Bless the Child Read Online Free PDF

both Jenna and I totally understand your surprise, and your reluctance to part with the child, whom you’ve obviously become attached to. Perhaps I can set your mind at rest by telling you a bit about myself, so I don’t seem so much the mysterious stranger.”
     
    Maggie nodded, thwarted by his civility. She motioned vaguely toward the couch, and both visitors sat.
     
    “My family’s an old and respected one in Europe, Mrs. O’Connor…”
     
    “Where exactly in Europe?”
     
    Eric smiled. “Originally, we were from the Middle East. But many generations ago, the Vanniers moved to Paris and, although we have banking offices and philanthropies throughout Europe, you might safely think of us as Parisians.” Something about Eric’s unctuousness, covering the raw animal power she sensed in him, was unnerving.
     
    “If you’ll permit me to continue, I promise to give you enough of my curriculum vitae to assuage at least a few of your fears, Mrs. O’Connor. Although our family fortune is primarily engaged in international banking, my own particular area of endeavor is that of running the Vannier Foundation, a rather large philanthropic enterprise, which distributes a great deal of money to worthy causes. The nature of my work forces me to travel quite a bit, although as I said earlier, in deference to your obvious devotion to my wife’s child, I have taken residence in one of my family homes, near enough to you so that your transition from surrogate motherhood to grandmotherhood . . .” He smiled ingratiatingly again. “No matter how absurd a title ‘grandmother’ seems when one sees you, Mrs. O’Connor . . . will be less traumatic.”
     
    Maggie acknowledged the compliment with a small nod and tried to force herself to fairness. He was certainly civilized; perhaps he could be reasoned with.
     
    “May I ask how you met my daughter, Mr. Vannier?” she countered. “When last I saw Jenna she didn’t appear to be moving in the circles you describe.”
     
    “Do call me Eric, Mrs. O’Connor. I am, after all, your son-in-law,” the man responded, the dark eyes alight with charm. “And perhaps I might call you Maggie?” He didn’t wait for a reply.
     
    “It’s really quite serendipitous that Jenna and I ever met at all. You see, I had a slight injury to my spine, sustained in a riding accident in Central Park, and I was taken to Roosevelt Hospital, where, as fate would have it, Jenna happened to be recovering from her addiction. Part of her therapy entailed doing volunteer work within the hospital complex, caring for other hospitalized patients in a variety of ways—rather like a candy striper, if you will. She was particularly kind to me, as I lay restless as a caged tiger.” Eric smiled at Jenna suggestively.
     
    “I’m afraid I was smitten by her, rather intensely, and when I found I was able to escape the hospital, I asked Jenna to return with me to our château in Lucerne, to help me through my recuperation. Jenna said she had no ties that would preclude this . . . and the rest, as they say, is history. We recovered together . . . and much to my delight, we have been together ever since.”
     
    During this extraordinary soliloquy, Cody had relaxed her grip on Maggie and was now sitting quietly in her lap, watching the others in the room with studied curiosity. Jenna was trying to gain the child’s attention, and Cody was watching her mother judiciously, but making no move in her direction.
     
    “I love my daughter, Mother,” Jenna suddenly interjected, a pleading note in her voice. “Very much. And I have missed her dreadfully. I know you don’t have much reason to trust me, but you must see that I’m well now. I’m happily married to a wonderful man who’ll take good care of both of us. I finally have the chance to make Cody’s life perfect. Please, please help me put our life together the way it should have been from the start . . . for my sake and for Cody’s.” Her large eyes