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Ellen McCarthy held back a shiver that ran down her spine. Pulling her hazel eyes away from her daughter with some reluctance, since she could never get tired of looking at her treasure since from the first time the doctor had put her in her arms after ten hours of labor, Ellen swept her eyes through her surroundings. There was nothing there to see, couples, children, adults either playing on the ice themselves or enjoying the beautiful winter day by the park. So why could she not shake away the feeling like someone had walked over her grave?
That thought made her shiver once again. Nonsense, she was letting her foolish imagination work overtime again. Jack always said she had a too vivid imagination. She was just over strung that was all, especially with the upcoming reception that they were going to hold tonight. Actually she corrected, Beatrice was holding tonight. In name the two of them might be hostesses but there was no point deluding yourself with who ran things. Not that she could begrudge the woman of it. How can she, when she was so incompetent herself?
It shamed her, Ellen admitted that to herself. But before she met Jack, Ellen had lived a sheltered life in a small town in Massachuttes. What did she know about hosting a party, conversing or entertaining guests? She who was hopeless in her choice of clothes that perfect Beatrice, the wife of Jack's partner, had to take a hand in choosing for her.
Ellen knew that she was not being fair to Beatrice. Ever since Ellen Married Jack, Beatrice had helped her in everything. Helping her to adjust to being the wife of a CEO of a company the size of Tridelle and the things that came with it. Without Beatrice, God knows how Ellen would have managed at all. She had tried to make herself like the woman and kept reminding herself of all the things the other woman had helped her with, but all she had managed to do is resign herself to the fact that no matter how she wished for otherwise, Beatrice will be as much part of their life like Tridelle was. Maybe it would not have been so hard to like the woman if she did not always talk to Ellen in that slightly patronizing tone. She was sure Beatrice�s intentions were good, but it did not lessen the feeling that Ellen was a demented child that needed to be held by her hand. As if standing beside the glamorous tall Beatrice Falk, was not already enough to make Ellen feel like a country bumpkin. Sometimes she got the feeling that Beatrice disliked her, but how could that be when Ellen had done nothing wrong? She had done everything the woman wanted her to do and tried her best to befriend her for Jack's sake, despite her own feelings.
Jack did not understand. He thought it was just Ellen's over imaginative feelings again. Beatrice had no reason to dislike Ellen, why everybody can not help but to love his lovely sweet wife. She was just intimidated by her that was all, an affect that Beatrice could inspire in a lot of people. Maybe Jack was right also. After all he was the CEO of a multi million company and had studied at Harvard too, while she was only a high school graduate from a small town of Glendale, Massachusetts that most people have not even heard of.
Sometimes Ellen had to wonder what it was that Jack saw in her. She was not beautiful, not smart, not sexy, certainly not sophisticated. Yet he had chosen her to be his wife. She loved Jack with all her heart and when she agreed to marry him she had thought that all that entailed was taking care of him and their home. Caring for him, loving him and keeping a clean lovely house for them and their children and raising their children in a house of love. But being Jack McCarthy's wife had meant a lot more than that. Especially the last couple of couple of years ever since he got the job as CEO of Tridelle. It had meant a lot of traveling, a lot of parties and receptions to go to, a lot of entertaining and hosting dinner parties for powerful well educated men and sophisticated women. Things that she knew nothing about.
It always frightened Ellen that someday she will blunder things and really embarrass Jack in front of his friends and associates. She could not bare that if it happened. Whatever the other women's pitying look at her, seeing the mouse Jack had married, Ellen knew that she could not bare it if she saw the disappointment in Jack's blue eyes.
Casting a look at the slim Rolex gold watch that Jack had given to her at their anniversary a couple of weeks back, Ellen knew that it was time for them to head back to the penthouse. Though she knew Carmen would have loved to stay longer here, the two hours they have spent here will have to be enough as the daily exercise they did. Tomorrow if the weather held, maybe they could return. But now though they needed to get back and prepare for the party.
Not that Ellen expected a lot of things to be left for her to do when they got back. No doubt Beatrice had already seen to every detail. The reason Ellen had decided to take Carmen out was so that they would not be in the way of all the caterers and other workers when they set out to re-decorate the penthouse.
A bit wryly, Ellen wondered how she will find the penthouse turned in to. She just hoped it was nothing ridiculous. Beatrice had weird ideas sometimes. The last time she had turned the elegant villa in California into something romantic, with peaches and pink swans to add. Though Ellen was sure she could keep a straight face by now, there was no way she could prevent Carmen from showing her true emotions. She did not like lying, in fact she was a terrible liar but she had learned to be diplomatic if she had to say so herself. She drew however the line at teaching her daughter to become a liar. Ellen�s parents have always thought it was important to let a young girl express her true feelings and not be suppressed in any way, a feeling that Ellen agreed wholehearted with.
��Carmen!�� Ellen called her wayward daughter who was busy enjoying her freedom over at the other side of the plane. Like Ellen, Carmen did not much enjoy the big city. Her dislike increased though when Jack did not feel that it was safe for a little girl to wander in a big city like Chicago. Ellen understood his fears, but since Carmen was more like her than Jack, she knew that she was not enjoying the confinements. It was like a bird having her wings clipped. Which is why she tried to ease Carmen's confinements as much as she could. A walk at the park a few hours was harmless, she had managed to talk Jack into that but he still insisted on the bodyguard.
Thinking of their bodyguard, Ellen tried to ignore the silent giant that was standing only a few feet behind her. It still made her uncomfortable knowing that there was a man constantly watching her every move or the knowledge that he was there to protect her and Carmen, ready to lay down his life if he had to, to keep them safe. It was not just the concept of a bodyguard but also the man himself. He made her uncomfortable. Maybe if he did not stand like a statue all the time. Two hours now, he had stood there in the same stance without moving at all. His eyes, that shiftiness, that seemed to be looking every where at the same time, was really unnerving to look at.
Pushing aside the thoughts of the bodyguard, Ellen's eyes warmed and all the worry seemed to seep away from her body as her daughter glided towards her. The cold as well as the exercise has brought a becoming redness on Carmen's cheek. Her blue eyes, the same cant and shade as her father's glowed with an inner fire. She was smiling showing one missing teeth at the front.
�� Oh mama, must we go now?�� Carmen asked, with plead in her voice.
Ellen tried to smother the laughter that came bubbling up her throat. The little scamp really learned how to use her talent. She was using the wheedling tone of voice that she always used to either of her parents when she wanted something from them.
Smoothing her face to look stern, Ellen said. ��Yes Carmen, we really have to. Mama has to get ready for the party daddy's going to hold tonight remember? Now come along.��
She extended a hand towards her daughter to help her out of the ice. Making a face, Carmen took her mother's hand. She was a bright girl and she knew when the argument was over when she saw it. Ellen understood her daughter's reluctance to go back to the condo. Formal parties like these, children were not invited and Carmen will have to spend the evening in her room out of sight. Carmen hated it since she loved parties. That she was much her father's daughter. Personally Ellen would have preferred to join her daughter locked up in her room. She was sure she would enjoy the occasion much more.
They moved to one of the hard park benches and while Carmen sat with her small legs dangling in the air, Ellen crouched down to help her daughter off her ice-skating shoes and into her ordinary shoes. By the time they were finished, the black limo that they had arrived in stood parked just at the road above them and Roy, the chauffeur, was standing erect by the backseat door. As they approached with the bodyguard trailing up behind them, Roy immediately opened the door for them, giving Carmen a wink and then straightened his face when he looked up at Ellen.
Keeping the sigh from escaping, Ellen gave the man a nod with her head and stepped in to the car behind her daughter. There was no use in trying to talk to Roy. The man was trained by Beatrice and though he loved Carmen enough to bend the rules a bit, he held strictly to the protocol of proper behavior when it came to Ellen. She was his employer and therefore she was due all the respect. Friendly chat between them were not heard of.
The short ride between the park and the building where their penthouse was situated did not take long. Ten minutes with half of it spent waiting on traffic lights and Ellen could see the big building appearing on through the window. The building was newly built by the company and held aside form offices also the condo reserved for the head personnel of Tridelle. It was big and asture looking, in it's dark color. The weather had changed slightly on their way back, dark clouds were gathering and in the darkened light, Ellen had to admit that the building looked slightly foreboding.
Another chilling feeling like the one she had earlier at the park, crept up her spine and Ellen could not help shivering.
��Mama, are you cold?�� Carmen asked, noticing her shivers. ��Shall I ask, Roy to turn on the heat more?��
Ellen looked down at her daughter and smiled. ��No dear, that won't be necessary. We're home soon. Once we're inside I'll be warm again.�� She assured her.
Carmen studied her with solemn blue eyes, then accepting her words she nodded her small head and resumed to play with her doll Nina.
Ellen watched her daughter play with fondness and love, even as fear that she could not understand crept up in her heart the further inside the building they drove.
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