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Authors: Anne Stuart
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handsome appearance. As a child he'd been a sneak and a tattletale. As an adult he simply passed judgment on all around him.
"It's in the Edgartown house," she said reluctantly.
"That's what I thought. I want it back," Sally said.
"I'll make arrangements to have it shipped—"
"No! I don't want to wait, and besides, as Warren pointed out, it's a Wicklander . It's too valuable to be entrusted to any commercial company, and besides, I don't want strangers rummaging around my house. The Vineyard house is a family treasure—we don't want to endanger it."
Did she know what was coming? Alex thought lazily. She looked wary, but trusting. "What do you want me to do about it, Aunt Sally?"
Sally gave her the smile that had charmed men, women, and children for all of her seventy-eight years. "I knew I could count on you, darling. I want you to drive down there and get it."
"Of course I will," she said warmly.
"Alex prefers to use his own car, even though I told him the Rover would be better—"
"Alex?" Her voice was a strangled shriek of horror. He gave in to temptation and gave her a beatific smile.
"I told Mother I wanted to see the Edgartown house again, and that I'd be happy to drive you. That way you won't have to drive all that way alone."
"I like driving alone," she said sharply.
"And the portrait's fairly big. You'll need help with it."
"I don't need help with anything." The harshness of her words momentarily silenced the room, and Sally looked at her out of wide, hurt eyes.
"Carolyn!" Sally protested in shock. "You'll make Alex feel unwelcome."
"Of course he's welcome," Carolyn said through her teeth, and he was reminded of the phrase, 'spitting nails.' "I just think you'd be a lot happier with him keeping you company. After all, you have all those years to catch up on—"
"You won't be gone that long, Carolyn," Sally said with a long-suffering patience calculated to infuse Carolyn with guilt. "Just one night, or two at the absolute most. I'm not about to drop dead in the next few days, you know. It would mean a great deal to me." She didn't bother to wheedle. She knew she had Carolyn in the palm of her hand.
Carolyn caved, as he'd expected her to. Obviously, she was saving her fighting strength for him. "Of course I'll go," she said with deceptive calm. "And if Alex wants to drive, then I'm sure that will make things easier. I don't think we need to be gone for the night, though. If we leave early enough we can be at the Woods Hole ferry by midmorning, and be back here late the same night."
"I wouldn't want you to push. You've given up so much to take care of me—you've been at my beck and call for the last eight months. Enjoy yourself with a handsome young man."
Alex kept his face gravely composed, but she glared at him anyway. Before she could say anything, Tessa broke in.
"Carolyn's never been particularly interested in handsome young men, Aunt Sally," she said airily. "She likes them stuffy and intellectual. If you want I'll be happy to drive down to the Vineyard with dear Cousin Alex. It would give us a chance to catch up on old times."
Not what he wanted at all. Tessa was only a bit player in this particular drama. He couldn't care less whether she believed he was the real Alex MacDowell or not. Carolyn was a different matter, and he wasn't interested in wasting time. Looking at Sally's pale, pain-wracked face, he knew there wasn't time to spare.
"That's a wonderful idea!" Carolyn sounded positively exuberant at the thought of her reprieve. "I can stay here and make sure everything runs smoothly and Tessa—"
"No," Sally said, and there was no disputing the finality of her voice. "I may be dying, but I'm still in charge of this household. You aren't needed to run things, Carolyn. Constanza is entirely capable of seeing to matters, and besides, my sister and brother will be here. You've been cooped up with me all winter, and I want you to get out in the real world for a change."
"But I don't want
"It's in the Edgartown house," she said reluctantly.
"That's what I thought. I want it back," Sally said.
"I'll make arrangements to have it shipped—"
"No! I don't want to wait, and besides, as Warren pointed out, it's a Wicklander . It's too valuable to be entrusted to any commercial company, and besides, I don't want strangers rummaging around my house. The Vineyard house is a family treasure—we don't want to endanger it."
Did she know what was coming? Alex thought lazily. She looked wary, but trusting. "What do you want me to do about it, Aunt Sally?"
Sally gave her the smile that had charmed men, women, and children for all of her seventy-eight years. "I knew I could count on you, darling. I want you to drive down there and get it."
"Of course I will," she said warmly.
"Alex prefers to use his own car, even though I told him the Rover would be better—"
"Alex?" Her voice was a strangled shriek of horror. He gave in to temptation and gave her a beatific smile.
"I told Mother I wanted to see the Edgartown house again, and that I'd be happy to drive you. That way you won't have to drive all that way alone."
"I like driving alone," she said sharply.
"And the portrait's fairly big. You'll need help with it."
"I don't need help with anything." The harshness of her words momentarily silenced the room, and Sally looked at her out of wide, hurt eyes.
"Carolyn!" Sally protested in shock. "You'll make Alex feel unwelcome."
"Of course he's welcome," Carolyn said through her teeth, and he was reminded of the phrase, 'spitting nails.' "I just think you'd be a lot happier with him keeping you company. After all, you have all those years to catch up on—"
"You won't be gone that long, Carolyn," Sally said with a long-suffering patience calculated to infuse Carolyn with guilt. "Just one night, or two at the absolute most. I'm not about to drop dead in the next few days, you know. It would mean a great deal to me." She didn't bother to wheedle. She knew she had Carolyn in the palm of her hand.
Carolyn caved, as he'd expected her to. Obviously, she was saving her fighting strength for him. "Of course I'll go," she said with deceptive calm. "And if Alex wants to drive, then I'm sure that will make things easier. I don't think we need to be gone for the night, though. If we leave early enough we can be at the Woods Hole ferry by midmorning, and be back here late the same night."
"I wouldn't want you to push. You've given up so much to take care of me—you've been at my beck and call for the last eight months. Enjoy yourself with a handsome young man."
Alex kept his face gravely composed, but she glared at him anyway. Before she could say anything, Tessa broke in.
"Carolyn's never been particularly interested in handsome young men, Aunt Sally," she said airily. "She likes them stuffy and intellectual. If you want I'll be happy to drive down to the Vineyard with dear Cousin Alex. It would give us a chance to catch up on old times."
Not what he wanted at all. Tessa was only a bit player in this particular drama. He couldn't care less whether she believed he was the real Alex MacDowell or not. Carolyn was a different matter, and he wasn't interested in wasting time. Looking at Sally's pale, pain-wracked face, he knew there wasn't time to spare.
"That's a wonderful idea!" Carolyn sounded positively exuberant at the thought of her reprieve. "I can stay here and make sure everything runs smoothly and Tessa—"
"No," Sally said, and there was no disputing the finality of her voice. "I may be dying, but I'm still in charge of this household. You aren't needed to run things, Carolyn. Constanza is entirely capable of seeing to matters, and besides, my sister and brother will be here. You've been cooped up with me all winter, and I want you to get out in the real world for a change."
"But I don't want
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