Sarah sighed as she and Zoe wandered the exhibits of the Museum of Natural History. Zoe found the life-like dioramas fascinating and it was all Sarah could do to prevent the three-year-old from climbing into the exhibit space to explore. Despite trying to keep her wits about her Sarah’s mind kept wandering.
It had been two days since Lucas dared show his face to her. Apparently her outburst had scared him away or she really hadn’t meant anything to him. She was tempted to claim the latter if not for the fact he returned home every night.
She knew because after putting Zoe to bed she laid awake waiting. Eventually she would hear the sound of the car pull up outside. A few minutes later the front door would open and close. She would then hear Lucas downstairs puttering around no doubt eating the food Ulima left him. She could almost picture him generously adding Tabasco just as she did.
After a while she would hear him climb the steps. First he would check on Zoe then he would come to her door. There he would pause several minutes before eventually heading to his own bedroom. The house would go quiet and she would lay awake wondering if he was asleep or as restless as she was.
It had felt good to yell at him and unleash her frustration but now she didn’t know what to do. There was no denying Zoe had become attached to her father and if Sarah was honest so was she. She cringed when he invited himself on their trip to the Statue of Liberty but he seemed to enjoy it as much as they did. It was sweet the way he held Zoe and how his smile brought out his dimples. They looked like a real father and daughter.
And it wasn’t just Zoe he was showering with attention. She could feel his gaze on her at all times as he watched her every move. After years of enduring his indifference and ignoring her it was nice that he was now captivated by her. And even though he seemed to be avoiding her he came home every night adhering to their agreement and determined to prove he did not want other bed partners.
As much as she wanted to hate him she just couldn’t. The pictures on her phone from their site-seeing trip showed her the man she had always wanted: caring, supportive with a gaze that smoldered with desire only for her. Sarah shook her head trying to dissipate her thoughts. She did her best to ignore him and maintain a disinterested attitude but…
She was always aware of where he was in the room. Like a moth drawn to a flame she snuck peeks in his direction when she thought he wasn’t looking. Whenever their gazes met she shivered at the desire barely contained within his eyes. She tried telling herself she was seeing things and it was all her imagination but some part of her simply wouldn’t believe it. When he was nearby she felt secure and safe and when he wasn’t around she missed him.
“Mommy! Look! It’s so cool!” Zoe exclaimed.
Sarah smiled joining her underneath the life-size blue whale model marveling at the immense size.
“Mommy, did you see one of these when you went scuba diving?”
“No. I’m afraid not. I did see some Gray Whales though.”
“Are they this big too?”
“No,” Sarah chuckled. “Not quite. But they are big in their own right. Come on, let’s get lunch and then we’ll go to the Central Park Zoo.”
“Mommy, how many zoos are there?”
“Five, including the aquarium.”
“Wow! Can we see them all?”
“We’ll see. We have a whole week of sight-seeing to do.”
“Yeah!”
The Central Park Zoo was smaller in scale compared to the Bronx Zoo and home to several endangered animals. Unsurprisingly Zoe loved the pygmy goats at the children’s zoo but the real hit was the Tropic Zone where much of the exhibit space was glass free allowing visitors to share the same space with the colorful and varied bird life. By the time they were ready to head home Zoe had thoroughly exhausted herself and fell asleep in the car.
Returning to Astoria Sarah carried a sleeping Zoe inside and up to her room to take a nap. Without Zoe for a distraction Sarah fell back into her private musings. She couldn’t hold onto her fantasies just because Lucas was giving her a little attention. He didn’t care about her. He never would. He said so himself. Now was no different and she would be a fool to think otherwise.
For years she had built a wall around her heart with those thoughts and at the time it seemed like a sturdy barrier. Why then did it feel like it was crumbling? Was she really so weak?
Worse than her own conflicting emotions betraying her was Ava and Macey who seemed convinced he did have some feelings for her. They didn’t go as far as to say she should forgive and forget. Rather they suggested not writing him off and to be open to a second chance.
She knew they meant well and their suggestions were based on their own experiences with their husbands but her situation was completely different. After all Silas had always been in love with Ava and Julius, whether he realized it or not, loved Macey. But Lucas had never loved her.
Sarah sighed letting her mantra rebuild her crumbling inner walls. It was easier to do now that Lucas was avoiding her.
That’s right.
It was all a game to him.
His heart belonged to Madeline and always would.
He could have Madeline. She had Zoe.
She was still certain she was getting the better end of the deal.
Sarah strengthened her resolve. Just one more week. One more week and her book would be out and she and Zoe could go home. She would never have to see him again. Soon everything would be back to the way it had been.
* * *
Ulima made them a light supper since they would be going out. Sarah took advantage of Zoe’s nap to shower so all that was left was to get themselves ready. Dressing Zoe first in her velvet dress and white tights Sarah styled the three-year-old’s hair in a pair of braided pigtails.
Sending her downstairs to show off to Ulima and keep clean Sarah made her own preparations. The dress Zoe and the kids picked out was sleek and sultry without revealing too much. Once she had it on she played with her hair unsure how to style it. Finally deciding to leave it down Sarah used a curling iron to tame the ends by curling them under to give her hair a more body. Normally she parted it down the center but tonight she parted it to the left giving her a slightly more exotic style to go with the dress. Light make-up and her antique amber jewelry completed the look.
Sarah looked at her reflection, satisfied. Every battle required the appropriate armor and here was hers. It had nothing to do with wanting to catch Lucas’s eye. It didn’t matter to her if he noticed or not.
At least that was what she told herself.
Heading downstairs she paused giving Ulima and Zoe a nervous smile and turned to give them a full view. Zoe clapped loudly declaring, “Mommy, you look so pretty!”
“Thank you, sweetheart,” Sarah tried to ignore her disappointment that Lucas had decided not to keep his promise to be her escort. It was fine. She didn’t need an escort anyway. “Let’s go, shall we?”
Sarah headed for the door for their jackets. Zoe frowned, “Mommy, aren’t we going to wait for daddy?”
“Your daddy isn’t coming, sweetie. He’s probably forgotten all about it.”
“Then shouldn’t you call him and remind him?”
“Zoe, that won’t do any good.”
Zoe’s face fell. He promised they would go to the party together. She had been looking forward to going as a family just like her cousins. Daisy whined sensing her disquiet and nuzzled her hand.
“Zoe, look at me.”
She looked up seeing her mother crouching down to her level. Her mother was trying to maintain a determined look but her gaze glistened with the unshed tears she was holding back.
“Baby, I know it’s hard to understand but sometimes things don’t work out the way you want. I will always be here for you.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
Zoe forced a small smile not wanting to worry her mother as Sarah helped her into her jacket. Clipping on Daisy’s lead they headed out to the SUV and climbed inside.
It was difficult to say if the trip into town was long or short but eventually Sarah pulled up to the Baccarat, the DaLair’s long-standing favored venue despite the fact it was in the middle of remodeling. Handing her keys to the valet she ushered Zoe and the puppy inside to check their coats and proceeded to the lounge.
They were allowed entry with ease. No one asked about the corgi eagerly sniffing the strange scents around them. Sarah paused letting herself adjust to the crowded, intimate gathering. Though this event had started as a welcome home party for Julius and Macey it had become bigger over the years with several people attending for the sole purpose of making contact with Julius. Since he spent most of his time in Paris it was a rare opportunity to meet him.
Somehow he had gained the reputation of being a business maverick and risk taker. People who had been turned down by his brother and father often approached him for one more try. Unfortunately Julius’s business sensibilities very closely paralleled the rest of his family so he hardly ever agreed to anything they turned down.
“Sarah!” Macey eagerly greeted them as soon as they entered. “And Zoe. You look so pretty! And who is this?”
Daisy barked sitting up to beg for attention.
“This is my puppy! Her name is Daisy.”
“So this is Daisy!” Macey laughed. “She is so cute!”
Daisy spun circles happily yipping with the attention she was receiving. Macey chuckled glancing behind them as if expecting a third. She frowned but wisely decided not to ask about their absentee escort.
“Come on, let me introduce you.”
Macey guided them to a small group speaking rather intimately with each other. Sarah knew them all by sight having met them several times: Julius, March and Rose as well as the infamous Augustus.
“Look who just arrived,” Macey declared as they neared.
“Oh Sarah!” Rose immediately embraced her. “You look stunning!”
“Thank you.”
“And who is this?” Rose turned her attention to Zoe.
“I’m Zoe!” the three-year-old answered without a moment of hesitation. “And this is Daisy.”
The DaLair men chuckled at the toddler’s brazen attitude. So many people approached them with apprehension and more than a little fear so it was refreshing to meet someone with such confidence. Julius was immediately reminded of Aria and Lyra both of whom were equally outgoing.
“Who are you?” Zoe asked.
“My name is Rose and this is my husband March,” Rose introduced. “And that is Julius.”
“Oh, are you my Uncle Jules?” Zoe asked turning to him and tilting her head to the side like her curious puppy.
“That’s right,” Julius smiled liking her more and more as Macey sidled up next to him. “March is my brother so you can think of him and Rose as your uncle and aunt too.”
“Really?” Zoe looked at the other pair with eager expectation as they smiled and nodded. “Yeah! I have a lot of uncles and aunties now!”
This brought another chuckle from the group as she looked at Augustus with expectant eyes. He cleared his throat, “I’m March and Julius’s father, which makes Caden, Aria, Coda and Lyra my grandchildren.”
“You’re their grandpa?” she asked.
“That’s right. You can call me grandpa too if you like.”
“Yea! Just like grandpa Tailor!” Zoe clapped bouncing excitedly and earned amused but sad smiles from the group.
It was clear the little girl loved meeting people and expanding her family. She seemed almost starved for familial connections that she would likely never receive from her actual blood relatives considering the fact Sarah was estranged from her own family and Lucas’s was better left forgotten.
“Where are Uncle Si and Auntie Ava and everyone else?” Zoe asked.
“They are over here,” Macey said, “I’ll show you.”
Macey led them to a small quasi-private nook with a table where the kids were gathered for the convenience of their parents allowing them to be watched. The table was laden with various treats and baked goods as well as a bowl of punch for their exclusive use. The security guards Silas employed were stationed nearby to ensure the kids were not approached by overeager guests. Macey, Ava and Tracy took turns watching the kids and roaming the venue to meet with guests.
“Puppy!” Ben happily exclaimed sliding off his seat to run up to Zoe and Daisy.
Isaac, Coda and Lyra quickly followed suit. Zoe had regaled the DaLair siblings with several stories about her puppy so they were eager to meet the canine. Daisy was only too happy to greet and sniff them while cleaning their faces of any sugary crumbs.
“Oh Coda, don’t let her lick your face!” Macey admonished but it fell on deaf ears as the kids laughed and rolled on the floor completely enthralled with the dog.
Sarah shrugged and shook her head at the ineffective warning. There were just some things one couldn’t control once children and animals were combined. She learned to live with it like grass stains.
“Oh Sarah!”
She turned to greet Ava and Tracy. As always Ava’s greeting came with a warm hug as she shot Macey a questioning look. Macey gave a subtle shake of her head to confirm Lucas had not accompanied them. Ava tried to contain her disappointment. When Lucas came to the brownstone he watched Sarah with such a longing expression Ava was certain she was right about his desire to have her back.
“There are some people I’d like to introduce you to,” Ava said.
“What about…” Sarah glanced at Zoe happily seated on the floor with the other kids and Daisy.
“Don’t worry. They’ll be fine.” Ava nodded to one of the rather burly men in suits.
Each held a glass of what appeared to be champagne but was really only soda water. Their suits helped them blend in unless one noted the military precision of their surveillance deployment.
“Ava and Silas never travel without them,” Macey chuckled. “We also take turns watching the kids and now it’s mine. So go have fun! I’ll be here if the kids need anything.”
In truth the presence of the adults was probably moot with the older kids in attendance and watching over their younger siblings. The Prescott triplets and DaLair twins were quite mindful of the younger children but neither Macey nor Ava could suppress their instincts to watch over their broods.
“All right. Zoe, stay here with your cousins. If you need anything just ask Auntie Macey, okay?”
“Okay!”
With Zoe’s happy reply Sarah allowed Ava to lead her away. Ava seemed to make it her personal mission to introduce Sarah to as many people as possible. It seemed a waste of time since she was planning to return to Vermont in a week but making a favorable impression here would only help to make Ruth and the publisher’s party that much grander and more spectacular.
With that in mind she ignored the occasionally dubious looks others gave her as she was introduced to them. Clearly they remembered her but her new look, attitude and confidence soon had them changing their minds about how much they actually knew. Ruth arrived shortly after she did and gave her much needed support as she made her rounds. The more they associated Sarah with the publisher the easier it would be to accept her as Rosemary when the time came. Surprisingly many people were excited for the masquerade and the big reveal.
“Miss Clark, you have to tell me,” an eager socialite said, “do you know the real Rosemary? I mean, you’re her editor so you have to have met her at least once, right?”
Ruth chuckled glancing at Sarah, “Of course I’ve met her. In fact, she’s a childhood friend of mine.”
“Really! Oh, what’s she like?”
“Well she’s kind and generous when it comes to helping friends and she’s fiercely loyal. She’ll never abandon a friend even if the rest of the world turns their backs,” Ruth said while Sarah tried not to blush.
Is that really how Ruth saw her? Sarah glanced at Ava who smiled and nodded when she saw Sarah’s attention waver. It seemed she also felt that way about Sarah.
Sarah sipped a bit of champagne to hide her embarrassment. She was finally starting to relax and enjoy herself despite her earlier melancholy.
“Well, what a coincidence!”
Sarah gave a start as she turned to see Lidia standing among the crowd. The latter wore a self-satisfied smirk making Sarah wonder what she was up to now.