl.”
“Hardly,” Betty countered. “Right now you look like a fashion model.”
“More like a goddess,” Emma amended, with a haughty flick of her hand.
Wedding guests had already gathered in the chapel. Just before the ceremony, the bridal party waited outside the sanctuary as the bride and groom’s parents were escorted to the pews in front.
The excited chatter hushed as Roberta Moreno sang “Looking Through the Eyes of Love”. Anne bowed her head, thinking back to last Christmas Eve and Lake Geneva, wondering if Mitch had lied about everything just to get close to her. Did Tony Romero actually use him for that purpose? Though she wished it could be otherwise, Anne kept coming to the same conclusion: Mitch had betrayed her in every way.
The string quartet played the opening strains of the Pachelbel “Canon”, signaling the start of the bridal procession. When it was Anne’s turn to start down the aisle, she stared straight ahead, fixing her gaze on Ashley who was already up front by Betty. Out of the corner of her eye she caught a glimpse of Mitch standing next to Pete. Dressed in formal attire, he was even more handsome than she remembered.
Toward the end of the service, Roberta sang the Bach/Gounod “Ave Maria”, her voice soaring to the climactic high “A” and floating on air with the closing “Amen.”
Father Tomlinson concluded the service with a prayer and introduced the couple to the audience. “And now, what God hath joined together, let no man put asunder. May I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Peter Bogard.” He nodded to Pete. “You may kiss the bride.”
A flutter of applause erupted as Pete and Emma kissed. The string quartet began the joyful strains of Vivaldi’s “Spring, movement 1” as they proceeded back down the aisle.
The bridal party left to go to the reception hall after the photographer finished taking pictures. Everyone lined up to congratulate Emma and Pete. Thirty minutes later, the wedding guests were treated to a sit-down dinner.
Afterward Mitch stood up to give a toast, assuming his duties as best man. “To Pete and Emma. You met each other at Giovanni’s, a moment that changed your lives forever. Now we’re here to celebrate your future and wish you many happy years together. I hope we all will find the special love you’ve found.” He looked directly at Anne, searching for some kind of acknowledgement. Anne lowered her eyes, looking down at the dinner she’d barely touched. He continued his gaze, never wavering. “To everlasting love.”
“Hear! Hear!” the guests agreed, raising their glasses.
Emma’s father sat next to Anne at the bridal table. “Wish we could have found a live band for tonight,” he confided. “Nothing like a good Polish band to get the party started.”
The DJ played his opening CD. Emma danced with her father first and then with Pete. Mitch danced with Betty while Tom danced with Ashley. Pete’s brother sat as far away from everyone as possible, texting someone on his cell phone, lost in his self-absorbed adolescent world. Anne sat alone as the guests joined the bridal party, crowding the dance floor. Unable to deal with it any longer, she rushed outside. Anne needed some fresh air and desperately wanted the evening to end. To calm herself, she took a deep breath and listened to the autumn leaves rustling in the breeze.
Mitch suddenly appeared at her side. “Hi.”
“Hi,” she mumbled, not bothering to look at him.
“You look incredibly beautiful tonight.”
Anne refused to answer. An uneasy silence settled between them. “I passed the Bar Exam,” Mitch volunteered, hoping to break the ice. “And I’m working at my father’s firm now.”
“Congratulations,” Anne replied in a flat voice. She turned to Mitch and caught a flicker of hurt in his eyes, as if he was hoping for some snarky comment about lawyers. But Anne was not about to pretend there was any bond between them.
“Anne, we need to talk.”
“About what? I have nothing to say to you, except to give you some very good advice: go marry Madison. You deserve each other and your parents will live happily ever after if you do.”
“No! Listen to me! I haven’t been entirely truthful, but I’ll be able to tell you everything if you’ll be patient just awhile longer. That’s all I ask, Anne. Please be patient.”
“Why should I?” she snapped. “You come into my life and leave without any explanation. Obviously my feelings are the last thing on your mind. So in the unlikely event you decide you want to stay awhile, maybe we’ll talk.” She shrugged indifferently. “Then again, maybe not, since you’re parents think I’m some kind of subspecies that shouldn’t be on this planet. I’m sick of people looking down their noses at me and I’m sick of your games. You knew all along there was no chance for us and yet you kept coming back.” Anne threw her hands in the air. “Why, Mitch? Was this whole thing about doing a favor for an old family friend?”
Mitch flinched, as if she’d struck a nerve. Anne knew at that moment it was true and she felt her heart turning to stone. “If you really want to know how things stand between us, I’ll tell you.” She faced Mitch, ready to write him off forever: “Patience, my ass! I deserve somebody a whole lot better than you! Have a nice day,” she added, walking away slowly, shoulders back and head held high as she went inside.
Pete and Emma were cutting the wedding cake at that moment, their faces flushed with excitement. Ashley and Tom joined Anne to watch.
Prelude to Silence Page 10