Chapter 158: Mrs. Clarkson Is Here
Seeing Cathryn’s embarrassment, Helen laughed again and took her hand to go out to the car.
While the car started, Cathryn noticed that Helen was looking at her with a serious, hesitating face.
“Anything wrong?” she smiled.
Helen smiled back and put Cathryn’s hand in hers, “My dear Cathryn, have you heard Keith talking about an Ada Clinton?”
Hearing this name, Cathryn’s eyebrows invisibly picked up. She kept smiling for a second and answered, “I have. I know all about them.”
It was more than clear in his diary, and she could remember everything clearly. It seemed that she would have to meet with this Miss Clinton after all.
“She is Elaine’s personal tutor. She will be here at this party.” Helen explained. She added after a moment, “If they say that you look like her, don’t take it personally.”
Almost amused, Cathryn shrugged, “They may well do, but Keith thinks that she looks like me.”
Her eyes were clear, and Helen’s fears were swept away. She felt somehow relieved and understood something. Reaching out to cuddle Cathryn’s shoulders, Helen remarked with a smile, “I also think she looks like my daughter.”
They looked at each other and laughed. In the other lady’s eyes and smile, they seemed to find a comradery.
****
The car did not drive in the suburbs this time but went straight to the city center. Elaine’s home was located in a high-class apartment building downtown. Her husband was an investment capitalist, and Cathryn heard from Helen.
They drove all the way to the underground garage, the digital recognition system had automatically opened for them, and after they walked out, a lift boy in a tuxedo said welcome to them in German. Helen often came to see Elaine and was familiar with the staff here. After greeting him, they soon reached the ground floor, and the ladies entered the apartment hall.
It was better to call it a hotel than an apartment. The floor of the hall reflected the chandelier on the ceiling, which was shining with gentle warmth in the daylight; they went to a service desk in the middle, where two female receptionists smiled friendly and politely and brought them to the VIP elevator.
There was a young man with bright blue eyes, wearing the same hat and tuxedo as the man they saw earlier, bowing to them and greeting them good afternoon.
Cathryn was in a great mood now, being so warmly welcomed. She was in love with this country now and was confident that Helen’s friend must be as nice, if not nicer, to her.
The elevator stopped on the 18th floor, and they got off the elevator, and Helen deftly picked some cash for the boy with her slender and well-manicured fingers from her purse. The young man was even happier and said something blessing in German.
Helen nodded happily too and took Cathryn’s hand toward Elaine’s home.
That was the only apartment from this elevator. They walked on the soft floral carpet, colorful and dustless, through the corridor until they stood in front of a large oak wood door.
Helen knocked on the door engraved with flowers and ivy plants, Cathryn noticed that the door handle was brass inlaid with white marble, looking thick and elegant.
Helen had changed at home to a simple straight-fit black dress with her blonde hair down. For a moment, in the silent corridor, she was standing with her head up like a solemn statue until someone came to open the door.
The noise of the laughter and conversations in the room suddenly overwhelmed them like a warm tide in the afternoon sun.
Ada Clinton was standing next to the doorman, she smiled quietly at Helen and went to notice Elaine.
“Mrs. Clarkson is here.”
Elaine nodded and looked over from her conversation, and Helen added after her waving hand, laughing, “I hope you have enough tableware, my daughter-in-law is here too!”
The big smile suddenly stiffened on Ada’s face. Her eyes shattered, and her lips twitched as she turned back and ran right into Cathryn Riley’s warm smiling eyes.
The two pairs of eyes looked at each other quickly, and both froze.
Their faces were strangely alike. If it was not the dress or makeup, they’d think of themselves looking at a strange mirror.
“Guten Tag.” Cathryn greeted Ada in German. Their meeting was much different from what Ada had expected. She did see her frown, but her eyes were bright, her face relaxed, and nothing else after that.NôvelDrama.Org copyrighted © content.
A sense of superiority suddenly rises in Ada’s heart, like wildflowers blooming after the summer rain.
“Hello,” Ada replied confidently.
Keith was in love with her after all. Even this girl, the mother of his child, who he cherished so much, turned out to be a version of her. With this conclusion, Ada almost thought that she could rest assured now to have Keith with this one.
To be so much and so deeply missed by a man that even when he got married, he married someone who looked like her was a great pride for Ada.
Standing still in the door, her long wavy cascade was poured on her jaunty shoulder as well as on her long Bordeaux linen dress. A string of wooden beads was around her neck, and a light blue stone bracelet went from her wheat-colored wrist to the palm of her hand.
In addition, Ada had a blood-red rose on her temple. The rose was fresh, and the petals were still afflicted together, like a teenage girl too shy to open up.
The moment Cathryn saw her, she thought she was a gypsy artist. But as she looked more closely, Ada needed a lot more to be an artist.
When Cathryn looked at Ada, Ada was also checking Cathryn. Cathryn made a quick glance, but Ada looked at her meticulously.
When Ada indulged in her stare, she found Helen standing in front of her, “Shall we go in?”
Helen was reminding Ada of losing her control. Ada took back her eyes and whispered sorry, and walked them in.
The layout of Elaine’s living room was full of academic factors. In addition to the plain colored sofas, wooden tables, and some tall lamps, there were fully packed bookshelves filling the rest of the walls.