Consequences(141)

?


Emily arrived on the Wednesday evening before the wedding. Tony sent his private plane to pick her up in Albany; however, John was involved in a hearing and wouldn’t be available until Friday. John apologized to Claire for the mix-up, but he couldn’t change the trial date. Claire decided it was all right. She was happy to have Emily all to herself. Nevertheless, as she sat in the back of one of Tony’s cars at the airport waiting for Emily’s arrival, she worried about Emily’s reaction to flying in a private plane.

The interior of the BMW was warm and permeated the smell of leather which was significantly better than the cold Iowa chill outside the windows. It had snowed the past three days, and everything was brilliantly covered with a beautiful clean white blanket. Once the door of the jet opened and stairs descended, Claire got out of the car. Though she wore jeans, a furry jacket, and snow boots to stay warm, she still felt the brisk air. Keeping her leather gloved hands deep in her pockets, she watched as the crew cleared the runway and the pavement as the snow continued to fall.

Emily descended the stairs and hugged Claire. “Hi, sis, are you by yourself?”

“Carlos drove me here, but Tony’s still at work.”

They got into the warm car while Carlos retrieved Emily’s luggage and placed it in the trunk. Emily smiled and said, “You know, when you and Anthony offered to arrange our travel plans, I was kind of expecting a ticket on United or something”—Claire didn’t speak, she waited and Emily continued—“But, I’m not complaining; however, I am anxiously anticipating your home.”

Claire sensed Emily’s honest attempt at acceptance. Relieved, Claire excitedly spoke, “Good. I can’t wait for you to see it. Right now, it’s very busy and cluttered. There have been hundreds of workers preparing for the ceremony, but we can get away from all the people and have some time to ourselves. Have you eaten?” It was 7:30 PM in Iowa and the sky was very dark, yet the snow which continued to fall made it appear brighter.

“I had a few snacks on the plane.”

“Good, we’ll eat when we get home,” Claire replied.

The estate looked stately on any given day. In the snow—it appeared splendid. With the addition of a million white lights lining the drive, trees, and bushes around the residence—it was grand. Claire was very pleased to have Emily visit. She never would have dreamed of asking Tony to allow her family to stay. Therefore, his invitation wasn’t only unexpected, but remarkable. Of course, there was plenty of room. With Tony, room wasn’t the issue—it was privacy.

During the past two weeks, privacy was at a premium. There were workers everywhere. When you turned a corner on the main level, you never knew who you might encounter. For that reason, Tony and Claire spent most of their time hidden away in her suite.

While the car wound up the driveway Emily speechlessly watched as the estate came into view. The house glowed from the decorations for Christmas and the grand event. Carlos stopped in front of the house where a grounds worker busily cleared the walk for Ms. Claire and her guest. When Emily reached for her door handle, Claire touched her hand causing Emily to hesitate. Moments later, Carlos got out and went around and opened their door and then opened the door to the house.

Once inside, Catherine greeted them. Claire happily introduced two of her favorite people. She hoped Emily could sense the exceptional relationship she had with Catherine. Catherine informed them, “Ladies your dinner can be ready at any time. Mr. Rawlings is delayed due to weather; however, he recommended that you eat without him.”

Claire thanked Catherine and told her she would show Emily to her room, let her freshen up, and they would return in fifteen minutes.