“Neither did we. It’s been a shock to all of us. I wish he could have lived to a hundred.”
“So do I,” she said softly.
“See you tomorrow at five,” he said before he hung up, and Véronique spent the rest of the night worrying about why he wanted to meet her and what he would say. What if he threatened her? But he was so polite and well brought up, that was hard to imagine. He seemed very conservative and formal when she saw him at the funeral. Whatever he said or did, there was no question in her mind. She had to go, even if for no other reason than to honor their father. They had him in common, even if they had nothing else, and never saw each other again after the meeting.
Chapter 13
Véronique arrived at the Bemelmans Bar at the Carlyle on the dot of five. She wore her black Balenciaga coat again, with simple black slacks and a black sweater, and black flats. She didn’t feel up to wearing color. The bandage on her face showed clearly without her hat, but it looked better than what was under it. She had worn her hair pulled back in a bun. She looked younger than she had the day before, and less glamorous, but she still looked beautiful and elegant. She was a striking woman no matter what she wore.
Charles Hayes was already at a quiet corner table, waiting for her, and stood up the moment she walked in. She recognized him too and made her way toward him, with a small nervous smile, not sure what she was in for. He invited her to sit down, never taking his eyes off her.
“I saw you yesterday,” he said immediately, “or I thought it was you. You looked very elegant and very French, and you look a lot like my sister and paternal grandmother, and my dad. I hope I didn’t upset you by calling yesterday. My father took me into his confidence the day he died. I never knew anything about you or your mother, or even suspected. No one did. I don’t think he wanted to take a secret like that with him, and I’m the executor of his estate, so questions would have surfaced eventually, and I think he wanted me to hear it from him.” Véronique nodded and listened as he went on. He didn’t seem angry at her so far, and wasn’t treating her as an intruder. They shared a secret now, which potentially could make them allies, depending on how he viewed it, or enemies if he chose. But he didn’t seem hostile. He was very polite, and had kind eyes.
“My parents had a difficult marriage. We all figured that out once we grew up. They weren’t well suited to each other. My mother was very distant, even with her children. My father was a much warmer person and he made up for it. But I never suspected that there was another woman or a child, until he told me a few days ago. He told me that he loved your mother very much, and that you had been in touch with him recently, and he saw you. He spoke very highly of her.” He smiled at Véronique. This was a difficult meeting for him too, meeting his father’s love child and talking about his mistress. “Oddly enough, my mother hated politics, and his political career, she always did. And yet he stayed with her. But he told me he didn’t want the scandal that it would have caused if he got divorced, particularly if the circumstances surrounding you and your mother came to light. Americans are puritans, and hypocrites sometimes. It wouldn’t have gone well with his constituents, or played well in the press, even though lots of politicians have affairs and children out of wedlock. Americans expect their political leaders to be above reproach. I’m getting a taste of that myself. I’m in the midst of a divorce. My father encouraged me to do it, and not spend the rest of my life unhappy with the wrong person. He made it very clear to me the other day that he regretted not staying with your mother, and risking the fallout of it publicly. He said she left him so she wouldn’t spoil his political chances, which was certainly noble of her. She must have been a very good woman, and she never made trouble for my father, nor did you.” Charles smiled at her. “She was an honorable woman, and he was a good man. He wanted me to meet you, and we are brother and sister after all. I would have known about you anyway, because I’m the executor of his will, and there’s a provision in it for you.” She looked shocked when he said it. “He wanted to be sure that you’ll be all right, with your mother gone and after what happened in Brussels.” So he knew all that too.
She was shocked to hear about the money. She hadn’t expected that, since he had provided for her very handsomely when he and Marie-Helene parted.
“Do your sisters know about me?” she asked, curious, and he shook his head, with a grave expression. He was a serious-looking man, with gray at his temples.