Returning to Daniel, who was waiting uneasily for her, after all that was very difficult. She washed her face several times, trying to hide the red in her eyes, she didn't want him to see her like that and ask her what was wrong. If she told him she'd argued with Harry it was going to be more trouble. She fetched some bottles from the kitchen and went back to the music room.
He saw her come in with a smile on her face and his heart stilled. A few of his friends were still playing something and another was singing. She sat close to Daniel, as if she needed to feel him, slipped an arm around his waist and rested her head on his shoulder. It was her way of saying 'hold me' and he did. He pulled her even closer to him, tickling her cheeks with the cashmere of his jumper.
- Is everything all right? -
- Yes... Just a bit tired... Why do you always smell so good? -
- Because I take a bath every day -
Deanna laughed. He meant it, stating the obvious as an indisputable fact. He used to have that kind of repartee, always basing his answers on logic; turning the simple, everyday into something funny. Hearing her relieved his concern even more.
- Your friends play very well -
- They won't get tired until the wee hours of the morning, I assure you... -
- Never mind, it's a long time since there's been so much noise in this house -
- They're all crazy, I hope they don't wake the children -
- Yesterday I spoke to an architect about modifying the guesthouse and converting it into a proper music studio, so you'll have a bigger and more comfortable place for yourself and you'll be able to welcome them better when they come again -
For some reason her chest contracted a little, it was as if he was caressing the wound Harry had just opened. A happiness that hurts. She hid her face a little higher, not wanting him to see it, and whispered a small 'thank you' in his ear. He responded with a light squeeze on her waist. He could do that and more, he could do anything for her; he would never wait for her to ask for anything, he would always go ahead and solve anything for his wife. He would solve, remedy, fix and tend; he would go over things, find the best way and execute. And for Deanna he would turn the world upside down if necessary.
- They talked last night, on the veranda in the garden. Harry was devastated -
- Did he say anything to her? -
- No... at least not about what's really going on with him. But, Daniel, the discussion was strong. Deanna didn't say anything to you? -
- No, she was strange last night. She said she was tired, but when we went to bed, she just wanted me to hold her so she could sleep -
- I'm not going to tell you what they talked about, brother, but I have to ask you something... -
- What is it, Susan? -
- Are you really sure you want to see this through to the end? I mean, are you convinced that you want to spend your life with her? You know as well as I do that you're going to face a lot of difficult situations. People are going to talk behind her back. She doesn't fit in anywhere -
- She fits in with me and that's all that matters to me. She fits in with my children, what more can I expect? The gossip doesn't worry me; in the end it will go away.
- Yes, but before they do, they'll leave marks. Ethan told me that some of his classmates made fun of him because his new 'mother' is a young girl. It's a good thing your son looks like you, otherwise it would have been bad for him.
- Ethan said something to me. But as you say, he handled it well. He's not affected by the comments because he knows firsthand what Deanna is really like.
- Daniel... don't you have any doubts? -
- Doubts about what? –
- Doesn't the age difference affect you? -
Of course it did, in every possible way. From trying to stop pressuring her with his jealousy over her short clothes; she was always surrounded by young men like herself, with the same impetus, the same desire and energy. Her fear that one day she would see him as too old for her, that one day he would not be able to respond to her desire with the same intensity.
- Of course I do. But what can I do? I love her, Susan, and I want her for myself. I want to give her everything, I even want children with her! Yes, I know it's too soon to think about it...
- I've never heard you talk like that before... Not even with Emily... Daniel, are you sure? -
- I am, very sure... But I can't speak for Deanna, I'm tortured by the fact that she's young and has a long way to go. She got married overnight, not only to me, but to the kids as well. How do I know she won't get tired and want to live a different life? If you ask me I'm going to tell you that I don't know.
- I support you always and you know it. I've never seen you like this for a woman, if you bet everything on this relationship, I'll be the first to encourage you. I want you to be happy, I want you both to be happy. Harry was crying like a little boy last night, Daniel -
- Believe me I understand; I'd be the same way. I tried to talk to him, but he's full of spite, he thinks I stole her from him when in fact he let her go himself. Did you know he only married for the child? -
- Yes, I knew that...
- At least he had enough decency... -
- He's in a marriage he doesn't want because of his son. Laura senses something is happening to her. How long can he excuse himself by saying he's just getting used to his new life? Sooner or later she'll find out, poor Laura! -
The phone rang and Daniel answered.
-Yes, send her in... It's Beverly...
-Well, I'd better go...' Susan stood up.
- Daniel... Susan, how are you?
- Hi Beverly, good, how are you? I'm just leaving, so you can talk quietly. I'll call you later, brother -
- Sure, take care of yourself.
- See you, Susan.
- Take care -
Susan didn't like Beverly at all, there was something about her that didn't quite fit. Sometimes she'd meet her at a meeting or a gala and they'd talk cordially about trivia. She never asked about Daniel, but it was common knowledge that she was more than interested in him. More than one had claimed that she would become the next Mrs. Crusher; there was no other woman who could hold that title more than she.
They didn't even go on a date, Beverly flatly refused her mother and Camilla's idea of setting them up on a blind date. That was not a blind date because they had known each other since they were children. She studied with Susan at the girls' college and then at the same university as he did; only by the time she started, Daniel was a senior.
They had known each other all their lives, shared holidays as kids, birthdays, outings with mutual friends. If it hadn't been for Daniel meeting Emily as a teenager, Beverly would be his wife today; at least that's what was believed within their circle. That's how good they looked together.
Just as everyone knew that she had a special 'affection' for him, it was known that Daniel never looked at her as a potential mate; at most as a childhood friend. She was the archetype of the perfect woman in many respects: tall, slender, black-haired and big-eyed; a respected professional with a recognized career, polite, protocol and feminine manners. And extremely astute.
Perhaps because she was expected to be the one, the scandal of Daniel's marriage to a college girl exploded around her. First Emily, the teenage sweetheart, and now a young girl no one knew and apparently didn't come from anywhere either. The most eligible bachelor was slipping away from her all the time. She was also teased for it: she could never get the noose around his neck. But she had witnessed how little it took, according to her, to finally attract him. In addition to fulfilling the desire to be his wife, it meant a coalition of two forces. There was a lot of potential in that union, if she could pull it off. Adding the Crusher name to her name would give her endless possibilities, even political ones. Why settle for a prosecutor's office if, with him at her side, she could aspire to a higher office?
She had all the time and the proximity to achieve it. They were going to work together from now on and she was convinced that with the right tactics she would finally have a chance. It didn't matter if his current wife was younger and bolder, she had a bigger arsenal and planned to use it all.