The Last Hope

4

While the old VW beetle was struggling to proceed on the harsh gravel of the courtyard, I saw Lydia's face framed by her shining golden hair at one of the big floor-to-ceiling windows of the mansion's marble façade. I was relieved to see her, she was the only person, aside from my dad, how could always calm me. She had become my grandmother's house maid a couple of years ago filling in the role that was previously her mother's; she was unusually young for a maid, only 22 years old, but she and her brother had lived all their lives in the mansion and grew up along side me ever since we were children. She was my best friend.

She gave us a beaming smile and then ran away from the window, probably to go call my grandma, leaving the green Victorian curtain closing behind her.

When the car stops at the end of the big crispy white staircase
I open the door and see at the top my grandmother getting out of the monumental front door, followed by Lydia and her brother Philip.

"Hello Grandma"
"Welcome back Cissi, come on up... Oh goodness Cissi what are you wearing?! Did you fought a wild raccoon on your way here? I thought I had been clear about the dress code for tonight" she said starring at the tear in my dress with a shocked look
"Yes Gran I know, it was an accident, I'm sorry"
"Well I guess it's not such a disaster, I'll give you something appropriate to wear"
Great, now I can't wait to look like one of those ugly old porcelain doll.

I turn around to reach for my bags but Gran says "oh don't worry Cissi, Philip can get it for you, a lady should never bring her own luggage". As I climb up the stairs Philip's gaze meets mine and he gives me the same beaming warm smile as his sister. Although he is just a year older than me he is the handyman of the mansion. We always saw eachother more as siblings than mistress and servant even though my grandmother doesn't really approve of this: she thinks that Philip is the one who always gets me into trouble making mischiefs, like swapping salt and sugar in the kitchens or dying the pool's water a bright pink. He certainly looks the right suspect with those wicked red hair, swift fox like movements and the same piercing light blue eyes as his sister. Gran obviously doesn't know that I'm always the master mind behind all our plans. As we pass right next to each other I see his eyes lowering to my exposed legs, it was just for a swift second but I could have sworn his cheeks slightly blushed.

I get to the top of the stairs and hug Gran "so dear Granny, what have you planned for your beloved granddaughter tonight that requires such uncomfortable shoes?" I ask with the best puppy look I can muster,
she obviously doesn't fall for that "oh dear Cissy you won't be able to get anything out of me, patience is a virtue that you desperately need to learn" she answered with her cryptical smile.

"Hello Marco"
"Hello Sage"
Gran and dad always greeted eachother coldly, they never hugged nor shook hands but they always spit out eachother's name as bitter lemon.
"Then I'll leave Lucy in your custody"
"Here she's always safe"- "contrary to when she's with you" was the unsaid part.

Dad turns and hugs me so strongly that I nearly choke. He whispers in my ear with determined voice "Princess remember: you have two last names and each one is as important as the other", he frees me from the hug, kisses my forehead, looks at me with teary eyes and tells me "I love you Princess". I don't even have the time to reply that he's already back in the car driving off the oak-lined road.

As I look at the car fading in the trees I feel a gripping tension building inside my throat. Why was my father so emotional? Why did he hug me as if it was a last goodbye? Why was he tearing up? Lydia's warm hand pressed on my arm "Let's go inside Lucy, I'll help you unpack your bags".
She guided me inside the grandiose marble foyer, up the sultry dark oak staircase, through the elegant and art filled hallways and finally to my bedroom door on the top floor.

She let me sit on the edge of the bed and went to open the curtains. A bright yellow light filled the room. It was the same as always: the big light wood wardrobe in front of me; the ash wood desk next to it filled with all types of scrap paper, books and clothes; on my right the full figured mirror next to the vanity; massive windows overlooking to gardens; the small door that lead to my personal bathroom and the old four poster bed I was sitting on.

I lay down on the fluffy mattress and look at the polaroids I had hanged last summer on strings tied to the bed posts. There were pictures of Lydia, Philip and I on day trips at the lake or the mountains; pictures of food, of sunsets and of me and my father on our road trips.

"Lydia"
"Mh"
"What's gonna happen tonight?"
She turned around with her arms crossed and a troubled frown on her forehead
"That I do not know Lucy, I would love to tell you but all I know is that Miss Sage asked the kitchens to prepare a grand dinner and she asked me to set the table for five people with the silver cutlery"
"Five people you say? But there's only four of us, who's the fifth guest?"
"I have no idea"
We stare at eachother for a moment then Lydia says "I better go get you a new dress, you look like a marauder from the desert"
"Oh come on it's always gonna be better than those puffy gowns my grandma seems to like so much"
She chuckles then walks out of the room closing the door behind her.

I get up to look for my phone but as I open my backpack I see the wooden box with the marquetry I had found that morning. In all the weirdness of the last hours I had completely forgotten about it. I gently open the clasp, lift the lid and find inside of it a beautiful silver necklace with the thinnest chain I had ever seen and a beautiful iridescent opal pendant the size of a coin. As I turn the pendant I see an inscription on its back "My Queen, may the power of my love ease your burden, M.D".

My Queen... That was the nickname my father used to call my mother and those initials "M.D" are the same as my father's, "Marco De Alessandro". But what burden was he talking about? Maybe it was about the difficulty of being pregnant with me? Was I really a burden?

Somebody knocked on the door and I quickly hid the box and the necklace in the backpack.