They didn’t have much time to spare before the plane took off, and Robert and his daughter were absorbed in each other so, thankfully, Dougless wasn’t asked to speak. If she had been asked anything, she wasn’t sure she could have answered. With each passing minute, she saw one dream after another disappear. Champagne dinners gave way to fast food eaten in the car. Afternoons spent lazily strolling on wooded paths turned into visions of arguments about “finding something Gloria can enjoy, too”—a request that Dougless had already heard too many times.
And then there was the privacy issue. The three of them would share one room. When could she and Robert be alone?
It was when they boarded the plane that Dougless saw that Robert had put quite a bit of work into Gloria’s trip. Her boarding pass said she was in the same row as they were, in the aisle seat.
But Robert set Gloria between them, so Dougless ended up on the aisle, which she hated because no matter where she put her arms or her legs, she was always told by the flight attendant that she was blocking the passage of the cart.
It was during the long flight that Robert, smiling, had handed Dougless Gloria’s ticket. “Add this to our list of expenses, will you? And I’ll need a penny by penny—or should I say shilling by shilling,” he added, winking at Gloria, “accounting of all the money spent. My accountant thinks I can deduct this whole trip.”
“But it’s a pleasure trip, not business.”
Robert frowned. “Dougless, please don’t start on me already. Would you please just keep track of the money we spend so that when we get home, you and I can split the expenses in half?”
Dougless looked at Gloria’s ticket she was holding. “You mean in thirds, don’t you? Me one third, two thirds for you and Gloria.”
Robert gave her a look of horror as he put his arm around Gloria protectively, as though Dougless had tried to hit the kid. “I meant in half. Gloria is for you to enjoy, too. Money spent is nothing compared to the joy you’ll receive from her company.”
Dougless turned away. She wasn’t going to get into an argument now; they’d discuss this further later—when they were in private and Gloria wasn’t watching them with interest.
For the rest of the long flight, she read while Gloria and Robert played cards and ignored her. Twice Dougless took a tranquilizer to keep her stomach from eating itself.
Now, in the car, Dougless rubbed her aching stomach. In the four days they’d been in England she’d tried to enjoy herself. She’d tried not to complain when the first night in their beautiful hotel room, Gloria had moaned so much about the trundle bed the hotel had put in the room—after the owner had crossly lectured Dougless about not having expected Gloria—that Robert had asked Gloria to get into their four poster with them. After nearly being pushed out of bed twice, Dougless had ended up sleeping on the trundle bed. Nor had Dougless complained when Gloria ordered three entrees at the expensive restaurant. “I just want my baby to have a taste of everything,” Robert said. “And, Dougless, please stop being so stingy. I don’t know what’s come over you. I always thought you were a generous person,” Robert said, then handed Dougless the enormous bill that Dougless was to pay half of.
Dougless managed to keep her mouth shut by constantly reminding herself that she was the adult and Gloria was just a child. And Dougless consoled herself with the knowledge that somewhere in Robert’s baggage was a five-thousand-dollar engagement ring. The thought of that ring made her remember that he did love her. And she reminded herself that all the things he did for Gloria were done out of love, too.
But after last night, Dougless was finding it impossible to keep up her appearance of good humor. Last night at yet another hundred-and-fifty-dollar dinner, Robert had presented Gloria with a long blue velvet box. As Dougless watched Gloria open the box, she had a sinking feeling.
Gloria’s eyes lit up when she saw what was inside. “But it’s not my birthday, Daddy,” she’d whispered.
“I know, Muffin,” Robert said softly. “It’s just to say, ‘I love you.’”
Slowly, Gloria withdrew from the box a wide bracelet made of twisted wires of gold and silver, from which dripped diamonds and emeralds.
Dougless couldn’t prevent the gasp that escaped her, for she knew that her engagement ring was being fastened about Gloria’s chubby wrist.
Gloria held her arm up triumphantly. “See?”
“Yes, I see,” Dougless said coolly.
After dinner, in the hall outside their room, Robert had been furious with her. “You didn’t show much enthusiasm about the bracelet I gave my daughter. Gloria was trying to show it to you. She was trying to make overtures of friendship to you, but you snubbed her. You’ve hurt her deeply.”
“Is that what you paid five thousand dollars for? A diamond bracelet for a child?”
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“Gloria happens to be a young woman, a very beautiful young woman, and she deserves beautiful things. And besides, it’s my money. It’s not as though you and I were married and you had any legal rights to my money.”
It was the first time they’d been alone in days, and Dougless wanted to keep her pride, wanted to tell herself that it didn’t matter that Robert bought his young daughter diamonds but gave the woman he lived with half his bills. But Dougless had never been able to conceal her true feelings. With her eyes filling with unshed tears, Dougless put her hands on his arms. “Are we going to get married?” she whispered. “Is it ever going to happen?”
Angrily, he jerked away from her touch. “Not if you don’t start showing a little love and generosity to both my daughter and me.” He gave her a cold look. “You know, I thought you were different, but now I’m beginning to think that you’re as cold as my ex-wife. Now, if you’ll please excuse me, I have to go comfort my daughter. She’s probably crying her little eyes out after the way you treated her.” After one last glare at Dougless, he turned and went into their room.
Dougless slumped against the wall. “Emerald earrings should dry her tears,” she whispered to no one.
So now, in the car, she sat with her body twisted around Gloria’s suitcases and knew that no marriage proposal, and certainly no engagement ring, was going to be given to her. Instead she knew that she was going to spend the month-long trip acting as a secretary and navigator for Robert, and being taunted by his daughter. At the moment Dougless wasn’t sure what she was going to do, but the thought of taking the first plane home appealed to her.
Even as she thought of leaving, she looked at the back of Robert’s head and her heart lurched. If she got on a plane in a rage, she knew she’d have to return to the U.S. and move out of Robert’s house. She’d have to find an apartment; then she’d— What? Start dating again? As a schoolteacher, she didn’t meet too many men. She could go to her family and— Admit that she’d had yet another relationship fail?
“Dougless,” Robert said. “I think maybe we’re lost. Where is this church? I thought you were going to watch the road maps. I can’t drive and navigate.” There was an edge to his voice that hadn’t been there yesterday and Dougless knew he was still angry about her reaction to the bracelet.