Chapter 27: Pride and Prejudice

Roberta Carter felt uncomfortable. The man sitting opposite her did not belong to her usual circles. He had been referred to her by a friend as a very efficient private investigator who specialised in personal background investigations. Her friend had employed him to look into her prospective son in law's past life. She claimed that he had been discreet and efficient. He had seemed a bit vulgar and cynical to her and she had harboured serious doubts over hiring him ever since meeting him.

"Have you been able to complete the background check, Mr. Paisley?" she asked guardedly.

"Yes, Lady Lambert, not that there was much to discover. I admit to spending the most boring week of my life. There is nothing wrong with this girl. From the way you described her and your misgivings, I expected the worst. Now I'm thinking of exchanging her for my own daughter."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, absolutely. I followed the girl for a week. I cased her at school and during whatever she did after school. If she doesn't run an opium den in her father's house, which I rather doubt, she's as clean as a whistle. It's all summarised in my report. She goes to school and attends all her classes. She wears her regulation uniform, tailor cut but modest, and she does not change into anything racy after school. She still goes to a tutoring service, but her grades have improved steadily. Her teachers like her and most of her fellow students accept her. She's having some squabbles with two girls in her class who have, how shall I phrase this, matured beyond their years. She doesn't smoke, refuses alcoholic beverages, and she passed our honesty test."

Roberta Carter raised an eyebrow and Mr. Paisley explained.

"She goes to a book shop almost daily. I bribed the young man at the register. He gave her excess change after a purchase. She counted the money, returned to the cash register and returned the money."

"How much?"

"Ten pounds."

Lady Lambert nodded grudgingly. She doubted that more than fifty percent of teenagers would have acted that way. Obviously, the girl had been taught right from wrong. That was astonishing if one contemplated her upbringing.

Mr. Paisley continued.

"On three afternoons she went to a Kung Fu school where she met with a Hispanic woman, a Miss Hernandez, who seems to live in her father's household."

"I know her, she's working for my son."

"Your grandson also joined them and they spent almost two hours in practice. From what I gathered, the young Hispanic lady is an instructor at that school and Miss Ruiz-Costa is an advanced student. After practice, they all went for a snack in a coffee shop before they drove home in Miss Hernandez' car."

He consulted a notebook.

"On the other two afternoons, she met with your grandson after school at the public library. From what I saw they studied together. One afternoon they went to a dance school afterwards. They take a beginners' class in ballroom dancing. Nothing untoward happened. They were picked up by Miss Hernandez afterwards. I noticed then that Miss Hernandez carries a firearm."

Roberta nodded. "She is a security officer with our bank and is licensed to carry a weapon."

Paisley nodded. "On Thursday afternoon, after studying in the library, they went to a park and sat on a bench for over two hours. I was able to pick up their conversation using a high-powered microphone. You can listen to their conversation, but then I must destroy the recording. Taping that conversation was borderline illegal, you see?"

He offered her a set of headphones and started a small tape player. Roberta could hear some wind noise and some voices in the background, but she could easily discern Anthony's voice and the voice of the girl.

"Did you talk to your mum yet?" she heard the girl.

"Yes, I told her. She says I have to take it up with Dad."

"I still think you should go, Tony. She's your grandmother and it's her sixtieth birthday."

"I know, I know," she heard Anthony sigh. "B-but the moment I'm there, she will s-start in on me again. 'You sh-should concentrate on y-your speech, Anthony. We p-pay a fortune on speech therapy and you just don't seem to c-care.' That's w-what I'll hear for a g-greeting."

Roberta blushed. He had quoted her almost verbatim. Anthony wanted to stay away from her birthday?

"It's not just her. I mean, at least she means well. But you should hear her sisters: 'You talk like a veritable idiot, Anthony!', or 'Talk properly, young man, if you want to be taken seriously!'. It goes on like that all the time."

"That's beyond mean!" the girl fumed. "They know you can't defend yourself with words when you're agitated. They're cruel. Doesn't anybody help you?"

"Th-they n-never do it in front of M-Mum or Dad. And the others j-just l-laugh."

"God! That makes me so mad!"

"Th-that's why I hate f-family events. I'm the f-fucking f-freak, the idiot."

"But you are no idiot, they are! You almost don't stutter at all with me! You must tell your parents, Tony. They alone can stop this. But you must also remember what Sifu told you about resting within your self. Those breathing techniques really work. If you stay calm, you can talk back. You really can. Maybe we can practise some tomorrow. We still have a week. Tony, you mustn't give in! If you don't go to your grandmother's birthday, they will win!"

Roberta gave Mr. Paisley a sign to stop.

"I have heard more than enough, thank you. This has been more informative than I expected."

He stopped the player and pulled a manila envelope from his bag.

"Here are a number of photographs that I took during the week. The ones from the park are on top."

Roberta leafed through the prints. They showed Anthony sitting on a bench with Tamara. One picture captivated her. The girl held Anthony's hand and they looked at each other with laughing faces. Roberta could not remember Anthony looking that happy in years.

"Thank you for your troubles, Mr. Paisley. If you will leave your report and your final reckoning with me, I shall see that you receive your payment. I shall recommend you too."

"Thank you, Milady. As I said, it was pleasant work. The things you see with teenagers these days ... It felt good to watch two normal kids."

After Mr. Paisley had left, Roberta sat for a while looking at the pictures. Without the designer dress, the girl looked like any normal teenager. She would be more than pretty as a woman Roberta mused, especially after filling out a little. Then she thought of how she had discouraged Anthony from meeting her and she felt like an ass. One look at Anthony's happy face told her how stupid she had been.

The thought of her sisters making fun of Anthony washed over her next. For decades she had helped them out with money, had seen to it that their worthless husbands found well-paying jobs where they could not hurt anyone with their ineptitude. And now they had the gall to ridicule her grandson? She would have to rewrite some provisions in her will she decided with a grim smile. Her sisters, Edwina and Laura, and their husbands were both living rent-free in one of her upscale apartment houses in the West End. The thought she had then was pure genius. She would give that house to Anthony as birthday present. Edwina and Laura would have to play nice or lose their apartments!

Then her thoughts returned to the girl. Tamara. Not a bad name at all. Thank God her hapless mother had not put that silly nickname, Tammy, on her birth certificate. Some of that righteous anger she had heard in the girl's voice reminded her of Elisabeth Ruiz-Costa, her friend and Henry's mother. Tamara's grandmother, if she considered things properly.

That mother who had been little more than a barmaid and part-time prostitute had actually instilled proper ethics in her daughter. Roberta did not kid herself for a minute. Honesty was not an inherited trait. It had to be taught by example. However that unlucky woman had earned her living, she must lived an honest life. Roberta was under no illusion that this honesty had probably been a decided disadvantage for her, given the way she'd had to live.

It was time to eat humble pie she decided.

"Thank you for coming! I know you must distrust my motives, but I would like to make amends for my insensitive behaviour at your father's wedding."

Roberta had worked on the wording of that first sentence until she felt it had the right mixture of apology and conciliation. The girl looked at her for a second or two before she nodded. Roberta could see the distrust behind that quiet gaze.

"Thank you for the invitation," was all she answered.

Of course, Roberta mused, she would not be forthcoming.

"I want to apologise for the bigoted attitude I displayed. Frankly, I feel very bad about it, now that I've thought it over."

She could still see the suspicion in the girl's eyes.

"May I ask what has made you think differently about me?"

Roberta had decided to offer a little white lie.

"I admit to spying on you. I saw you and Tony exiting the library last Thursday and I followed you into the park. I know this is not considered good behaviour, but my son gave me an earful about how I had treated you. I admit to hoping I would see something to justify my attitude. Instead I saw Anthony laughing with you. I have not seen him that happy and carefree in years. Whatever you do with him, it makes him happy. That, my dear Tamara, is my primary concern."

Tamara had blushed slightly and she had obviously tried to remember if there had been anything to be embarrassed about. Obviously, she decided that there had been nothing.

"Would you please not do that again? I could not meet Tony again if I felt observed all the time."

"Oh, I promise not to spy ever again. Which brings me to my second question. There will be a celebration of my sixtieth birthday next weekend. Of course, your father and his family are invited, but I would like to invite you personally. You see, for one reason or another, Anthony seems to be ill at ease at my functions lately. I was hoping that your presence would help to make him feel better. Plus, you and I could get to know each without the need for me to hide behind trees," she ended with a wry smile.

The girl seemed apprehensive and distrust was written on her face.

"I don't know. You have to understand that I don't know how to behave properly yet. I'm trying to learn but I'm afraid that I may embarrass Tony or my father."

That was not what Roberta had expected. She realised how Anthony, so insecure due to his stutter, would relate to a girl who was equally unsure of herself. They were sitting in the same boat if for different reasons.

"Oh, you won't. Trust me. You have a natural grace in your movements and you are polite. A certain shyness is expected of a girl your age. I would consider it a favour if you agreed."

"Will you call my father and explain?"

"Certainly. Thank you for agreeing. I owe you a favour. Tamara, there is one more thing. Do you happen to know what makes Anthony so uneasy around me? I mean, apart from the fact that I was talking to you down my nose?"

She hoped that her smile would take away any sting from her words. Apparently, she succeeded.

"I think I know the reason, or rather the reasons. But Tony must find the courage to tell you himself or it won't really help."

"I understand. Do you think it might help if I initiated a conversation?"

"I think so, but I cannot be sure."

"Thank you, Tamara, for your honesty and for being such a good friend to Anthony. I have great hopes for his future." She paused briefly. "I have a small present for you. Your grandfather, Henry's father, gave this to me after your grandmother's untimely death. You see, Elisabeth – Bessie – was my best friend in the world. I miss her bitterly to this day. She used this set to write in her diary and for her letters. I have been keeping it ever since Bessie's death. I want you to have it for your use. I also have her diaries. I don't know if you are interested in them, but you are her only female descendant and they should be yours by rights."

The diaries were neatly tied with a ribbon. The writing set consisted of a fountain pen, black and green, with a 14 carat gold nib, a matching case, and an inkwell. The case was imprinted PELIKAN M400N in an old print font.

Tamara seemed fascinated by it. Very carefully, she opened the cap and looked at the engraved gold nib. The piston mechanism had been repaired by the manufacturer in the 1970s and was in good shape. Roberta was happy that she'd had it done. The girl looked up at her and for the first time she offered a friendly smile.

"Thank you! This really means a lot to me. I shan't take it to school though. I'll use it only at home."

Roberta nodded with satisfaction. She had done the right thing.

"One more thing, Tamara. There should be a family heirloom in your father's possession. It's an old emerald necklace that dates back to the first Lady Lambert. It should look striking on you. Please ask him to get it out of the vault. Your grandmother wore it at her wedding and I would love to see it again at my birthday party."

"Shouldn't Josie wear it?" Tamara asked.

"Perhaps, but emeralds are not her colour. Trust me."

Roberta Carter had difficulties remembering the last time when her house had been this crowded. It must have been at Andrew's wedding. The big house on Cavendish Square could certainly accommodate a large group of guests. She'd had to hire extra help though. Nobody kept that many servants these days.

The way the large dinner hall was filled with people gave a hint at what it might have looked like in its heyday, when Harriet Lambert married Captain Sir Anthony Carter, or twenty-five years later when Richard Lord Lambert finally celebrated the wedding with his beloved Ellen.

Roberta was proud of the fact that the Lamberts' townhouse was one of the last family-owned houses from the Regency era. This was owed to the foresight of Richard Carter, the third Baron. He had founded Lambert & Norton and the bank had kept the family financially afloat after WWII when so many other great houses had to be sold by their tax-burdened owners.

Looking to her right, she saw her son Andrew and she fervently hoped that he would be able to keep this wonderful house in the family. It was easier these days, with the tax cuts available for Class I listed buildings, but she did not want her home to be turned into just another museum or art gallery, or worse to be razed in favour of some concrete monstrosity.

Sitting with Andrew's family was Tamara Ruiz-Costa. She sat with Anthony of course and a few seats away from her father and stepmother. Grudgingly, Roberta admitted to herself that Josie Ruiz-Costa was a good match for Henry. Even her advanced pregnancy did not make her less attractive, quite the contrary. Neither did Ellen's pregnancy distract from her good looks.

Ellen was the stone in Roberta's shoe. She sat to Roberta's left with a serene smile on her face and blissfully indifferent to the gossip she caused. In her sixth month, she showed her pregnancy. Still, neither Roberta nor anybody else had been told who was responsible for her state. Ellen had claimed that she wanted to be a mother but that her previous experience with matrimony had left her wary of men.She claimed that she'd had artificial insemination from an anonymous donor. That was the story everybody heard and Roberta did not believe it for one moment. Ellen did not even allow artificial insemination with her horses! The way she exchanged glances with Henry and his wife gave Roberta a good idea as to the identity of the father.

The only thing that reconciled Roberta with the situation was the obvious bliss Ellen was in. She was also looking forward to a fourth grandchild. In a way, it was the union of the Carters and the Ruiz-Costas she had always wanted. 'Be careful what you ask of the gods!' The saying came to her mind and she smiled grimly.

Then her gaze fell on Henry's daughter again. The simple black dress showed off her ivory skin to great advantage. The boyish haircut gave her an air of youthful innocence. Several older men had stared at her openly only to be met with a threatening glare from Henry. As Roberta had envisioned, the old emerald necklace looked wonderful around Tamara's slender neck.

Her wish had caused some troubles. The necklace had to be retrieved from the vaults and assessed for the insurance. They had agreed not to tell Tamara that she was wearing the equivalent of £ 18,000 around her neck. It would go back to the vault the following day. Henry and Josie were opposed to keeping valuables in their house. Yet, it was worth the trouble for Roberta. Seeing the old necklace on Bessie's granddaughter gave Roberta a feeling of closure.

Anthony had greeted her almost without a hitch in his words. She could see his concentration, she also noticed Tamara's encouraging touch on his arm, but it was such a vast improvement! She gave him a spontaneous hug. She almost hugged Tamara too, but then caught herself. That would be too early and too much.

The tables were cleared now and soon the hall would be ready for the dance. Roberta stood and following her example, her guests followed suite. From the corners of her eyes, she saw her younger sister Laura making a beeline for Anthony. Roberta felt immediate concern, not only for her grandson but also for Tamara who had trusted her in accepting the invitation. She made her way through the well wishers to get closer to where Anthony and Tamara were standing. Even from several feet away she could hear her sister going at it.