"I hope so. She deserves to be happy, and so do you. Grace. Making you guys happy will make me happier. too. Let me do that, okay?" he asked with a twinkle in his eyes. "Don't resent me for wanting to give you too much."
He was so sincere. His hand lightly brushed over my hair. and I felt myself crumbling under the weight of so much sadness mixed with so much joy. I wanted to let myself fall into his arms and let him hold me and protect me and keep out all the demons. Maybe Mommy was right. Maybe it could be only within this castle.
"Okay," I said in a small voice, and he smiled and kissed me on the forehead.
"Welcome to Joya del Mar forever and ever.Grace." he whispered.
The tempo of the music picked up.
"Oh, no," he cried with feined panic, but he didn't let go of me.
We started to dance just the way we had on Paradise Island and some of the guests actually cheered. Some looked absolutely shocked right down to their Gucci undergarments. Before we finished I glanced to the right and saw Phoebe, who had been talking with some younger people. turn and shoot off. her hair bouncing on her neck, her hands clenched in fists. When I had first met her I was for a short while actua
lly envious. I wanted to be like her: beautiful, popular. powerful. That seemed ages ago. I felt as if I had grown up overnight. I was no longer a child. I would na longer think like a child. I would put all that away forever.
Mommy and Winston had decided to leave on their honeymoon in the morning. The wedding ran late. I actually went to bed before the last guests left. I understood that for many of these people an all-night event was not that unusual. After all, what did they have to do the following day besides sleep if they wanted?
I was still asleep myself when Mommy stopped by nearly at noon to say goodbye. She was dressed and ready to leave. I tried to grind the sleep from my eyes, but it was still like looking at her through some gray veil.
"Did you have a good time, honey?" she asked.
"Yes," I said. I had actually eaten late and enjoyed the wonderful wedding cake. Other men had asked me to dance after I danced with Winston, younger men. I had. but I didn't remember all their names. I had drunk some champagne, too, and my thoughts became foggy. my memories merging-.
"It was a wedding they will talk about around here for a long time. It's sure to make the front page of the Shiny Sheet." I knew that was the Palm Beach newspaper's nickname. "And be featured in the magazines. I'll call you from the yacht." she promised.
"Yacht?"
"Winston's surprise was hiring a yacht to take us to some wonderful places in the Mediterranean. We're flying to Nice where it is waiting for us. There is someplace on the coast of southern France he especially wants me to see. He's thinking of taking a villa there for us next summer. Won't that be wonderful?"
I nodded, Actually I had a small headache, and nothing she was saying made sense to me.
You look like you need to sleep. Grace. Don't rush to get up. Invite anyone you want over, if you like."
"I don't know anyone I want to invite," I said quickly.
She looked unhappy about that. "Well, after you start your new school you'll make new friends. You'll set," she assured me, kissed me, and started out. "We've done it." she said from the doorway. "We've given nasty fate the old heave-ho."
Then she was gone. and I let my head full of lead drop back to the pillow. I slept well into the afternoon, and when I woke up I realized it was all true. We were really here. and I was a modern American princess.
But I was alone.
.
Mommy called the following day. She was very excited.
"I'm calling you from the yacht. Grace. I'm looking at the port of Nice. We're on our way to Monte Carlo and then to ports in Italy. Winston promised Louisa we would stop in Capri and visit with her brother and sister-in-law. The scenery everywhere is beyond words. I'll take lots of pictures. Are you all right?"
"Yes, Mommy, I'm fine," I said, almost laughing. It hadn't been quite twenty-four hours. "I'm getting started on the reading list for my new school."
"Try to do something that's fun. too. Grace."
"I will," I said, a promise as hollow as an empty peanut shell.
"You can reach us anytime you want. Jakks has the numbers," she said, referring to our butler.
She called me every other day and gave me a quick summary of what they had done, always asking me what was new. She even called the day before they were returning, but that was for more special information,
"Winston and I have chosen a villa for next summer." she declared. In the few days that had gone by it was now "Winston and I." "We're bringing a video so you can get a good idea of it all. How are things back there?"