Rebecca Winters: Their New-Found Family

What do I think?

With one phone call, the world Rachel had built so carefully for her and Natalie had just come crashing down around them.

She could hardly comprehend the fact that a block of amnesia was the reason Tris had vanished from her life.

If his nephew hadn’t found that note, they would all still be in the dark. Unfortunately Natalie had been given enough information that it would take an act of nature to stop the rising tide of hope in her heart.

To be united with her father had always been Natalie’s dream, though she’d never expressed it verbally to Rachel.

Before Rachel did anything about the situation, she needed clarification on one certain point. It required talking to Alain Monbrisson herself.

She raised her head, smoothing the hair from her face. “Natalie, honey? Would you bring me Alain’s phone number please?”

Her face glowed with excitement. “I’ll be right back.”

Rachel reached for her purse and pulled out her cell phone. When Natalie returned with the paper and pointed to the second number, Rachel started punching the digits.

She checked her watch. It was four in the States, making it around ten in Switzerland.

After three rings someone picked up. “Hallo?” said a young male voice.

“Hello. Is this Alain Monbrisson?”

“Yes?”

“My name is Rachel Marsden. I understand you were trying to find me.”

“Hello, Ms. Marsden. Thank you for calling me back.”

She couldn’t fault his manners or his English.

“My daughter just told me of your conversation. I must admit hearing about your uncle’s accident has come as a shock. We can all thank God he survived it.”

“Yes. He could have died.”

Rachel swallowed with difficulty. “Tell me something, Alain. Does he know you found the note I wrote him?”

The words she’d penned had poured straight from her heart.

“Yes. I read it to him while he was packing this morning.”

She clutched the phone tighter. “But it was your idea to phone me, not his?”

“Yes.”

His honesty came as an enormous relief. “Is he aware you phoned my parents’ house in an effort to locate me?”

“No. He’s gone away on a trip.”

“I think you’re a very special person to care about him. But much as I understand why you want to help your uncle, the need to talk to me has to come from him, not you.

“It’s been twelve years. He’s a thirty-one-year-old man now. If he were still that curious about his past, he would have followed up with a phone call to me.

“But he didn’t because he’s been on the road to recovery for a long time and believes it’s better to leave things alone. I tend to agree with him.

“Some things in life are better left alone. So let this phone call between us be the end of it. Do you understand what I’m telling you?”

“Yes,” came the quiet answer. “I won’t tell him I talked to you or Natalie.”

“Thank you. I’m sure if you think about it, you’ll see it’s the right thing to do. Are you familiar with the American expression, ‘Let sleeping dogs lie’?”

“No.”

“Well, it doesn’t matter. The important thing is that he’s alive and well today. I’m very happy for him and your family. Thank you for the call, Alain. Goodbye.”

“Goodbye.”

They both clicked off.

“How could you, Mother?” Natalie cried, white-faced.

Rachel steeled herself to stay in control. “I did what I had to do. Did Alain read you the note I wrote to your father?”

“No,” she said, tight lipped.

“I’ll tell you what it said.” She gave her daughter the word by word account. “Even knowing what I’d written to him, your father didn’t act on the information.

“He could have tried to contact me, just like his nephew did, if only out of curiosity. But he didn’t. Instead—according to Alain—he went away on a trip not the least bit interested in following up.”

Her daughter’s face crumpled before she ran into her arms. Rachel absorbed the sobs that echoed in her own soul.

“I know this is so hard, honey.” She kissed Natalie’s hair and cheeks. “But we have to look ahead, not back. Don’t you see? Your father’s mind is a blank in regards to that period of his life. He’s moved on, and probably has a wife and family.

“What’s done is done. Too many years have gone by. That’s how he honestly feels, otherwise he would have phoned us instead of his nephew making the call. What more proof do we need, huh?”

“I guess we don’t,” Natalie answered in a strangled voice. She finally pulled away and wiped her eyes.

“Come on. Let’s get ourselves ready to go out to dinner.”

Natalie hung back. “Mom? Do you like Steve?”

“Yes, but I haven’t been going out with him very long.”

“Do you think you could love him the way you once loved my father?”

“Honey, every relationship is different. Steve’s growing on me.”

“But it’s not like it was when you first met my father.”

She sucked in her breath. “No. Nothing will ever be like that again.”

Natalie eyed her intently. “How come?”

“Because I was eighteen, impressionable and totally naïve about love. But I want you to know it was the best thing that ever happened, because I have you. You’re my whole life! I love you so much you’ll never know.” She hugged her tightly again.

“I love you too, Mom.”

“I know it’s hard but let’s forget this phone call ever happened.”

“Okay.”

“Hey—Tris—”

Tris was standing on the crowded quai, impatiently waiting for the train to pull into the station. At the sound of Claude’s voice, he turned in his direction. His childhood buddy came running up to him.

“I’ve been looking all over for you since lunch. I just got off the phone with Giselle. Why don’t you come home with me this weekend? Her friend Helene is visiting from Neuchatel. She’s a real babe.”

He smiled. “If my nephew weren’t waiting for me, there’s nothing I’d like more.” Since the funeral he’d been too preoccupied trying to help Alain cope to pursue an active social life.

His friend sobered. “How’s he doing?” he asked as the train came into view.

“According to my parents, he’s made it through these two weeks without falling apart.”

“Sounds like progress.”

“Of a sort. Thanks for the invite, Claude. Let’s plan a ski trip in early December. By then I’m hoping Alain will be able to handle the separation better.”

“I’ll count on it.” He patted his shoulder. “Bonne chance.”

Tris nodded. “Give my best to your wife. Take care, mon ami.”

Relieved to be getting back to Caux, Tris boarded the train and looked for a seat. When he couldn’t find one he stood in front of the window at the entrance of the voiture, staring blindly at the passing landscape.

He had no doubts Giselle’s girlfriend lived up to Claude’s description of her. But even if it weren’t for Alain needing him so desperately, he wouldn’t have taken Claude up on his invitation.

Since hearing the words of the note Alain had found in the backpack, Tris had been haunted by them.

She must have felt awful when you never even called her.

Alain had said a mouthful. There hadn’t been a moment in the last two weeks that Tris hadn’t wondered about his relationship with Rachel Marsden.

He checked his watch. The train wouldn’t reach Montreux for another hour. Time enough for him to call Geneva and make a few inquiries.

Perhaps the Pensionnat du Grand-Chene was still in business and could provide him with a little information about one of its former students. If the school no longer existed, he would have to let it go.