Kate had whizzed through two and a half years of college work in fifteen months and still managed to work part-time at the hospital. Anyone that Kate dealt with at the hospital assumed that she was in her twenties. Her intellect, beauty and maturity defined who she was, and even those who knew her true age tended to forget it after a while.
Lex came to visit two weeks during Christmas vacation and Kate spent two weeks in the summer with Lex at the Morgan home in The Hamptons. They spoke to each other at least once a week and faithfully wrote to one another.
When Lex came to visit in December of 1985, she did not appear to be her usual, quick-witted self.
Kate waited for the first opportunity possible to be alone with Lex. Forty-five minutes after picking her up from the airport, Kate and Lex were in Kate’s room. “Something is wrong, Lex. What is it?”
“I’m in trouble, Kat.”
Kate raised her eyebrows. “What is it?”
“I’m pregnant.” Lex looked away.
“I don’t know what to say.”
Lex looked at Kate. “I can only imagine what you are thinking,” Lex said wryly.
“I’m not judging you, Lex. I want to help you. Do your parents know?” Kate examined Lex’s figure more closely to see if she was showing. She had on an oversized shirt and Kate couldn’t tell.
“No. Matt knows, and he wants to marry me.”
“But you’re only sixteen. You don’t want to get married so young, do you?”
Lex looked at Kate, clearly aggravated. “Of course not. But I didn’t plan on becoming a mother at sixteen, either. I feel like I belong in an after-school special with Rob Lowe,” Lex said with disgust.
Kate sighed, deeply concerned for Lex. “I think the best person to talk to is Fee – or Dad.”
“No, Kat. I have to figure this out for myself.”
“You are not considering an abortion, are you?”
Lex looked scornfully at Kate. “I suppose you’d consider that a sin.”
“The sanctity of life is extremely important to God.”
“I suppose getting pregnant in the first place is a sin.”
“We all sin, Lex. Falling short of the glory of God is sin – and no one on earth is perfect. I don’t judge anyone else’s sins.”
Kate wanted to get Fee. She knew she wasn’t handling the conversation very well. Everything she said seemed to inflame Lex. She prayed, “Lord, please give me Your wisdom about this. Help me to only say things that will edify and encourage Lex. Please make it clear to me how I should respond and please open her heart and remove the veil from Lex’s eyes so that she can enter into a relationship with You.”
“Sit back, Lex,” Kate said. “I’m going to get you a snack.”
Lex kept silent and waited for Kate, who brought in a glass of chocolate milk and peanut butter on crackers.
“You’re funny,” Lex said. “Have you ever seen me drink milk?”
“No,” Kate said authoritatively. “But I’ve never seen you pregnant before. You can’t eat only junk food anymore.”
Lex scoffed, but took a small sip of milk and ate the peanut butter.
“When are you due, Lex? You have been to a doctor, haven’t you?”
“No, I haven’t. It happened right after you left The Hamptons.”
“So you’re about eighteen weeks.” Kate consciously focused on her medical expertise, and became more confident in dealing with a pregnant Lex. “Are you showing?”
Lex succumbed to Kate’s medical knowledge. “No,” Lex said, pulling up her shirt.
“That’s the advantage of being so tall,” Kate said, trying to lighten things up. “I envy the four inches you have on me.”
Lex tried not to smile.
“Okay, let’s get down to basics. By now, you should have been seen by a doctor. It’s not a big deal – I’ve done ultrasounds and observed pelvic exams of many pregnant women.”
“Could you do it, Kat? That would be such a relief.”
“We could go over to the hospital, yes. But I don’t have the ability to detect if something is wrong by examining you. I know a few things to look for, but that’s all.”
“Doesn’t the ultrasound show you everything?” Lex’s tone had returned to normal.
“It should. But how about if we bring Fee in? She is a midwife and is working at the hospital in the OB-GYN department now that she’s not a nanny anymore.” Kate said, trying to sound casual.
“Okay, Kat.”
“Great, Lex. We’ll go over tomorrow morning.”
“I have been taking prenatal vitamins,”
Kate smiled. “Good. Now, what do you expect your parents’ reaction to be?”
“They’ll probably be so thrilled that they’ll send out announcements to all their friends that their sixteen-year-old daughter is going to be an unwed mother. They’ll run right out and buy a complete nursery. They’ll register me at Tiffany’s.”
“Enough with the ‘Saturday Night Live’ routine,” Kate said.
Lex sighed deeply. “Yeah, I thought I’d call Billy Crystal or James Belushi and we’d work out a bit.”
“This is serious, Lex,” Kate said.
“If I know my mother, she’ll probably insist that I marry Matt – not because she likes him, but because he comes from a good – meaning wealthy – family... That would be the easiest on her reputation. They’d insist that we live with them until Matt got established with my father’s company. They would want total control of our lives. I can’t do that to Matt.”
“Okay,” Kate said. “What happens if you don’t go along with that option?
“Kat, I can’t imagine either of my parents being supportive of my keeping the baby if I don’t marry Matt. Their reputation would be tarnished. Take my word for it, that’s all they care about.”
Kate sighed. “Do you really think they’d kick you out?”
“I wouldn’t wait for them to, Kat. My life at the Morgan mansion is over.”
“Then stay and have the baby here, Lex.” Kate could not contain her excitement. “That’s the perfect solution.”
Lex shook her head. “That’s too easy.”
Kate was surprised at Lex’s reaction. “Are you serious? Why?”
“I’m very serious. I couldn’t impose on you and your father’s entire life like that.”
“But we’d love to have you! Dad and I talked about you possibly coming to live with us after Gran’s funeral.”
“Really? I can’t imagine why,” Lex said. “But this is different. I have to do this alone.”
Kate felt extremely frustrated. “You mean you feel that you should suffer from the consequences of your sin.”
Lex looked as though Kate had slapped her. “Ouch. Stab me in the gut with a knife, why don’t you?”
“That is exactly what you are saying, Lex. Maybe now you will be more open to God, the compassionate Father, who sent his Son to pay the penalty of all our sins.”
Lex got up. Kate had gone too far. “Now you are throwing your religion in my face? Color me gone.” Lex went to the back door and headed for the stables.
Kate watched as Lex saddled up and rode away on Majesty, Lex’s favorite horse. Kate prayed for Lex’s safety. Lex had asked her not to talk to Fee or her Dad, so Kate knew she had to talk to the Lord. She grabbed her Bible and went to her closet. It was eight hundred square feet, and Kate placed two chairs, an ottoman and a table with a lamp in one corner. It was a perfect place for prayer and Bible Study.
Lex returned two hours later. She took her bag from Kate’s room and put it in the guest room. After showering, Lex had calmed down and wandered around the huge house looking for Kate. Fee had come home and was talking to the chef.
“Dearest Lexi,” Fee said as she hugged her. “How lovely it is to see you. How are you, love?”
“Not so great, Fee. Have you seen Kat? We had a disagreement.”
“Is her car still in the garage, love? If it is, she’s probably in her quiet place – her prayer closet. Shall we go look?”
“No, thanks, Fee. I’ll find her,” Lex said.
“We’ll be having a rib roast for dinner. Hope you’re hungry, love.”
Lex had been in Kate’s prayer closet before. She secretly admired Kate’s devotion to God. Lex knocked on the door. “Are you in there, Kat?”
Kate was relieved. “C’mon in, Lex.”
Lex sat down in the chair next to Kate but said nothing.
“Did you have a nice ride?” Kate asked.
“Yes. Riding clears my head. I am sorry I got so angry. You just have to understand that I don’t believe the things you do. And I have asked God to show me the truth; but even if He does exist, He hasn’t shown me anything.”
Kate took her feet off the ottoman and sat up straight. “That’s just it, Lex. He is showing you right now. You are overburdened by what you’ve done and you think you should suffer for it. The point that I was trying to make is that the Son of God was sent to earth to suffer the consequences of our sins in our place for us so that we don’t have to.”
“It’s just too convenient and easy, Kat. I can’t believe in a God like that.”
Kate exhaled slowly. She spoke quietly. “Okay. I’ll back off. But at least promise me that you will continue to ask God to show you the truth.”
“That I can do.”
“And also promise me that you will let me help you in any way I can.”
“We’ll see,” Lex said. “But I won’t take a penny from you.”
Kate thought about the trust fund she had already set up for Lex. Should Kate mention it? The trust was legally Lex’s and Kate couldn’t change that even if she wanted to. Kate decided to let Lex discover the money by herself. Kate would ask Charlie to take care of it. Kate would also ask Charlie to set up a trust for Lex’s baby.
Lex and Kate did not discuss the pregnancy for the rest of Lex’s visit. Steverino had invited Alan and Kate – who brought Lex – to the television premiere of “Alice in Wonderland.” Lex was in total awe that Scott Baio and Ringo Starr, as well as dozens of other celebrities, were in the movie and at the premiere. To Lex, this was the highlight of her time in California.
Kate watched Maryanne Grayson converse with Dad. It appeared that they had formed a special bond. Maryanne was a rarity in Hollywood – she was a born again Christian. Maryanne was extremely talented. She started in an off-Broadway production of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes in 1978 and starred in Andrew Lloyd Weber’s Song and Dance on Broadway in the early eighties. Maryanne turned down the part of Eva Peron in Evita and the first CD that recorded in 1984 won a Grammy. In 1985, Maryanne made her move to Hollywood. Her breakout role in A Chorus Line won her an Academy Award and Golden Globe nomination. After Maryanne met Alan in the summer of 1985, she turned down parts in movies, preferring to make guest appearances on television shows and continuing to sing and dance in community theaters.
She prayed that the relationship between Maryanne and Dad would develop further. It was exciting to see Dad in Maryanne’s presence.
Kate and Lex had their usual great time together, and when Lex left, Kate told her she would be there for the birth. Lex was thrilled and hugged Kate very tightly.
1986
Kate went about her classes and work at the hospital as usual. She particularly enjoyed her time working at the hospital with Dad. Kate thought that she and her father had the most special relationship any father and daughter could have. Fee asked Kate how she would handle it if her father ever decided to remarry.
“I’d be thrilled for Dad, Fee. And I’m praying that Maryanne Grayson and Dad will get married. Dad is always full of life, but when Maryanne is around, he seems all lit up inside.”
“Katie dearest, you do have such insight about you. I agree. Maryanne and your Dad would make a great couple who would bring glory to God.”
Everything continued normally in Kate’s life with two exceptions: Dad started going to Beverly Hills one weekend a month and Kate was in continual prayer for Lex, her baby and for their salvation. Kate had never prayed with so much intensity and for so long for anyone else, and she felt closer to God than ever before. Since Kate found out about Lex’s pregnancy, she called her almost every day. Lex had moved out of her parents’ home and was working as a clerk for room and board at the largest hotel in Millers Grove. It broke Kate’s heart that Lex had chosen such a difficult life.
One day in March, a furious Lex called Kate. “I told you I wouldn’t take a penny from you, Kathryn Leanne Campbell. How could you do such a thing?”
Kate anticipated such a call for several weeks, knowing that soon Lex would find out about the trust fund. Kate remained quiet and let Lex rant.
“You are just as bad as my parents. I cannot believe that you did this. Every check that magically appears in my checking account will be returned to you.”
“Please,” Kate pleaded. “This was set up two years ago – and I won’t be cashing any checks you send me. The trust is legally yours, Lex.”
“I never realized what a manipulative and controlling person you are.”
Kate was getting somewhat annoyed. “And just exactly how does this manipulate and control you?”
“I’m too infuriated to discuss anything further with you. I don’t ever want to talk to you again.” With that, Lex slammed down the phone.
Kate wondered if their relationship had been irreparably broken forever. Lex was nothing if not stubborn and the most strong-willed person Kate had ever met. Kate had not told her father about Lex’s pregnancy, but an enraged Pamela had called Alan to see if Kate knew anything about what was going on.
Alan broached the subject with Kate a few days after Lex’s final phone call. “Why didn’t you tell me about Lex, Kitten?” Alan put his arm around Kate, and she told him what had happened with the trust.
“I’m sorry, baby.”
“I just don’t understand, Dad. Why would she think I was manipulative and controlling? Is what I did wrong?”
“Not at all, Kitten,” Alan said. “Some people just don’t respond the way we think they should. Why Lex refuses to take money that is legally hers and work as a clerk is not something that I can understand, but she must have her reasons.”
Kate tried to stop herself from crying, but as her father put his arms around her, she gave in to the sobbing that she had been stifling for several days.”
After she calmed down, she said, “I have lost my very best friend in the world.”
“Hopefully not forever, baby. And you’ll always have Fiona and me.”
“Oh, Daddy, I just feel so dreadfully awful.” Even in the midst of her angst, Kate knew that Dad thought that Kate was a drama queen.
“Drama, drama, drama, Sarah Bernhardt,” Dad said.
Kate laughed. “So what’s happening with you and Maryanne, Dad? Might wedding bells be in your future?”
Alan smiled at his daughter. “What would you think about that, Kitten?”
“I’d be thrilled for you, Dad. Would we move to Los Angeles?”
“We’ll see. I’m going to take the summer off to be with Maryanne. We’ll see how it goes. I’ve already talked to the powers that be at Cedar-Sinai. I wanted to make sure there would be a place for you if we spent the summer in L.A. And of course, there is.”
“Oh Daddy, I love you. And you deserve to be happy – and maybe have more children. And I love Maryanne. She’s like the last of the great stars,” Kate said.
“Thank you, Kitten. I agree.”
The days passed, and Kate found solace by burying herself in her studies and work at the hospital. Kate looked at the calendar everyday, knowing as April passed, Lex was closer to delivery. She asked her dad what he thought of Kate going to Boston around Lex’s due date.
“I can’t answer that, Kitten. Don’t forget that her hormones are raging within her. She might be ecstatic to see you, but you have to be prepared for rejection.”
“The Bible says we shouldn’t fear the rejection of others.”
“That’s true, baby. As long as you are strong enough to accept possible rejection, I think you should go.”
“Finals are finished by May tenth.”
“You know, Aunt Millicent called yesterday. Her son – John’s father and my first cousin – has finally returned and she’d love for me to get together with him. We can take the jet, drop me off in Chicago, and you can continue on to Boston. We’ll keep the jet in Boston in case you don’t want to stay for a few weeks. Then we’ll head to Beverly Hills. Walter is looking for a home there for us.”
“That’s a great idea, Daddy. It sounds perfect!”
Kathryn Campbell's Journey to Living a Live Pleasing to the Lord.
Prologue - 1940 - 1970
One might think it is easy to be born into one of the richest families in America, but wealth had its disadvantages, at least as far as George Alan Campbell, Jr. was concerned. For as long as he could remember, Alan – as he chose to be called – had no desire to get involved with any of the family businesses or foundations, as was expected of the sole heir of the G.V.P.C. fortune. He had a passion for medicine and wanted to try his hand at numerous undertakings in a variety of areas, none of which particularly pleased his parents.
It was his mother, Victoria Leanne Packard Campbell, who pronounced Alan an adventurer and softened her husband’s – George Alan Campbell, Sr. – heart toward Alan.“Darling,” Victoria had said to George, “Let him do what he chooses. The GVPC fortune and the Foundation, businesses, estates and all that it encompasses are very adeptly run by our CEOs. I am confident that Alan will always look out for the best interests of anything having to do with the GVPC fortunes.”George Sr. relented. He knew Alan was extremely intelligent and loyal to his family. If he wanted to go through the hard work of becoming a doctor, so be it. George didn’t understand it, but he succumbed to his son’s wishes.Alan always had a cheerful disposition, and although he didn’t care much for the customs of the upper crust, he went along with them for the sake of his parents.
Alan was a strapping, handsome young man with dark black hair and large almond-shaped brown eyes. Women were -attracted to him and his rugged good looks before they even knew his name and financial standing. It came as no surprise to George and Victoria that women would outwardly flirt with and cajole Alan to surrender to their wiles.One thing that George and Victoria were insistent upon was that Alan married an heiress who was also a Christian. From the time he was eighteen until he was twenty-three, Alan was introduced to many different young women from the wealthiest, most prominent families in the United States. Alan knew that this was a battle he could not win, and on his twenty-fourth birthday, he brought home Cassandra Reynolds Johnston, of the Johnston-Reynolds fortune, and announced his intention to marry her.
His parents could not have been more pleased. Alan had picked Cassandra not only because of her breathtaking beauty, but because he liked her quiet yet seemingly confident demeanor. She laughed at Alan’s jokes and readily accepted his compliments.
At only five foot three and one hundred pounds, she had delicate features and a porcelain complexion. Her raven hair was long, dark and thick. Her eyes were the prettiest and, clearest shade of blue that Alan had ever seen. Alan called her “Snow White,” which always made Cassandra smile.Cassandra’s sister Pamela, born in 1947, was eighteen months older than Cassandra, and looked like she could have been Cassandra’s twin.
Both sisters loved being part of what they called “New England’s High Society.” Their father, Franklin Emerson Johnston, was hardly ever home and in the mid-sixties., when the rate of death due to cardiovascular disease was at its highest, he died of a heart attack in 1965. Their mother, Kathryn Marie Reynolds Johnston, was always busy with her philanthropic work despite the fact that she tended to be sickly. Kathryn died two years later as a result of complications of pneumonia that she had contracted while working as a volunteer in a hospital.
Cassandra and Pamela were brought up by their nanny, Margret Davies, who had come directly from England to work for the Johnston family. Margret was proper and formal, and brought Cassandra and Pamela up accordingly. Pamela, who used to call her sister “Cassie,” was told by Margret that nicknames were for commoners. Cassandra stopped calling her sister “Pam.” All rules of proper English society were taught to and followed by the Johnston girls.Pamela married Mitchell Morgan, an heir to the Bryan-Morgan fortune, while Cassandra was infatuated with Alan Campbell, who was even wealthier than Mitchell. Both girls had proper high society weddings within six months of one another. Alan would have preferred a small, intimate wedding, but it was important to Cassandra and her sister to have an elaborate, elegant and proper wedding.
Alan and Cassandra toured Europe for their honeymoon, which lasted for one month. Upon their return from Europe, much to Cassandra’s dismay, Alan announced that he wanted to move to San Francisco and receive his medical training at UCSF. The Campbells and the Johnstons bought a twelve-thousand-square foot mansion on the outskirts of San Francisco in a city called Palo Alto. The mansion was on three acres and included a swimming pool, tennis courts and stables. A maid, chef, butler and chauffeur would also be retained, pending the approval of Alan and Cassandra.
As soon as Alan and Cassandra moved into their new home, Alan began UCSF medical school. Cassandra grew restless with Alan gone so much. She talked to Pamela at least once a day and visited her at least once a month. By the fifth month of Alan’s absence, Cassandra went to visit Victoria in Boston. Not long into their visit, Cassandra discussed the situation with her mother-in-law.
“I just don’t understand why Alan wants to be a doctor. He is gone almost all the time, and from what I hear, it is just going to get worse.
”Victoria was sympathetic and put her hand on her daughter-in-law’s arm. “Alan is a free and an adventuresome spirit, Cassandra. Surely you knew that before you married him, didn’t you?”
“Yes, I did.” Cassandra was still not sure what to call Victoria. It didn’t seem right to call her ‘Mother’ or ‘Mom,” but calling her by her first name would have been improper. “I guess I never really gave any thought to how much Alan would be gone. I am so very lonely.”
“Well, dear,” Victoria said sweetly, “You know you are always welcome here. If you would like to get involved with my charities and benefits, I would love to have you join me every other week. We have a jet for that very purpose."
Cassandra sighed. “That is very kind of you. I have not really thought about what I should do.”Victoria removed her hand from Cassandra’s arm and sipped her tea. “I hate to bring this up, dear, but you are twenty-five, and that is a good age to begin having children. When I was your age, Alan was already two.”Cassandra bit her lip. She had hoped that she would get pregnant on their honeymoon and was disappointed that she hadn’t. “We are trying, but it does make it difficult when Alan is gone so much.”
“Oh, my dear, I am sorry. Would you like me or George to talk to him?”After thinking about the question for a few moments, she said, “I would appreciate that, yes. But please don’t tell him that I talked to you.”
“Of course not,” Victoria responded.Cassandra tried to disguise her anxiety. “Do you mind my asking why you never had more children?”
“Not at all,” Victoria said, as she dismissed the question with the wave of her hand. “I am surprised that Alan and you never broached that subject. We had another son – he would have been twenty-three by now – but it ended in a stillbirth. No one knew why.”“Oh, I am so sorry,” Cassandra said, shocked.“We also had a daughter when I was twenty, but we lost her to encephalitis at only six months.”
Cassandra was stunned, “I don’t know what to say.”
“You need not say anything, dear. We are just so thankful for Alan.”
Victoria noticed that Cassandra was staring off into the distance. “Oh, I am sorry, dear. How dreadful to say such things to a young woman who is trying to have a baby. Whatever was I thinking? They have made so much progress in medicine since the late thirties. Just give it some time, Cassandra.”
Being away from Palo Alto had brightened Cassandra’s spirits, and when she returned home, became pregnant right away. She was ecstatic. Twenty weeks into her pregnancy, Cassandra’s doctor advised her to remain on bed rest until the baby was born. Cassandra became depressed from the sheer boredom she had to endure. Alan did his best to be home more and keep his wife company, but each week Cassandra became more forlorn.Alan began buying Jane Austen books for Cassandra to read, since those were his mother’s favorites. He brought poetry by Dickinson, Browning, Emerson and Whitman. With each book Alan brought, Cassandra would grow more discontented. Didn’t her own husband realize that, unlike Alan and his mother, she was not an avid reader? In fact, she had never enjoyed reading at all. Cassandra did not understand how Alan continued to bring her books when he never saw her reading any of them.Cassandra did decide to begin interviewing potential nurses, nannies and butlers. She called several of the women with whom she had done charity work in San Francisco and found an excellent nurse named Olivia. Alan had approved of a butler/chauffeur named Ogden.
On one of her weekly telephone calls, Victoria informed her daughter-in-law about a top notch nanny that the Huntingtons and the Beaumonts of Beacon Hill had highly recommended. Her name was Fiona Darby; she was twenty years old and came from an excellent English-Irish family. Victoria asked if Cassandra wanted her to take care of the details, and Cassandra was more than happy to have her mother-in-law get involved.
With each day that passed, Cassandra fumed about her circumstances and resented the baby even more. Finally, in her thirty-eighth week, her water broke and at long last Cassandra would be free from her forced exile. Unfortunately, after twenty-two hours of difficult labor, an emergency c-section had to be performed to completely free Cassandra of the baby who had been her captor for so long.
Alan had scrubbed in and prayed that Cassandra’s labor would be an easy one. He knew the toll this pregnancy had taken on her. Cassandra was no longer the woman he had married – or at least the woman he thought he had married. She had grown bitter and self-absorbed. Alan prayed that after the baby was born, she would once again be the woman with whom he had fallen in love.The c-section was taking too long. Why hadn’t he insisted on being in the operating room? Alan saw there was something wrong.
The OB pulled Alan aside. “Your wife is hemorrhaging and they are taking out her left ovary right now. She will probably be asleep for two more hours.”Alan sighed deeply as he stared at the Isolette where doctors and nurses were working, blocking Alan’s view. He had a medical degree, but still was afraid to ask about his own baby. Like most physicians, he loathed being on the “other” side.
“And the baby?” Alan braced himself for bad news.
The doctor smiled. “You have a beautiful, healthy girl. She weighed in at eight pounds, six ounces and is twenty-one inches long. Your wife’s pelvic bones were too small, but your baby is doing fine.”Alan was surprised at how elated he felt.
“When can I hold her?” Alan asked.
The doctor responded, “Go with Jane when she takes your daughter to the nursery.”
As they entered the nursery, Alan’s eyes were drawn to a dark-haired baby sleeping contentedly in an Isolette in the corner. He had delivered dozens of babies, but he had never really stopped to think about the miracle of birth.
Alan stared at this tiny human being, created by Cassandra and him, in astonishment. She was absolutely perfect. Clutching her to his chest, Alan asked to use the phone. He called his assistant and asked her to cancel everything on his calendar for at least a week. He had no intention of leaving the side of his precious, perfectly-formed miracle of a newborn daughter unless absolutely necessary.
A nurse came to find Alan. “Dr. Campbell, your wife is starting to wake up.” Alan reluctantly put down his daughter and left to see Cassandra.
“Hey, sleepy head,” Alan brushed Cassandra’s hair from her head. “How are you feeling, Snow White?”`Cassandra grimaced. “What happened? Is the baby okay?”
“The baby is fine. You needed an emergency c-section.”
“I feel as though I have a whole in my stomach,” Cassandra complained. She closed her eyes for a few seconds and then they bolted open. “Do we have a son?”
“No, we have a beautiful little girl.”
Cassandra frowned. “I am sorry, Alan.”
“Hey, Snow White, I am ecstatic. She looks just like you.”
Staring into the distance, Cassandra said, “You need a son to be your heir, not a girl. Now I am going to have to endure another thirty-eight weeks of misery.”
“No, Cassie, you don’t.”Cassandra glowered at Alan. She did not like nicknames. Alan had tried calling her “Sandy,” and she grumbled and rolled her eyes. When he called her “Cassie,” Cassandra told Alan that was the name of a cow, not a woman.
Alan continued. “I am thrilled at having a girl.” Alan pondered whether or not to tell Cassandra about the loss of one ovary, but thought better of it. Cassandra was agitated and the timing wasn’t right.
Alan smiled, hoping to cheer up his wife. “I’ve been thinking of names.”
Cassandra looked away and bit her lip. “I don’t have any names for a girl. I really thought that we would have a son. I was hoping God would make up for my terrible pregnancy by giving us a boy. I have never wanted a girl.”
Alan chose not to respond to Cassandra’s hurtful comment. He forced himself to speak cheerfully. "How about ’Kathryn Leanne Johnston Campbell’? ‘Kathryn’ is in memory of your mother and ‘Leanne’ is to honor my mother. I think it is an excellent combination.”
“Whatever,” Cassandra said disinterestedly. “I need to sleep. Tell the nurse to give me more pain medication.”Alan eagerly returned to his daughter, and fell asleep with Kathryn Leanne Packard-Campbell in his arms. From that day on, Alan thanked the Lord daily for the precious blessing of his daughter, with whom he would never have been blessed but for the grace of God.
It was his mother, Victoria Leanne Packard Campbell, who pronounced Alan an adventurer and softened her husband’s – George Alan Campbell, Sr. – heart toward Alan.“Darling,” Victoria had said to George, “Let him do what he chooses. The GVPC fortune and the Foundation, businesses, estates and all that it encompasses are very adeptly run by our CEOs. I am confident that Alan will always look out for the best interests of anything having to do with the GVPC fortunes.”George Sr. relented. He knew Alan was extremely intelligent and loyal to his family. If he wanted to go through the hard work of becoming a doctor, so be it. George didn’t understand it, but he succumbed to his son’s wishes.Alan always had a cheerful disposition, and although he didn’t care much for the customs of the upper crust, he went along with them for the sake of his parents.
Alan was a strapping, handsome young man with dark black hair and large almond-shaped brown eyes. Women were -attracted to him and his rugged good looks before they even knew his name and financial standing. It came as no surprise to George and Victoria that women would outwardly flirt with and cajole Alan to surrender to their wiles.One thing that George and Victoria were insistent upon was that Alan married an heiress who was also a Christian. From the time he was eighteen until he was twenty-three, Alan was introduced to many different young women from the wealthiest, most prominent families in the United States. Alan knew that this was a battle he could not win, and on his twenty-fourth birthday, he brought home Cassandra Reynolds Johnston, of the Johnston-Reynolds fortune, and announced his intention to marry her.
His parents could not have been more pleased. Alan had picked Cassandra not only because of her breathtaking beauty, but because he liked her quiet yet seemingly confident demeanor. She laughed at Alan’s jokes and readily accepted his compliments.
At only five foot three and one hundred pounds, she had delicate features and a porcelain complexion. Her raven hair was long, dark and thick. Her eyes were the prettiest and, clearest shade of blue that Alan had ever seen. Alan called her “Snow White,” which always made Cassandra smile.Cassandra’s sister Pamela, born in 1947, was eighteen months older than Cassandra, and looked like she could have been Cassandra’s twin.
Both sisters loved being part of what they called “New England’s High Society.” Their father, Franklin Emerson Johnston, was hardly ever home and in the mid-sixties., when the rate of death due to cardiovascular disease was at its highest, he died of a heart attack in 1965. Their mother, Kathryn Marie Reynolds Johnston, was always busy with her philanthropic work despite the fact that she tended to be sickly. Kathryn died two years later as a result of complications of pneumonia that she had contracted while working as a volunteer in a hospital.
Cassandra and Pamela were brought up by their nanny, Margret Davies, who had come directly from England to work for the Johnston family. Margret was proper and formal, and brought Cassandra and Pamela up accordingly. Pamela, who used to call her sister “Cassie,” was told by Margret that nicknames were for commoners. Cassandra stopped calling her sister “Pam.” All rules of proper English society were taught to and followed by the Johnston girls.Pamela married Mitchell Morgan, an heir to the Bryan-Morgan fortune, while Cassandra was infatuated with Alan Campbell, who was even wealthier than Mitchell. Both girls had proper high society weddings within six months of one another. Alan would have preferred a small, intimate wedding, but it was important to Cassandra and her sister to have an elaborate, elegant and proper wedding.
Alan and Cassandra toured Europe for their honeymoon, which lasted for one month. Upon their return from Europe, much to Cassandra’s dismay, Alan announced that he wanted to move to San Francisco and receive his medical training at UCSF. The Campbells and the Johnstons bought a twelve-thousand-square foot mansion on the outskirts of San Francisco in a city called Palo Alto. The mansion was on three acres and included a swimming pool, tennis courts and stables. A maid, chef, butler and chauffeur would also be retained, pending the approval of Alan and Cassandra.
As soon as Alan and Cassandra moved into their new home, Alan began UCSF medical school. Cassandra grew restless with Alan gone so much. She talked to Pamela at least once a day and visited her at least once a month. By the fifth month of Alan’s absence, Cassandra went to visit Victoria in Boston. Not long into their visit, Cassandra discussed the situation with her mother-in-law.
“I just don’t understand why Alan wants to be a doctor. He is gone almost all the time, and from what I hear, it is just going to get worse.
”Victoria was sympathetic and put her hand on her daughter-in-law’s arm. “Alan is a free and an adventuresome spirit, Cassandra. Surely you knew that before you married him, didn’t you?”
“Yes, I did.” Cassandra was still not sure what to call Victoria. It didn’t seem right to call her ‘Mother’ or ‘Mom,” but calling her by her first name would have been improper. “I guess I never really gave any thought to how much Alan would be gone. I am so very lonely.”
“Well, dear,” Victoria said sweetly, “You know you are always welcome here. If you would like to get involved with my charities and benefits, I would love to have you join me every other week. We have a jet for that very purpose."
Cassandra sighed. “That is very kind of you. I have not really thought about what I should do.”Victoria removed her hand from Cassandra’s arm and sipped her tea. “I hate to bring this up, dear, but you are twenty-five, and that is a good age to begin having children. When I was your age, Alan was already two.”Cassandra bit her lip. She had hoped that she would get pregnant on their honeymoon and was disappointed that she hadn’t. “We are trying, but it does make it difficult when Alan is gone so much.”
“Oh, my dear, I am sorry. Would you like me or George to talk to him?”After thinking about the question for a few moments, she said, “I would appreciate that, yes. But please don’t tell him that I talked to you.”
“Of course not,” Victoria responded.Cassandra tried to disguise her anxiety. “Do you mind my asking why you never had more children?”
“Not at all,” Victoria said, as she dismissed the question with the wave of her hand. “I am surprised that Alan and you never broached that subject. We had another son – he would have been twenty-three by now – but it ended in a stillbirth. No one knew why.”“Oh, I am so sorry,” Cassandra said, shocked.“We also had a daughter when I was twenty, but we lost her to encephalitis at only six months.”
Cassandra was stunned, “I don’t know what to say.”
“You need not say anything, dear. We are just so thankful for Alan.”
Victoria noticed that Cassandra was staring off into the distance. “Oh, I am sorry, dear. How dreadful to say such things to a young woman who is trying to have a baby. Whatever was I thinking? They have made so much progress in medicine since the late thirties. Just give it some time, Cassandra.”
Being away from Palo Alto had brightened Cassandra’s spirits, and when she returned home, became pregnant right away. She was ecstatic. Twenty weeks into her pregnancy, Cassandra’s doctor advised her to remain on bed rest until the baby was born. Cassandra became depressed from the sheer boredom she had to endure. Alan did his best to be home more and keep his wife company, but each week Cassandra became more forlorn.Alan began buying Jane Austen books for Cassandra to read, since those were his mother’s favorites. He brought poetry by Dickinson, Browning, Emerson and Whitman. With each book Alan brought, Cassandra would grow more discontented. Didn’t her own husband realize that, unlike Alan and his mother, she was not an avid reader? In fact, she had never enjoyed reading at all. Cassandra did not understand how Alan continued to bring her books when he never saw her reading any of them.Cassandra did decide to begin interviewing potential nurses, nannies and butlers. She called several of the women with whom she had done charity work in San Francisco and found an excellent nurse named Olivia. Alan had approved of a butler/chauffeur named Ogden.
On one of her weekly telephone calls, Victoria informed her daughter-in-law about a top notch nanny that the Huntingtons and the Beaumonts of Beacon Hill had highly recommended. Her name was Fiona Darby; she was twenty years old and came from an excellent English-Irish family. Victoria asked if Cassandra wanted her to take care of the details, and Cassandra was more than happy to have her mother-in-law get involved.
With each day that passed, Cassandra fumed about her circumstances and resented the baby even more. Finally, in her thirty-eighth week, her water broke and at long last Cassandra would be free from her forced exile. Unfortunately, after twenty-two hours of difficult labor, an emergency c-section had to be performed to completely free Cassandra of the baby who had been her captor for so long.
Alan had scrubbed in and prayed that Cassandra’s labor would be an easy one. He knew the toll this pregnancy had taken on her. Cassandra was no longer the woman he had married – or at least the woman he thought he had married. She had grown bitter and self-absorbed. Alan prayed that after the baby was born, she would once again be the woman with whom he had fallen in love.The c-section was taking too long. Why hadn’t he insisted on being in the operating room? Alan saw there was something wrong.
The OB pulled Alan aside. “Your wife is hemorrhaging and they are taking out her left ovary right now. She will probably be asleep for two more hours.”Alan sighed deeply as he stared at the Isolette where doctors and nurses were working, blocking Alan’s view. He had a medical degree, but still was afraid to ask about his own baby. Like most physicians, he loathed being on the “other” side.
“And the baby?” Alan braced himself for bad news.
The doctor smiled. “You have a beautiful, healthy girl. She weighed in at eight pounds, six ounces and is twenty-one inches long. Your wife’s pelvic bones were too small, but your baby is doing fine.”Alan was surprised at how elated he felt.
“When can I hold her?” Alan asked.
The doctor responded, “Go with Jane when she takes your daughter to the nursery.”
As they entered the nursery, Alan’s eyes were drawn to a dark-haired baby sleeping contentedly in an Isolette in the corner. He had delivered dozens of babies, but he had never really stopped to think about the miracle of birth.
Alan stared at this tiny human being, created by Cassandra and him, in astonishment. She was absolutely perfect. Clutching her to his chest, Alan asked to use the phone. He called his assistant and asked her to cancel everything on his calendar for at least a week. He had no intention of leaving the side of his precious, perfectly-formed miracle of a newborn daughter unless absolutely necessary.
A nurse came to find Alan. “Dr. Campbell, your wife is starting to wake up.” Alan reluctantly put down his daughter and left to see Cassandra.
“Hey, sleepy head,” Alan brushed Cassandra’s hair from her head. “How are you feeling, Snow White?”`Cassandra grimaced. “What happened? Is the baby okay?”
“The baby is fine. You needed an emergency c-section.”
“I feel as though I have a whole in my stomach,” Cassandra complained. She closed her eyes for a few seconds and then they bolted open. “Do we have a son?”
“No, we have a beautiful little girl.”
Cassandra frowned. “I am sorry, Alan.”
“Hey, Snow White, I am ecstatic. She looks just like you.”
Staring into the distance, Cassandra said, “You need a son to be your heir, not a girl. Now I am going to have to endure another thirty-eight weeks of misery.”
“No, Cassie, you don’t.”Cassandra glowered at Alan. She did not like nicknames. Alan had tried calling her “Sandy,” and she grumbled and rolled her eyes. When he called her “Cassie,” Cassandra told Alan that was the name of a cow, not a woman.
Alan continued. “I am thrilled at having a girl.” Alan pondered whether or not to tell Cassandra about the loss of one ovary, but thought better of it. Cassandra was agitated and the timing wasn’t right.
Alan smiled, hoping to cheer up his wife. “I’ve been thinking of names.”
Cassandra looked away and bit her lip. “I don’t have any names for a girl. I really thought that we would have a son. I was hoping God would make up for my terrible pregnancy by giving us a boy. I have never wanted a girl.”
Alan chose not to respond to Cassandra’s hurtful comment. He forced himself to speak cheerfully. "How about ’Kathryn Leanne Johnston Campbell’? ‘Kathryn’ is in memory of your mother and ‘Leanne’ is to honor my mother. I think it is an excellent combination.”
“Whatever,” Cassandra said disinterestedly. “I need to sleep. Tell the nurse to give me more pain medication.”Alan eagerly returned to his daughter, and fell asleep with Kathryn Leanne Packard-Campbell in his arms. From that day on, Alan thanked the Lord daily for the precious blessing of his daughter, with whom he would never have been blessed but for the grace of God.
