Letter from a Stranger (46 page)

“No, that’s not necessary. Everything’s okay. We’re all set to make the press announcement on Tuesday. Laura relocates to Manhattan immediately. To run the international division. Jeremy has been made managing director. And I’m kicking myself upstairs, as you suggested. I don’t mind being chairman, I’ll still be in charge.” He chuckled.

“I know that. These moves will put a stop to the infighting, friction, and bitterness between them. The sibling rivalry will just go away. And all the upheaval in the bank will stop.”

“Funny thing that I have never noticed
their rivalry
. If it weren’t for you I’d still be in the dark. Who knew my twenty-nine-year-old daughter was so ambitious?”

“Don’t forget William Pitt the Younger, not to mention Alexander the Great. They were both holding immense power in their early twenties.”

“I guess I did forget. Thank God you saw my children a lot more clearly than I did. And came up with the solutions.”

“That’s what I’m here for. Okay, Charlie, that’s it. Talk to you soon.”

“You bet. Have a nice evening.”

Michael clicked off his cell and put it in his pocket. He sat on the step for a moment, thinking about Jeremy. A good guy. He would have to be brought into the loop, told that his father and he were unofficial “watchdogs,” keeping their eyes on the bad guys who could create global havoc.

As he ran up the steps he saw Justine heading across the garden, making for the garden seat, and waved, called her name.

She stopped, waved back.

He hurried toward her. As he drew to a standstill he said, “I was just coming to look for you. I’ve got to talk to you immediately. It’s urgent.”

She stared at him. “Oh. Oddly enough, I wanted to talk to you too, Michael.”

“What about?”

“No, you go first. Come on. Let’s go and sit on our seat for a few minutes.”

Once they were settled she looked at him intently and said, “You sound so serious. Is something wrong?”

“No, nothing.” He peered at her, noticed the tension in her face, the taut set of her jaw. “But are you okay?”

“I am, Michael. Gran just told me something that I want to share with you, but it can wait.”

“I’ve been thinking about our return to New York next week, and what’s going to happen to us. What I mean is, do we move in together? Start living together? Or what?”

She bit her lip. “I don’t know. All of us going back to New York has just been decided. I haven’t thought it through.”

“I haven’t either.” He turned slightly, his dark eyes focused on her. He studied her intently for a moment, and he knew then, and without a shadow of a doubt, that he loved her with all his heart. “Marry me, Justine.”

She was momentarily taken aback and did not answer. He said, “Come on, say yes, marry me. Take a chance with me, let’s follow love, Justine. Let’s seize life and live it together. It might be a risk, but so what? We’ve got nothing to lose. And we do love each other, and there’s nothing truer than that.”

A smile began to spread across her face, and the tension in her evaporated. “Of course we love each other! It’s a
coup de foudre,
remember. Yes, Michael. Yes, I’ll marry you, and the sooner the better.”

She moved closer to him, kissed him, her arms went around him. He kissed her back and they went on kissing, until he finally drew away. He said softly, “You are the person I should be with, Justine. For the rest of my life. And you should be with me.”

“I know that, Michael. There’s nothing more life-affirming than our love for each other.”

Michael put his hand in his pocket, pulled out a small dark blue leather box. “I’ve been walking around with this for days.” He opened the box and took out a ring. “I asked you to marry me, you said yes.” He slipped the ring on the finger of her left hand. “And now we’re engaged.”

Justine gasped as she looked down at the deep blue sapphire. “Oh Michael! It’s beautiful. Thank you, thank you.”

“I’m happy you like it. There’s a story behind it. Last Monday, before I left for London, I went to see Anita. She brought this ring out of her safe, and told me she wanted me to have it for you. She then explained that it was the last gift my grandfather Maxwell gave her before he died. She wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

“What a lovely thing for her to do,” Justine murmured, touched by Anita’s gesture. Then she jumped up. “Come on, let’s go and find her, and Gran, and tell them we’re now engaged.”

As Michael rose up he said, with a frown, “But didn’t you have something you wanted to discuss with me?”

“Oh
that.
It’s nothing,” she exclaimed dismissively. She had no intention of letting the wickedness of her mother overshadow her engagement, or spoil the evening ahead. She would tell him later.

Michael grabbed her again and brought her close, then holding hands they ran across the lawn. They found their grandmothers sitting on the terrace, obviously waiting for them.

Justine hurried to Anita and hugged her, kissed her cheek. “Thank you, Anita. Thank you for my beautiful ring. I’m so touched you gave it to Michael to give to me.”

“It was meant for you,” Anita said, beaming.

Turning to her grandmother, Justine stretched out her hand. “Look, Gran, Michael just gave me this. He asked me to marry him and I said yes and we’re engaged.” She bent forward and took hold of Gabriele, and held on to her tightly. “I’m so happy, Gran.”

“And so am I, Justine,” Gabriele answered, her eyes moist. Her joy knew no bounds.

Michael went to his grandmother and kissed her, and then to Gabriele. As he hugged her close, he whispered, “I’ll keep her safe always, Gabri.”

Anita said, “This calls for pink champagne. Where’s Zeynep?”

At this moment, Mehmet arrived with champagne in a bucket of ice, followed by Zeynep with a plate of hors d’oeuvres.

Michael looked from Anita to Gabriele. “Why do I have a feeling you’ve both been one jump ahead of us?”

Both of them laughed and made no comment. After Mehmet had poured the champagne, and they had clicked glasses, made toasts, Anita said, “This is so exciting. We must plan the wedding.”

“No planning necessary,” Michael announced. “We’re going to get married immediately. Well, in the next few weeks. A small wedding, just our families and a few friends. That’s what I’d like. What about you, Justine? Agreed?”

“Agreed. I think we should have it at Indian Ridge, don’t you, Gran? What do you think?”

“Oh my goodness yes, what a fantastic idea! It’s the perfect place. And it’s the home of the bride, after all.”

“A Jewish wedding,” Anita murmured, glancing around. “And I shall design the huppah. The four poles will be decorated with white tulips and white roses, and the canopy will be white silk. What do you think, Gabri?”

“It will be beautiful,” she answered. “And when we get to Indian Ridge we’ll look for the perfect spot to put it.”

Michael laughed, and said, “My mother is going to be so happy I’m marrying a Jewish girl.”

“One who doesn’t know too much about Judaism,” Justine murmured. “But I’m willing to learn.”

“I’ll teach you everything,” Michael shot back.

Fifty-two

The little girl walking toward her wore a yellow muslin dress with a slightly billowing skirt, white ankle socks, and black patent shoes with bows. She was carrying a yellow rose and looked very dignified as she stepped out with a certain aplomb.

As she came closer, gliding through the shadowy hall, Gabriele saw that she had silky blond hair and blue eyes, and the prettiest little face she had ever seen.

Suddenly there she was, standing in front of her. Smiling. Doing a little dip of a curtsy. She offered Gabriele the rose, and said, “This is for you, Gram. I’m Daisy.”

Bending down, taking the rose, Gabriele said, “Thank you, Daisy.” She kissed her on the cheek. “It’s a beautiful flower and you’re a beautiful girl.” The child laughed, twirled around, and spotted Justine standing behind Gabriele. She rushed to her, throwing herself against her aunt’s body. “Juju! Juju! You’ve come back.”

“Of course I have,” Justine said, hugging Daisy to her, thinking how lovely she looked in the new dress.

Daisy asked, “Did you go to see Mommy? Does she like Heaven?”

They all looked at each other, speechless for a moment. Justine said, “I went to see Gran in Istanbul.”

“Oh, where’s Itsabul?” Daisy asked, and started twirling again, happy as a lark today, moving down the hall.

Gabriele looked down the shadowy space, saw a man standing there, watching them. As he walked forward the breath caught in her throat. It was Dirk Landau. Her father. But obviously it wasn’t. It was her grandson Richard, who now at thirty-two was the spitting image of her father. He had the same shaped face, narrow, elegant. The broad forehead, the sculpted nose, and a head of wavy hair.

Richard was smiling and increased his pace.

Gabriele moved quickly, and suddenly they were embracing in the hall. Richard was laughing, kissing her cheek, exclaiming, “Gran, oh Gran, welcome home! I’ve not been so happy for ages.”

“And neither have I,” Gabriele answered, standing away from him, looking up at him, her eyes roaming over his face. “You look just like my father, Richard. Now that you’ve grown up. I can see him in you so easily.”

He nodded. “Remember, Gran, you’ve not set eyes on me for ten years. Unfortunately.”

She simply nodded. Turning, she said, “Come and meet my dearest friend, Anita, and her grandson, Michael Dalton. Justine’s fiancé.”

The two men stepped forward, looked each other up and down, and shook hands. They instantly liked each other. Then Richard walked over to Anita and shook her hand. He said, “That’s rather silly!” He bent forward and kissed her on the cheek, and Anita was instantly smitten.

Justine glanced around and asked, “Where are Joanne and Simon?”

“They’ll be here soon, after everyone’s settled in,” Richard said. “So come on, Gran, let’s go and see Tita and Pearl. They’re dying to give you hugs and kisses. That was the way they put it.”

“What on earth did you tell them? I mean about where I suddenly sprang from?” Gabriele asked, frowning.

Richard gave her a knowing look. “I told them the truth. That there’d been a quarrel. That we’d been led to believe you had died. Then we’d discovered you weren’t dead, and Justine went to find you. It’s much better than lying. What is it you used to say, Gran? Something like, let’s not get our knickers in a twist.”

“That sounds like a Gabri remark,” Anita murmured. “And where did little Daisy go? I haven’t kissed her yet.”

On hearing her name, Daisy came dancing back into the wide part of the hall. She said, “Here I am.” She was clutching two roses, one red, one white. She went up to Anita, did a little curtsy, and handed her the red rose. “This is for you.”

Anita smiled at her, bent down, and kissed her on the cheek. “Thank you, my darling. I know we’re going to be friends.”

Daisy went to Michael, looked up at him, suddenly appeared to be a little shy. She gave him the white rose. He smiled, enchanted by her. “Thank you very much. It’s just right for my buttonhole.” He smoothed his hand across the top of her blond head. “I’m Michael,” he murmured gently.

She stared up at him, then smiled, and danced away.

Watching all this Gabriele was overwhelmed. Her heart was full of love for this adorable child. Her great-granddaughter. It’s all been worth it just for this moment, she thought. To meet Daisy, to know of her existence, to have a chance to love her while I’m still fit and well. Oh what a lovely time I’m going to have with her. She’s beautiful. A typical Landau. She has our genes, no doubt about that.

*   *   *

Justine had managed to get everyone organized. Richard had taken their grandmother to the kitchen to be reunited with Tita and Pearl. And to meet Pearl’s husband, Carlos, and his father. Daisy had accompanied them. Michael had gone off with Anita to look at the garden, to find the right spot for the huppah, and get a general idea of “the lay of the land,” as he called it.

With everyone occupied and busy, she ran upstairs, went to check on the rooms. She had given Pearl her instructions from Istanbul on Monday, before they had flown out on Wednesday. They had spent last night at a hotel in Manhattan, which Michael had insisted was the easiest thing to do, because of the luggage. All belonging to the grans. After lunch today they had been driven out here to Connecticut in a limousine. “Very extravagant of you,” she had whispered to Michael. He had merely grinned, knowing how much the grans were enjoying everything, and especially the streamlined car.

Pushing open the door of the room which had always been her grandmother’s, she smiled when she saw how beautiful it looked. Pearl had filled it with flowers. All were Gabriele’s favorites. There was a bowl of mixed fruit on a tray. Bottled water. A dish of candies. All of those little touches Gabriele had instilled in Pearl years ago. Everything sparkled. It was perfect.

Justine had told Pearl to prepare the room across the hall for Anita, and when she looked in she saw that it too was shining clean, all the little mandatory touches in place.

The third room at this end of the house would be used as a dressing room for Michael, a place to hang his clothes, have a bit of privacy. It also gave him his own bathroom. But he would share her bedroom. She smiled to herself. She knew he would insist on that.

Pleased that the rooms on this floor were ready for everyone, Justine went into her own bedroom and closed the door.

She sat down at her desk and quickly made a shopping list for Pearl, then sat back in the chair. Thinking. On Monday night Richard had called her in Istanbul, had told her that their mother was going to be in New York this coming week. “We must see her, confront her?” he had said. She had agreed, had suggested he make the date. She would fit in with him. He had said he would.

She had a problem. Should she tell Richard about Deborah’s rabid anti-Semitism first, and then give him the book? Or let him read Gabriele’s
Fragments,
and then inform him of Deborah’s attitude later?

Late on Saturday night in Istanbul she had confided in Michael, had told him the real reason Deborah had created the estrangement. He had been stupefied for a moment, and then furious. He had suggested that she give Richard the memoir this weekend, and then clue him in afterward. Now she saw the wisdom in this. That is what she would do.