other choices she might have made as to what to wear for her initial arrival at her cousin's house. A soft beige linen-type suit was what she was wearing, its length just below her knees as the latest fashions seemed to indicate, although she wasn't quite sure at all, since the other women on the plane all seemed to be wearing short skirts as though there had been no drop in the hem-line at all. If necessary, she decided, she would pull her skirt up to her waist; after all, her legs were one of her best features, she knew, and she did not mind showing them off.
Her long dark brown hair was pulled back into a cool knot behind her head, and Arlene knew that her complexion would withstand the most rigorous scrutiny. And she was good looking and she knew it. If she had her way, she might have made her chin just a bit less prominent, but as it was it gave her face a strength of character that matched that which she had inside her. Arlene was strong willed and knew that she would be able to get what she wanted in life if given the right chances. Well, Sylvie was giving her a chance right now. 'This is it!' she told herself fiercely, as the plane taxied to a halt. She was out in the real world at last.
Her heart was thumping as she began to shuffle toward the exit of the plane with the other passengers. There was only one thing that bothered her. How would she react to such close proximity to him? She had tried to get over it, reminding herself that her long-time crush on the young district attorney, Tim Cassidy, was just that… a schoolgirl crush, based on newspaper clippings and the TV. It had been going on long before Sylvie went to Grandville to work for him, and then a year later married him! Arlene had met him only once at the wedding, and then she had been so overwhelmed, so touched by her cousin's great happiness and good fortune that she had no room for jealousy in her heart.
She still felt that way really, but the strength of her crush on Tim Cassidy was still in full force and she could not help worrying. Would her lips tremble where she spoke to him? Would her voice break?
She would have to do her very best to control her feelings and to get over her silly and childish emotions!
She emerged from the plane in her turn, blinking and squinting in the harsh autumn sunlight. Were her cousin and her famous husband standing somewhere across the field in that group of people watching her at that very moment? The thought made her feel momentarily faint, and she almost tripped upon the metal stairs that descended from the airplane.
She felt herself being caught by a pair of strong hands, and as she turned, an intimate link had been forged between her and the stranger behind her.
'Are you all right?' he inquired, looking at her intently. His hands were warm and secure upon her arms and she felt undeniably weak, in fact in need of his reassuring presence. But, she assured the handsome man who had been a passenger on the same plane that she was fine, and with some difficulty she turned away from him, after saying thank you, thereby letting him know that she had nothing further to say.
The incident was unsettling, and Arlene sensed an unprecedented turmoil within herself, a turmoil that this small event had pointed out to her, showing her in a way that there was some weak spot within her that made her susceptible. She did not want to admit what she considered to be a failing within herself, however, and as she walked briskly toward the waiting crowd at the terminal, she readied her most self-assured smile.
She was after all the girl who knew her own mind, who had turned down more than one proposal back in Tillings. Offers of marriage from young men that other girls in town would give anything to get their hands on, but who were lacking in Arlene's critical eye. Why get married right off the bat to some know-nothing small town boy? All this time she had been saving up to go to Grandville, where she had planned on getting herself a luxurious apartment followed by a job, any job at all, she would be able to coast on her savings, and she had counted on her cousin Sylvie's help in introducing her to some really eligible men.
Now of course all that was changed, and for the better. Arlene would soon be meeting more of the right people than she had ever dreamed, and life was going to be full of adventure from now on in!
A brisk young woman greeted Arlene and led her through the crowd of milling people into the airport. Together, they waited for the baggage to descend from a moving ramp and when Arlene's new leather suitcase appeared, the woman arranged for a porter to carry it outside the modern terminal building to a waiting limousine.
The woman had introduced herself as Sylvie's secretary, and Arlene was so impressed that she was speechless. She had forgotten just what great status her little cousin Sylvie had these days, and her heart thumped loudly as she spotted the ominous looking limousine with its drawn curtains. She and the secretary were ushered in by a politely smiling chauffeur and there in the womb like interior of the big Chrysler, Arlene came face to face with her cousin. The two women embraced and Arlene was surprised to see tears come to Sylvie's eyes as the limousine started up without so much as a jerk.
In fact, the elegant young woman who sat next to her in the comfortable posh cushions of the back seat, bore little resemblance to the outgoing, happy-go-lucky girl who had been like a sister to her. Her features seemed pale and drawn, and although the younger girl had replaced her sunglasses, Arlene thought that she looked as if she had been crying a great deal. Perhaps it was her imagination, though she couldn't be sure. But Sylvie's whole manner was nervous and withdrawn, despite her exclamation of joy at seeing her older cousin again.
'You have no idea how glad I am that you're here,' Sylvie told her as they whizzed through the outskirts of Grandville. They had stopped to let Sylvie's secretary off at the downtown campaign offices where she worked answering the multitude of mail that had been pouring in addressed to Mrs. Tim Cassidy, and where she organized Sylvie's speaking schedule and acted as intermediary between her and the press; and now the two cousins were alone in the vast back seat of the speeding car, separated from the chauffeur by a glass partition.
'I'm ready to start helping right away!' Arlene said eagerly, wondering just where her secret idol, her cousin's husband, was at the moment.
As though reading her mind, Sylvie gazed absentmindedly out the window and said, 'Tim returns to the house tonight.' She paused and then continued, 'You'll soon see that no one of us is quite like ourselves.
Campaigning is a dreadfully wearing business. It changes everything.
There is little time for leading any real kind of life.'
Her cousin looked so sad that Arlene reached out and took her hand.
'Poor Sylvie… Well now I'm here and I never was one to shun hard work… you know that!'
It was after midnight when Arlene lay totally naked, extended in the warmth of her bed. It was an old four poster, but the firm, comfortable mattress was quite modern. Her head was whirling not only from the extensive amount of wine she had had at dinner, but from the events of the evening.
Tim Cassidy had indeed returned from his upstate swing, and instead of looking fatigued, had appeared at the peak of his forces. The energy that emanated from the man was astounding. Arlene had been overwhelmed by his warmth as he greeted her with enthusiasm and welcomed her to the household.
'Great!' he declared, winking at her in a cheerful manner that nonetheless made Arlene feel a little thrill of excitement coursing across her skin. She could still feel the goose-bumps!
'Sylvie needs someone around that is close to her. You look like a very capable young woman!'
Arlene had stammered some kind of reply and then the other brothers were talking to her, Ron and Erick, asking about her trip and generally making her feel a part of the family.
At dinner, which was served late around 9:00 P.M., Arlene was beginning to wonder just where all the stress and strain was that her cousin had been talking about, and as she observed the beautifully gowned and coifed Sylvie, she wondered why she always seemed to be holding back … never joining in the general good humor that circulated at the table. There were no other guests at dinner, something that Sylvie told her was rather unusual, so Arlene had ample time to get to know the two brothers as well as Tim himself. Ron seemed a serious sort, and Arlene could see that he was the perfect person to mount his older brother's campaign for him to reach the Senate. His words were brisk and clipped as he summarized for the table what goals had been accomplished during the trip they had just completed, and what obstacles lay ahead for the Senator-to-be in the next few weeks.
His resemblance to Tim Cassidy was striking, but there was a hard edge to his features that Tim did not have. Tim's looks were a perfect combination of sensitivity and determination that gave him a completely trustworthy appearance. As for the younger brother, Arlene liked him the least of all, and his features, though of the same intelligent cut as his older brother's, were somewhat softer, more baby-like. Arlene supposed that it must be
