The Right Bride

Chapter Forty-Three


THEY TRIED TO console Marti after Cameron’s visit. A distinguished gentleman interrupted and walked into her room carrying a large box. Another man followed with another large box.

“Martina, I’ve brought what you requested. I hope you’re feeling better this morning.”

“Hello, Uncle Anthony.”

Her uncle set the box on the floor by the bed and stood to greet her company.

“Uncle Anthony, these are the Turners, Jenna and Jack, and Elizabeth and Sam. Jenna is head of Merrick International.

“You guys, this is my uncle, Anthony Fairchild of Fairchild Industries.”

Jenna gasped. “I knew it. The deal with Fairchild Industries is because of you.”

“Martina is in charge of special projects at the company. The project with Merrick is completely her doing.” Anthony looked around the room at everyone. “It’s nice to meet all of you. Martina speaks highly of you. I’m glad to see she has some friends in her life. She spends far too much time alone.”

“Martina Fairchild,” Jenna said. “Your grandmother was Sofia Fairchild, the artist.”

Marti smiled. Anthony stood taller. They both loved Sofia and had common ground between them, because of her.

“I am the granddaughter of Sofia and Martin Fairchild. My father was Frederick Fairchild.”

“The writer.” Elizabeth exclaimed. “He was brilliant.”

Anthony looked stoic. “He was a great man and taken from us far too early in life. He had a great many stories left to tell. Martina is very much like her father. Perhaps it’s why we clash so often.”

“You’re not so bad, Uncle. I’m just too much of a free spirit for you.” She looked at the others. “Uncle Anthony is a lot like my grandfather. He’d like to see me spend my life in an office building. I prefer a little more freedom.”

“Martina, you’re rich. That doesn’t mean you have to be eccentric too.”

“To you, eccentric is anyone who doesn’t work in an office sixty hours a week. I have a job. I have three, actually.” She may not spend her life in an office, but she also didn’t spend her free time gambling like her uncle. It was his vice, and one that sometimes cost him dearly.

“Yes, I know. You’re great at all of them, and I don’t give you enough credit. I’m difficult and ornery. I can’t help it, and you put up with me because I’m family.”

“I put up with you because I love you, and I find you a challenge.”

“How’s my great-nephew?”

“Just like grandfather, won’t even consider the baby might be a girl.”

“I’m still not sure you’re all girl. You do business like a man.”

“Of which you and grandfather will forever be proud.”

“Damn right.”

“The baby is doing just fine.”

“Perfect. Fairchilds are strong stock. We don’t go down without a fight.” He kissed her on the head in a rare gesture of affection. “I’ll see you Friday at the benefit. Let me know if you need anything else. Do you need me to come back for the books?”

“No, I’ll give them to Jenna and Jack to take with them.”

“I have a meeting. I’ll try to come and see you again tonight.”

She didn’t want to know if the meeting was business or a card game. She was just happy they were on good terms. Today, anyway. “Thank you, Uncle.”

“We’ve been at odds for too long. You’re the only family I have. I’ll try to be more flexible.”

“I’d like that.”

He turned to leave, but glanced back. “You’re the richest woman in the state, couldn’t they give you a better room?”

“I’m fine right here.” She rolled her eyes at her uncle’s back, the door closing between them.

“I can’t believe you’re Martina Fairchild,” Jenna said with wonder.

“Oh, there’s more. It’s time I told you all exactly who I am. Open up the boxes.”

Jenna pulled out one of the Tina’s Travels books. “Why do you have these books?”

“Because the author promised she’d sign all of them for the benefit.” She smiled and waited for them to figure it out. She didn’t wait long.

“Oh my God. You’re Tina Fair, the author.” Jenna was even more stunned.

Everyone looked at Marti and waited for her to explain.

“I am Martina Fairchild, Tina Fair, and just plain Marti. I’m the granddaughter of a famous artist, daughter of a famous writer, granddaughter to a corporate mogul, and the niece to a grumpy bear of an uncle, who runs the corporate empire.

“I’m a children’s book author, a painter, a corporate mogul, a sailor, and so much more. I don’t give out my last name because as soon as I do people make all kinds of assumptions about me. They don’t take the time to get to know me past the part about my being rich.

“It’s the same for you, Jenna. If you introduce yourself as Jenna Merrick Turner, people know you own Merrick International and they automatically start cataloguing all the things they think they know about you. Elizabeth, I understand you’re a Hamilton. I’m sure people have heard that name and assumed a great many things based on your family history.

“Fairchild is just a name. It isn’t who I am, unless you get to know me and understand my place in the family. Then you can decide if you like me for who I am, and not based on my last name or how much money I have.”

“Was your uncle kidding about you being the richest woman in the state?” Jack was impressed because he thought Jenna was rich. The Fairchilds were in a class of their own.

“He would know. Everything is about dollars and cents for my uncle. It’s part of the reason he and I don’t see eye to eye. I don’t put a dollar value on everything.”

“And Cameron has no idea who you are?” Elizabeth thought it amazing Cameron could be involved with Marti all this time and never discover who she really is.

“He thinks I’m Marti. Killer of his baby, jealous of his fiancé, a great mother figure for Emma, lover, liar, and all kinds of things he thinks he knows. The hardest part about all this isn’t that he doesn’t know my last name, or even what I do for a living. He doesn’t even believe the things he’s seen me do, or the things I’ve said to him. I painted Emma’s room. He knows George asked me to do it, he thought it was spectacular, but he didn’t even assume I’d done it personally. He thinks I stayed up for two days straight watching someone else work.

“He doesn’t see what is right in front of him. I told him I was pregnant, and he called me a liar. She tells him and he believes her without a doubt. I just can’t get over that.

“I don’t know what else I can do to make him see me for who I am. I guess he’ll find out on Friday at the benefit. I’m afraid when he finds out I’m a Fairchild, only then will he change his opinion about me because of my name and wealth.”

“You think he’ll only listen to you because you’re a Fairchild.” Jenna knew just how Marti felt. Sometimes she couldn’t get people to listen to her, but when they found out she was the CEO of Merrick, they all of a sudden wanted her opinion.

“I think it will make a difference and it shouldn’t. I’d rather he love me and believes me because I’m Marti, not because I’m Martina Fairchild and all it implies.”