It made all the difference. From that point on, when she learned of an impending gathering, she had but one solitary goal—to please her husband. On some occasions they would be at opposite sides of a room and she would look up from a conversation to observe his eyes. The presence of brown rimmed pupils would strengthen her resolve to perform her role to perfection. Rarely would she discover the black voids. On those occasions she would excuse herself from her current activity and attempt to learn the source of his unhappiness. Once discovered it would be her responsibility to right the wrong. Assuming this responsibility of Mrs. Anthony Rawlings familiarized her with many of his associates and made her feel less alone. She met the people Tony dealt with on a daily basis. In reality she may have been a beautiful accessory but she believed she provided an important asset to his public relations. The added bonus was that she continued to amaze Tony by excelling at whatever obstacle was put before her.
A week before they needed to be in France for Tony’s meetings, he informed Claire they would spend a few nights in New York City before their trip. He could work from the NYC office and it would decrease their travel time to Paris.
Claire’s research discovered many sights she anxiously anticipated seeing in France. They would arrive in Paris, where he had two days of meetings. She wanted to see the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Muse’e d’Orsay, Notre Dame Cathedral, and the Arc de Triomple among other places. She told Tony multiple times how excited she was that she was involved in planning their activities. Next, he promised her two nights in the south of France, one of his favorite destinations. He had special plans for this destination. She had read about Cannes, the French Riviera, and Monaco, but willingly trusted his decisions.
Next, they would be off to Italy. His meetings there were in Rome and Florence. They would have the opportunity to visit museums and monuments in both cities. Her two requests were the Vatican and the Galleria dell’ Accademia, the museum that housed Michelangelo’s David. Tony promised that David didn’t have anything she hadn’t seen before.
He wanted her to see the island of Sicily. The water, he said, was beautiful. The blueness rivaled Fiji. He mischievously smiled and let her know that nude sunbathing was an acceptable practice there. Claire didn’t like the idea of nude sunbathing with multitudes of people. After a naughty smirk Tony agreed. He didn’t want others seeing what he alone had the pleasure of viewing whenever he chose.
His last meetings were in Switzerland. He needed to be in Genève and Interlaken. He explained that if she enjoyed the beauty and splendor of the Rocky Mountains at Lake Tahoe she would marvel at the Swiss Alps. They were magnificent. He knew she would love all that nature had to offer in Switzerland.
As Tony spoke about their trip he expressed his desire to spend more time in Europe. “I want to show you so many places. We aren’t even planning for Venice. A gondola ride is one of the most romantic adventures. And what about London, don’t you want to see Buckingham Palace?”
“We have forever to visit those places.” As he spoke about cities and sites, his eyes danced with enthusiasm. His excitement to share something with her meant more than the trip itself.
The Tuesday before their scheduled departure they sat in her suite, with Claire reviewing e-mails and Tony working on his laptop. She only needed to discuss the e-mails that she felt deserved personal follow through, of any kind. She read each one and eventually came to one from Emily. She’d expected to see it. The last one had been about a week ago. This one contained new information. It wasn’t just the “I want to see you” text.
To: Claire Rawlings [email protected]
From: Emily Vandersol [email protected]
Date: July 19, 2011
Re: Hi.
Hi, Claire, How are you and Anthony? We are doing very well. I’m on summer break, which you know. Would be great to see my little sis, but anyway, know how busy you are. How have those dinner party things been going? Still cracks me up. You being the one hosting parties! Would never have guessed it. Anyway, didn’t you say you two were going on vacation? I heard something on the television about you being on another private island. Really? Have you been gone? I never know what to believe. But I wanted to let you know John and his associate just had a big win in court recently. They made a huge impression on the partners. Not to mention some big money for them too. We’ve been invited to multiple dinners and John has had some “lunches” with a few of the partners recently. It is looking like all his hours and hard work will be paying off soon. Would love to hear from you. Please give Anthony our love. How is Iowa? I have some time, maybe you and I could visit in person? Or are you too busy for your big sister. (I’m trying guilt.)
Love ya,
Em
Claire read it, sighed, and wrote on the top: “Patricia, please respond,” then moved on to the next. She could sense Tony’s eyes penetrate her consciousness. He’d read it. She didn’t need to discuss the contents, she wasn’t requesting anything. Lifting her gaze she saw his eyes and answered, “I don’t want to deal with it, okay? I am too excited about our trip.”
He shrugged his shoulders. “Well, that’s fine. I just thought you might want to see her and John while we are in New York before our trip. It sounds to me like a celebratory dinner for your esteemed brother-in-law is in order.”