Southern Lights

Chapter 21

The evening with Edward Baldwin’s ex-wife was fun, unexpected, and totally crazy. She and her husband had a penthouse on Fifth Avenue, three unruly teenage sons, and he was a successful movie producer. As soon as Alexa met him, she recognized the name. And his wife was a best-selling author. She said she had only started writing after she left Edward, but Alexa knew she had had an extremely successful career ever since. She had met her husband when he had bought her book and produced the movie eighteen years before. They were attractive and funny and nuts. Sybil was wearing some kind of flowing robe she’d bought in Morocco. Her husband was in jeans and an African shirt. They had four dogs who were everywhere, King Charles Spaniels, and a parrot on a perch in the living room. Alexa had read several of her books. She was the daughter of a famous Hollywood producer, and now married to one. And it was obvious that she and her ex-husband genuinely liked each other, and he got on famously with her husband. Their children treated Edward like an uncle, which was a far cry from Luisa’s performance with Savannah.

This was straight out of a movie, but it was also a lot of fun. They boiled lobsters for dinner and all helped while the dogs barked, the phones rang, the stereo blared, and the kids’ friends came in and out as though there were a party going on somewhere. Their whole life was a party, and they enjoyed themselves. Sybil was very pretty and about ten years older than Alexa, somewhere around forty-nine or fifty.

It was the funniest and most entertaining evening Alexa had ever had. They all had a great sense of humor, even the kids, who had been friendly, and the parrot spoke only four-letter words.

“She wasn’t quite that zany when I married her,” Edward explained as he took Alexa home. “Brian has kind of brought it out in her, and it works for them. But she was a lot of fun then too. She was a terrible practical joker, and always had a whoopee cushion in her purse. She’s basically just a really wonderful woman.” He smiled lovingly as he said it.

“Do you miss her?” Alexa asked boldly.

“Sometimes,” he said honestly. “But I was a lousy husband. In those days, I wanted politics more than my marriage. She deserved better than that. And she got it with Brian.”

“And now? Do you still want politics more?” She liked him, and he had an interesting life. He was a collection of odd contrasts, the old and the new, the North and the South. His ex-wife said she hated the South. She thought it was hypocritical, antiquated, and uptight. Alexa liked it more than that, but she could see her point, in some circles. Luisa embodied all the worst of the South. But others were shining examples of everything good about it. And there was so much about Charleston Alexa had loved.

“I don’t know,” Edward said in answer to her question. “Politics are still the driving force in my life. But I don’t want just that. At one point I did. I don’t want to wind up alone, but I don’t want to go through all the bullshit you have to go through to wind up with the right person, or maybe the wrong one. I want to wake up married to the right person. But I don’t want to make any effort to get there, or take the risk of making a mistake. Which means, I’ll probably wind up alone.” He laughed. The prospect didn’t seem to disturb him. “I guess I’m lazy.”

“Or scared,” she challenged, and he nodded slowly.

“Maybe,” he admitted. “And you?”

“Teriffied for the last ten years,” she said honestly.

“And now?”

“Maybe thawing out.” She wasn’t sure.

“You have good reason to be scared after what your husband did to you. That was rotten.”

“Yes, it was. I never had any desire to try again with someone else. I thought the risks were too high. I think I feel more relaxed about it now. But I was gun-shy for a long time.”

“Relationships are so damn complicated,” he said gruffly, and she laughed.

“Ain’t that the truth.” And then they talked of other things, until he dropped her off. She thanked him, they shook hands, and his limousine drove off as she walked into her building. He was going back to Washington in the morning.

Predictably, his cell phone rang as the car took him to his hotel. It was Sybil, his ex-wife.

“She’s perfect for you. Marry her immediately” was Sybil’s opening line, and he groaned loudly.

“I knew that would happen if I introduced her to you. Mind your own business. I just met her.”

“Fine. Then give it two weeks and propose. She’s terrific.” Sybil had loved her, and so had Brian.

“You’re nuts, but I love you,” he said happily. He loved his friendship with Sybil, better than he had their married life. It had been more commitment than he wanted then. All he really cared about then was his political life. Sybil knew it, so she made a graceful exit, before Brian came along.

“I love you too,” Sybil said sweetly. “Thanks for bringing her. I really like her. She’s smart and honest and fun and beautiful. You won’t do better than that.” He had done all right with her, but that was a long time ago.

“I’ll let you know how it works out,” he said firmly, with no intention to tell her.

“Goodnight, Eddy,” she said, as he reached the hotel.

“Goodnight, Sybil. Give my love to Brian, and thanks for dinner.”

“Anytime.” And she clicked off. She truly was nuts, but he loved her, in the nicest way.

Edward called Alexa again before she left for Europe, and got her schedule there. He wasn’t sure, but he thought their paths might cross in London or Paris, and he said he’d call her if that was the case. He had to go to Hong Kong first. He seemed to travel constantly. The day before they left for Europe, Alexa attended the sentencing in the Quentin case. Luke Quentin was no longer wearing a suit. He was wearing a jail-issue jumpsuit, as he had in the interrogations. He looked unkempt and angry, and was curt with his attorney and blamed her for his conviction. He was far angrier now at Judy than Alexa. His defense counsel took the brunt of his blame. He ignored Alexa completely, which was a relief.

Jack was there, but Sam wasn’t. He was on another case.

The judge did what he said he would, and gave him the maximum sentence for each charge, and ran them all consecutively, a hundred and forty years in prison, life without parole, several lifetimes. He would never see the light of day again. He said something rude to the public defender as he was led from the courtroom, and didn’t look at Alexa. The war was over. He no longer cared. He would be transferred to Sing Sing prison within the next few days.

Alexa left the courtroom with Jack. Some of the relatives of the victims had come to the sentencing, but most hadn’t. Charlie and his family weren’t there. They had all gone back to work, and were satisfied with the convictions. They could guess the rest and would be notified later. It was over for them too. And sadly, the eighteen young victims were gone forever.

The press was there, but not as forcefully as they had been at the trial. Alexa left the courtroom when it was over, and drove away with Jack. Luke Quentin was just another case, a dangerous criminal they had put away. There would be other cases, although less sensational than this one. The Quentin case had been the high point of her career.

The next day Alexa and Savannah flew to London and stayed at a little hotel that Alexa had remembered from her youth. They had tea at Claridge’s and visited the Tower of London, walked New Bond Street, and gaped at all the jewelry and pretty clothes. They watched the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace and visited the royal stables. They did all the fun tourist things and shopped in Knightsbridge, Carnaby Street, and the flea market in Covent Garden, where Savannah bought a T-shirt for Daisy. And they went to see several plays. They had a wonderful time, and flew to Paris after five days.

They checked into a small hotel on the Left Bank, and started their stay out with lunch at an open-air café, planning their attack on the city and what to do first. Alexa wanted to go to Notre Dame, and Savannah wanted to take a boat ride on the Bateau Mouche on the Seine, and walk along the quais. They decided to do all three and had time that afternoon. And they wanted to see the view from Sacré Coeur the next day, and visit the Louvre and Palais Tokiyo. They went back to the hotel to rest for a while before dinner, and Senator Baldwin called Alexa there. He had just arrived in Paris and was in the city for two days on his way to the South of France.

“What have you ladies been up to?” he asked her, and she reported on their assorted doings. He was impressed by all they’d done. “Could I talk you both into dinner tonight, or do you have other plans?” Alexa asked if she could check with Savannah and call him back.

“What do you think?” Alexa asked her, extending Baldwin’s invitation to them both.

“I think it’s great. Why don’t you go alone?” She had just turned eighteen, and felt very grown up, and capable of wandering around Paris for an evening on her own.

“I don’t want to go alone. I’m here with you. Do you want to do it, or is it too boring for you?” Savannah was her priority, and this was their trip. Savannah wanted to meet him and check him out, and it sounded fun to her. He was a senator, after all. How bad could it be?

Alexa called him back five minutes later, and said they accepted with delight. He was staying at the Ritz, and suggested they come there for dinner, and they could eat in the garden. The weather was beautiful and warm. He invited them for eight-thirty. And at the appointed hour, Alexa and Savannah met him at the restaurant, wearing skirts and sandals and pretty blouses, with their blond hair brushed straight down their backs. They looked more like sisters than mother and daughter, and he said they looked like twins.

The hotel was very beautiful, with an ornate mirrored lobby and huge vases of flowers everywhere. And the garden table where the headwaiter settled them was relaxed and balmy in a marble courtyard with a fountain, and there was music coming from the main restaurant. It was a perfect way to spend a warm Paris night, and he looked happy to see them.

“How was Hong Kong?” Alexa asked him after introducing him to Savannah, who was unusually quiet. She was watching him and how he looked at her mother. No question, he liked her, and not just as a friend. Savannah approved. He seemed nice, he was friendly, he wasn’t pompous, and he had a good sense of humor. It was a good beginning.

“Short, hot, and busy,” Edward Baldwin said about Hong Kong. “I’m looking forward to the South of France. I haven’t had a vacation in months. I need one.” He led a stressful life, and so did she. Particularly after the Quentin trial and four arduous months of preparation.

They ordered dinner, and he asked Savannah about her plans for school. He was impressed by Princeton, and said that his daughter was a senior at UCLA and wanted to go to medical school. She didn’t want to come back to the East, and was hooked on California and hoping to get into Stanford.

“My mom wouldn’t let me go there.” Savannah smiled at him. “Too far away, but I didn’t get into Stanford anyway. UCLA’s a great school. I should have applied there, but I didn’t.”

“Princeton will be fine, thank you,” Alexa interjected. “I don’t want you three thousand miles away. Four months in Charleston was bad enough. I miss you too much,” she said, and both the senator and her daughter smiled at her. She was honest about it. “You’re the only kid I have.”

They talked about art and theater then, and what Savannah wanted to study. It was like an easy evening with an old friend, and he was good with kids. She had seen that when she had had dinner at his ex-wife’s house with her three teenage sons, who were in and out constantly and seemed totally at ease with Edward and he with them. He told Savannah she should come to Washington and visit the Senate. She looked interested, and he told her she was welcome anytime. He had an easy, comfortable way with people and a sharp mind. And by the end of the evening, Alexa and Savannah were totally at ease with him. He walked them out after dinner and put them in a cab back to their hotel. They stood in the Place Vendôme for a minute, admiring how beautiful it was. It was all lit up and spectacular looking with the obelisk in the center. And then they got in the cab and gave the driver the address of their hotel on the Left Bank. Edward waved and strode back into the Ritz.

“I like him,” Savannah said, as they drove across the Alexandre III Bridge to the Left Bank.

“I do too,” Alexa admitted. “Just as a friend.”

“Why just as a friend?” Savannah challenged her. “Why not more than that? You can’t stay alone forever. I’m leaving in September. Then what are you going to do?” Savannah was serious. She worried about her. And it was time for her mother to have a man in her life again. It had been too long, and she was still young. She wasn’t even forty yet, although she would be soon. Edward Baldwin was fifty-two, which Savannah thought was a good age for her mother.

“Stop trying to get rid of me,” Alexa complained. “I’m fine like this.”

“No, you’re not. You’re going to wind up an old maid,” Savannah threatened her, and Alexa laughed.

She called Edward Baldwin the next day to thank him for dinner. He was leaving that night for Ramatuelle, and said he’d call her when he was in New York again, which sounded nice to her. She wasn’t sure if he would or not. She wasn’t worried about it, but she had enjoyed her two evenings with him, and lunch. She was flattered that he’d asked her out at all.

Alexa and Savannah spent the rest of the week in Paris, enjoying all the sights, and decided not to go to the South of France. They went straight to Florence instead and loved it, spending hours in museums and galleries and churches. Then they decided to go on to Venice and do more of the same. They spent five days there in a funny old hotel on the Grand Canal. It was magical. And they flew home from Milan after nearly three weeks in Europe. They were both thrilled with what a perfect trip it had been.

And it was hard getting back to New York and real life. Alexa hated to start work again, and two days after they returned, Savannah flew down to Charleston to see Turner. She stayed with Julianne for a few days, and then her father. She was planning to stay for two weeks. Luisa was away, and Daisy was at camp for the month.

And in New York, Alexa was shocked by how lonely she was in the apartment without Savannah. She didn’t have the trial to keep her busy now, and she hated coming home to the empty apartment at night. Her mother and Stanley were away too, on the trip to Montana and Wyoming.

She had dinner with Jack and complained about it.

“You’d better figure something out quick,” he warned her. “She’s leaving for college in a couple of weeks, and then it’s forever.”

“Thanks,” Alexa said glumly. They had just gotten a robbery case to work on together that day, and it didn’t interest either of them a lot. She was in the doldrums at home and at work.

Things got better and livelier again when Savannah came back from Charleston. Her friends were in and out of the apartment constantly to say goodbye. Alexa and Savannah had things to buy and pack, all her favorite clothes to pack again, she needed sheets and towels for school. They dragged a trunk home to put everything in. They managed to get it all together by September 1st. And on her last night in New York, they had dinner with her grandmother and Stanley. They had just gotten back from Moose, Wyoming. They were both wearing new cowboy boots and jeans and cowboy shirts, and Savannah laughed and told them they looked cute.

They had dinner at Balthazar in the Village, which Savannah liked, and her grandmother promised to come and visit her at Princeton soon. It was only an hour and a half away. And Tom and Travis had said they’d come up too in October.

As Alexa lay in bed that night, it was hard to believe that it was all over. All those years of living together, and taking care of her, and being alone with her, and now she was going. Alexa felt devastated, and knew it would never be the same again. Savannah would come home for visits now, but never to live again, except in the summer. That seemed a long time away right now. The best was over, or so it seemed.

Alexa had rented a van to take her things to Princeton the next day. Savannah was taking a bicycle, her computer, a small stereo, pillows, blankets, a twin bedspread, framed photographs, all the things she needed in college. Savannah had spoken endlessly to the friend who was going to be her roommate. They were already making plans. Savannah was excited and called Turner four times on the ninety-minute drive. He had gotten to Duke the day before and had three roommates in a suite. Savannah having only one roommate in Princeton sounded very civilized to him. He was coming up the following weekend, and Savannah was thrilled.

Savannah had a map of the campus that she used to tell her mother where to go, once they got to Princeton. They had to leave the van in a parking lot. And Savannah used Nassau Hall, the oldest building on campus, and Cleveland Tower behind it, as their main landmarks to figure out the rest. Her room was in Butler Hall, and they found it after walking around for a few minutes and asking people where it was. Her room was on the second floor. And it took them two hours to get everything into her room and organized. They still had to hook up the stereo and the computer, but all else was in place, and the roommate’s parents were doing the same thing. Her father helped Alexa with the computer. And the girls were going to share a microwave and tiny refrigerator they rented for the room. Each girl had a phone line, a bed, a desk, a chair, and a chest of drawers. The closet space was minimal, and as Alexa struggled with it all, the two girls walked into the hallway to meet other students. In another hour, Savannah had been absorbed into dorm life and told her mother she could go.

“Don’t you want me to hang your clothes up?” Alexa asked, looking disappointed. She had just made the bed. They had brought some snacks too, and she thought they should buy more groceries. But Savannah was impatient to move on now, and meet the other students in the dorm and on campus. Her new life had just begun.

“No, Mom, I’ll be fine,” she said as the other girl did the same with her parents. “Honest. You can go.” It was a polite way of telling her to leave. Alexa hugged her close for a minute, and forced back tears.

“Take care of yourself…call me…”

“I will, I promise,” Savannah said as she kissed her, and Alexa smiled bravely as she left, but there were tears rolling down her cheeks when she reached the parking lot, and she wasn’t the only mother crying. It was wrenching, leaving her there. It was like setting a bird free after loving it and nurturing it for eighteen years. Were her wings strong enough? Would she remember how to fly? How would she feed herself? Savannah was ready for it, but Alexa wasn’t. She got into the van and started it, and cried all the way home. It was the final severing of the umbilical cord and felt like the worst day of her life.