Secrets of Paris_ A Novel - Luanne Rice [105]
“Do you know why?”
“Officially, they’ll tell you it’s because you didn’t make your case strong enough. Between you and me, it’s because she’s a Filipino.”
“But I can try again, can’t I?” Lydie asked, the enormity of Dot’s words suddenly hitting her. She felt blinded by them, as if they were the bright flash of a star exploding.
“Well,” Dot said, “you’ll want to try, but I wouldn’t encourage you to bother. I’m truly sorry. I’m disappointed myself—I had a stake in this. You know I tried my best. In this place, sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn’t.”
“Thanks for everything, Dot,” Lydie said.
She sat still for a long time, not hanging up the phone. Then she dialed the number of Michael’s hotel. The switchboard put her through.
“You ready for tomorrow?” he said when he heard her voice.
“Something terrible happened,” she said, her voice tight and little. “It’s about Kelly’s …”
“Her petition didn’t go through?” Michael asked.
“No, it didn’t,” Lydie said.
“Damn it,” Michael said. “I’m sorry. When did you find out?”
“A minute ago. Dot called to tell me. I just can’t believe it,” Lydie said, realizing that she was numb.
“Do you want me to come over?”
Lydie thought for a moment. She imagined negotiating an evening with her husband, their first in a long time. She believed that the fact she considered it “negotiating”—like a captain negotiating shoal waters or a lawyer negotiating a difficult deal—was a signal that tonight wasn’t the night. “No, but thanks. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“You sure will,” Michael said. “Do you think you’ll be able to sleep?”
Lydie felt pretty sure she wouldn’t. “I’ll try to,” she said. Hanging up, she instantly called Patrice.
“Kelly’s petition has been denied,” she said instantly.
Patrice was silent for a few seconds. “Wow,” she said. “Wow. Does she know?”
“No,” Lydie said, realizing that her hands were shaking.
“We have to tell her.”
“Tonight, Patrice?” Lydie asked, feeling suddenly tired.
“Think about it, Lydie,” Patrice said. “Wouldn’t you want to know right away? Doesn’t she deserve that? Come on—I’ll pick you up in Didier’s car.”
Twenty minutes later Lydie was hunched over the Plan de Paris, and Patrice was speeding around the Place de Clichy. “Hookers, Quik-Burgers, riot police: this is where she lives?”
“Take that next left,” Lydie said. They stopped in front of a grimy tenement. Lydie would have liked to sit still for a few minutes, rehearsing what they would say to Kelly, but Patrice was already out of the car.
A young woman who closely resembled Kelly opened the door. Lydie cleared her throat, ready to introduce herself, when the woman called out, “Kelly! Patrice and Lydie are here!”
“We’re famous,” Patrice whispered.
Kelly came to the door. Members of her family stood behind her, fanning into a semicircle. Lydie looked from one to the other, wondered which was the brother who had smuggled Kelly across the border in his trunk.
“Hello, Lydie, hello, Patrice,” Kelly said, twisting her hands. She tried to smile. She glanced over her shoulder, then back. “I wish I had known you were coming; I would have … prepared.”
“We know you don’t have a phone,” Lydie said.
“Please come in,” one of the older sisters said, smiling brilliantly. “We are honored by your visit.”
“Yes, please come in!” Now that they had absorbed the shock, they all began to speak at once.
“Listen,” Patrice said, in a voice both strong and kind, “we have some disappointing news for Kelly. It’s about, uh, your petition.”
Kelly’s face fell so hard, Lydie had no doubt that she understood what Patrice was saying. Some of her family took a small step back. “It was denied,” Lydie said, looking into Kelly’s eyes.
“You can’t take me to the States?” Kelly asked.
“No,” Lydie said, knowing there was no way to soften the word.
“Don’t worry about me,” Kelly said right away. Her words were brittle, her smile quavering, and Lydie knew then they had made a mistake to tell Kelly the bad news in front of her entire family. In the first seconds, Lydie had thought they would provide strength, but now she saw that Kelly