gown, shoes, undergarments, including slip and veil. Emily would arrive on Wednesday evening. It was a great afternoon and they ended it with a bottle of champagne and some snacks on the plane home.
When Tony entered the suite that evening, she sprung up and encircled his neck with her arms. “You are awful!” And she kissed him hard.
Surprised, he replied, “Okay, remind me to be awful more often. What did I do?”
“Only assist in giving me the best bridal luncheon ever, which included my sister!” He looked at her. She quickly replied, “Oh, don’t start. Courtney told me that you were the one who gave her Emily’s number. You, who acted like you didn’t know anything about others joining us. You’re really rotten. And I love you more every day.” She kissed him again. He grinned and returned the kiss.
He asked to see her dress. She told him, “No.” He expressed astonishment at her denial. “You can’t see it until next Saturday.” He conceded to see what she would wear under her dress.
Claire grinned. They were alone in her suite. Seductively she began to unbutton her blouse, one button at a time. Tony didn’t mind the consolation prize, at all.
Love one another, but make not a bond of love,
let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.
—Kahlil Gibran
Chapter 30
Emily arrived on the Wednesday evening before the wedding. Tony sent his private plane to pick her up in Albany. John, however, was involved in a hearing and wouldn’t be available until Friday. He apologized to Claire for the mix-up but couldn’t change the trial date. Claire decided it would be nice to have Emily all to herself. However, she worried about her reaction to the private plane as she sat in the back of one of Tony’s cars at the airport waiting for the jet to arrive. The interior of the BMW was warm and permeated the smell of leather. It was significantly better than the cold Iowa chill outside the windows.
Once the door of the jet opened and stairs descended, Claire got out of the car, feeling the brisk air. It snowed the past three days, and everything was brilliantly covered with a beautiful clean white blanket. Claire wore jeans, a furry jacket, and snow boots to stay warm. Keeping her leather gloved hands deep in her pockets, she watched the crew clear the runway and the pavement as the snow continued to fall.
Emily descended the stairs and hugged Claire. “Hi, sis, are you by yourself?”
“Carlos drove me here, but Tony is still at work.” They got into the warm car while Carlos retrieved Emily’s luggage and placed it in the trunk. Emily smiled and said, “You know, when you and Tony offered to arrange our travel plans, I was kind of expecting a ticket on United or something.” Claire didn’t speak, she waited. “But I am not complaining. I am, however, anxiously anticipating your home.” Claire could sense Emily’s honest attempt at acceptance.
Relieved, Claire excitedly continued, “Good. I can’t wait for you to see it. Right now, it is very busy and cluttered. There have been hundreds of workers preparing for the ceremony. But we can get away from all the people and have some time to ourselves. Have you eaten?” It was seven thirty in Iowa, the sky was very dark, yet the snow, which continued to fall, made it appear brighter. Emily said she had not, only some snacks on the plane. Claire said, “Good, we will eat when we get home.”
The estate looked stately on any given day. In the snow, it appeared splendid. With the addition of millions of white lights lining the drive, the trees, and bushes around the residence, it was grand. Claire was very pleased to have Emily visit. She never would have dreamed of asking Tony to allow her and John to stay. Therefore, his invitation wasn’t only unexpected but remarkable. Of course, there was plenty of room. With Tony, room wasn’t the issue—privacy was.
During the past two weeks, privacy had been at a premium. There were workers everywhere. When you turned a corner on the main level, you never knew for sure who you might encounter. For that reason, Tony and Claire spent most of their time hidden away in her suite. Tony even felt that the people were too close on the first floor while in his suite or office.
While the car wound up the driveway Emily speechlessly watched as the estate came into view.