Family Reunion (55 page)

Lena cordially nodded and returned. "I thank you…and you are?" She asked. Thomas who was grinning and watching the two, as was Manny, found his manners at that moment. "Ceś alena, allow me to introduce you to my wife, Eugenia Sandoval." It was clear to all that Eugenia was possessive, and very much in love with her husband; and understandably, as Lena had always considered Thomas quite the catch. Suddenly Lena's hand rose between them, held out to Eugenia, surprising her. A handshake from a woman was unpractised; Eugenia felt a surge of pride for a woman to do so and so reciprocated the gesture, "Eugenia Sandoval, how very nice to meet you, you have without a doubt married a winner."

"Oh believe me I know; I agree with you one hundred percent."

She said as she looked up at Manny with a twinkle in her eye and passion in her voice that sounded to Lena as if she was emotionally touched to see them together.

The three obviously knew each other; her next words to Manny confirmed this. "As for you, have you settled down now? Are you finally happy again? No more fighting, knocking in doors and the like?" She asked, leaving Thomas's side to wrap her arms around Manny's waist. He was all grins as he nodded yes, "I promise to be good now, all is well with me…especially now." Lena's eyes grew huge at this show of their closeness, and felt her face heat with a bit of jealousy, small…but there.

"Good…I'm so happy for you. We both are." She declared, pulling away from him and going back to her husband. She faced Lena again, "Please love him Lena. Love him as you've never loved him before." She implored huskily. Lena felt tears glaze her eyes again at Eugenia’s obvious sincerity.

"Eugenia-a-a." Manny moaned her name.

"I know, I know…but I saw you then, and felt your pain, and if I can say something to help you from ever going through that again, I will."

Manny swallowed the lump in his throat reiterating, "I'm settled now, I'll be fine and trust me…we're in it for the duration."

"Good, now Lena, there's another with us, Junior, come here son." She called turning as they stepped further down to meet their son. "Mom don't call me Junior, Tom or Tommy, but not Junior." The youth complained. Lena gasped and laughed as a smaller version of Thomas faced her.

"This young man Lena is the replication of my wonderful husband. Thomas Xavier Sandoval. Son, meet the woman who broke your father's heart and I had to piece back together!" She added sneakily.

"Eugene!!" Thomas called her by the male version, his signal to her
to tread carefully, she giggled.

"Mother be good!" Their son backed his father.

"I was only adding a little humor, really I was!"

Lena was a little stunned by her comment and looked up at Manny, who shook his head grinning at her.

"Lena you will eventually get used to my wry humor but it takes a special kind of woman to ever have claimed my husband's heart. You and I are, isn't that right Thomas." Thomas nodded, "Yes my dear, that you are, that you are."

With one last word to promise to meet back up, the procession moved on. "You most certainly will have to tell me about this." Lena simpered as they continued. "
After
– the wedding, I will. For now, I would like to show you off a bit more, so come along and humor this old man."

Lena smiled, "Your wish is my command." Manny stopped and asked very seriously, "So you'll marry me then?"

"Manny, let's just enjoy tonight. I thought you were going to show me off?"

"Oh I intend to."

As the evening progressed, Lena learned that the food was prepared by Carmine and his family, who had closed down the restaurant and arrived that morning at the mansion to begin preparations. Manny also braced her before she met Nigel Franks, the woman he lived with, and their children. Unable to blame any one man for her misfortune, she held no animosity and greeted him and his family with a smile. The evening was filled with one unveiling after another.

The family learned that Leon had taken Francis to see a house he’d bought on a nice piece of land. He also told them that he'd proposed and she’d accepted. Hearing the news, everyone loudly congratulated them. Crewmen from Manny's ships with members of their families were introduced to Manny's family. Manny found a pastor and invited him along so that he could meet the two of them together, after observing them, he was more than willing to perform the ceremony.

The festivities were going so well, that the crewmen who were friends to Leon, cheered him on not to wait, they all decided he should marry Francis right then and there and so, to the astonishment of Francis, he did. He had a diamond ring on him that he would place on her finger that night. The ceremony was short, and brought tears to Lena's eyes.

Francis was caught up in a whirlwind dream that so few were
fortunate enough to experience and so, spent the rest of the evening in her husband's arms, going from tears to a feeling of euphoria – she’d met and married him all within a few days – and was left spinning, believing that at any moment, she would wake from an incredible dream. Soon all were called to dinner. Carmine and his family, though serving, enjoyed the dinner party as much as those they served.

Lena giggled like a schoolgirl to be taken into Manny's arms and pulled onto the ballroom floor to dance with him. Once she got the hang of the slow waltz, she never wanted it to end and so they danced most of the evening. Her face hurt from the constant smiling and blushing, as Manny bent low now and then with a naughty thought that he couldn’t help but share with her. He even went so far as to tell her a dirty joke that left her laughing until she was weak. His intent was to sweep her off her feet, to dazzle her and make her forget all the pains of the past. For a while, he succeeded. She danced with her sons, with Joe, and with Thomas. She even danced with a few men she had never seen before, but they were ever polite and behaving as gentlemen.

Again she erupted in laughter as one of the women made a comment that gave her a good indication of where the extra faces had come from. She brought this to Manny's attention once she was back in his arms again.

"Does that bother you that very few attending come from polite or elite society? Most being derelicts, pirates and whores?"

"Manny…this is…the most incredible ball … and I …am having… the time of my life. Thank you…I've laughed so much, my face aches."

Rory stood back and watched his mother and was overwhelmed by the people who liked her, accepted her, and the many who loved her. Surprised that white men as well as others, basked in her bright and gracious personality, her sharp wit and easy manner. All could feel her soft, kind spirit and graceful way. She was wonderful in their eyes and when Rory danced with her, in his heart, he agreed with them all.

Out of breath with the heat of so many bodies dancing around her, Lena stepped out on the terrace to catch a breath of fresh air. Sandra followed her out, both laughing gaily from their dancing and fun. Lena stepped up against the wrought iron rail, leaning as she threw her arms up and wide calling out as if to the heavens though she spoke to Sandra.

"This is the most wonderful night of my life!! I love it! I love it! Oh Sandra, I feel as though the whole world is smiling at me! As if the heavens have designated it my night! Lena's night! Oh Sandra, finally - God is smiling down on me!”

“
For once, I'm smiling back! That room in there is filled with people who really like me! They like me!" She turned to her, exclaiming the amazement of it. "And you know what else? I have - the most wonderful man in the world - in love with me! Me Sandra! I'm so happy!" She finished softly as she turned back to the railing with her hands on it, leaning over, feeling the night's cool breeze blow over her skin…cooling the dewy perspiration.

"You deserve this night Lena. Of course all those people like you, if they all knew you as I do, they'd love you ... just as I love you...and soon, you'll be ... you'll be gone and I'll be - all alone."

Lena's head dropped.

She could hear the pain and loneliness in Sandra's voice. ‘
Not tonight,
She thought, ‘
she didn't want to hear any sadness tonight, she didn't want to feel pain or see it.’

"Oh Sandra." She turned and called her name softly.

"Lena I don't mean to dampen your mood ... but what am I to do when you leave me? You've always been here for me. Even after what happened, you still stayed with me, when you could have left. You didn't and – I always thought – well that you'd never leave. Now... now you have Manny…and your children…you're leaving me."

"Sandra you don't need me any more. You're a strong, bright, intelligent woman. Not only that, but you're young and beautiful. We will always have the means to reach each other if the need arises."

"Oh how I wish I believed that as you do. I don't think you realize how much I've come to depend on you. After George, I swore I would never put my life in the hands of another man, as long as I lived. I could hold to that promise, because I had you. It was one decision I was not threatened by. It was you who pulled me up when I was down. Who thought up those ideas to make our money work for us-..."

"Your money Sandra, all that you have has always been yours. The restaurant and the other shops, it's all yours, not mine."

"Who is it that convinced me to make those business decisions? To take a chance on what you knew? To finance all that we have? My success is that, because of you Lena! It was an equal partnership, my money, your brains."

"Sandra - stop it!" Lena snapped. "It was only a matter of time before you would have made moves to-…"

"You're wrong Lena. I hadn't even begun to think about making my money work for me. That's why I know I cannot claim it all as mine."

"Well now it's yours okay, all yours, all alone." Lena told her, she
wanted the discussion ended. Sandra turned away from her. "I hate it…this…being all alone. I'm afraid Lena, I'm scared to death! You've been gone for only a couple of days and already things feel as though they’re falling apart around me. I have Georgia Mason breathing down my neck, and Clarence Winston-…." She turned back to Lena then. "…-he knows Lena, he knows all about it…about what happened! It's only a matter of time before he does something with what he knows! He wanted to claim you Lena…and now-…"

Lena's heart lurched. "What do you mean he knows?!"

"About George! About the trial, the real trial! He has to, that's how he was able to find you. Georgia told me that he was the one who gave her the information on the truth about George's death. That explains how he was able to find you."

"He must have given her the public documents on the trial and found the true ones and kept them to himself. He could then get to you without her trying to get to you! That's why I'm afraid Lena, I'm afraid for us both! He doesn't know the real truth of what happened. To get back at you for resisting him, he could very well expose the fact that you didn't hang. Then that horrible nightmare would be brought back again! Oh Lena, I can't stand the thought of you having to go through that again!" Sandra finished tearfully.

Lena's eyes closed as her hands gripped the railing until it hurt.

With her heart sinking in her chest, she was now afraid. If he did indeed expose her as being alive, then that nasty mess would re-surface. Manny would find out…he would know. Yet, she wondered what Clarence Winston was waiting for?
'Why hasn't he made a move towards me again? Where is he? What is he doing right now? Is he now planning to get back at me for evading him?'
Manny was keeping her on the ship, maybe he didn't know where she was? When he did find her, would he then force her to make a decision? She knew that when he came, and she was sure he would, she would have no choice but to go with him. Or else he would threaten to tell Manny.

'Manny.'
There was no way he would release her to him. He would fight for her, she knew he would. What would that truth do to him? Would he ever be able to forgive her once he knew? A shudder came with remembering George Sinclair. God forgive her, he was one individual in her life she had truly hated. She was glad he was dead. Only someone as evil as he was could reach out from his grave to destroy any happiness she and Sandra might strive for. Suddenly tears came to her eyes with a sigh of disgust at herself.

'Hadn't I known it all along it wouldn't last? This short lived happiness that dances before me, daring me to hope and believe it could be true ... damn you George Sinclair, damn you to hell!'

"Oh Lena, what am I going to do?"

"Nothing…tomorrow, I will go to Clarence Winston and when I get there, I will bargain with him. I will ask if he will take you with us to my Island, you can stay there until Georgia has grown tired of it all since you will be no longer available. Once we are there with my father -…"

"Stop it Lena! Just stop!" Sandra groaned.

Lena looked at her startled.

"No more! It's getting so, I can't stand myself. I can't believe I've done this! All in a matter of minutes I've managed to bring your world of joy down around your feet. You know what? The truth is, deep down inside I knew if I came to you this way, that streak of loyalty you have would not allow you to leave me. I'm sorry…I'm just scared. I'm so ashamed of myself! To hear you actually willing to sacrifice yourself for me makes me sick to my stomach. I can't do it again; I can't go through with this all over again! This time Lena, I am refusing to let you get involved in my problems. No, this doesn't concern you. It didn't then and it doesn't now. I sat back once and let everything happen to you but not again. Maynard Webster is here for you. Your children are here for you. You marry him and you get away from here. They're your family Lena, not me. You've done more than enough for me. It's time I gained my own strength. I'm sorry … I've become so used to turning to you that I don't know when to stop... the time is now."