Claire: A Woman’s Journey
New York Heiress ~ Chicago Madam
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Certain characters in this work are historical figures, and certain events portrayed did take place. However, this is a work of fiction. All of the other characters, names, events as well as all places, incidents, organizations, dialog in this novel are either the products of the writer’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
Claire: A Woman’s Journey – New York Heiress ~ Chicago Madam Copyright © 2008
Linda Rae Blair
ISBN: 1-4392-0468-9
ISBN-13: 9781439204689
Smashwords Editon
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the copyright owner.
Discover other titles by Linda Rae Blair at Smashwords.com:
Where is Harry? http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/11146
Intersections~Love, Betrayal, Murder (The Chicago Trilogy) http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/9995
Elusive http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/9990
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To women everywhere who struggle to obtain and maintain their rights and do what it takes to succeed no matter what the obstacle, this is for you!
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
My thanks to those of you who said you enjoyed Claire’s character in Where Is Harry?
I want to say a very special thank you to Jane Vincent for her editorial work, suggestions and enthusiasm. I don’t think you’re anal; I think you are wonderful! I hope we get to do this together again. Janie girl, the next one is due to you!
I would also like to thank the many others who continued to support me throughout the writing process of this next novel in the series. Bevelyn, Julia, Lori, Karen, Anna, Paul, Gail, Cleo, Cindi and the rest of you who know who you are, your enthusiasm over ”Harry” and support kept me rolling through the writing and publishing process.
Hopefully you will get the same laughs you enjoyed from Claire’s audacious behavior in “Harry”, and even more from those with whom she surrounds herself. She and her friends are strong characters carved out of drive and determination to live their lives as they wish; not as determined by the male dominated society of their time.
These are also characteristics of many of my friends who have also overcome adversity, conditions and circumstances, moved on through them and afterward determined their own paths and supported one another through good times and bad. I don’t need to name names; you all know who you are and how special you are to me. It is my pleasure to know each of you.
As for our friends, coworkers, bosses, spouses and significant others who may happen to be males, thank you for your support of these wonderful women. Although we could and would be successful without you, we would miss out on so much that we enjoy with you, if you didn’t stand with us.
Any errors in historic references and timelines should be blamed on the author as artistic license. After all, that’s what fiction is all about!
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1
The Beginning – New York
Spring, 1893 – New York City
“Oh, William, just look at her,” Suzanna Bradley cooed over her newborn daughter. “She has your hair and my eyes,” she said softly as she kissed the babe sweet warm cheek. Tears came into Suzanna’s huge blue eyes as the love for this new babe came into her heart in huge waves. She felt she would surely burst from it.
William Bradley, a burly man of just over six-feet-three-inches in height with red hair, mustache and beard was known as being an emotional man. He loved and he trusted with an open heart, but the depth of the love he felt for his beautiful, blonde wife had always astonished him. She could melt his very soul with a simple glance in his direction. He’d known the moment he had seen her that he would not live life without her. Now looking at her as she held their first born pulled at him in a way he had not expected. Life did indeed change when you became a parent. He would never want anything but the very best for this small, sweet little girl of theirs.
Gently reaching for the tiny fist that was pushing against her mother’s breast, William asked, “What shall we name her, Suze?”
“Claire, I would like to name her Claire,” Suzanna said softly.
“Claire,” he repeated, “Well, little Claire, welcome to this big, beautiful world. Welcome to our family. I hope every day of your life be filled with miracles as beautiful as you, my precious little girl.”
When Suzanna reached for her husband’s hand, he squeezed her fingers gently and raised them to his mouth for a kiss filled with all the tenderness he felt.
How she loved this man and now this, their beautiful little girl. She too hoped that Claire’s life would be filled with miracles and joy.
When the child was finished with her very first nursing, William lifted her from Suzanna’s arms, held the babe close to him and walked her around the enormous master suite of their New York mansion. The sun was streaming through the windows between the pale blue silk draperies, shining onto the silk draped bed where Suzanna rested watching them with a peaceful smile on her face.
William watched his Suzanna as she drifted off to sleep. Good he thought, get some rest my beloved. You worked so hard giving us this beautiful gift today. You deserve a good rest. Then looking back at sweet, little Claire he knew no other day in his lifetime could bring him this same joy.
He sat in the chair beside Suzanna’s bed and just held the babe, rocking her for the next two hours while her mother rested. Neither of them knew that the future would not be so kind. Much of the joy would vanish. The wealth would disappear. Life would be much too short and love would be lost. The fact that they could not see what lay ahead was perhaps the greatest gift they had this day, but that was a blessing of which they were unaware.
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2
Little Girl Loved
August, 1907 – New York
“Papa, oh, Papa, I’m so glad you’re home!” Claire ran to greet him as he arrived. She reached open her arms as her father picked her up and whirled her around in wide circles.
Claire’s laughter filled the huge foyer and greeted Suzanna as she came down the stairway. Laughing at the sight of the two of them, so happy and so lovingly engaged, Suzanna continued toward them to be gathered into a three-fold embrace. “Welcome home darling. How was your day?” she asked after a brief but warm kiss was firmly planted on her full lips.
“Nowhere near as wonderful as it is to come home to this greeting,” he grinned at the two of them. “What have the two most beautiful women in New York been up to today?”
“Oh, Papa, we had the best time,” Claire gushed. “We went shopping in the city and bought so many pretty, new dresses and other things for me to take to school. It was a wonderful day!”
“Ah, I see, well I am sure that any day spent trying on beautiful dresses must be a wonderful day, isn’t that true my love?” he asked Suzanna.
“Yes, dear, it surely is!” his wife laughed.
“Well, we must make time later this evening for you to show me all your new treasures. For now I need to finish just a small piece of business in my study before dinner. I will join both my beauties in about half an hour.” He gave each of them a kiss full of the warmth he felt for his two girls. He often wondered just how he had deserved such women in his life.
William knew that sending Claire to school in Switzerland was for the girl’s benefit. A good education could not be undervalued, even for a young lady, he had always believed. Unlike the women of their generation who had too often been denied a really fine education because men didn’t believe they could possibly make any use of it. In his estimation, this had been the error of the men and not due to any great wisdom or truth. William was far ahead of his time in this respect.
His wife had been well read when they met and she had many interests other than just running their home. She was involved in the arts and was every bit as good with informed conversation as he. They often enjoyed stimulating conversations about his businesses. Few of his contemporaries could claim the same enjoyment with their stuffy, under-accomplished wives.
William wanted to assure that his daughter had absolutely every advantage that his wealth could offer her. So the decision had been made to send Claire to the best boarding school they could find, even though he thought his heart would break without her in their big house. Oh well, it was for her good, after all, but Switzerland was so very far away.
William was not the best businessman in the city. His wealth had been passed down due to the better business acumen of his father and grandfather. It had fallen upon him to manage the wealth as his father’s only heir due to the sudden death of his older brother, Julian. Julian drowned at age nineteen, unmarried and without heirs. William was born two years after Julian and their mother had died in childbirth. His father had died of pneumonia when William was only ten, so he had never had the opportunity to teach William how to handle the substantial estate he left behind. The elderly aunt with whom he lived until he went away to school was one of those women of her generation who knew nothing of managing money. Her attorneys handled her estate and made all the decisions, so William had no example from which to learn how to handle the substantial wealth left to him. Instead he learned to trust others with what should have been his responsibility. It was a lesson that would not stand the test of time.
William surrounded himself with advisors and associates whose business skills were better than his own and he deeply believed in trusting those people. However, William’s soft heart and unwillingness to recognize his own weaknesses over the years had depleted their wealth. In William’s opinion, how much wealth did one family need? He had no siblings. Claire was also an only child. His estate was one that would surely support her in a very comfortable style, even if she decided not to marry, so he was content with his style of management.
What it really came down to was that he wasn’t a greedy man. He was perfectly happy with his life exactly as it was and didn’t see any need to gather more money just for the sake of having it. This differed greatly from his peers, but they didn’t hold his opinions against him any more than he did theirs. In this way, as well as many others, William Bradley was a very kind and generous man and he was liked and admired for his kindness by everyone who met him.
What he was completely uncertain of, however, was how he was ever going to be able to live without Claire in the house for the next four years. Sighing heavily, he sat down at the large cherry desk in his private study. Why was it, he wondered, that doing the best for someone else could be so very painful. Ah well, it was agreed upon and with a very heavy heart, he would join Suzanna in kissing their darling girl goodbye next Wednesday when she sailed away.
Over the next two years, Suzanna and William would spend winters in Europe so that they could spend Christmases with their beloved daughter. Claire, with her maid in tow, would travel to the capitals of Europe over the summers visiting her school friends and taking these opportunities to broaden her knowledge and experience.
***
Wednesday came all too soon. As their driver pulled up to the passenger loading area on the dock, William and Suzanna hung onto each other. This was the most difficult thing they had ever had to do.
The driver opened the door and the family stepped out to the hustle and bustle of a loading ship that looked to Claire like a man-made mountain. She was so excited about this trip. Unlike many of her age, Claire looked on this as a great adventure. She looked forward to learning everything she could and experiencing all that life had in store for her.
Claire turned to her parents, her huge blue eyes bright with excitement. “Oh, Mama, Papa,” she saw the tears on their faces, “please don’t be sad. I promise to write you so very often you will soon tire of hearing from me!”
William looked into the beautiful face of his daughter, “Don’t ever think, my dear girl, that we won’t come and tear you out of that school if you don’t!”
“Oh, Papa,” Claire gave him as big a bear hug as she could manage. “I do love you both so very much and I will miss you, but I have to tell you that I am so excited to travel and to see what the world has to offer. Please don’t be sad.”
Suzanna pulled her child to her chest for a hug and then put her away from her at arm’s length. Looking at her daughter from head to toe she said, “Claire, we are so very proud of you. Just remember that we are here for you. If you need us or if you decide that you cannot adjust to being away from home, you will let us know right away. But if you love what you are doing and enjoy what you are learning, Papa and I will wait for your return and know that this is what you want and need. We both love you so very much and will miss you so! We just hope you will miss us too, just a tiny, little bit.” Tears were streaming down Suzanna’s face.
“I will miss both of you! You know I will. I promise that after graduation I will come right back home.” Claire was a strong young lady, but now the reality that it would be months before she saw her parents again was beginning to hit her. “I’ll see you at Christmas,” she hugged and kissed them both once more and then she and her maid walked up the ramp onto the tall ship.
“Oh, Papa, what will we do without her,” Suzanna asked as she turned to William.
“Well, Mama, it will be just the two of us for several months. We’ll just have to make the best of it,” he said as he kissed her.
“Um,” Suzanna purred, “this might not be all bad, after all.”
“Everything has two sides, my dear. Everything has two sides.” William hugged her as they stood there, watched their daughter wave goodbye from the rail and disappear into the horizon.
***
Claire enjoyed the long, wonderful days at sea. She enjoyed reading and had brought several of her favorite books along on the journey. She also enjoyed meeting the other passengers and hearing stories about their homelands and their travels. She could barely wait to see and experience the places she was hearing about.
Finally, they arrived in England and were allowed to spend the afternoon having lunch in the little coastal town where the shipped docked. She and her day maid went to the small shops and Claire bought little souvenirs she would save for her parents for Christmas; a lovely woolen scarf for Papa and a sweet little broach for Mama. Yes, she admitted that she missed them already, but she was absolutely determined to enjoy every moment of the next four years.
Early in the evening they returned to the ship and Claire’s big adventure continued on to Switzerland.
What a wonderful place it was; the snow on the mountains, the crisp air and blue skies. She learned about Swiss farms, yodeling, the quaint Swiss villages, the frigid, deep snow winters, sleighs with their bells and woolen blankets under which the girls would huddle together on their expeditions into town on weekends and the wildflowers that would cover the lower mountainsides in spring. Everything was wonderful to Claire, absolutely wonderful. When her parents showed up for the Christmas holiday, they enjoyed the sights and sounds of Christmas in Switzerland together. None of them had experienced them before and all three were like wide eyed children for the entire month they spent together.
Another sad farewell came all too soon, but this time Suzanna and William knew that they had made the right decision. Claire’s grade for her first semester were the best in her class and she was blooming; full of stories of her adventures and tales of her friends and their backgrounds. Yes, they had done the right thing. They returned home with their hearts at peace about their decision.
The next year when Christmas rolled around, they took Claire to Paris for the holiday. Claire had travelled there the previous summer with her friend, Francesca, a wealthy Spanish girl who like Claire had been allowed to travel Europe during the summer months. Claire was so excited about Paris that she insisted that she and her parents enjoy some time there together. It was a wonderful month for all three. They experienced the cafes, the galleries, the cathedrals. The weather could have been better, but, of course, it was winter and nothing dampened their joy at seeing it all together.
All too soon it was time to return their darling girl to school and head back home for another year without her. They weren’t leaving a little girl this time, though. Claire was turning into a beautiful, confident young woman and both her parent were much more at ease about leaving her behind.
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3
Ah, Paris When You Are Young
After two years in Switzerland, Claire had been able to talk her parents into allowing her to complete her education in Paris. The girl was not only bright as a penny, but had a deeply ingrained love for art, literature and décor. After many conversations, William and Suzanna had decided that she was a very responsible young lady who could be trusted to use her time in Paris to its best advantage and they relented. So, in June, 1909, off to Paris she went.
Her parents joined her in Paris and spent the summer sharing the beauty of Paris and getting her settled in for school in the fall. They had Claire’s portrait done by one of the artists along the Seine. It would be placed over the fireplace in their sitting room where they would see her every day. It became their most prized possession.
To sixteen year old Claire, Paris was as beautiful and liberating a city as she had ever dreamed. Her days were spent studying, but, oh, those wonderful evenings and weekends into which she squeezed every sight and experience she could. She had a tight circle of friends who, like Claire, were eager to learn everything they could without the constraints placed on them by the society of most of their homelands and often prudish families.
A number of the girls she met had been shipped off to school to keep them from under their parents’ feet more than any modern idea of educating them. Claire felt such sympathy for them. When the Bradley’s came to visit Claire, several of her friends spent almost as much time with the Bradleys as Claire did. They were always welcome.
Unlike Claire, whose day maid had become involved with a Swiss tradesman and then stayed behind in Bern, many of the girls had brought personal maids along with them at their parents’ insistence. With their modern ideas of equality, many of the girls included their maids in their evening journeys into the heart of Paris where they were all exposed to art, music, café life and, for most of them, the joys of their first experiences with the French males.
Holly Wentworth was a lovely woman of American fortune. Her father was a diplomat and she had grown up in varying capitals of the world until her father took a permanent post in Washington, DC, the previous fall. Holly had longed for a permanent home, but instead had been shipped off to Paris. With her auburn hair, green eyes, freckles across her nose; slender and lovely build, she was very popular with the girls and the French male population. Holly loved to read and enjoyed music, playing both piano and violin. She was often called upon to entertain the group with song and music.
Christina Harris was Holly’s day maid back in Washington. She was a black haired beauty with brown eyes and pale skin like ivory. Christina loved doing design work and with Holly’s help took care to pick up every bit of clothing design she could while in Paris. The two had become almost inseparable.
Francesca Rodriguez, Claire’s friend from her days in Switzerland, was an exotic young woman from a very wealthy Spanish family. Her parents had tried to marry her off to some Spanish nobleman twice her age and, although they could have forced her into the alliance, they sent her away to school instead. She spoke five languages including Spanish, English, Italian, French, and Portuguese. She was an enormous help communicating with other visitors to Paris and helped the young ladies to broaden their acquaintances. When Claire decided to transfer to a school in Paris, Francesca had urged her parents to do the same and finally won them over. Francesca’s parents, unlike so many of the others had really wanted to make their daughter happy and as long as she was in the company of girls like Claire, who they had met and admired, they saw no harm in letting her have her way.
Chloe Sherard was one of the girls’ favorites. She was a seamstress at the school and had helped each of them with one clothing emergency or another over their stay in Paris. She was soon included in their evening adventures. Round, jolly, pink cheeked Chloe was more Rubenesque than the others and was found to be a very popular model with their artist friends. Chloe was accustomed to seeing the human body as a seamstress and had come to believe it to be beautiful, so she had no qualms about modeling, even nude. No one ever mentioned this to the school officials; it was a well kept secret in their group of friends.
Julie Ormiston was the daughter of a Scottish-born steel magnate back in America. Her family sent her to Paris more to get her out of the way than to get an education. She had come to terms with their indifference toward her and was equally glad to be away from them. Julie was given a great deal of leeway in how she lived her life due to their selfishness. It was easier to let her have her way than to allow her to interfere in their lifestyle. Julie was admired for her strength of character, despite her parents’ indifference. She had a curly mop of light brown hair; brown eyes and as tiny as she was, she had a feisty personality and a bawdy laugh that infected everyone exposed to it. Julie’s love was interior decorating and she visited every palace and museum available to her often taking the eager Christina along with her.
Bridgette Flannagan was Julie’s day maid. Irish with red hair and green eyes she spoke with a thick Irish brogue. On their weekend trips to the shore during the warmer months, Bridgette’s love for sailing broadened everyone’s education of the sea as well as occasionally adding some rather salty language to their repertoire. Bridgette and Julie had become friends over their years together. Bridgette’s mother had been the cook in the Ormiston household and had often done more mothering of Julie than Julie’s real mother. Bridgette could be credited with Julie’s sense of adventure.
Yvette Laurent was the school’s French cook. Blonde with green eyes, lovely long lashes, and slender hands, she loved to experiment with food and often was the source of exotic picnic baskets of food for their spring visits to the park. Yvette was a free spirit whose sense of adventure often inspired the whole group. She knew Paris thoroughly and saw to it that the group was given all the advantages of that knowledge. They all recognized from the very beginning that Yvette not only was a wonderful, creative cook, but that she understood how to manage the kitchen despite her youth. She was frequently given more responsibility than her pay gave compensation.
Signe Dahlström was a Swedish house maid at the school. With her blonde hair and big brown eyes and that gorgeous Swedish complexion, she caught the eye of many of young man. Signe played the saxophone which she had learned from her Papa when she was just a young girl and could barely blow enough air through the instrument to make a sound. She became quite accomplished by the time she left home after finding her soon to be husband in bed with her best friend. Signe had tried to make her living in Paris as a musician, but finally gave in to the needs of her pocketbook and settled in at the school as a day maid to the girls who did not bring one of their own. One of her duties was to assist the young ladies with their hairdos. She eventually discovered that she loved working with their hair more than she did her music. Her reputation at the school soon required that she spend most of her time styling the girls’ hair.
One particularly snotty little heiress, Ruth Wickersham from New York, refused to have anything to do with the little group that was now referred to as “the Paris girls”, but did not refuse permission to her day maid, Corrine Patterson, to take part in their escapades. She had secretly hoped that her parents would permit her to replace Corrine with a more suitable maid as soon as they got back home. Corrine was a rowdy little blonde with big blue eyes and what she referred to as having ‘the biggest topside this side of a yacht.’ The men who circled the group always drooled when Corrine passed by. This soon taught the girls of the value of breasts when trying to attract the male of the species. They all had many a good laugh over this new knowledge during their evening conversations back at the school.
Bobbi Kimble was an American girl who had been left behind in Paris by a family who had fallen on bad times and had been unable to pay her fare back to the States. Working as the school’s laundress, she and Chloe were fast friends and she was welcomed into the group. Bobbie, whose real name was Barbara, got her nickname due to her short, black bob haircut. She had huge black eyes and a bow mouth that would be the envy of any silent screen heroine. Bobbie also had a passion for red…anything red. Bobbi had hoped to save enough money that she could return home at the end of the school year, but that goal had proved to be out of her grasp.
Back in the servants’ rooms, they would share stories of their adventures; each learning from the others. Then the students would sneak back up to their quarters to sleep. Many a girlish giggle was muffled into a feather pillow in the girls’ quarters to keep their adventures from the school staff.
They all attended art exhibits as well as many other cultural exhibits. During the summer of 1910 they visited the exhibit “Les Artistes Russes, Decors et Costumes de Theatre et Tableaux at the Bernheim Jeune gallery where they were astonished by the Russian stage sets and costumes as well as art by Petrov-Vodkin, Bakst, and Benois. Of course, they also spent much time in the old French chateau, the Palais du Louvre. The girls declared it the best museum in the world. It would always hold a very special place in their hearts.
A few weeks after the Russian exhibit, they met the white haired Pierre-Auguste Renoir and several of his artist friends at a local café. He immediately took a liking to Chloe and asked her to pose for a sketch. Chloe was so proud of getting to pose for him that he gave her the original sketch as a gift. She didn’t realize at the time that he may have done other sketches from that first one.
They were often asked to join the rather strange artistic group on picnics and other casual gatherings; watching the boats on the river, visiting the many gardens throughout the city or perhaps lunching at some Paris cafe. Later the Renoir’s physical condition deteriorated and prohibited him from joining the outings, much to the entire group’s dismay. The master mostly sequestered himself in his home, prisoner to his wheel chair and increasingly bad moods. The girls would all be eternally grateful to have met him and enjoyed his company when they did.
Years later when they later saw the master’s painting of a nude woman watching her reflection in the water, which most critics thought was of his frequent model Gabrielle, the girls immediately recognized Chloe. Her resemblance to Gabrielle may have been what drew the master to Chloe, but the girls knew one of their own when they saw her.
They were able to see Gustave Garrigou win the Paris leg of the 1911 Tour de France. Cycling was very popular in Europe in those days.
Claire and her friends were also becoming very experienced in the art of love and love making. They read books on the subject, not in the school’s library mind you, and learned the newest techniques and positions as well as contraceptive measures, such as they were at the time. These readings often brought on a good case of giggles in the library or book store and would cause them to exit quickly before the topic of their study was discovered. While these topics were certainly being written about, no respectable young lady would ever have been expected to know anything about such topics. Of course, this made their studies even more enjoyable.
Several of the girls had met young Frenchmen during their travels around town. By the time the girls were in their final year at the school, each had experienced what they had been studying and from the reviews of their partners, were certainly found to be excellent students of the subject. Now and then, one of the girls would think she was in love, but later her heart would be healed by the discovery of a new admirer and new experiences.
None of them was willing to leave for home without swearing that they would all stay friends and keep in touch. Than as they had dreaded, a quick kiss, tight hug and tearful waves broke them apart each knowing they had all made friends for a lifetime.
Something had happened to each of the group during their time together. They had shared their histories, their hopes and dreams, and their knowledge that they were much more alike than they were different. Money had provided for more advantages for some of them, but their strength of character and their talents made them each worthy of admiration. They greatly valued each other and were determined that they could each count on the others when needed.
On her parent’s visit the Christmas of her final year at school, Claire mentioned Bobbi’s situation to them and it was agreed that Bobbi would return with Claire to be employed in their home. Claire and Bobbi were so delighted that they decided to share quarters on the trip back so they could enjoy their freedom together just that much longer.
Having each other’s company on the trip home would make it much easier to break away from the rest of the group. Even though several of them were headed back to the United States, the others were scheduled for different sailings, so Claire and Bobbi returned with just each other for solace. It was like leaving your sisters behind.
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4
Home At Last
Finally, the journey back home came to an end. Claire and Bobbi were met at the dock by Suzanna and William who wrapped their arms around the girls and didn’t let go until they got back to the Bradley mansion.
The proud parents welcomed a beautiful and self-assured woman back into their home. For days there were stories of adventures, adjusted appropriately for her parents, tales of artists, museums, summer trips to Venice and Florence embellishing on her letters.
It was soon decided that in order to reintroduce her into society, an eighteenth birthday party would be held to which the best of New York society and their offspring would be invited. Practicality told them, however, that since she had been away for four years, a quick introduction via the party would move her back into the social scene of New York immediately.
It was hoped that Claire might select a prospective husband from the cream of the crop while they were available. There was no doubt in anyone’s mind that whatever young man caught her eye, he would count himself lucky to be the object of Claire Bradley’s affection.
Both Suzanna and William made one condition very clear to Claire. She would never be expected to marry for any reason other than the deepest love. No parents who adored each other as much as they did could ever expect their beloved daughter to marry anyone she loved any less.
***
“Oh, Mama, it’s beautiful,” Claire said as she looked at the decorated grounds where her party would be held. There were lanterns that would give a multi-colored glow when the sun went down. Ice sculptures would be placed on tables filled with enormous quantities of shrimp, lobster, caviar; fountains filled with champagne. The very best linens, silver, china and crystal were already set out on tables decorated in pinks and yellows. As a redhead, Claire always avoided wearing pink, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t enjoy it in flowers and party decorations. She adored pink.
“I’m glad you like it, Claire,” her mother hugged her close.
“It’s perfect. Thank you,” Claire said as she kissed her mother’s cheek.
“Where are my girls?” They heard a booming voice from just inside the house.
William’s girls looked at each other and smiled as he stepped outside and was greeted with hugs and kisses from both Claire and Suzanna.
“Here you are. How does our daughter like the preparations for her party?” he asked.
“They are absolutely wonderful, Papa. Thank you so very much.”
William tipped her chin up with his index finger and looked her in the eyes. “Nothing is too good for our girl.”
Claire hugged both her parents and then excused herself to go upstairs to prepare for the party. Bobbi and Polly, Claire’s day maid, were waiting for her so they could get another look at her in her beautiful gown.
“Oh, William, how did she grow up so fast?”
“I don’t know Suze. She fit in the palm of my hand one day and needed formal gowns the next.”
They smiled at each other with the silent understanding that it wouldn’t be long before they would lose her to some handsome young man. Then arm and arm they too went up the staircase to get ready for the party.
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5
A Dream Of A Party
The party started out very nicely. The best of the best attended and Claire was welcomed with open arms back into their society.
He watched her for the longest time before he finally got the nerve to approach her for a dance. She was without a doubt the most stunning redhead; no the most stunning woman he had ever seen. When they had met in the reception line, he could barely speak. She must have thought him a total fool. He had stood there and stared at her as if he had been struck dumb. Indeed, he had.
Finally he could stand it no longer. Even a rejection would be better than the pain he suffered watching her dance with all these pompous fools.
“Miss Bradley,” he said as he approached her.
“Yes,” she turned and saw the handsome young man who had caught her eye and taken her breath away just an hour or so earlier when he was introduced to her. “Oh, yes, Mr. Woodhouse. Are you enjoying the party?”
She smiled at him and he thought for certain the ground had tilted. Her hair, that stunning red hair, was piled high on her head with little red tendrils floating in gentle curls about her ears. Jewels in green and blue were suspended in that gorgeous red hair and twinkled in the early evening light. Her green and blue silk gown swept in soft billows to the ground and the gown appeared to change from one color to the other as she moved across the floor. Her neck was simply decorated with a single pendant of emeralds and sapphires hanging from a golden chain. She was absolutely splendid.
“Mr. Woodhouse, are you alright?” Claire asked with concern in those huge blue eyes of hers.
“Yes, I’m sorry. You just took my breath away,” Randall confessed. They stood smiling at each other.
“Well, I believe that, as your hostess, I should see to it that you are carefully observed to assure you don’t suffer from a fainting spell or some other malady. Why don’t we concentrate on dancing to this lovely music for a few moments to see if that helps your current state?”
A small batting of the eyelashes and a teasing smile made his heart nearly stop. “Oh, I think that would surely make me feel much better,” he took Claire’s arm and escorted her to the dance floor.
Holding her was like holding an angel. She was tall. He guessed that she was only about an inch or two shorter than his six-feet-one-inch height. With the slight heels of her satin slippers, they looked at each other eye to eye. And what beautiful eyes they were. Her eyes were just the color of the sapphires on her neck. The very thought of her neck and the scooped neckline of that beautiful dress had his juices flowing. He would have to be careful to maintain control this close to her.
“I understand that you and my father have some business together Mr. Woodhouse,” she needed to get his attention off of her breasts which, unless she was terribly mistaken, had just struck him dumb.
“Uh, yes, yes I handle some of your father’s investments. But please Miss Bradley, call me Randall.”
“Alright Randall, if you will agree that Miss Bradley is much too formal. You must call me Claire,” she smiled at him with a twinkle in her eye.
“On the contrary Claire, I believe Miss Bradley is the most stunning woman I have every laid eyes on and nothing, but the very best is good enough for her,” now the twinkle was his.
“Well, Randall, you don’t waste any time once you catch your breath, do you?” she laughed.
Laughing with her he responded, “No, no Claire, it seems I don’t. Have I shocked you so much that you regret our dancing?”
“Absolutely not, Randall; indeed if you had not approached me when you did, I would have had to do something drastic to gain your attention,” she whispered into his ear.
So much for maintaining physical control; he was instantly as hard as one of the fence posts on his father’s farm. Oh, my God, he thought. This is the limit, Woodhouse.
“Randall, would you like to go inside where it’s quieter so we can talk more privately?” Claire may have been away in a girl’s school for the last four years, but she knew her affect on men and she was very aware of her impact on this particular male and wasn’t going to lose the opportunity to learn more about him and now!
“I think that would be lovely, Claire,” he said as he took her arm and guided her toward the house.
Suzanna had not missed their close conversation and despite his best efforts to disguise his current discomfort, she could see that young Randall Woodhouse was as interested in Claire as Claire was in him. She gently nudged her husband and directed his gaze to the two young people as they approached the house.
“I’ll go in and keep them company,” William offered.
As he started to turn from her, Suzanna gently pulled him back. “William, darling, what would you have done if my poor Papa had tried to keep us company?”
“Well, I probably would have knocked him out, thrown you over my shoulder and run off with you that very first time after I met you,” William confessed.
She smiled up at her husband and smiled that smile that always stopped him cold, “Exactly, my dear,” she said patting him on his cheek. “Give them fifteen minutes and then take them some champagne. I’m sure they’ll both need it by then.”
“Suze, I like the fellow. I like him a lot. But are we sure of all the young studs who showed up tonight that this is the one to whom we want her to attach herself?”
“Darling, we agreed that it wasn’t going to be up to us. It’s up to Claire who she loves and ultimately marries. Unless I miss my guess, Claire and Randall have been struck by the same lightning bolt. Let’s let them decide where it leads, shall we?”
Kissing his wife’s soft cheek he agreed, “Yes, lets. Why don’t you and I have a nice dance and then I’ll take them some champagne.”
Claire and Randall stood in front of a flower filled fireplace. Like the décor on the terrace, shades of pink and yellow had been used here also. Randall was so enraptured with her beauty that his brain didn’t want to work. He was certain that if he opened his mouth, something absurd was going to pour out of it. Here is was a hot summer day and he would have sworn that fireplace had a roaring blaze in it as the room seemed to get hotter by each moment he looked at her.
“Randall?” Claire stepped toward him, just one little step and it was as if she had just flown into his arms. Her lips were full and warm and he was lost. He found himself changing the angle before he realized it and their tongues were doing a dance as old as time. Suddenly coming to his senses, he gently yet firmly pulled away and rested his forehead against hers. His heart was pounding so hard it wouldn’t have surprised him to be able to see it beating under his coat.
“Claire, I’m sorry. I don’t know what got into me. Please accept my apology,” he said quietly.
“Your apology?” Her smile was gone. She stepped back one step. She seldom let loose of that redheaded temper of hers, but she could feel it about to explode.
Uh oh, Randall thought to himself, there was a touch of ice in that tone she was using. Where had he gone wrong?
“Your apology? You are sorry we kissed, Randall?”
“No…no Claire that’s not what I…”
“If you’re sorry after one little insignificant kiss, I must be sure to save you from any further discomfort!” Claire began to turn away from him to leave the room.
“Insignificant kiss…” there was nothing insignificant about that kiss from his standpoint. Hadn’t that been why he felt he should apologize? He felt as if he had nearly assaulted her. He grabbed her arm and spun her back around and kissed her again with everything he could throw into it.
“Now, please stop trying to pick a fight and let’s get something clear between us. I was only sorry that I might have been a little too forward in that first kiss. However, since my second rather obviously made my view of kissing you clear, my apology is withdrawn!”
With that he pulled her to him for another kiss, this time more tender and warm than demanding.
“Oh well then,” Claire responded feeling just slightly dizzy. “As long as we understand each other,” she said waving her handkerchief in front of her face. When had the parlor gotten so warm?
“Well, here you two are!” William had waited until that kiss was over before approaching. He didn’t want to spoil everything for the poor lad. “I was bringing you some champagne.” Handing them their glasses, he slapped Randall on the back, “How are you, my boy? I haven’t seen you in a couple of days. Busy with all the celebration planning and enjoying having our girl here with us again.”
“I’m fine, Mr. Bradley. Thank you for inviting me this evening. I’m sure you and Mrs. Bradley are thrilled to have Claire, uh, Miss Bradley home again.
Inside William was grinning from ear to ear; on the outside he was the man Randall Woodhouse did business with almost daily. He really liked the boy. He had a very good business head on his shoulders and over the last year William had learned to trust his investment advice and judgment in general. He was far too conservative in William’s mind, but better that than being a wastrel like so many of the eager young wolves one met these days. He had a very good head on his shoulders and had really done well with the investments William turned over to him. Better, he was forced to admit, than he had been doing himself the last few years. But, then, William believed that money was to be enjoyed; not to make for more work than pleasure. What good was it to have a fortune and deny those you loved their heart’s desires?
Randall might not have a fortune like so many of the young studs in attendance tonight, but Claire could do a lot worse than to settle on this young man. In the meantime, a father should be permitted to enjoy making her young man squirm, just a little, he thought.
“Now Claire, I don’t want you to monopolize Randall this evening. There are a lot of good business contacts for him to make this evening. You should be out there dancing with all the young lads who are at this very moment wondering where you have gone.” William enjoyed the way Randall went pale at the mere mention of the others; Claire reddened at the idea of men lined up like stud ponies waiting for her attention. Yes sir, a poor old papa should get a little enjoyment out of watching his only daughter select her life partner and, unless he was completely off the mark, it was going to be Randall Woodhouse.
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6
Love Is In The Air
As the weeks went by, no one who knew them had any doubt that Randall and Claire were in love and were absolutely meant for each other. The only issue anyone saw was the obvious difference in their financial worth. It was expected that Claire would someday inherit a very substantial fortune.
Everyone thought Randall would leave behind only what he had earned by his wit and hard work. At twenty-eight years of age he had accomplished much more than anyone knew, even his oldest friends; even the Bradleys.
He only wished his father had lived long enough that he could have shared his good fortune with the man who had taught him his principles and morals. He missed both his parents, but the loss of his father when Randall was twenty-two and so near to making his way financially was a fact that still turned his heart inside out when he thought of it. His mother had died when he was a young child, so her loss had been a fact he had grown up with, and his father had been great at filling the void that her loss could have created.
James Woodhouse had been a hands-on parent. He had always referred to himself as a farmer. In reality James had a very successful ranch and farming operation and, by no means, fit the term ‘farmer’.
James and Randall had worked together and played together. His father had helped him with his studies and had seen to it that his son had the advantage that a college education and the best degree in finance money could provide. Randall was glad to know that his father’s efforts had not been wasted.
Wall Street was an environment that could nourish the strong and pick off the weak like a shark in warm waters. Fortunately, Randall had been one of the strong from the very beginning. He’d never understand how a “farmer’s son” could thrive on the indoor work like he did, but he had never been happier than the day he set foot on Wall Street–until now–until Claire.
Within a year after arriving on Wall Street he had met William Bradley really just by chance and his life had changed. Bradley, who was extremely poor at handling the substantial fortune he had inherited, decided to put a portion of his stock portfolio in the hands of the young, but impressive Randall Woodhouse.
Bradley’s fortune had already dwindled to less than half since he inherited. Time again Randall had warned Bradley against this investment or that purchase of stock only to be told that a very dear friend had made the recommendation. Then Bradley would ignore the warning. But at least he was able to protect a portion of the man’s stock portfolio. He always hoped that the next loss would wake the man up and things would improve, but William Bradley was a man who was extremely loyal to friends and family and loved to a fault. The chances that Bradley’s fortune would survive much beyond his death were slim as far as Randall could tell. All he could do was to keep advising him to the best of his ability and hope the man would eventually listen.
Having Claire in his life was something he would never have foreseen. Now he could not imagine life without her. As he drove into the Bradley estate, his thoughts were filled with her. He approached the door and felt his heart in his throat. The very thought of her brought that reaction every time.
The butler answered the door and admitted him. “Good evening, Mr. Woodhouse. Miss Bradley is waiting for you in the sitting room.” After taking Randall’s hat and coat the man silently disappeared as Randall eagerly walked toward the sitting room.
Randall reached the entrance to the sitting room and just stood there staring at her. She was sitting on a small settee in front of a window overlooking the snow covered gardens which were darkening with the setting sun, obviously lost in thought. He wanted to just drink in the image of her sitting there, the firelight setting her red hair to flames of beauty surrounding her remarkable face.
She sensed him watching her. “Well, are you going to come over here and kiss me hello or just stand there staring at me?” She smiled as she slowly turned her face toward him.
“You were enjoying your view; I was enjoying mine,” he replied as he walked to her, tipped her chin upward with one hand and kissed her so tenderly that her heart simply sang.
“Umm, that’s more like it,” she purred.
“Yes? Well I think I need to do better than that,” he said and he took her hands and gentled lifted her to her feet where he wrapped his arms around her and loosed the passion that filled his heart.
“My, have you missed me? We just saw each other over lunch,” she teased him.
“I could hardly enjoy my dessert in the middle of the restaurant. What would your father have thought of me?” They rested there with foreheads touching and were oblivious to Suzanna walking into the room.
“There are our lovebirds,” Suzanna declared, giving them an opportunity to retreat from each other’s touch without being startled by her entry. Oh, she thought to herself, they are so perfect for each other.
“Good evening Mrs. Bradley,” Randall put his arm around Claire’s waist and greeted her mother.
“Good evening, Randall. I’m so glad you could join us for dinner this evening. It’s just family tonight and we so seldom can just relax and enjoy an evening meal without guests these days.”
“Thank you for including me,” he replied.
As Suzanna reached him, she stood on tippy toe and gave him a sweet little kiss on the cheek, “Why Randall, dear, you are family and are welcome here any time.” Then she reached over and gave another kiss to her daughter.
“Papa hasn’t come down yet?” Suzanna asked them.
Claire responded, “Yes, he’s in his study and will be out shortly. He promised he wouldn’t make dinner late tonight.”
“Now that will be quite an accomplishment!” Suzanna laughed and they all joined her.
“Do I hear my family laughing at my expense?” William asked as he entered the room and greeted the two women in his life with kisses and a good sturdy handshake for Randall.
“Actually, I’m not at all surprised that Mr. Bradley has joined us early this evening.” Randall turned to Claire, “You see my darling I had a conversation with your father earlier today and he knows that I have a surprise planned for this evening,” Randall told her.
“A surprise? How lovely. I adore surprises!” Claire smiled at him.
“Mama, I think we should leave these two alone for a few minutes. We’ll go ahead into the dining room. Join us when you can,” William said as he took his wife’s arm and guided her out of the sitting room.
“My, my, Randall what are you up to?” Claire tilted her face and gave him a very curious look. “What is this conspiracy you and father are involved in?”
He thought he would always remember her just as she was at this very moment, her eyes sparkling, that lovely mouth of hers smiling wide. “Have a seat, my dearest, and I’ll let you in on our conspiracy.”
Once she sat back on the settee, Randall dropped to one knee and took her hand in his. “Claire, I adore you. I cannot imagine my life without you. I know that financially we are on different planes, but I promise to always do my best to care for you and provide for you as you deserve. Will you marry me, my love?”
Claire’s eyes filled with tears and her hand shook in his. For a moment he was afraid she was going to say no.
“Oh, Randall. You know I couldn’t care less about your finances. Oh, yes, Randall, yes.”
He grabbed her face in his hands and wiped away the tears on her cheeks with gentle kisses. “Claire, I do love you so.”
“And I love you, my dearest Randall.”
He sat back on his heel and reached into his pocket where he found the tiny box with the ring he had taken weeks to select for her. He had finally decided upon a setting that included emeralds and sapphires like those she had worn the night he first met her.
The moment she saw the ring, she understood the significance of his selection. She thought he was simply the dearest man she had ever met. “Oh, Randall, it’s absolutely perfect.”
Tears began to run down her cheeks; tears that Randall was happy to kiss away. After a few more moments to enjoy their new status as an engaged couple, they slowly walked hand in hand to the dining room where two very happy parents awaited the pair.
A few weeks later, William and his two girls were enjoying a lovely breakfast together. “Claire, dear, your mother and I are joining the Fairmonts at their country estate for a couple of weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas. We would like for you take on overseeing the holiday decorating while we are away. Does that fit into your schedule my dear?”
Claire was somewhat surprised at being asked to stay behind, but was always delighted to assist her parents any time she could. “I would be glad to stay here and surprise you with a beautiful house when you return. It should be a lot of fun.”
Suzanna smiled at her daughter, understanding full well that she was unaccustomed to being left behind and undoubtedly wondering why. “Thank you, Claire. We know the staff could be probably be trusted to do this on their own, but would just enjoy our trip so much more if we knew you were here to oversee it, just in case.”
“Of course, Mama, I understand and it will be lots of fun. You know how I adore these holidays and seeing all the beautiful decorations every year. It will be fun to be able to be in charge of it for a change. I promise to have some delightful surprises for you when you get back.”