Blayne took a deep breath as she ran her fingers through her hair. "All right, all right."
"Diana tells me that she is meeting you over there." Arthur changed the subject.
"Yes, yes, we are going to try and spend some time together. At least that's the idea." Blayne laughed a little.
"Why do you laugh." Arthur asked curiously.
"The last time Diana and I tried this we ended up at the Zoo and you remember what happened then," she laughed.
Arthur laughed also. It had been so long since he had heard her laugh like that and at that moment he realized how much Blayne had changed throughout the years.
"Yes, I remember. Diana decided she wanted a closer look at the monkeys and you ended up in the pond." Arthur reminded her.
"She was my responsibility. I had to get her out of there." Blayne laughed at the memory. Diana had always been…. when had she lost that, she suddenly asked herself and the laughter died in her.
Arthur seemed to be keeping pace with her emotions because at that moment he realized that she had seen the loneliness that had gradually taken hold as well.
"Well, I promise no Zoo this time."
"Keep your sister out of trouble," Arthur said to her.
"With Diana there are no promises." She replied distantly.
"Blayne…."
"Yes father?"
"I have always been so proud of you." He said suddenly. "You have always surpassed my expectations. I…I wanted you to know that."
Blayne felt the knot in her throat and tried to control the emotion from overwhelming her.
"I love you Blayne." He could not control the emotion in his voice.
"I …I love you, father," she said softly.
"It's great sailing weather today," he said and as he did his hand went out to her over the miles of ocean that separated them. "When you get back we'll go out to the point. You loved going out there when you were a kid."
She could see the smile on his face without seeing him and she smiled too. "Well, hard not to when you told me all those tales of Sirens and Ulysses."
"Yes." He laughed. "When you get back then."
"Yes, when I get back."
Arthur hung up and smiled to himself again. Blayne had been such a beautiful child when he had married Abigail. She was bright and vital. He remembered all the times they had gone out on the sailboat. It had become gradually something that only they two shared, along with a love of history and his fascination with mythology. She had been a loving child, curious and a dreamer then. It had been so easy to love her. Slowly he had shaped her to one-day take his place.
Arthur looked out into the ocean from his balcony and wished he had perhaps taught her other things as well. He was proud of her. He couldn't have been prouder if he had fathered her himself.
Suddenly he realized he should never have contacted Gabriella. Arthur finally saw the selfishness in that act. What had he expected? He only wanted to appease his conscious where Elena and Gabriella were concerned. He had not only hurt them, he realized, but he had mortally wounded Blayne. In this admission he recognized his arrogance. He had yet again only thought of himself like he had done so many years ago.
He didn't understand Blayne's desire but he saw the pain in her clearly. Blayne had been able to hide things from the world but he had always been able to read her eyes. She was his child. Blayne was the real child of his heart and he had in his thoughtlessness destroyed her. At that moment Arthur's eyes filled with tears. He had been the one to yet again break the heart of someone he loved. Even now he realized she was putting distance between herself and Gabriella. What had he done? And yet he knew that he had to make her understand that it was for the best.
He would do one thing for Blayne before his time was up; at least he would try to teach her a way of attaining some peace. The ocean had been his confessor and in it he had found some solace. In its vastness he had found some sense of oneness. When Blayne got back he would give her that. If nothing else he would try to give her that.
It had been an incredibly harried morning. Chaz had been working as one of her VP's for the past two months but Blayne was glad to admit that no major disasters had come of it. Arthur was going through Chemotherapy and seemed to be handling better than expected. Her mother was fooling herself that he would get better and they all let her, knowing that it was her way of dealing with the inevitable.
Blayne was so busy that there was no time left for her to give in to the bare facts of her present and the coldness to come of her future. Blayne was clearly a very competent machine when she was focused. Her analytical mind took all in like a sponge and the results were all logical and mathematical equations; emotions just had no place in her life. She worked best when she felt nothing, and lately she seemed to do no wrong.
Diana waltz into her office as she looked up irately at the interruption. Blayne was on an overseas call and motioned for Diana to sit.
Diana looked around the office and waited politely.
Forty minutes later Blayne finally finished her call and turned towards her sister.
"Did we have an appointment?" Blayne asked curtly.
"Do I need one?" Diana said defensively.
Blayne was about to say something then seemed to think better of it.
"All right. Diana, I'm sorry…I just meant…"
"You meant how dare I interrupt you." Diana was clearly upset.
Blayne was about to argue then just smiled.
"Yes," her smile broadened. "I'm sorry. You're right. I was rude. Is there something I can help you with?"
Diana smiled at her sister indulgently. "That's better. No, I don't need anything. I just came to say hello and hopefully take you to lunch…"
The telephone interrupted them.
"I'm waiting for a call…give me a moment okay?"
Diana nodded.
"Blayne Anberville."
"Blayne…"
Blayne froze. She seemed to stop breathing.
"I…I'm here in Boston. I need to see you." Gabriella's voice seemed to infiltrate every fiber of her body. Her eyes closed trying to shut down the reaction.
"Nooo…" was all that came out of her mouth.
Diana noticed Blayne's demeanor immediately.
"I'm staying at the Copley Hotel…I'll be here only till morning. Blayne…come, please." Gabriella begged her softly.
"Nooo…"Blayne opened her eyes and as soon as her eyes focused and suddenly became aware of Diana her body straightened. "I'm sorry that's not possible, goodbye," She said brusquely and hung up.
"You okay?" Diana searched her face. Blayne had gotten very pale.
"Yes…" Blayne looked down at her paperwork. "I'm sorry Diana…but I won't be able to have lunch I'm swamped." She looked up more in control of herself now.
"You look off keel. Sure you're okay?"
"Diana, I'm fine. Just really busy." She started shuffling papers around. "Maybe we can have lunch tomorrow if you're in town."
Diana smiled. "Actually that's even better. Lunch tomorrow then at one okay?"
"Yes, perfect. Where?" Blayne opened her appointment book to add it to her schedule.
"How about Sadrine's Bistro at one?"
"Great, I'll meet you there at one in the afternoon." Blayne made the note on her agenda and mist the totally devilish look that covered Diana's face..
Diana then got up happily. "Great! Well, I better let you get back to it."
Blayne smiled at her sister and nodded. That smile disappeared as the door closed behind Diana.
Gabriella is here… her head fell back on the chair. God please… Blayne closed her eyes in supplication.
That night Blayne found herself walking down a carpeted corridor. She stopped in front of a door and stared at the floor for a moment. Closing her eyes, she breathed in then looked up telling herself yet again that she was not going to give in to this…then she saw her hand go up and knock. Something inside her tore as she felt the pain of defeat and exaltation.