"Hello Gabriella." Blayne said politely and put her hand out.
Gabriella placed her hand in Blayne's silently.
"Oh come on you two. Hug, we are all sisters."
Blayne held onto Gabriella's hand. Gabriella got up as if in a trance and went into Blayne's arms. She shut her eyes tightly and allowed her body to melt into the arms of the woman that had held her through the night.
Blayne broke the embrace by pulling away. "Hello little sister," she said softly.
Diana smiled.
Gabriella still facing Blayne was about to speak when Blayne moved away to sit down next to her. Gabriella took in a deep breath and turned with a smile on her face as well.
"We just ordered some wine."
"I can't, I have a meeting after lunch." Blayne cut in.
"Okay, we were thinking of order the..." Diana began to say.
"The Flammekeuche?" Blayne said looking at the menu.
Diana smiled indulgently. "Yes, you remembered."
"Of course," Blayne said looking up. "You order it every time we meet here for lunch."
The waitress brought the wine and took the lunch order from the three women. Gabriella had hardly said anything.
"What time are Joseph and the children arriving?" Diana asked.
Blayne's head looked up immediately. She waited holding her breath.
"Ahh….they arrive at 6:30 this evening." Gabriella answered not daring to look in Blayne's direction.
"I can hardly wait to see them. Blayne you will absolutely love Elle and Christopher." Diana said looking towards Blayne now. She was surprised to see the expression in Blayne's face.
"Blayne?" Diana asked as Blayne only stared at Gabriella.
Gabriella stared on the tablecloth. Again, Diana just didn't understand what was going on.
"Why are they coming here?" Blayne asked Gabriella ignoring Diana completely.
Diana looked from Blayne to Gabriella understanding less and less.
"Why?" Blayne asked again.
"They are coming to meet daddy, Blayne." Diana answered.
Blayne looked towards Diana then back to Gabriella who looked up and met eyes full of disbelief, hurt and a coldness that scared her.
Diana didn't like what she was seeing at all.
"I…" Gabriella began to speak and then looked back down at the tablecloth again.
"I think it's very nice of Gabriella to do this for Daddy," Diana interjected.
Blayne continued to stare in disbelief then suddenly began to stare at the water glass in front of her. Diana could see the uncertainty and something else she could not understand going through Blayne's semblance in front of her. Her sister was growing pale and Gabriella looked like she was about to bolt any moment now.
"I thought you guys liked each other," Diana said sadly.
Both Blayne and Gabriella remained silent.
"I want both my sisters to like each other." Diana murmured sadly. "I will need both of you when Daddy…" she trailed off.
Both Blayne and Gabriella looked up towards Diana.
Blayne put her hand over her sisters. "You won't be alone Diana."
"I know." Diana looked up with eyes filled with tears. "I love both of you. I just want you two to remember that we are a family."
Blayne nodded.
Gabriella smiled and ran her hand along her sister's arm. "Yes sweetheart." Gabriella said reassuringly.
Blayne looked up with such yearning at Gabriella. Gabriella was looking at Diana but Diana saw it before Blayne released her hand and straightened up.
"Well here comes our lunch." Blayne gave the waitress a brilliant smile.
All three sisters played at being polite throughout lunch. Diana seemed happy enough.
As they were finishing their lunch the inevitable question arose.
"Will you be coming tonight or tomorrow to the house?" Diana asked Blayne innocently.
Blayne looked at her sister and saw the look of apprehension on Gabriella's face.
"I don't think so. I have to catch up on some things I put off yesterday." Blayne answered with a touch of sarcasm."
"But Blayne, couldn't you have arranged something?" Diana insisted
"How could I since I didn't know Diana." Blayne sounded exasperated.
"I thought that Daddy…." Diana trailed off in confusion.
Blayne looked accusingly towards Gabriella unable to hide her resentment.
"I'm sure he said he was going to tell you." Diana insisted.
"Perhaps it skipped his mind." Blayne simply answered and began eating again. Yeah, right. Nothing escapes Arthur. Damn this whole thing. Blayne looked up to Gabriella. I hate you for putting me in this position. I hate myself more for letting you. I don't want to love you. I don't want to love you! Blayne looked back at her food again as her thoughts kept invading her mind and would not let up their lamentation.
"Well, can't you try to get away for a little bit?" Diana wanted more than anything for Blayne and Gabriella to get along. She just didn't understand why they couldn't seem to get passed whatever it was that had become a visible wall between them.
"No, I don't think so, sorry." Blayne said as she looked up, trying to smile.
"It's okay, Blayne is busy. Perhaps another time." Gabriella finally spoke and assisted.
"Yes, another time Gabriella. When will you be coming back to Boston?" Blayne asked with a forced smile, both she and Gabriella knew what she was asking.
"Soon. I promise." Gabriella said and looked back down to her lunch.
"I will hold you to that." Blayne added seriously.
Diana looked from one to the other.
Gabriella looked up and nodded. "Yes soon. I promise."
Blayne turned and smiled so that Diana was pleased and Gabriella went back to her lunch.
Diana simply didn't understand them and she wanted to desperately. Gabriella and Blayne made no sense to her at all. And Blayne was certainly not acting herself these days. Blayne had changed. Diana looked at her sister for a moment, yes, something had changed in Blayne; she seemed sadder somehow. She had noticed it after that day that she found her on the floor of her room weeping. And then she saw glimpses of it in London. Blayne's eyes were alert as they had always been but there had been unguarded moments that Diana was taken aback by the incredible look of sadness in those expressive eyes.
In London she had actually tried to talk to Blayne but to no avail. Blayne simply wasn't talking and Diana knew instinctively that something inside of her was dying. Perhaps it had been the news that their father was dying or even the shock of finding out about Gabriella but somehow Diana didn't think so. Yes, those things had surprised them all but there was something else that was happening inside Blayne and it was taking its toll.
Blayne finally said her good-byes and left the restaurant. Gabriella and Diana agreed to meet later at the house after she picked up her family at the airport.
Both Blayne and Gabriella seemed to be running Diana thought to herself. Before leaving Sandrine's she stopped and said hello to Raymond.
Diana was not going to give up in getting her two sisters to get along. In a short period of time she had begun to love Gabriella and her children. And she recognized that Blayne had been right. Whenever she called Gabriella her sister made the time to talk to her and she liked and needed that. Diana also knew that the closer she was getting to Gabriella the distance between her and Blayne seemed to be growing.
Blayne walked into her office and passed her secretary without so much as a word.
Carla her private secretary walked in behind her and closed the door.
"Your three o'clock is here."