The Life She Wanted: A Novel(60)

“Virginia!” she exclaimed. “What are you doing here?”

“Adele called me at the townhouse.” Virginia entered the room. “I just arrived.”

“I didn’t know you were coming,” Pandora said.

“I would have gotten here sooner, but I’ve already gotten two speeding tickets.” Virginia grinned. “Can I see her?”

Pandora pointed at the bassinet next to the bed.

“She’s lovely.” Virginia admired her. “Does she have a name?”

“Esme Adele Enright,” Pandora announced. “You already promised to be her godmother.”

“Of course I will.” Virginia nodded.

“Having a baby is harder than I imagined,” Pandora admitted. “I didn’t think I would survive.”

Virginia took off her hat. She smiled at Pandora cheekily. “Do you remember when we were sixteen and I had so many questions about sex? I never considered the outcome; I only wanted to know how to kiss.”

“Pregnancy is wretched, but it’s worth it,” Pandora said ruefully. She gazed at Esme. “I’ve never felt so much love.”

“I brought you something.” Virginia disappeared into the hallway and returned with a huge box.

Inside the box was the biggest teddy bear Pandora had ever seen, a silver rattle from Tiffany’s, and a chemistry set.

“I stopped at FAO Schwarz,” Virginia said. “The teddy bear is from Archie. I sent him a telegram, and he said to buy the biggest teddy bear I could find. The rattle and the chemistry set are from me. Esme might want to become a scientist.”

“I’ll keep it in her chest for now,” Pandora answered, smiling.

“I should go,” Virginia said when the nurse placed Esme in Pandora’s arms. “I’m interfering with your feeding schedule.”

“Would you like to hold her first?” Pandora offered.

Virginia gingerly took Esme from Pandora. She cradled her in her arms.

“I’m glad it’s you and not me,” Virginia said with a grin. “But I’ll be the best godmother Esme could ask for.”

Pandora fed Esme and then took a nap. When she woke, it was nighttime. The sky was dark, and the maid had lit the fire in the bedroom fireplace.

While she was sleeping, Harley had called. He was waiting for Milton to finish a dinner engagement, and they would drive up together.

Willie appeared in the doorway. He held a bunch of daffodils in one hand and a small container in the other.

“It’s so late you could have waited until tomorrow,” she said, her eyes alight with pleasure.

Willie strode over to the bed and kissed Pandora.

“I wouldn’t have slept a wink,” he answered. “The daffodils are from Maude Van Luyen, and Esther made strawberry gelatin.”

He glanced around the room eagerly. “Can I see her?”

Willie picked Esme up without waiting for a reply. He held her expertly, cooing to her while pacing around the room.

“Do you remember before Harley proposed? I said marriage isn’t anything without love,” her father began. “I was wrong. Holding Esme reminds me of when I first held you. Marriage can give you the one thing that will bring you joy your whole life: a child.”

“Harley and I are in love,” Pandora assured him. “We’re very happy.”

Willie placed Esme in the bassinet.

“I know. I saw it in the way you looked at each other at the ceremony.” Her father nodded. “I mean you have everything now; no one can take it away.”

The last visitor was Harley. He arrived just after she finished feeding Esme before bed.

“I wanted to stop and get flowers, but I was already so late. I ordered them to be delivered instead.” Harley kissed her.

It felt good to see Harley. She had missed him during the birth.

“I have flowers.” Pandora waved at the vase of daffodils. “I’m just glad you’re here.”

Harley was too choked up to answer. He stood at the bassinet and gazed at the tiny blond head wrapped in a pink blanket. When he turned around, his eyes were wet.

“She’s perfect. There’s nowhere I’d rather be than here with my beautiful wife and daughter.”

Her father was right. Pandora and Harley had everything they wanted: a beautiful house, each other, a child, the means to open her boutique. Their lives were about Esme now. Pandora wouldn’t let Porter Merrill or anyone else destroy their family.





Chapter Fifteen


February 1929, Hyde Park, New York

The day of Esme’s first birthday party was an unusually sunny day for February. A few hours before the party, Harley still hadn’t arrived. He hadn’t called, and when Pandora rang the townhouse in New York, no one answered.

Pandora tried not to get upset. She figured that Harley had probably taken clients to dinner, and it was so late when they finished, he went straight to bed. Perhaps he drove up this morning and stopped to buy Esme a present. He’d appear any minute, and she would have worried for nothing.

After Esme was born, Pandora had debated for weeks if she should mention seeing him with Porter the day she went into labor. At first, the image of them on the townhouse steps haunted her, and she could think of nothing else. But it wouldn’t do any good to confront him. At best, Harley would make up an excuse: they were discussing Porter’s political campaign or Harley happened to be in the neighborhood and they caught up over a late lunch.