* * *
Amandine stared out the window at nothing. Her limp hand held a paint-brush tipped in crimson.
Ever since she and Gavin had ended the reconciliation attempt, she couldn’t focus. If it weren’t for Brooke and Luna, she might have forgotten to eat.
“Amandine, you have a visitor,” Luna said.
“Who?”
“Mrs. Lloyd.”
Amandine tensed. Luna called only one person Mrs. Lloyd: Stella. “Where is she?”
“In the living room.”
“I’ll be right out.” She put down her brush and got up. Her palms grew damp. Why had Stella come? She’d never visited Amandine, and had no reason to stop by now, especially with the impending divorcing.
Stella sat on the sofa, her slim legs elegantly angled. Her blue blouse set off the pearls on her ears and around her throat, and not even the smallest wrinkle showed on her deep purple pencil skirt. She smiled when she saw Amandine. “Hello, dear.”
“Hi. What a surprise. I didn’t realize you’d be visiting.” Sitting, Amandine touched her hair and clothes unconsciously. A simple ponytail and a paint-splattered baby T and jeans couldn’t compete with Stella’s neat French twist and silk outfit.
“I heard you couldn’t travel, so I thought I should,” Stella said. “We missed you yesterday.”
“What do you mean?”
“The family party. It was yesterday.”
Was it? Amandine didn’t remember, but then it wasn’t like she’d been invited. “I hope it was fun.”
“It served its purpose.”
“Well then.” Amandine forced a smile. “That’s all that matters.”
There was a short pause as Stella’s penetrating gaze studied Amandine’s face. “Are you all right?”
“Yes. I’m fine, no nausea or anything.”
Luna brought out a tray of tea and cookies and disappeared. Stella ignored the refreshments. “I heard from Meredith that you’re divorcing my son.”
Amandine’s stomach suddenly felt tight. “Things…haven’t worked out.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. But I hope you won’t try to cut all of us out.”
“Of course not. It’d be cruel to deprive the baby of its grandma and uncles and aunts.”
The tension around Stella’s mouth loosened. “Thank you. I’m afraid I did many things wrong by you and Catherine.”
“I’m sorry?”
“When Jacob and Catherine announced they were getting married, I could tell something wasn’t quite right. I always thought she’d marry Gavin.”
“You did…?”
Stella nodded. “I can piece together quite a bit from what my children say and do. You’ll see, when you have some of your own.” She picked up a sugar cookie and bit into it. “Then, a year after Catherine and Jacob’s wedding ceremony, Gavin suddenly married you, Catherine’s cousin. My children’s happiness is important to me, and I didn’t know what to make of it at first. I assumed you and Catherine had ‘played’ my sons, as the younger crowd says these days.” A rueful smile twisted her face, and something like regret flitted through her eyes. “As it turns out, I was wrong. Jacob’s an embarrassment, and Gavin can’t be happy when you aren’t. I’ve never gone out of my way to make you feel welcome and included in the family.”
Amandine shook her head. “Stella, please. You’ve always been so gracious to me.”
“Grace devoid of warmth isn’t really being gracious, dear.” Stella put half the cookie back on her plate. “I don’t know if you’re going to want to keep in touch, but I hope you do.”