Colette. Michelina VinterЧитать онлайн книгу.
she saw a tear escape from behind her godmother’s sunglasses. She wished she could wipe that tear away and make the older woman feel better, but she knew it would be a long time before she could kiss her cheeks and hug her again.
***
They traveled to Brest to catch the ship that would take them to America, and once onboard, things seemed to get a little better. Adam relaxed and slowly became his charming self again. Thankfully, neither Adam nor she seemed to be affected by sea sickness. Maybe Colette had overreacted. Adam was able to make her laugh almost constantly. Yes, she would be happy with him.
They spent their days walking on the deck and their nights making love. Even in that department, things had improved. The experience was enjoyable, and falling asleep in Adam’s arms was very reassuring. He must love her. After all, he was always so physical, holding her hand, reaching for her when they crossed other couples on the deck, putting his arms around her shoulders when she looked cold during their evening stroll. He had even requested a table for two, where they took all their meals together, uninterrupted by the other passengers’ discussions.
But sometimes he still had reactions that puzzled and worried her a little. One day, she had been writing a letter to her family to tell them about her wonderful cruise when Adam walked in.
After inquiring about her current activity, he grabbed the piece of paper she had been writing on, tore it into small pieces, and said, “I am your family now, darling. You really should concentrate on me.”
Colette instinctively knew not to reply or even make eye contact. She got up from the desk and walked up to her husband. With a shy little smile, she went on tiptoe and kissed him on the mouth. Adam did not need any more encouragement than that to take his wife to bed, even in the middle of the afternoon.
Even though she was enjoying her husband’s company, Colette could not wait to land on the American continent. She would meet her new brothers and sister, her mother-in-law, and hopefully the father-in-law Adam hardly ever talked about. She suspected the relationship between the two men was tense, but her husband had not shared any of the specifics with her.
***
Finally the big day arrived. They were taken to Ellis Island, where Colette was processed in a flash with her husband’s help. She was shocked to see the long line of immigrants waiting for their fate to be decided while she was being ushered from one office to the next, each time getting closer to the exit point. Indeed, Adam had showed some paperwork and an official-looking card, and that seemed to have been enough to get them out of the immigration building rapidly. She had no idea what the card was. Every time she got close to seeing it, Adam would somehow find a way to obstruct her view. And before she knew it, she was out on the street, ready for her new adventure to begin.
As it was the end of July, New York was really hot and humid. Colette had never thought it possible for the weather to be as inclement as it was in Paris before a summer thunderstorm. But New York was by far the dampest and warmest environment she had ever experienced. And then she saw them. They all looked a little like Adam. They had the same golden hair and blue eyes, the same facial features, and the same broad shoulders. They were obviously all his brothers.
She had painstakingly learned all their names and distinguishing features while she was on the boat.
So she approached the first one and said, “You must be Joe. You are just as Adam described you. I am so pleased to meet you.” And then she said to the next, “And you must be James.” And she continued until she got to the last one. “You must be Peter, the youngest. You have the same name as my little brother. I just know we are going to get along famously,” she said.
And the whole clan was in love with her instantly.
Adam was praised for his choice of bride. Even his father adored her. His sister could not have been happier to finally have a sibling of her own sex even if it was through marriage.
His mother took Colette everywhere. She introduced her to all her friends and even to some of her enemies. She seemed so proud of her new daughter-in-law. All were enthralled with Colette’s personality, looks, homegrown sophistication, sweetness, and accent. She was the toast of the town.
***
One evening, as Colette was getting ready for one of the numerous parties she was attending, she heard a knock on the door. She opened it, and her mother-in-law walked in. She seemed in a hurry. The older woman grabbed her daughter-in-law’s hands and kissed her soundly on the cheeks. Colette was stunned. With extreme rapidity, her mother-in-law had given her the recognition sign, and she was now smiling at her. Colette returned the coded signal and grinned right back. Her mother-in-law was also her sister. Her father had told her she would find Masons everywhere, but she was not expecting to meet one in her husband’s family.
The older woman finally spoke. “Your mother’s letter arrived today. So I was just informed. It did take some time for her to find me, but she did. And I am so glad. Adam knows nothing of my membership, and I think it would be wise if you did not divulge yours to him either.”
The two women talked for a while longer and finally parted so Colette could finish getting ready.
Colette loved her new in-laws at least as much as they did her. She shared secrets with Stephanie, her sister-in-law, and the two young women went together to the symphony, to various stores, and even to the movie theater. And of course, a special bond had developed between Colette and her mother-in-law. Even the dreaded father-in-law had been a sweetheart. They had had a few conversations and had enjoyed reading the paper together every morning at breakfast. She could have stayed with her in-laws forever. But soon it was time to say good-bye again to go west and settle down in Berkeley, California, close to the university, where Adam taught Political Science.
CHAPTER 4
After their long train ride, they arrived in Oakland, California. The city was just a few miles from San Francisco, but it appeared to be a world away. As Colette exited the train station, she was shocked to see the poverty surrounding her. This was nothing like what she had read about in the various magazines her father had sometimes brought home for her mother. None of the glamour that had been described for her shone through here. This was not the California she was expecting. On top of that, Oakland was enjoying the advances of the nasty summer weather that San Francisco often experienced. Indeed, the weather was its usual summer day fog with temperature competing with a cold winter day in Paris. Colette had not expected this kind of climate at all. She had assumed that San Francisco was like the rest of California, which had been described to her by her teachers as being close to the French Riviera or even Morocco. And obviously this was neither. But in spite of that surprising turn of events, she welcomed the coolness that surrounded her after the tiring heat she had experienced day in, day out in New York.
She followed her husband to the taxicab that would take them home, and she prayed that her new place was far away from the destitute landscape she was now staring at. The houses were decrepit masses of peeling paint. Weather-beaten wooden shingles barely hung on the roofs, and children wearing rags were playing in water-filled potholes in front of their homes. The women were sitting on their front porches, disinterestedly watching their broods, probably wondering how they were going to feed them that night. Some held babies who appeared to be peacefully sleeping, unaware of the difficulties of life.
Colette felt instant relief when the cab left the area. And to her surprise, after a few minutes ride, the car stopped in front of a small yet quaint house. The street was quiet, and all the houses appeared well kept and nicely decorated. Obviously, this neighborhood had not been as touched by the Depression as the one she had seen by the station. Her husband took her hand and walked her to the white house with the beautiful rosebushes on each side of the door.
He opened the front door, and said, “Welcome home, honey. This place is now yours.”
Colette looked around and decided that the residence needed a woman’s touch. It was dark and stuffy. The interior was clean but lifeless. And soon she found out that Mrs. Pearce, the housekeeper, was responsible for the spotless environment Professor Walker was living in. Unfortunately,