Magic (10 page)

They went upstairs to their rooms then, after they had talked for a while, and he stood looking at her warmly for a minute outside her bedroom door. He would have liked to come in, but didn't want to ask. It was too soon. Instead he kissed her, tenderly, and with real passion for the first time. And as they embraced and he held her, he heard a door open and his nephew walk past them on his way to the bathroom in the hall.

“Way to go, Uncle Xavier!” he murmured, and then closed the bathroom door as Xavier burst out laughing and so did Chantal.

“Welcome to my family,” he said, grinning.

“I love it!” she said, beaming at him, and they kissed again.

In spite of the presence of many young people coming and going in the house, Mathieu's insistence on his brother fishing with him at dawn, and relatively thin walls, by the third day they were there, Chantal was so happy and relaxed that she and Xavier wound up in bed together late one night, and became lovers. It had been the perfect place to start their romance in earnest, in an atmosphere that was loving, warm, and safe. They slept together every night after that, and liked to think that no one had noticed, but it was an open secret by the end of the week, and they gave up his room for the last two nights so the kids could use it for one of their friends. Chantal felt like part of the family by the end of the week, and she even put in her time scrubbing down Mathieu's boat after an afternoon at sea on his pretty sailboat. She looked at Xavier on the last night, grateful for every moment they had shared. She was so happy she had come, and hated to leave.

“It was perfect,” she said softly as they kissed, sitting in two chairs outside as falling stars filled the sky. They held hands, and she couldn't remember ever being as happy in her life, and Xavier looked just as pleased.

“Will you come back?” he asked hopefully.

“Anytime you ask me,” she assured him, and they kissed again. “I wish I weren't going to Hong Kong next week. I hate to leave you.” They had grown very used to each other in the past week, and she hadn't thought of the difference in their ages since they arrived. He was right, it didn't matter at all, to them or anyone else. No one commented on it or seemed to care.

And then she had an idea. She couldn't invite him to Hong Kong to reciprocate the week she had just spent with him. Charlotte was much too uptight and formal, and needed some preparation before her mother showed up with a man, particularly a younger man, which she wouldn't understand. And Chantal wanted no headaches with her, or to have to justify her relationship with Xavier. But she could much more readily see taking Xavier with her when she went to visit Paul in L.A. He was more open-minded than his sister, and more relaxed. And she suggested it to Xavier as they went to bed.

“Would you come with me?” she asked him, hoping he would agree.

“I was planning to be here for my holiday, but I haven't been to the States in a few years. Maybe we could drive down the coast, and then visit your son in L.A. Do you suppose he'll object to me?” She thought about it for a minute before she answered.

“He'll be surprised, but I think you'll get along. He's very relaxed about his own standards and view of life, though not always about me. We'll need to stretch his mind a bit, but I think he'll live through it.” She smiled at Xavier. “I'd love for you to come.”

“Then I will. I'll have had two weeks in Corsica by then.” She was planning to spend a week with Paul in L.A., and they could add on a few days for the driving trip Xavier had suggested. It sounded like a wonderful idea to both of them, and she was going to warn Paul that she was bringing a friend, which would give him a heads-up. And knowing Paul, he wouldn't even ask who it was, and it would never occur to him it might be a man. He would see for himself when they arrived. Chantal always stayed at a hotel when she visited Paul, so Xavier would be no imposition on Paul and his girlfriend. Only Eric loved it when she camped out at one of his grungy apartments. And Charlotte hated houseguests of all kinds, but tolerated her mother staying there, under duress. Chantal knew them well.

When they left Corsica the next day, all the kids came out to wave goodbye. Mathieu and Annick kissed her, and they felt like old friends by then. She was sad to leave, and they all told her to come back soon. They checked in at the airport, and couldn't help smiling at each other on the flight back to Paris. It had been the best vacation she'd had in years, and she thanked him again as he kissed her before they landed at Charles de Gaulle Airport. And now they had another vacation together to look forward to, to visit Paul in L.A. They could both hardly wait.

X
avier stayed at Chantal's apartment every night until she left for Hong Kong. She talked to Jean-Philippe once before she left, but they were both busy, and he said nothing had changed. He and Valerie were barely speaking, and he hoped things would improve between them when they went to her family home in Maine as they did every summer. Chantal told him about the trip to Corsica, and he was happy for her. He said he wanted to meet Xavier when they all came back from their summer vacations, which wouldn't be till he returned from Maine. And he wished her a good trip to Hong Kong to see Charlotte.

Xavier took her to the airport when she left. She had taken two suitcases with her. As a banker, Charlotte led a more serious life and expected her mother to be well dressed while she was there. No blue jeans or casual clothes or what she referred to rather harshly as “hippie” outfits. There was nothing bohemian about Charlotte's life in Hong Kong, and as a young, up-and-coming bank executive, she looked the part.

Xavier kissed Chantal when he said goodbye to her at the airport, and went back to his own apartment. They had loved staying at her place and waking up together every day as they had in Corsica. He was leaving the next day for London to meet with clients, and going to Geneva after that. He was going to be busy while she was gone, and then back to Corsica at the end of the week for a few more days. She envied him that, but was excited to see Charlotte. She hadn't seen her since Christmas, and regretted the fact that they only saw each other twice a year. Chantal visited her every summer in Hong Kong, and Charlotte came home for Christmas. Despite the little they had in common, Chantal was still her mother and loved her deeply, although Charlotte was not a demonstrative person, and hadn't been as a child either. She was far cooler and more reserved than her brothers, and always reminded Chantal of her maternal grandmother, who was a strong, austere woman of few words. Charlotte was a great deal like her, which told the story of just how strong genes were, and traveled through the generations.

She landed at Hong Kong International Airport after the twelve-and-a-half-hour flight, and she had slept on the plane. Charlotte had told her she would be in a meeting, and had left her keys to the apartment with her doorman so Chantal could let herself in, and the daily maid Charlotte hired would come in to help her. She had a new apartment, which her mother hadn't seen yet, and Chantal was stunned by how beautiful it was, on the fortieth floor of a brand-new building in the Victoria Peak District, a short drive from the business section, with a view of the modern buildings of Hong Kong. The apartment had been expensive, but she could afford it. Charlotte had filled it with English antiques she had found there. It looked more like a London or New York apartment than one in Hong Kong, but the British influence was still felt strongly. The apartment wasn't warm or cozy, but formal and traditional, like Charlotte herself.

Chantal was waiting for her when she got home from work, and Charlotte looked genuinely happy to see her and poured her a glass of wine. She had been in an important meeting all afternoon, and she said she was due for a promotion and a raise. She was all about her work, and her dream was to be head of the bank one day. She was the most ambitious of Chantal's children, and willing to work hard to get there.

They cooked dinner in the kitchen that night, and Charlotte had big news for her mother while they ate. Oddly, she looked like her mother, with the same blue eyes and blond hair, but the energy she expressed was different in every way. But it warmed Chantal's heart to see her nonetheless. She was her only daughter, and always tried to find points in common with her.

“So what's the big news?” Chantal asked, smiling at her, happy to be there with her.

“I'm engaged.” Chantal's heart did a little double flip when Charlotte said it. On the one hand she was happy for her, but on the other she knew that if she married in Hong Kong, she would never move back to France again. Now it was for sure. “He's British, from London, but he's lived here longer than I have. He's an investment banker at a rival firm.” She smiled at her mother. “He's thirty-four, he went to Eton and Oxford. He's
very
British. His name is Rupert MacDonald, and we're getting married here in May.” It was all the pertinent information her mother needed, and she could already imagine him, British to the tips of his toes. “And I want you to come to the wedding, of course. I want you to plan it, although we want to keep it very small. The tradition is huge weddings here, in the Chinese community. We only want a hundred people. And I need to find a dress. We want to hold the reception at the Hong Kong Club. He asked me two weeks ago, but I didn't want to tell you till you were here.” She held out her hand to show her mother a very pretty sapphire ring, circled with small diamonds, that looked like something a British royal would wear. It was perfect for Charlotte, and Chantal admired it. It looked nice on her hand. Chantal knew they had been dating for just under a year, but Charlotte looked totally sure.

“Are you planning to stay here, or go back to England with him one day?” At least they would be closer then, if they had children. Hong Kong was so far away, but Charlotte shook her head.

“We love it here. Neither of us can imagine living in Europe again. I wouldn't mind living in Shanghai, but we're happy in Hong Kong, especially if I get the promotion I'm in line for, and Rupert is a partner in his firm.” So they weren't going anywhere.

“When am I going to meet him?” Chantal asked calmly.

“Tomorrow night. He's taking us to dinner at Caprice in the Four Seasons. It's a three-star restaurant.” It was one of the finest restaurants in Hong Kong. “He wanted to give us the first night to catch up.” And then she smiled at her mother, and looked gentler than Chantal had ever seen her. “I really love him, Maman. He's so good to me.” Chantal smiled at her daughter and put her arms around her.

“That's how it should be. I'm so happy for you.” And in a single instant, Chantal felt as though she had lost her forever, but if she was happy with a man she loved, then it was for a good cause. And Charlotte was more open with her than she had been in years, talking about the wedding and her plans. She was hoping to find a dress in Paris when she came home for Christmas, and wanted her mother to go shopping with her. Chantal said she'd be delighted and could hardly wait.

She went to bed early and called Xavier from her room and told him about the engagement and the wedding. She wondered if they would still be dating by then. If so, she would bring him to the wedding, if her daughter didn't object, or maybe even if she did, depending on how involved she was with Xavier at the time. It was a long way away, nearly a year. And a lot could happen in a year or less. Chantal didn't like counting her chickens before they hatched. They chatted for a while, and then she went to sleep.

Charlotte had already left for work when Chantal got up the next day. She went to the Hong Kong Museum of Art, and then went shopping in the Causeway Bay shopping area. It was full of the same stores she knew from Europe. Prada, Gucci, Burberry, Hermès, Chanel. And there were streets full of jewelers and smaller stores that specialized in copying designer goods at bargain prices that delighted visitors to Hong Kong, looking for great deals. One of Chantal's favorite places was the Temple Street Night Market, which opened at four
P.M.
In every way, Hong Kong was the shopping mecca of the world. She had fallen prey to it the first time she visited, but she no longer did, or tried not to go crazy in the shops, but it was always fun. And she went back to her daughter's apartment at the end of the day. It was still very hot—it always was in August.

They were meeting Rupert at the restaurant at eight o'clock. Charlotte came home at seven, and Chantal was already dressed in a simple black silk dress that made her feel like her own grandmother, but she knew that it was what her daughter expected of her, and she didn't want to embarrass her with her future husband. And Rupert was so classically British that Chantal could hardly keep from laughing when she saw him. Upper class, conservative, stuffy, old beyond his years, incredibly uptight, and the epitome of a British banker. It disappointed her in a way for Charlotte to be with a man with so little levity and imagination, but Charlotte was absolutely beaming and looked at him adoringly. He was everything her daughter wanted. Chantal couldn't imagine spending a lifetime with him, but he was Charlotte's dream and vision of a handsome prince, even though his humor was so stilted and trite that it was painful listening to his jokes. It was a relief when dinner was over. Later that night Charlotte came to her mother's room in her nightgown.

“Isn't he wonderful, Maman?” she asked her with stars in her eyes. “He's perfect.” Chantal nodded. She just wanted her to be happy, whatever that meant to her. She was willing to set her own feelings aside and respect Charlotte's.

Her daughter rhapsodized about him for half an hour and then drifted off to bed, and then Chantal called Xavier and told him about the evening more honestly, about how painfully stuffy she found her future son-in-law, how humorless and dreary. “There's no accounting for people's tastes,” she said with a sigh, as Xavier questioned her.

“Did you tell her what you thought of him honestly?”

“Of course not,” she said quietly. “He's not a bank robber, he's not a drug addict, he's never been in jail, he's not a wife beater that we know of, he doesn't have ten illegitimate children, he's not a pedophile. What would I object to? That he's boring, stuffy, or too conservative? That's what she's looking for in a husband, and what right do I have to impose my value system and dreams on her? To each her own Prince Charming. I'm not marrying him, she is. There's nothing objectionable about him. He's just very dull and not my cup of tea. But Charlotte is nothing like me.”

“You're an amazing mother, Chantal,” he said admiringly. “I wish mine had been more like you. She kept telling me who I should marry, so I decided I never wanted to marry anyone, because she wanted them all to be like her, and I didn't want to marry my mother, or someone she picked for me. More parents should be like you and accept their children's choices. My parents expected Mathieu and me to marry people just like them, and they were very rigid, cold people. Mathieu did what he wanted and married Annick, who is warm and fun and perfect for him. And I decided to stay clear, and that marriage wasn't for me.”

“I just want her to be happy, whatever that means to her. It's going to be a very boring wedding!” she commented ruefully. “I hope you'll be there,” she said warmly.

“So do I,” he said, and meant it.

And for the next week, every night, mother and daughter talked about the wedding, and discussed the details. They had dinner with Rupert again, at Amber at the Mandarin Oriental, and Chantal bought them a beautiful engagement present at a store she happened on by accident, and Charlotte was very touched by it. The gift was two lovely silver swans like the ones by Asprey, which were particularly meaningful since swans mated for life, and they were the perfect gift for the very traditional couple. They agreed to leave them in Charlotte's apartment until they moved in together the following year. They spent most of their nights together, but Rupert had kept his own apartment, which he felt was more proper, and Charlotte preferred that too.

The week flew by, and Charlotte actually looked regretful when she took her mother to the airport. They talked about the wedding dress on the way there, and Chantal promised to look at Dior and Nina Ricci. At no time during the week had she mentioned Xavier to her. They had only talked about Charlotte and the wedding, and she hadn't asked her mother a single question about her life. It didn't seem appropriate to just drop it into the conversation, “Oh, by the way, I have a new boyfriend and he's nearly twenty years younger than I am, I'm sure you'll love him,” so she kept the information to herself. And Paul was going to meet Xavier shortly, and undoubtedly he would tell his sister about him. Chantal didn't want to give it undue importance by making an announcement, so she said nothing, but it always struck her how little her daughter knew about her life. She never asked. She was a very self-centered person, and with the wedding coming up it would get worse. Brides were not known for their sensitivity about others, it was always about them, and Charlotte would be no different, she was already that way now.

The two women kissed and hugged at the airport, and the affection expressed was sincere. It just didn't encompass who Chantal really was as a person. Charlotte loved the mother she wanted Chantal to be, but not the human being in the role. Chantal had to fit the job description perfectly, there was no room for her to be herself, and who she really was Charlotte had never known, and didn't want to. Xavier was part of that. One of the unknown details of her mother's life.

Xavier met Chantal at the apartment after the long flight from Hong Kong. He could hardly wait to see her. He had missed her for the week she was away, and he had come back from Corsica the night before, and was rested and tanned, and looked very handsome. Chantal had showered and changed the moment she got home, and was wearing jeans when she saw him. She was thrilled to be back, and as much as she loved her daughter, and it had been a good visit this time, it was exhausting playing a role, the role of the perfect mother who never let her hair down, never did anything silly, never wore anything inappropriate, had no boyfriends, and lived alone. Chantal was tired of being that person, and after all these years of measuring up for all of them, and meeting their high standards for her, Chantal had begun to feel that she had earned the right to be herself, make mistakes, and be whoever she chose to be, just the way they did. She was tired of motherhood being a one-way street, and until now it had been. Falling in love with Xavier had freed her, and she felt more relaxed, whole, and at ease than she had in years.