The attendees of John St. Clair's extraordinary wedding to Kristina and the execution of his Will, duly congregated at the large dining room. A sumptuous cold buffet was laid out with more than enough food for all of them to enjoy. A hired server was circulating with a tray full of flutes of champagne for them to imbibe.
Vickie pursuant to instructions from her mother and now her newly constituted father addressed the gathering:
"I was deputized by my parents; wow that seems so unreal for me to say that..."
Everyone chuckled at that sentiment as Vickie continued:
"Anyway they wish you to be happy in celebrating their wedding day. Although their official marriage may not last long it will be a joyous one as they believe they were meant for each other. They have really been a couple for some 37 years; that's how long they known each other.
As my mother has confessed that although she might have been intimate occasionally with other men, John William St. Clair was truly her "significant other" throughout all these years.
And my father has assured me that though he was married to another woman for the bulk of those years; my mother was his real "significant other." So let's give three cheers to the newly married couple: Hip! Hip!...:"
And everyone replied "Hurray" to Vickie's trio of "Hip! Hips!"
With the exception of Don DeGurse, the reporter, and the doctor and the nurse, the rest of those present were active members of the Texas Love Ranch. When Vickie mentioned that her mother occasionally was intimate with other men, the members chuckled nervously trying desperately to refrain from snickering. However despite such foreknowledge, no one doubted the sincerity of the genuine attachment between Kristina and St. Clair.
Besides they could not admire John St. Clair enough that despite being terminal, he was still with it enough to want to finalize his affairs while on his death bed. In addition they all knew Kristina well enough to rightly suspect on why she and the TLR cameraman remained in John's room while the rest of them congregated in the dining hall to enjoy this casual reception.
Since John St. Clair was one of the most prominent and well known men in Dallas, the Dallas Morning News dispatched DeGurse to his mansion for coverage of his final days pursuant to the invitation by Kristina. The reporter was happy to get this assignment as he was obviously enjoying a media exclusive scoop to report St. Clair's marriage and execution of his Will.
He sensed an opportunity for advancement in his career if he could ferret further information on St. Clair's motives. To this end during the reception, DeGurse interviewed everyone but basically got the same story as they all had been coached previously by Kristina and Vickie.
It was Vickie who gave the most detailed account to DeGurse as follows:
"As I understand it, my mother and Mr. St. Clair, now my father, knew each other for some years before I was born. Although my father was married, he found my mother alluring to the extent they had a long lasting love affair. In addition to being lovers, they were business partners in various enterprises including managing a vacation ranch catering to European and Japanese tourists."
Vickie was obviously alluding to the TLR and her description of the ranch was consistent to the official public records of the establishment. One had to be a member of the TLR to be aware of the true nature of its operations, and the members were dedicated to keep the Ranch activities secret from public scrutiny. Vickie continued her recitation to DeGurse:
"My mother, while in her late twenties led a somewhat hedonistic lifestyle. As a result she happened to have had other lovers besides my father when I was born so that she could not be certain as to the identity of my biological father. As all of her lovers were established married men with children of their own she had no desire to burden them with extraneous domestic problems.
Thus she did not attempt to ascertain the identity of my biological father. Besides she had adequate financial wherewithal to raise me on her own. That is why my birth certificate does not designate the identity of my male parent.
It seems that my father believed he was the most likely male responsible for my birth, but he respected my mother's wishes to preserve the anonymity of the circumstances of my birth. Besides as he was married with three adult children, my entrance to this world would be awkward to explain to his family, and thus he readily acquiesced to my mother's wishes.
Obviously he had paternal feelings towards me as he totally bore the expense of my private home schooling education. And the education I received was of such high caliber that I was able to enroll and attend the University of Texas when I was only sixteen.
Although my mother and father have engaged in a long lasting love affair, he was aware of his responsibilities to his previous wife and his children. Such responsibilities weighed heavily on his mind; especially since his wife, upon the death of their children, became despondent with grief, and remained bedridden for the rest of her life.
Given such circumstances my father did not think it was honorable to divorce her. Her relatively recent death has freed my father to arrange his personal life as he deemed fit. His own impending death has necessitated the haste to conclude such appropriate arrangements.
As to my own possible direct blood relationship with my father, we are all cognizant that a DNA test would prove one way or the other whether I am of flesh and blood to John William St. Clair. However, since he has legally adopted me with my consent, the results of a DNA test would not alter the legal fact that I am his daughter; so such results are moot. Thus there will be no DNA test and I have no qualms about being a designated heir."
Of course Vickie had superficially glossed over the actual facts of her parents' personal lives in the recounting and painted the most positive picture possible. However she had no fear of obliquely describing the TLR as a tourist destination for European and Japanese tourists as already noted that is exactly the description recorded in applicable public records. Any local official that personally knew otherwise was not inclined to correct the record. So Vera had no apprehension that DeGurse would uncover the reality of the TLR.
The story as told by Vickie was compelling enough to satisfy DeGurse's reporter's curiosity and ensure riveting reporting. In any case he was not churlish to ask just how many lovers her mother had when she was born. However he was intrigued by the odd substantial bequest to Chloe Hamilton in St. Clair's Will and asked Vickie if she could elaborate.
Her reply:
"When Ms Hamilton met my father he was in very low spirits. He was over eighty years of age and his children (except for me of course) were all dead and he had no grandchildren. In addition his wife provided no marital enjoyment or companionship as she confined herself to her bed in perpetual grief. There was not much solace in his relationship with my mother either as managing the ranch made her constantly absent from Dallas and thus was not much in my father's company.
Now I don't know the details, but as I understand it, meeting Chloe and experiencing her enthusiastic youthful joie d'vivre snapped him out of his melancholy. His encounter with her made him realize he has not dead yet and it was foolish of him to squander his remaining days wallowing in misery. As a result my parents' relationship was rekindled and the past seven years have been very happy for him indeed.
