Jasons small face lit with a smile. Maybe we can go riding while youre here. My daddys a good rider. Hes won lots of ribbons.
That was an unexpected sidelight on Lucas. Hes probably better than I am, then.
Jason, you know youre not allowed to ride, Eulalie said. She frowned at Corrie, as if this were her fault.
If we might get the conversation off horses, maybe we could decide what were doing. Deidre poked furiously at the silver bowl of lilacs on the drop-leaf table.
Theres no decision to be made. Were going to do exactly what Baxter asked. Lucass gaze rested on Corrie with a challenge. Im sure things will work out just as they should.
In other words, he intended to expose her for a fraud.
She met his look defiantly. Things usually do.
His eyes darkened. For a moment the air between them sizzled with antagonism and some other emotion Corrie didnt care to name. It was as if there was no one else in the room.
Lucas took a deliberate step back. Once again, Corrie had managed to get under his guard. He didnt like it. He wouldnt allow it.
Eulalie fluttered toward the archway, breaking the spell. I dont know why were all standing here in the hall. Come into the parlor, and well have tea. Im sure Corrie needs refreshment after her long trip.
Deidre looked as if shed like to slam out of the house. At his warning frown, she glared back, but then she turned and followed Eulalie.
Hed known from the moment Baxter told them about Corrie that Deidre would cause trouble. He sometimes had trouble remembering the lively little girl shed been when hed first started seeing her sister. Deidre had grown into a perennially dissatisfied young woman, and he didnt know why.
He followed the women into the front parlor, holding Jasons hand, and watched Corrie to see what shed make of the place. She paused as she reached the edge of the Kirman carpet and looked the length of the roomactually adjoining parlors, divided by white Ionic columns that supported the central arch. The period furniture Baxter had collected over a lifetime was a fitting complement to the matching marble fireplaces.
Beautiful.
He was probably the only one who heard the breathed comment. Home, sweet home, he murmured.
He saw the color come up under her tan, but she didnt look at him. She crossed instead to the brocade love seat and sat, head held high.
Eulalie poured Earl Grey from the Revere teapot. Obviously shed decided to treat Corrie as an honored guest, since shed had Baxters housekeeper get out the fragile china cups that had come to Savannah on an eighteenth-century merchant ship. Either that, or she was attempting to make Corrie feel like a fish out of water.
It was hard to tell. Eulalie had her Savannah lady face on, and no one did it better. She passed a cup and saucer to Corrie. I hope you had a pleasant flight.
Corrie balanced the fragile cup and saucer, looking as if tea-party conversation was beyond her. She took a breath and seemed to rally. Not bad. Long.
Deidre put two spoons of sugar in her cup, ignoring her mothers frown. Eulalie didnt need to worry. Deidre wore off everything she ate with that endless fidgeting of hers. Julia had been exactly the oppositecalm, serene, never troubling herself about anything that didnt directly concern her.
Where does one fly from to get out of Wyoming? Deidres voice was edged with sarcasm.
Hed have to have another talk with her. There was a line between wanting to expose Corrie as a fraud and giving her an excuse to complain to Baxter about them.
Actually, I flew out of Rapid City, South Dakota. Thats the closest airport to Ulee. Corrie seemed to have her temper well in hand.
Im afraid Ive never heard of Ulee, Wyoming. Deidre made it sound like the back of beyond, which he supposed it was. Still, plenty of people thought of Savannah as a quaint backwater, notable only for its antebellum charm.
Corrie put her cup down with an audible click. Thats where my mother and father met and married, she said. I should have thought that would occasion plenty of comment.
Of course it had. He hadnt been old enough to care at the time, but hed heard plenty about it later. Trey, taking a summer off to tour the country, had met a waitress in the wilds of Wyoming and married her in less than a month, then foolishly expected his father to welcome her. He should have known better.
He was mildly amused at the expression on Deidres face, but maybe it was time to intervene. He didnt care to be treated to another example of Deidres temper.
Has anyone seen Ainsley? I expected him to be here.
II am here, Lucas.
Ainsley paused in the archway, looking as if hed like any excuse to turn and go away again. Lucas couldnt blame him for wanting to avoid the fireworks Deidre enjoyed, but he did wish Ainsley would sometimes act like a responsible grown-up instead of a shy kid.
We missed you at work today. He tried to keep his voice even, but some of the exasperation he felt probably came through. Pushing Ainsley into a job as Lucass assistant when he was just out of college wasnt the smartest move Baxter had ever made. The boy wasnt cut out for the business world.
Ainsleys gaze evaded his. I told your secretary I wasnt well.
You seem to have recovered.
I thought Id go for a walk, okay? Ainsley flared up, sounding like a sulky teenager. I always do that when Im getting over a migraine.
Of course you do, dear. Eulalie patted the love seat. Sit here and let me pour you some tea. Everyone knows how you suffer from migraines.
The look Eulalie shot at Lucas dared him to disagree. He wanted to. Youve spoiled Ainsley with your constant coddling, and now youre doing the same with my son.
But he couldnt say that. Hed been wrong about Julia, and the guilt would hang around his neck for the rest of his life. He wouldnt risk being wrong about Jason.
This is Corrie, Eulalie went on. I knew youd be back to meet her.
Ainsley nodded, polite but disinterested. Hed seemed detached from the fierce family discussions that had raged since Baxter broke the news.
Lucas glanced at Corrie, to find she was leaning toward his son, listening to something Jason was saying, undoubtedly about horses. The tenderness on her face jolted him.
Corrie didnt have any right looking at his son that way. And Baxter didnt have any right foisting this stranger off on the family. The least he could do was come back and deal with her himself.
Jason. The desire to get his son away from Corrie was probably irrational, but he couldnt help himself. Its time we were getting home, son.
The animation faded from Jasons face as he slid off the seat. Goodbye, Cousin Corrie. Ill see you later.
Deidres lips tightened, but he silenced her with a glance. He didnt require Deidres input. He could take care of his son himself.
The way you took care of Julia? The small voice in his mind inquired.
He turned to thank Eulalie, but she had become involved in arbitrating a heated exchange between Ainsley and Deidre, much as shed done when they were small. Corries eyes met his, and he realized from the amusement in them that she was thinking much the same thing.
That jolted him. She shouldnt look at him as if they understood each other.
Thank you for introducing me to There was the faintest hesitation in her voice, as if she balked at thinking of them as her family. to Mr. Mannings family, she went on smoothly. Im sure Ill be seeing you again.
He leaned toward her. Of course you will. I wouldnt think of missing dinner on your first night here. At Eulalies house, at eight. Weve invited someone who knew Trey well.
And who wont like your pretence any more than we do.
Corries polite smile seemed to stiffen. Ill look forward to it.
He could imagine. Not so easy, is it? He lowered his voice, not that the others would notice. They were well away with their own quarrel by now. Always on your guard, pretending to be someone youre not.
I dont have to pretend. Her chin lifted, and her eyes challenged him.
I guess well see about that, wont we?
Before she could answer, Ainsleys tenor voice soared out of the babble.
Stop trying to make me over. Im not Trey, and Uncle Baxter is never going to treat me as if I am.
The silence that followed was deafening. Lucas felt the despairing frustration that his wifes family so often brought to the fore. It was as if he were the only adult in a roomful of children. Why didnt they just hand Baxters inheritance to the woman on a silver platter?
Eulalies eyes were bright with tears. Im sure I dont know what youre talking about, Ainsley. All I want is for you to be happy.
For a moment he thought Ainsley would flare out at his mother, but he retreated into sulky silence instead. Surprisingly, it was Corrie who returned them to a semblance of normalcy.
Id really like to freshen up from the trip, so if you wouldnt mind
Recalled to her hostess duties, Eulalie hustled to her feet. Ill show you to your room.
He stepped back to let Corrie pass him. Ill see you at dinner, then.
And maybe by then hed have at least a preliminary report from the private investigator who was supposed to be finding out everything there was to know about Corrie Grant.
Thats the lot of them. Corrie leaned back on the four-poster bed, cell phone cradled against her ear. Shed just finished giving Ann Moreno a rundown of her reception. If she hadnt been able to confide in her closest friend, shed have burst. And every one of them would like nothing better than to run me out of town.
You didnt go to Savannah to make them like you, Ann said. What matters is finding out about your parents.
She could always count on Ann for a sensible approach, and she felt a wave of longing to be sitting across from her at a scrubbed table in the café, chatting over the coffee cups.
I just hope someones willing to talk about them. So far I havent seen any signs of that.
Its early days yet. Youll work it out. Meanwhile, dont worry about anything here.
Thanks, Annie. I couldnt do this if you hadnt taken over the café.
Youd do the same for me, if I ever discovered I was a lost heiress. Anns chuckle was warm. Not that its very likely. You take care, honey.
Corrie hung up, comforted. Someone, at least, had confidence in her. She glanced at her watch. Time to get dressed for dinner at Eulalies.
If someone back home said come on over to supper, she knew what that meant. Here, she wasnt sure. She began to dress, hoping a denim skirt would do.
A nap and a shower had helped. She no longer felt so tense. She could even enjoy the bedroom, with its four-poster bed and cool white walls. The floral print of the bed skirt was echoed in the drapes on the many-paned windows that looked out onto the courtyard, seeming to invite the greenery in.
Taking her well-worn Bible from the suitcase, she put it on the mahogany bedside table and opened it to Psalms. The single, faded photograph of her parents shed found among Aunt Ellas papers looked back at her.
She picked it up, studying the young faces. Gracie smiled at her brand-new husband, her eyes soft with love. Laughter lit Treys lean face as he looked at his bride. Theyd been newlyweds, ready to leave for Savannah so that Gracie could meet his family. What had happened in a few short months here to bring them to such a tragic end?
She had to know. She tucked the photograph back inside the Bible and closed it. She would know.
Closing the bedroom door behind her, she paused at the top of the graceful curving staircase. Sunlight streamed through French doors that opened onto a balcony from the spacious upper hallway, and pink roses in a silver urn perfumed the air.
Father, I know Youve brought me here for a reason. Please, lead me to the people who have answers.
She went down the curving stairway, running her hand along the polished railing. Her soft footsteps on the carpet made little sound, and the crystal chandelier in the downstairs hall tinkled once in response and then was still.
I hope being alone in the house wont bother you, Eulalie had said. Mrs. Andrews does sleep in, but Im afraid shes so deaf she wouldnt hear anything softer than the last trumpet.
Corrie had already met the housekeeper, whod regarded her with the deepest suspicion and pretended to be unable to hear anything Corrie said. If Lucas and company thought the possibility of being virtually alone was enough to scare her away, theyd better think again.
The long downstairs hallway bisected the house, leading onto a glassed-in porch that overlooked the garden. She went through it and down the curved, wrought-iron stairs. A small brick patio was flanked by flower beds overflowing with peonies and old-fashioned roses, and the railing supported such a lush growth of ivy that it threatened to take over the stairs.
The wall of Eulalies house formed the backdrop of the flower beds. Lovely, she supposed, but the place made her feel claustrophobic. Why did they want to live in such close quarters? Even the air was close, heavy with moisture. She could feel her hair curling in reaction.
She followed the brick pathway toward Eulalies door. A fountain splashed softly in the middle of the garden, and beyond it, half-hidden by the foliage, were the other two houses, a little smaller, less grand than the two that faced the street.
One of them had been the house where her parents lived during their brief time here together. It was rented to an old family friend, according to Lucas. If she could see it
But what would that tell her after thirty years? It couldnt tell her if theyd been happy there, or if Trey had known about Gracies pregnancy. Would he have been glad?
The door swung open, as if someone had been watching. The sight of Lucas cut short a line of fruitless speculation.
Corrie, come in. Weve been waiting for you.
That should have sounded welcoming. It didnt.
An interminable hour and a half later theyd moved from Eulalies formal dining room to an equally formal front parlor. Like Baxters parlor next door, this one was furnished with antiques, but the effect in Eulalies room was crowded, rather than spacious, as if she hadnt been able to resist the attraction of just one more crystal vase or china figurine.
The dinner guest Lucas had mentioned now patted a spot next to her on a plush love seat. Come and sit next to me, Corrie. We must chat.