Chapter 123: Cecile X—Not as Clear
She had seen the Roy’s at church yesterday morning, they were sitting across the building from her. Freddy was dozing off, Jonathan was sitting forward in the pew with his chin in his hands, and Jana was lounging in her father’s lap, gazing at a shining pendant she was holding in her hand. Patrick seemed to be listening to the sermon, a serious frown to his face. Michele then looked in her direction. Cecile felt her cheeks blossom aflame and she quickly looked away, not want to make eye contact.
Jennifer Foote had become a friend of sorts to Cecile. Of course Cecile couldn’t spend the time the other wives did with each other, having lunches and shopping and lounging because of course she had children to watch. But Jennifer had made a point of talking in private with Cecile at a couple dinners. Even Danny seemed pleased about that, glad that Cecile finally had a real friend.
Jennifer was a real motherly woman, honestly concerned for Cecile’s welfare and she was very serious when she told Cecile everything she knew about the Roy’s. Cecile wasn’t fishing for gossip really; it was just information that she knew would be beneficial to her. And it was helpful, because now she found out that it wasn’t Mimi she need to worry about, it was Patrick.
Cecile could only stare with a feeling akin to horror at the stories Jennifer told her of Patrick’s exploits of other men’s wives and girlfriends and even of nannies!
"Why else do you think that Mimi has never really had nannies before?" Jennifer had exclaimed to Cecile. "The poor woman needs so much help with those children but if Patrick even has a whiff of another female under the roof, he’ll go after her. I’m surprised she’s even taking you in, even if it is only for a weekend. She really must need help badly!"
"But then why doesn’t she just get an old or an ugly nanny?" Cecile had asked, not quite accepting this.
Jennifer frowned as she thought to herself. "Well," she had said. "I suppose it’s because Mimi rarely raises her voice or hand to those children and older nannies are prone to do that, you know yell at the kids. She would love someone youthful and pleasing so that they would be comfortable, like Mary Poppins. Of course it seems that Patrick craves this type as well."
Cecile had shook her head, suddenly seeing things from such a different light.
"I would keep my distance from him," Jennifer had said seriously, pressing her fingers into Cecile’s shoulder. "At all costs!"
Cecile thought back to Friday when Patrick had come down the basement stairs and she had hit him with the box. At that point she had accepted what Patrick had told her about just making a short cut to the card room. But now she really had to think twice about it, was that all he was intending as he had come down? Was it a good thing for her that she had attacked him like that?
There seemed to be so much to worry about all of a sudden. Not only did she have the dilemma of trying to keep her mother from finding out about Danny, and worrying about Michele’s intentions for him, now she had Patrick to think of.
All of this was weighing in Cecile’s mind as she sat with the Sakic’s at lunch, and then in the car, watching the lavish green brick mansion of the Roy’s, now so painfully familiar to her come into view.
Michele had complimented her on her looks and Cecile answered, instead trying to pay attention to just the children. She just didn’t need to think about any of this! It was actually a relief when Jana took Mitchell up the stairs, and Cecile followed them.
"I’m gonna wear my new jersey!" Jana proclaimed, showing off the jersey to Mitchell. "Seeeee!"
"Cool!" Mitchell said in a quiet voice. "I’m gonna wear my Dad’s jersey!"
Jana smiled, "Hey Cecile are you gonna wear Danny’s jersey?"
"Oh," Cecile said suddenly feeling awkward. "I didn’t bring it with me..."
Jana’s face blanched and her large eyes got bigger, one of the lids fluttering. "How come all the girlfriend’s don’t wear the jersey? I don’t get it!"
"Cause it’s all about looks," Jonathan said, as he entered the room from behind them. "The girlfriends and wives wanna dress up all pretty and not wear some big clunky jersey!"
Cecile raised her eyebrows as Jonathan gave her a full on gaze as if daring her to dispute him.
"It’s four o’clock," Freddy said quietly.
"Daddy!" Jana squealed and she bolted out the door, the rest of the children following her, leaving Cecile all alone.
She was shaking her head as she came down the stairs, amazed at the boundless energy children possessed.
"What are they up to?" Mr. Sakic asked meeting her at the bottom of the stairs; he had a jovial glint to his eye.
"Oh," Cecile said gesturing up the stairs, "They’re waking up Mr. Roy."
She stood still looking up the stairs, she knew Mr. Sakic was standing there and she began to feel a little self conscious, so she just didn’t look back at him.
"You OK?" he asked.
Cecile felt a tightening in her throat as she listened to the bear growls of Patrick. He no doubt was chasing the children around. And then with everything Jennifer had said and what she had seen! She looked at Joe, not quite able to make eye contact. "Oh, oh," she said lightly. "I’m fine, I’m just fine."
Joe made a tight face. "You’re gonna cry if I say anything else to you, I can see it in your face hon."
Cecile closed her eyes and leaned against the wall, completely embarrassed now. "I’m just a little tired," darn it there where the tears, "That’s all."
"Aw don’t cry," he said quietly, "I’m sorry I pressed you like that."
"Oooh!" Cecile half sighed, half growled pressing the back of her hand to her nose. "I’m sorry really I am I’m just being a stupid..." This was beyond humiliating. She actually never had many interactions with Mr. Sakic but when she did he was always calm and cordial. And here she was sniffling in front of him, making a scene in someone else’s house!
"Come on," he said in a fatherly voice wrapping his arm over her shoulders and guiding her off the stairs, away from the voices and into the parlor where he sat her down on one of the soft chairs. "Here." He handed her his pale linen handkerchief and patted her on the shoulder. "Just calm down here," he whispered and then said with a wink, "Before the little beasts find you hmm?"
Cecile looked up at him with her burning eyes and actually felt a giggle. "I’m sorry!" she repeated and he shook his head.
"No don’t be sorry," he replied. "Don’t apologize for doing what comes natural. Women can say what they like but it is their right to cry. Hey, if you were Danny or Peter then I would be bothered by the crying!"
Cecile laughed again and covered her face with the hankie as Joe patted her on the shoulder again and silently walked out of the room. She was alone for a perhaps a minute when she smelled a sickly familiar scent enter the room.
"Cecile?" Michele whispered.
Cecile looked at her, blinking.
"Joe said you were not feeling too well?" she replied.
"Oh... I’m..." Cecile began and Michele finished along with her. "Just tired."
"Oui," Michele said sitting on the arm of the huge chair. "We all get too tired to smile sometimes, eh?"
Cecile sighed, breathing in that powdery pretty scent. Suddenly she began to think of Dorothy’s Poppy Field in the Wizard of Oz. "I suppose," she said numbly.
"What’s wrong my dear?" she asked in that bubbly sweet voice.
"Why do you want to take Danny from me?" Cecile blurted and closed her eyes. What was that?
There was a long silence from Michele and then Cecile could hear her as she stood up and closed the parlor door. "Is that what is bothering you?" she said in French, her scent coming closer.
"No..." Cecile said. "Yes... I don’t know!"
"What makes you assume that I was looking at..."
"Because you’re looking!" Cecile exclaimed in a low voice, looking straight at her. "I see you! The way you flirt and... and I’m sick of it!"
Michele didn’t return Cecile’s barb with a haughty look, or a defensive one or even a clueless one. The woman’s face actually twisted as if she suddenly wanted to cry as well and she shook her head, blinking. "Please forgive me," she whispered, turning her face away from Cecile and pressing her wrist to her mouth.
This reaction Cecile hadn’t been expecting.
When Michele looked back at her she was blinking back shiny tears. "Danny is a beautiful boy, yes? Of course it would be impossible not to look at him, would it not?"
Cecile shrugged, squirming a but in her seat.
"Oh I did not know I was the cause of so much disturbance to your well being!" Michele breathed, a tear rolling down her cheek. "I feel so lonely sometimes and frightened..." Cecile thought about the bruising on Michele’s arm and now there was some new red blotches on her wrist... "It is very hard sometimes keeping this a lovely place for the children and Patrick he..." there was a hesitation. "Well I would never forgive myself if I knew that I was the cause of some trouble between you and Daniel, and now you were here crying at the thought of seeing me! How much you must hate me it’s so sad! I never realized...."
"Oh," Cecile said, her stomach burning and she was actually patting the woman on her sharp spined back. But she didn’t know what to say.
"I admit," Michele gasped, taking the hankie from Cecile and dabbing at her eyes. "Yes I will admit that I do look at the boy sometimes and sigh... After everything that happened here with that unpleasantness and then there is no one here and Daniel plays protector of the house... it was very sweet of him I admit there was a small infatuation..."
Cecile opened her mouth to say something...
"Non!" Michele said becoming more animated. "Non! I will not be taking your Daniel from you he loves you so much! I could never dream of destroying such a beautiful thing such as you two have. It is too precious!"
Cecile felt a bit stupid. Of course no one had called her such so she had to do it for herself. Stupid! And what other words was she looking for? Vain, would probably be it, paranoid, selfish, untrusting, insensitive! It wasn’t pleasant to feel like a piece of dirt, and she didn’t know what to say.
So that explained a lot about Michele. Her energy would be spent in showing a facade of happiness and domestic perfection to the world to show everyone how happy her life was. Cecile knew enough battered women to know this story. That’s why the woman seemed so artificial, it was because of how unhappy she was not because of how evil she was!
And of course, Danny being the sweetie that he was, he plays protector of their house when the team and husband is away, of course Michele would get a form of crush on him. Who wouldn’t? What evidence was there that she was actively trying to take Danny from her? Her brain hurt as she thought about and she really couldn’t dredge up a single bit of hard truth.
"Mrs. Roy," Cecile finally said slowly, standing up and hesitating momentarily before she hugged her. "I’m the one who should be apologizing... I never realized."
Above all where was my gratitude? Cecile screamed inside to herself.
"Please," Michele said in her ear. "Call me Mimi."
"Mimi," Cecile repeated standing back from her. "What a mess I’ve made of us."
"Will work out yes?" Michele said fanning herself with her hand. "All is well, now I need to see to our guests!"
Just like that the woman was out of the parlor and Cecile could only stand-alone in the room, blinking and then she thought. If Michele was crying so hard, then why didn’t she once blow her nose?
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