Gabrielle untangled herself from Jack’s body, put on her bathrobe, and walked quietly out to the living room. It was four o’clock in the morning. She stood at the window, looking down on the city.
Now that she was famous, the early hours before dawn were Gabrielle’s favorite time of day. During this time, when all the world was still, she felt momentarily liberated—no longer held captive by her illiteracy. While everyone slept, she had no expectations to fulfill or public image to uphold; she was alone without fear of exposure.
These past few days had been so full of drama. Seeing Doug again after all this time was difficult. Their conversation at Nell’s had clearly dashed any secret hope that they would get back together. Doug’s words and actions made it apparent that he would never be able to cope with her celebrity and the gossip and speculation that swirled around her public image. Once again Doug had approached her readily believing the lies instead of relying on his personal knowledge of her. Doug really didn’t seem to know her at all.
Oh, but he does, Gabrielle reminded herself. In the letter she’d dictated to Beatrice, she had told Doug her entire life story and begged him to forgive the confusion and pain her illiteracy had caused them. Knowing Doug the way she thought she did, Gabrielle had expected him to understand. Instead Doug simply dropped her from his life with no further contact.
All this time she hadn’t understood why Doug had never acknowledged her confession. The reason became all too clear at Nell’s: Loving an illiterate was too much of a burden for an intellectual like Doug. How would it look should the word get out that Doug Sixsmith, award-winning journalist and bestselling author, was involved with a woman who couldn’t read a word he wrote?
Jack, on the other hand, wanted to get as close to her as a man could get to a woman. She still couldn’t get over Jack’s proposal. Standing there in the dark, Gabrielle tried to sort out her emotions toward this man who wanted to marry her.
You don’t love Jack, not the way you loved Doug, Gabrielle’s heart told her. True, she argued back, but isn’t that to be expected? Doug was her first love. I may not be in love with Jack, but I do love him, she argued further. Moreover, Gabrielle respected and truly liked him as a person. And after her bitter experience with Doug, she now trusted friendship much more than love.
Gabrielle stepped away from the window and curled up on the sofa. While combing through the fringe of a throw pillow, she began to seriously consider Jack’s proposal.
Why not marry him? Gabrielle asked herself. Jack loved her. He was incredibly handsome, successful, and, most important, he seemed to understand and even embrace her public life. And after all the hell her celebrity had caused between her and Doug, Jack’s infatuation with her fame was indeed a blessing. He could make her happy. And she would do her best to return that happiness.
I will marry Jack, she decided. But first Gabrielle would tell him the truth. She refused to let her illiteracy destroy another relationship.
Gabrielle walked back into her bedroom and crawled under the sheets. Softly she rocked Jack’s shoulder until he opened his eyes and rolled over to face her.
“Do you really want to marry me?”
Jack sat up and rubbed his eyes, trying to wake up. “More than ever.”
“Then there’s something about me you need to know. Jack, I can’t read or write very well.”
“What? You’re dyslexic?”
“It’s not that simple—”
“No, it’s not that big a deal. I don’t care if you don’t read or write as well as you’d like. You have so much more going for you, Beauty. Obviously you know enough to become successful at whatever you’ve wanted to do.”
“Except maybe an acting career.”
“Is that the reason you turned down those parts and don’t want to do the screen test for Lexis Richards?”
“Yes.”
“Do you know how many actors and celebrities are dyslexic? Cher, Tom Cruise, Whoopi Goldberg, and Walt Disney—the list goes on and on.”
“It doesn’t bother you?” Gabrielle inquired, thinking that Jack was telling her the same things her mother had.
“What bothers me is that you would even for a moment consider not marrying me because of it. I’m sure this dyslexia thing has complicated your life in ways I can only imagine, but it’s nothing to be ashamed of. So you have a learning disability. Why would I let something so inconsequential stop me from marrying you?”
Gabrielle didn’t know how to reply. Jack was determined to blame her illiteracy on dyslexia. Does it really matter why he thinks I can’t read? she asked herself. The important thing was that he now knew that she was unable to read and he still loved her, which was much more than she could say for Doug. Instead of worrying about his reputation, Jack was worried about losing her.
“So, am I hearing a yes?”
Gabrielle looked deep into Jack’s eyes. Here was a man who knew she couldn’t read and still wanted her. Here was a man who was offering her the opportunity to live a full life despite her deficiencies. “Yes,” she said, tears welling up in her eyes.
Jack swooped her up in his arms and kissed her with great happiness. He was being truthful when he told Gabrielle her dyslexia didn’t matter. It was an invisible inconvenience, one that he was sure could be tricky and annoying at times, but one that nobody else needed to know about. As far as Jack could see, Gabrielle’s problem would not alter their life together in any discernible manner. “When?”
“How about Christmas Eve?”
“Are you kidding me? That’s tomorrow.”
“I’d never kid about anything as serious as becoming Mrs. Jack Hollis.”
“God, I love the sound of that! But don’t you want the big, fancy wedding with all the trimmings?” Jack asked.
“The last thing I want is my wedding to be a media circus. I want a quiet, private ceremony right here at home.”
“That’s all the convincing I need.”
“Let’s do it, then. We tell no one, promise?”
“What about Bea?” Jack asked.
“Of course I’d like Beatrice there. I couldn’t possibly get married without her. What about you? Will you ask Fritz to be your best man?” Gabrielle asked.
“He’s the only man for the job.”
“Why don’t we surprise them?” Gabrielle suggested. “We’ll tell them when and where to show up, but not why.”
“I can’t wait to see the look on Fritz’s face when he realizes I’m actually getting married.”
“That’s another reason for a small wedding. I don’t think I could get married in a church where the groom’s side is full of crying women wearing black armbands,” Gabrielle teased.
“I was merely marking time, waiting for you,” Jack said, kissing her forehead.
“We do have another problem,” Gabrielle announced. “I’m scheduled for a major publicity tour to promote my new calendar and video. I’ll be on the road for weeks. I don’t know when we’ll be able to have a honeymoon.”
“And I’m headed to Europe next week, so even if you were free, I’m not. But I promise you, Beauty, when we can both get away, we’ll take a proper honeymoon.”
“Look, the sun is coming up,” Gabrielle said jumping up and rushing out onto the terrace. Jack, wrapped in a sheet, joined her there. Together they stood in awe and watched the sun rise over the city. “It’s the start of a beautiful new day,” Gabrielle said, reflectively.
“The start of a beautiful new life,” Jack whispered, taking her in his arms.
Jack and Gabrielle spent a frenzied morning preparing for their wedding. By midday they had contracted a baker and a florist, and Jack had pulled a few strings with a friendly judge, not only to grant them a marriage license and waive the twenty-four-hour waiting period, but to preside over the nuptials as well.
“I’ll meet you back here at five-thirty,” Jack said as he headed out the door.
Gabrielle walked back into the kitchen, picked up the phone, and dialed Beatrice’s number. She’d briefly debated going down and telling her in person, but she decided to call instead, afraid her excitement would give the surprise away. “Good morning,” she said when Bea picked up.
“Good morning. What’s up?”
“I’m having a little holiday celebration tonight. Can you come?”
“Where’s Jack? Aren’t you planning to spend Christmas Eve with him?” Beatrice asked.
“He’ll be over later.”
Beatrice was surprised and pleased that Gabrielle was requesting her company. Gabrielle spent most of her very limited free time with Jack. Even though she lived only one floor away, Beatrice was reluctant to drop in or call, afraid she might be interrupting the two.
“I’d love to. Where and what time should I meet you?”
“Here at six o’clock.”
“Sounds good. What should I wear?”
“Anything that makes you feel pretty. I’ll see you at six. Don’t be late,” Gabrielle said and hung up the phone before Beatrice could ask any more questions. Checking Beatrice’s name off of her mental “to do” list, Gabrielle moved on to the next item—a wedding dress. What would she wear for a last-minute wedding? She took a trip into her bedroom to find out.
Gabrielle opened the door and walked into her closet in search of something appropriate. Suit after suit, dress after dress ended up in the discard pile on her bed. Gabrielle was just about to give up in despair when she pulled out the perfect outfit. It was a stunning cocktail dress designed by none other than Maynard Scarborough. It was white and had a tank-style bodice in transparent mesh with sparkling beaded accents. Gabrielle went deeper into her closet and dug out a pair of matte-silver Manolo Blahnik pumps. From her jewelry box she selected a pair of dangling pearl earrings that had once belonged to Helene.
That task completed, Gabrielle called downstairs to the spa and made an appointment at two-fifteen to have her nails done. Next she pulled on a pair of jeans and a crisp white T-shirt, grabbed her jacket and purse, and headed out the door. She had some serious shopping to do.
“Mr. Hollis is downstairs,” the doorman announced at 5:35.
“Thanks, John. Please send him up.” Gabrielle opened the door to find Jack holding a large bouquet of calla lilies and white roses, their stems tied with a white satin ribbon.
“Wow!”
“Wow, yourself,” Gabrielle replied. Jack was dressed in a navy-blue double-breasted Armani suit. Under his jacket he wore a light-blue mandarin-collar shirt with very subtle burgundy stripes.
Jack whistled in admiration as he stepped inside and handed Gabrielle the flowers. The living room had been transformed into a floral wonderland, and soft candlelight flickered everywhere. Even the Christmas tree had been dressed in white poinsettias, with twinkling lights peeking from within the branches. A small wedding cake sprinkled with fresh flowers sat proudly on the dining-room table, surrounded by crystal champagne flutes and a bottle of Dom Perignon, chilling in a silver ice bucket.
“Merry Christmas,” Jack said, handing Gabrielle a small package. She might not have been able to read the name, Tiffany & Co., on the lid, but she surely recognized the trademark blue box tied with white satin ribbon.
“I want to tell you something before we go through with this,” he said. “I know that you’re not in love with me right now, but that’s okay. I promise to do whatever it takes so you’ll never regret your decision.”
Gabrielle was visibly moved by Jack’s words. She knew he was taking a big chance by making her his wife now. She opened the box slowly, her breath escaping in admiration when she saw the exquisite ring inside. Jack had chosen a magnificent six-carat, pear-shaped diamond sitting in the center of two large sparkling trilliants, all set in platinum. It was a showstopper—a ring that told the world that she was loved and treasured by a successful and generous man.
“It’s like a perfect teardrop of happiness,” she whispered.
“Even though ours is probably one of the shortest engagements in history, I couldn’t let you go without a proper ring. Here, let me put it on,” Jack said, removing it from the box. “Gabrielle Donovan, will you marry me?” he asked, slipping it on the appropriate finger. It fit perfectly.
“Yes,” she said, reaching up to meet his lips with hers. “I do adore you, Jack. And I respect, admire, and trust you. I can’t believe that you still love me in spite of my ‘problem.’ Love like that can’t go unreturned forever.”
“Did Doug know about your dyslexia?”
“Yes.”
“I knew he was an asshole, but I didn’t realize what a big one. I do owe him a huge favor, however. Because of his stupidity, you’re about to become my wife.”
“I don’t want to talk about Doug. He’s the past. Today’s all about the future,” Gabrielle told him.
“And speaking of which, there are a few things we need to work out before our guests arrive,” Jack said.
“Such as?”
“Where are we going to live?”
“Good question. Well, we have three choices—your place, my place, or we buy a new place.”
“Since yours is bigger, why don’t we move into it for the time being? Once we catch our breath, we can decide where we might like to live.”
“That sounds fine. I can put some things in storage to make room for your belongings,” Gabrielle offered.
“That was easy enough.”
“There’s one other thing. I’d like to keep my name professionally.”
“Changing your name is not an issue, but I’d like our kids to take my name.”
Kids? She and Jack had never discussed children. He had no idea how she felt about becoming a mother. Should she tell Jack about Tommy now, before they got married? Would he be able to handle another confession, particularly one so devastating? “How many kids do you want?” she asked tentatively, opting not to disclose her secret.
Before Jack could answer, the doorman buzzed again, informing Gabrielle that Fritz Henderson was in the lobby. When Jack opened the door minutes later, both Fritz and Beatrice stood outside. Once they were over the threshold, it became quite clear to both of them that this was to be more than just a simple holiday celebration. While they waited for the judge to arrive, Gabrielle took Beatrice to the side for a quick chat. “I guess you figured out what’s going on,” she said.
“Are you sure about this? Last time we spoke about Jack you said you weren’t interested in another serious relationship—and now you’re getting married.”
“I know it’s sudden, but it’s what I want.”
“Are you in love with him?”
“No, but I love him enough. Jack knows how I feel, and it doesn’t matter.”
“What kind of a man marries a woman knowing she doesn’t love him? Why is he rushing you into this? Doesn’t that make you wonder about his motives?”
“Actually, it was my idea to get married today.”
“And what about Doug?”
“Bea, don’t do this. Don’t ruin my wedding day.”
“The reason you aren’t in love with Jack is that you still love Doug. I know you do.”
“I’m marrying Jack,” Gabrielle said, lowering her voice even more. “At least he’s willing to accept me just as I am.”
“You told him?” Beatrice asked. “He knows you’re—”
“Sort of. He thinks I’m dyslexic.”
“Where did he get that idea?”
“I don’t know. When I told him I couldn’t read or write, he assumed it was because I was dyslexic. Who cares, as long as he knows and I don’t have to pretend with him?”
“Ladies, Judge Murphy is here,” Jack announced.
“Bea, please be happy for me,” Gabrielle pleaded.
“That’s all I ever wanted, honey, for you to be happy,” Beatrice said, sounding more accepting than she felt. She kissed Gabrielle and followed her into the living room. Flanked by Fritz and Beatrice, Jack and Gabrielle stood in front of the judge and the ceremony began. In less than five minutes Gabrielle Donovan and Jack Hollis were husband and wife.
After photographing and toasting the bride and groom, Beatrice found a seat and sat down. She felt physically ill. Everything had backfired in her face. How could Gabrielle do this to her? How could she not discuss her plans or feelings about this man who was now her husband? It pained her to think that Gabrielle would never find true happiness with this man she didn’t love.
If she’s not happy, it’s all because of me, Beatrice chastised herself. If I hadn’t come between Gabrielle and Doug, at least she would have married a man she really loved and who really loved her.