Read Online The Widow and the Wastrel by Janet Dailey - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Janet Dailey
Ads: Link
"It's not her fault, Liza," he said.
"I'm perfectly aware of that," she snapped. "You had no right to even mention the invitation to the farm without consulting me first. If anyone's to blamer it's you!"
Her long legs moved to follow her daughter's dragging steps. Once she was free of Jed's presence, she would explain to Amy why they were going on the picnic instead of to the farm. She would do so with the patience and understanding she should have exhibited in the first place. Yet there was the nagging memory that she had seized on Allan's invitation in order to have a plausible reason for refusing Jed's.
The large, patterned area rug cushioned the sound of the chair being pushed from the table. Not until a hand grabbed hold of Elizabeth's wrist to halt her forward movement did she realize that Jed had followed her. Her hair swirled about her face in an ebony cascade of curls as her head swung around to face him. His eyes had narrowed on to her expression of astonished outrage before they flickered briefly to Amy, who had paused to listen near the stairwell.
"Go on up to your room, Amy," Jed said firmly, but without anger or an ordering tone. "I want to have a little discussion with your mother."
Amy hesitated, then the stairway door opened and closed. Next there was the sound of her footsteps slowly carrying her up the stairs.
"I don't see that we have anything to discuss," Elizabeth said tautly, tossing her head back to glare into his lean, carved features.
"But I do," he answered in the same firm voice that he had used with Amy.
"Perhaps we do," she agreed suddenly with a haughty lift of her chin. She didn't attempt to pull free of his hand. The iron grip of his fingers already told her it would be useless. "I'd like to hear your explanation. After I'd already turned down the invitation I think you were terribly cruel to mention it to Amy and try to use her to persuade me to change my mind."
"In the first place, I didn't tell Amy about the invitation," Jed answered curtly.
"Do you expect me to believe that?" Elizabeth demanded. "I hadn't even mentioned to her that we were going on the picnic Sunday, let alone tell her that we’d turned down your invitation. There's no one else who could have told her about it, except you!"
His mouth thinned dangerously narrow. "The only conversation I had with your daughter concerned my whereabouts this morning. I did tell her I'd been at the Reisners' farm."
"And that you were invited on Sunday and so were we," she inserted.
"I did tell her that I was going there on Sunday," he admitted tightly, "but I didn't mention that you were invited. Or that you'd made other plans for the day."
"Then where did she get the idea that we might visit the farm?" Elizabeth asked with cold disbelief.
"As I recall," amber lights were flashing warning signals in his eyes, "Amy asked if she might go over some time to see the puppies I had told her about. I said she would have to ask you."
"That's a likely story," she scoffed contemptuously. "Why can't you admit that you were trying to prejudice her into influencing me?"
"Because I don't care whether you ever go to the Reisners' or not," Jed snapped. "I merely extended Kurt's invitation. If I wanted you to change your mind—there are other means of accomplishing it without involving a child."
"Then why did you bring the farm up with Amy at all?" Elizabeth continued to protest angrily. "Were you jealous of the fact that we have a warm relationship? Did you want to make it as miserable and bitter as the one between you and your mother?"
"I don't give a damn what you think!" He released her wrist abruptly, glowering fury in his face. "If you want to paint me black, then go ahead! The only opinion that matters to me is my own."
In the next second he was striding away and Elizabeth was staring after him in open-mouthed and angry amazement. He disappeared into the front hallway. Then the front door slammed with resounding
"I'm perfectly aware of that," she snapped. "You had no right to even mention the invitation to the farm without consulting me first. If anyone's to blamer it's you!"
Her long legs moved to follow her daughter's dragging steps. Once she was free of Jed's presence, she would explain to Amy why they were going on the picnic instead of to the farm. She would do so with the patience and understanding she should have exhibited in the first place. Yet there was the nagging memory that she had seized on Allan's invitation in order to have a plausible reason for refusing Jed's.
The large, patterned area rug cushioned the sound of the chair being pushed from the table. Not until a hand grabbed hold of Elizabeth's wrist to halt her forward movement did she realize that Jed had followed her. Her hair swirled about her face in an ebony cascade of curls as her head swung around to face him. His eyes had narrowed on to her expression of astonished outrage before they flickered briefly to Amy, who had paused to listen near the stairwell.
"Go on up to your room, Amy," Jed said firmly, but without anger or an ordering tone. "I want to have a little discussion with your mother."
Amy hesitated, then the stairway door opened and closed. Next there was the sound of her footsteps slowly carrying her up the stairs.
"I don't see that we have anything to discuss," Elizabeth said tautly, tossing her head back to glare into his lean, carved features.
"But I do," he answered in the same firm voice that he had used with Amy.
"Perhaps we do," she agreed suddenly with a haughty lift of her chin. She didn't attempt to pull free of his hand. The iron grip of his fingers already told her it would be useless. "I'd like to hear your explanation. After I'd already turned down the invitation I think you were terribly cruel to mention it to Amy and try to use her to persuade me to change my mind."
"In the first place, I didn't tell Amy about the invitation," Jed answered curtly.
"Do you expect me to believe that?" Elizabeth demanded. "I hadn't even mentioned to her that we were going on the picnic Sunday, let alone tell her that we’d turned down your invitation. There's no one else who could have told her about it, except you!"
His mouth thinned dangerously narrow. "The only conversation I had with your daughter concerned my whereabouts this morning. I did tell her I'd been at the Reisners' farm."
"And that you were invited on Sunday and so were we," she inserted.
"I did tell her that I was going there on Sunday," he admitted tightly, "but I didn't mention that you were invited. Or that you'd made other plans for the day."
"Then where did she get the idea that we might visit the farm?" Elizabeth asked with cold disbelief.
"As I recall," amber lights were flashing warning signals in his eyes, "Amy asked if she might go over some time to see the puppies I had told her about. I said she would have to ask you."
"That's a likely story," she scoffed contemptuously. "Why can't you admit that you were trying to prejudice her into influencing me?"
"Because I don't care whether you ever go to the Reisners' or not," Jed snapped. "I merely extended Kurt's invitation. If I wanted you to change your mind—there are other means of accomplishing it without involving a child."
"Then why did you bring the farm up with Amy at all?" Elizabeth continued to protest angrily. "Were you jealous of the fact that we have a warm relationship? Did you want to make it as miserable and bitter as the one between you and your mother?"
"I don't give a damn what you think!" He released her wrist abruptly, glowering fury in his face. "If you want to paint me black, then go ahead! The only opinion that matters to me is my own."
In the next second he was striding away and Elizabeth was staring after him in open-mouthed and angry amazement. He disappeared into the front hallway. Then the front door slammed with resounding
Similar Books
