wonderful.”
“It’s a gift. One I never take for granted,” Lila confided. She turned on the computer and sighed. “I don’t know how in the world I managed with that old electric typewriter. It seems utterly archaic compared with this computer.”
“Dad makes those,” Merlyn blurted out and instantly regretted it.
“Computers?” Lila asked.
“The, uh, kit form, I meant.”
“Oh,” Lila said with a grin. “I couldn’t do that to save my life. He must be very smart.”
“He’s that,” Merlyn agreed. Several million dollars in the bank attested to her father’s brilliance in computers and components.
“Well, what do you think?” Lila asked, nodding toward the manuscript in Merlyn’s lap.
“It’s marvelous,” Merlyn said sincerely. “I love it! I’m so proud to have even a little part in the project.”
“You’ve got quite a large part, actually,” the older woman said with a laugh. “I don’t think I’d have dared undertake it without you.”
“Undertake?” Cameron asked as he joined them, with Amanda at his side. “An odd choice of words, isn’t it, Mother?”
He was wearing white that morning. White slacks and a white and red patterned shirt. He looked dark and dangerous and good enough to eat, and something in Merlyn reacted wildly to his presence, even though she’d heard his car drive up the night before. It was Saturday morning, but it felt like the beginning of a new lifetime, and she tingled all over just from looking at him. She deliberately avoided his eyes.
Lila smiled. “You look nice this morning, Cam.”
“The Radners come today, had you forgotten?”
I was trying to, Merlyn thought wickedly.
“No, dear, of course not,” Lila said. “Everything’s quite organized for tonight. Merlyn contacted the band for me. It seems that she knows one of the members.”
Those dark, intent eyes fixed on her. “Does she?”
It was a challenge. She peeked up at him. “Oh, yes,” she told him. “He’s a friend of long standing.”
It was her friend Dick Langley, the race car driver. She’d sworn him to secrecy about her true identity when she called him. Dick had been glad to oblige. In his spare time he sat in with a local band and played drums. Just for fun. God knew, he had enough money to do whatever he liked. Besides, he liked to put one over on people. And Merlyn’s masquerade had piqued his interest.
“What does your friend play?” Cameron asked.
“Drums,” she told him. “And he’s very good.”
“A passionate instrument,” he replied casually. Too casually.
“He’s a passionate man,” she murmured with a secretive smile.
“I can’t wait to meet him,” Lila said. “He sounds quite interesting.”
“He’ll wind up in a book if he is,” Cameron muttered.
“He will not,” Lila grumbled. “I’ve told you a hundred times that I don’t put real people in books. It would be suicide. I’d be sued to the back teeth.”
“Sorry, Mother,” he said with a dry smile. “I forgot.”
“No, you didn’t,” Lila countered, rising. “You simply like to start fights, Cam. It’s a bad habit you’ve fallen into.”
“I’m trying to break it,” he assured her, but the glance he gave Merlyn was far from reassuring. She kept out of his way the rest of the day.
***
Dick Langley delivered her gown—a devastating green velvet—that evening. It was a designer dress that she’d had him bring from her father’s house. He handed her the box as he came in with the band.
“One masquerade gown, intact, despite the fact that it’s pouring out there,” he said. He was almost as tall as Cameron, but blond and blue-eyed and overdosed with charm. He was using it now, trying—as he had for years—to catch Merlyn’s eye.
“Thanks for bringing it. And for bringing the group,” she added. “Only the best, you know.”
“What are you up to, lady?” he asked, moving aside as the other four members of the band filed in, along with the
“It’s a gift. One I never take for granted,” Lila confided. She turned on the computer and sighed. “I don’t know how in the world I managed with that old electric typewriter. It seems utterly archaic compared with this computer.”
“Dad makes those,” Merlyn blurted out and instantly regretted it.
“Computers?” Lila asked.
“The, uh, kit form, I meant.”
“Oh,” Lila said with a grin. “I couldn’t do that to save my life. He must be very smart.”
“He’s that,” Merlyn agreed. Several million dollars in the bank attested to her father’s brilliance in computers and components.
“Well, what do you think?” Lila asked, nodding toward the manuscript in Merlyn’s lap.
“It’s marvelous,” Merlyn said sincerely. “I love it! I’m so proud to have even a little part in the project.”
“You’ve got quite a large part, actually,” the older woman said with a laugh. “I don’t think I’d have dared undertake it without you.”
“Undertake?” Cameron asked as he joined them, with Amanda at his side. “An odd choice of words, isn’t it, Mother?”
He was wearing white that morning. White slacks and a white and red patterned shirt. He looked dark and dangerous and good enough to eat, and something in Merlyn reacted wildly to his presence, even though she’d heard his car drive up the night before. It was Saturday morning, but it felt like the beginning of a new lifetime, and she tingled all over just from looking at him. She deliberately avoided his eyes.
Lila smiled. “You look nice this morning, Cam.”
“The Radners come today, had you forgotten?”
I was trying to, Merlyn thought wickedly.
“No, dear, of course not,” Lila said. “Everything’s quite organized for tonight. Merlyn contacted the band for me. It seems that she knows one of the members.”
Those dark, intent eyes fixed on her. “Does she?”
It was a challenge. She peeked up at him. “Oh, yes,” she told him. “He’s a friend of long standing.”
It was her friend Dick Langley, the race car driver. She’d sworn him to secrecy about her true identity when she called him. Dick had been glad to oblige. In his spare time he sat in with a local band and played drums. Just for fun. God knew, he had enough money to do whatever he liked. Besides, he liked to put one over on people. And Merlyn’s masquerade had piqued his interest.
“What does your friend play?” Cameron asked.
“Drums,” she told him. “And he’s very good.”
“A passionate instrument,” he replied casually. Too casually.
“He’s a passionate man,” she murmured with a secretive smile.
“I can’t wait to meet him,” Lila said. “He sounds quite interesting.”
“He’ll wind up in a book if he is,” Cameron muttered.
“He will not,” Lila grumbled. “I’ve told you a hundred times that I don’t put real people in books. It would be suicide. I’d be sued to the back teeth.”
“Sorry, Mother,” he said with a dry smile. “I forgot.”
“No, you didn’t,” Lila countered, rising. “You simply like to start fights, Cam. It’s a bad habit you’ve fallen into.”
“I’m trying to break it,” he assured her, but the glance he gave Merlyn was far from reassuring. She kept out of his way the rest of the day.
***
Dick Langley delivered her gown—a devastating green velvet—that evening. It was a designer dress that she’d had him bring from her father’s house. He handed her the box as he came in with the band.
“One masquerade gown, intact, despite the fact that it’s pouring out there,” he said. He was almost as tall as Cameron, but blond and blue-eyed and overdosed with charm. He was using it now, trying—as he had for years—to catch Merlyn’s eye.
“Thanks for bringing it. And for bringing the group,” she added. “Only the best, you know.”
“What are you up to, lady?” he asked, moving aside as the other four members of the band filed in, along with the
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