“I’m relieved to hear it. It’s funny, Gideon, how little we know about people really. The last person I would have suspected of being irrational was Margot. I always thought she was so down-to-earth and levelheaded.”
“So did I. But I soon found out otherwise. She’s really unbalanced, Ma. Well, that’s all over and done with now, thank God.”
Power of a Woman / 251
Stevie said, “You’ve been lucky, Gideon. She could have hurt you—physically, I mean. But let’s move on. You said you wanted to talk to me about the future, your future. I suppose I am right in thinking you meant your future as far as your personal life is concerned, and not your future at Jardine’s?”
He grinned. “You hit the nail on the head, Mother.
I wanted you to be the first to know that I’m getting married.”
This was the last thing Stevie had expected to hear, and she stared at Gideon in astonishment. “I can’t believe it.”
“Believe it, Ma. It’s true.”
“Who are you going to marry?”
He didn’t immediately answer her. Rising, he walked over to the window, stood looking down into the gardens of the square, wondering how best to explain the situation. There was only one way.
He must jump in at the deep end and tell her everything. His mother would understand; he was quite sure of that.
When he did not respond, Stevie probed, “Is that the reason you broke up with Margot?”
Turning around, Gideon answered quietly. “Not really. I told you, the relationship wasn’t working very well. When I realized how unbalanced she was, I became alarmed. However, I was…well, I
was
kind of getting involved with someone else by then.”
“And it’s this person you want to marry?”
252 / Barbara Taylor Bradford
“Yes. It’s an old friend, Ma, someone you like, so I know you’re going to be pleased.”
“Who is it, Gideon?”
“It’s Lenore, Ma.”
“
Lenore. Our
Lenore?”
He nodded.
“But she’s married already! Unless she got a divorce in the last week.” Stevie was thunderstruck, and this showed in the expression on her face and in her tone of voice.
“She’s going to get a divorce as quickly as possible. She’s not been happy with Malcolm for a long time. The marriage is on the rocks.”
“Oh, Gideon, are you
sure
about your feelings?
Really sure? There have been so many young women passing through your life….” Her voice trailed off, and she looked at her son, filling with dismay.
“And is Lenore sure? There are children involved here, and they must be considered. And what about Malcolm?”
“What do you mean?”
“He might not want to give her a divorce,” Stevie ventured.
“The marriage has been over for a long time, Mother. Lenore is not at all happy with him.”
“When did you realize you loved her?” Stevie asked, her voice low pitched and concerned.
“Years ago, just after she’d married Malcolm. It hit me then that I’d been such a stupid fool to let her get away, let her escape. You know how close we were. All of our lives, actually.”
Power of a Woman / 253
“Yes, I do, but—” Stevie cut her sentence off, stared into the distance.
Noticing the worry deepening on her face, Gideon said, “But
what
, Ma?”
“You can’t build happiness on somebody else’s
unhappiness
, at least that’s my opinion. You must both think very carefully about this.”
“Malcolm won’t be unhappy, if that’s what you’re getting at. He wants a divorce.”
“I see. But again, I ask you, are you really sure that you love Lenore, Gideon?”
“Yes, I am. Why do you doubt me?”
“It seems to me you’ve been…a bit fickle over the years. In and out of love at the drop of a hat.”
“This is different, Ma. I really and truly love Lenore, and she loves me. It’s going to be all right. Trust me. This love’s going to last a lifetime. We were meant to be together.”
Stevie was silent.
Gideon crossed the floor, sat down next to her on the sofa. Leaning into her, he took hold of her hand and squeezed it tightly. She turned her head to look at him.
“I love her so much, Mother, honestly I do. I know what you’re getting at…the upset of the divorce, all of the problems involved, the children, their feelings and their young lives to be taken into account. But I’m ready and willing to shoulder it all, and take the children on too. Lenore will never give them up anyway. She wants custody, obviously.”
254 / Barbara Taylor Bradford
“This is a big step,” she murmured.
“It’s a step I want to take.”
“I hope you’re both doing the right thing.”
“Don’t throw cold water on it, Ma,
please
,” he exclaimed. He searched her face, his eyes as troubled as hers. “I know I don’t have a very good record as far as women are concerned, but that’s easy to understand, and explain now. It was always Lenore I loved, and that is the reason I soon became disen-chanted with all the women I dated. They weren’t her.”
Stevie looked at him thoughtfully and slowly nodded. “I know what you mean.” A little sigh trickled out of her mouth, and she said softly, “I’ve loved Lenore Philips since she was a little girl. And I love you, too. And that’s why I don’t want either of you to make a mistake, do the wrong thing, and get hurt in the process. I’ve always believed Malcolm Armstrong to be pretty tough. Whatever you say to me to the contrary, it’s not going to be
quite
as easy as you think.” She bit her lip and finished in a voice so low it was almost inaudible. “I don’t want you to cause others pain either.”
“That can’t always be avoided, Ma. Everyone gets damaged in a divorce. In my considered opinion.”
Stevie merely nodded, but she knew he was correct.
“Aren’t you happy for me, Mother?”
“Yes, of course I am, darling, if this is what Power of a Woman / 255
you really want.” Stevie forced herself to smile. “I suppose I just wish the situation were a little less complicated.” Squeezing his hand, she said as reassuringly as she could, “I’m here for you, Gideon, for both of you, if you need me. Surely you know that.”
“Thanks, Ma,” he said, beaming at her. Pulling her into his arms, he hugged her to him.
Later that night, from the privacy of her bedroom, Stevie phoned Derek and recounted her conversation with Gideon. When she had finished, there was a silence at the other end of the phone.
“Are you still there, Derek?” she asked after a moment.
“I am, Stevie darling. Just thinking as I sit here, and wondering what to say to you.”
“There’s not much you can say, I suppose. After all, he is twenty-seven, he’s going to do what he wants.” As she finished speaking, Stevie laughed a little hollowly.
“What is it?”
“I always thought they would marry, you know.
I hoped they would, actually. You must remember how close they were when they were children and teenagers.”
“How could I ever forget it, Stevie? Your mother and I were always rather anxious about them. I for one held the strong conviction that he 256 / Barbara Taylor Bradford
would get her pregnant. They lived in each other’s pockets and behaved as if none of us existed. I was always very curious about what they did over at Lindenhill. They were alone so much, and let’s face it, Jacquetta Philips had her head in the clouds. She wasn’t much of a disciplinarian. They spent an awful lot of time there without any supervision.”
“Except for Miles. He was often along, over there with them. But I know what you’re getting at. To tell you the truth, I was startled when Gideon and Lenore stopped seeing each other. Even more startled when Lenore married Malcolm. That was probably a huge mistake, under the circumstances, and I can see why she and Gideon got back together again. Oh, God, more complications.”
“They’re really serious, then?” Derek asked.
“I’m positive of it. Gideon wouldn’t have made the announcement.”
“Then we’d better fasten our seat belts; we’re in for a bumpy ride.”
S
TEVIE HAD NOT WRITTEN VERY MUCH IN HER
JOURNAL of late, but once she said good-night to Derek, she took it out and entered the date and the place at the top of the page.
Christmas Day, 1996
I was startled earlier this evening when
Gideon confided that he and Lenore were involved again, but only momentarily, given the
circumstances of their lives. Because they were
so extraordinarily close as children, and in their
early teens, I’d fully expected them to marry
when they were old enough to do so
.
Something happened between them at one
point, and they drew apart. Neither of
258 / Barbara Taylor Bradford
them has ever spoken to me about it, but I was
aware there was a rift. How could I not be?
Gideon was like a bear with a sore head and
gloomier than ever, and Lenore became with-drawn and remote. She eventually vacated our
lives and was absent most of the time
.
If only they had confided in me then, perhaps
I might have been able to help them straighten
it out, whatever IT was. Certainly I would have
perhaps been able to prevent all these problems
now
.
I always thought it was rather sudden, the
way Lenore married Malcolm Armstrong. He’s
never been a favorite of mine, and I’ve never
grown to like him, not one iota, even though
I’ve known him and his family for donkey’s
years. Too cocksure, arrogant, and tough, to
my way of thinking
.
I’ve often thought that part of Malcolm’s attraction for Lenore at that time was his age. At
twenty-five, he must have appeared more soph-isticated and grown-up than Gideon, who was
only seventeen, two years younger than Lenore.
Yes, the older man would seem much more de-sirable, that’s quite obvious to me now
.
I don’t dare write here that she was too young
to get married at nineteen; after all, I was much
younger when I married Ralph
.
Stephen, my godson and namesake, was born
a scant eight months later. A premature
Power of a Woman / 259
baby, Lenore said. But I’ve always had my
doubts about that. Still do. If Malcolm got her
pregnant, this might explain the suddenness of
that unfortunate marriage. I think of it as unfortunate, because Lenore and Malcolm are as different as chalk and cheese, and ill suited
.
Pansy was born a year after Stephen, and
then came Thomas, Gideon’s godson, just
eighteen months after that. Three children one
after the other in just under four years. But who
am I to talk? I had three myself in a short span
of time before I was even twenty
.
I hope these children don’t become pawns in
this breakup of a marriage and the ensuing divorce. All are under ten. They will be Gideon’s
charges one day if he gets his way and weds
Lenore. Quite a responsibility, taking on a
ready-made family. Is he up to it? I don’t even
have to think twice about that. I know he is.
Gideon has a great sense of responsibility
.
And Lenore is strong, and in many ways she
is like me. She’s very down-to-earth, practical,
and independent by nature. Thankfully, she
didn’t lose her wonderful sense of independence
after her marriage
.
As I think of that now, I realize it must have
been quite a battle for her. Malcolm is a male
chauvinist. Obviously, though, she really made
her mind up not to become an
260 / Barbara Taylor Bradford
appendage, a “yes” wife walking three steps behind her husband
.
As I look back, Lenore was determined to be
her own woman even when she was a young
girl. And I know she always considered herself
to be Malcolm’s equal, which, of course, she is.
How fortunate it is now that she went ahead
and carved out her own life and her own career
.
To me she has always been a clever girl; I
think it is very clever of her, using her knowledge of old paintings, art objects, and furniture
to her advantage the way she has, opening her
own arts and antiques consultancy firm when
she did
.
I remember now how we used to laugh years
ago, when she would take me on guided tours
of Lindenhill, where her family has lived for
centuries…one of the great stately homes of
England
.
Lindenhill is full of priceless objects that she
knows everything about, right down to the last
detail. All of this information, this knowledge,
was force-fed into her by Allan, her father, before he died
.
Lenore is twenty-nine now, and it has taken
her ten years to come back to Gideon. Oh, dear,
the trouble they are about to have. I can hardly
bear to think about it. Derek was so right tonight when he said we’re in for a bumpy ride.
We are
.
Power of a Woman / 261
Whatever my son says, I know that Malcolm
Armstrong is going to be a problem. I doubt very
much that he wants a divorce. It would be inconvenient for him; in a sense, he would lose face.
Lenore’s aristocratic lineage was always of
enormous importance to him. She was born Lady
Eleanor Elizabeth Jane Philips, and her brother
is the Marquess of Linden, and that is most
meaningful to Malcolm, such a silly snob
.
I suppose he thinks their impeccable background gives him stature, but he’s wrong. He’s
an insignificant man and he will never be anything else. Anyway, I know he won’t want to
let go of her because of who she is
.