A crowd of reporters poured into the room.
Chapter Twenty-five
It was Gordon Wellman, the night manager at the Copley Square Hotel, who inadvertently saved Julia’s life. He had come on duty at six o’clock that evening, and had automatically checked the hotel register. When he came across the name of Julia Stanford, he stared at it in surprise. Ever since Harry Stanford had died, the newspapers had been full of stories about the Stanford family. They had dredged up the ancient scandal of Stanford’s affair with the children’s governess and the suicide of Stanford’s wife. Harry Stanford had an illegitimate daughter named Julia. There were rumors that she had come to Boston in secret. Shortly after going on a shopping spree, she had reportedly left for South America. Now, it seemed that she was back. And she’s staying at my hotel! Gordon Wellman thought excitedly.
He turned to the front-desk clerk. “Do you know how much publicity this could mean for the hotel?”
A minute later, he was on the telephone to the press.
When Julia arrived back at the hotel after her sightseeing tour, the lobby was filled with reporters, eagerly awaiting her. As soon as she walked into the lobby, they pounced.
“Miss Stanford! I’m from The Boston Globe. We’ve been looking for you, but we heard that you had left town. Could you tell us…?”
A television camera was pointed at her. “Miss Stanford, I’m with WCVB-TV. We’d like to get a statement from you…”
“Miss Stanford, I’m from The Boston Phoenix. We want to know your reaction to…”
“Look this way, Miss Stanford! Smile! Thank you.”
Flashes were popping.
Julia stood there, filled with confusion. Oh, my God, she thought. The family is going to think that I’m some kind of publicity hound. She turned to the reporters. “I’m sorry. I have nothing to say.”
She fled into the elevator. They piled in after her.
“People magazine wants to do a story on your life, and what it feels like to be estranged from your family for over twenty-five years…”
“We heard you had gone to South America…”
“Are you planning to live in Boston…?”
“Why aren’t you staying at Rose Hill…?”
She got out of the elevator at the fourth floor and hurried down the corridor. They were at her heels. There was no way to escape them.
Julia took out her key and opened the door to her room. She stepped inside and turned on the light. “Very well. Come in.”
Hidden behind the door, Hal Baker was caught by surprise, the knife in his raised hand. As the reporters shoved past him, he quickly put the knife back in his pocket and mingled with the group.
Julia turned to the reporters. “All right. One question at a time, please.”
Frustrated, Baker backed toward the door and slipped out. Judge Stanford was not going to be pleased.
For the next thirty minutes, Julia answered questions as best she could. Finally, they were gone.
Julia locked the door and went to bed.
In the morning, the television stations and newspapers featured stories about Julia Stanford.
Tyler read the papers and was furious. Woody and Kendall joined him at the breakfast table.
“What’s all this nonsense about some woman calling herself Julia Stanford?” Woody asked.
“She’s a phony,” Tyler said glibly. “She came to the door yesterday, demanding money, and I sent her away. I didn’t expect her to pull a cheap publicity stunt like this. Don’t worry. I’ll take care of her.”
He put in a call to Simon Fitzgerald. “Have you seen the morning papers?”
“Yes.”
“This con artist is going around town claiming that she’s our sister.”
Fitzgerald said, “Do you want me to have her arrested?”
“No! That would only create more publicity. I want you to get her out of town.”
“All right. I’ll take care of it, Judge Stanford.”
“Thank you.”
Simon Fitzgerald sent for Steve Sloane.
“There’s a problem,” he said.
Steve nodded. “I know. I’ve heard the morning news and seen the papers. Who is she?”
“Obviously someone who thinks she can horn in on the family fortune. Judge Stanford suggested we get her out of town. Will you handle her?”