Finding Ashley by Danielle Steel (free ebook reader for iphone txt) 📗

three, and Marla had taken her on location with her, with a nanny, before she started school. After that, the long separations while she worked on movie after movie had begun. She regretted it now, but her career had come first. Michaela understood it and didn’t hold it against her, and she had loved her nannies. Marla had insisted on good manners, and the nannies she hired were British and well trained. Michaela had a more informal style with her own children, and she had less help. She liked taking care of them herself whenever she could. David helped on weekends. Michaela had missed having a father. Marla never introduced her to the men in her life. She kept that separate and never discussed it with her daughter.

“I have to admit,” she said, as they relaxed in front of the fire after dinner, “I was shocked when you told me you had met your birth mother. After they told you about the fire at Saint Blaise’s, I assumed that would never be possible.”

“So did I,” Michaela added. “I was shocked when her sister came to see me at the office. At first I thought it was some kind of scam.”

“I was afraid of that too,” Marla admitted. “But I was even more afraid that it might be real, and worried about why she wanted to meet you. It’s been such a long time. She wasn’t at all what I expected when I met her at Thanksgiving. I thought I’d be jealous and she’d try to ‘steal’ you. Instead she turns out to be this very nice, normal woman. She’s had a sad life, and I realize that she needs you, maybe more than you needed her. I don’t think she’s trying to take you away, I think she really just wanted to know you’re all right. And it turns out that we all like each other. She’s young enough to be my daughter too.”

“I thought that when I met her. There’s something very dignified about her, and proud, in a nice way. She was so impressed by you. She thought you were real too. She’s kind of like a young aunt, or an older sister. They both are. I like Hattie too. You’d like her. She doesn’t seem like a nun. She’s very practical and down to earth.”

“So is your birth mother. I like that about her too. That’s an awful story about her son. I know what you mean about her being dignified. She doesn’t come across as needy or desperate, but there’s a terrible sadness in her eyes. Fate takes strange turns. She loses him, and finds you. And now you have both of us. I didn’t feel threatened by her, or jealous. I thought I would,” she said honestly, “but I don’t.”

“I was a little afraid of that,” Michaela said softly. “I think I would have. You two were funny together.”

“I meant what I told her. She should go back to writing. She has an enormous talent. It’s a sin to let that lie dormant and not use it. It’s not right.” Marla believed that everyone should work, at every age. She had made that clear to Michaela too, who was very serious about her job as a social worker.

“Maybe she’ll go back to it someday. She seems to be busy with her house,” Michaela said thoughtfully.

“That’s not enough,” Marla said firmly, “she’s too bright for that. Maybe finding you will inspire her.” Marla knew they were going to visit Melissa in three days. She was going to a spa in Palm Springs herself, for a week of intense exercise and diet, cleansing drinks and herbal facials before starting her new film in a few weeks. She had invited Michaela to bring the children over to Europe during ski week, while she was on location in England. Michaela had promised to try. They were going to be shooting in Ireland and Scotland too, in rugged terrain. It was a period piece. She had two weeks of fittings for the wigs and costumes, which were elaborate.

Marla stayed until eleven and then she went home. She got up at six every day to exercise, five when she was working on a picture. She applied rigorous discipline to everything she did.

“I’ll talk to you before you leave. And give Melissa a hug from me,” she said, and kissed Michaela and David before she left. She drove herself home. She usually had a driver, but didn’t want to make him work on Christmas Eve. He had a wife and kids, and she was sensitive to that. She was an admirable woman, and much respected by those who knew her well. Her employees were devoted to her, and many of them had worked for her for over thirty years. Michaela had grown up with them.

Michaela and David and the children relaxed at home on Christmas Day. The weather was warm, so they heated the pool and let the kids swim for a short time. Then they went inside to play with their presents. Andrew had his first two-wheel bike, and he wanted to take it to Massachusetts. His parents said he couldn’t. He’d have to leave it at home, but he was going to ski instead.

Michaela was excited to see Melissa again, and David was looking forward to getting some skiing in too, although the mountain wasn’t challenging there. His own parents had been killed in a freak accident, mountain climbing in Europe, before the children were born, so he thought having a second grandmother would be nice for them. He was easygoing and adored his wife and children, and had gone along with the plan. Michaela had teased him about having a second mother-in-law. Marla was a force to be reckoned with, and opinionated at times. He could already tell that Melissa’s points of view were more moderate, less old-fashioned, and more diplomatically expressed, but he loved Marla too, for her honesty and good heart. She’d always been kind to him