me.”
Hal looked to Tessa. She nodded. “Yes, please, bring Aunt Myrle some sherry and ask Eustacia to prepare coffee and sandwiches.” Remembering her hostess duties and despite wishing she could tell everyone to leave, Tessaglanced around the room and asked, “Would anyone else care for a drink?”
“I’ll take a sherry, too,” Celia said.
“Bourbon. Straight,” Charlie said.
“Lucie?” Tessa asked.
“I’ll just wait for the coffee.”
“Very well, that will be all, Hal.” Tessa walked over to Lucie, looked up at her and said quietly, “It’s going to become a three-ring circus around here and if you notice that I’m on the verge of losing it and telling everyone to go to hell, please stop me.”
“Okay, I’ll do my best.” Lucie’s lips twitched with a hint of a smile.
“What are you two whispering about?” Myrle frowned, the action deepening the wrinkles in her forehead and between her eyes. Undoubtedly Aunt Myrle was overdue for another Botox injection. “Goodness, Tessa, you know how unmannerly it is to whisper.”
“I apologize,” Tessa said, then deliberately changed the subject. “On second thought, Charlie, why don’t you go find Daddy. It’ll be dark soon and I’m sure it’s getting cooler outside. I don’t believe he took a jacket with him.”
“Yes, certainly,” Charlie replied. “Do you know in which direction he went?”
“Probably down around the river and the path through the woods near where the old grist mill used to be. It’s a favorite walk of his and the dogs love it.”
Celia grasped Charlie’s arm. “Be sure to put your overcoat back on. We can’t have you taking a chill, can we?”
When Charlie kissed Celia on the cheek, he cut his eyes in Tessa’s direction, apparently checking for a reaction. Tessa hurriedly glanced away.
Myrle settled herself in G.W.’s chair beside the fireplace. “You should get Hal to replenish the firewood. It looks a bit low. And you should alert Eustacia that there will be guests for dinner this evening. I expect Olivia and Tad will be here soon.”
“Olivia and Tad!” Oh, God, just what she needed. Just what her father needed. That femme fatale sycophant had been chasing her father for nearly three years now and Tessa feared the woman was actually wearing him down, inch by inch. After all, G.W. was only human, only a man. Being flattered by the attentions of a woman fifteen years his junior would be hard for any man to resist. But the most powerful weapon in Olivia’s arsenal was sex, which she used quite expertly.
“Of course, I telephoned Olivia immediately,” Myrle said. “After all, she loves your father and I knew he’d need her. I mean, she’s practically G.W.’s fiancée, isn’t she?”
Yes, of course. G.W. needed Olivia Sizemore and that worthless son of hers the way he needed another hole in his head. But because Olivia and Myrle had been friends since their days as sorority sisters, her aunt not only had been supporting Olivia’s pursuit, but took every opportunity possible to point out to G.W. what a marvelous wife Olivia would make.
Tessa clenched her teeth, then looked at Lucie, a plea for help in her eyes.
“I’m sure Tessa appreciates your taking the initiative to let Mr. Westbrook’s lady friend know about the situation with his granddaughter,” Lucie said.
Tessa mouthed the words “thank you,” then excused herself on the pretense of needing to take something for her headache. Instead she escaped to the powder room,dropped the commode seat and plopped down as the tears she’d barely been controlling broke free and ran down her cheeks.
“Please, Dante, call soon with good news,” she whispered, as if saying the words aloud gave them more power.
L ESLIE A NNE washed her face, brushed her teeth and put on her pajamas, then she eyed the fruit basket the motel had provided. She wasn’t hungry, but she was thirsty and the small bottle of grape juice in the basket looked
Hal looked to Tessa. She nodded. “Yes, please, bring Aunt Myrle some sherry and ask Eustacia to prepare coffee and sandwiches.” Remembering her hostess duties and despite wishing she could tell everyone to leave, Tessaglanced around the room and asked, “Would anyone else care for a drink?”
“I’ll take a sherry, too,” Celia said.
“Bourbon. Straight,” Charlie said.
“Lucie?” Tessa asked.
“I’ll just wait for the coffee.”
“Very well, that will be all, Hal.” Tessa walked over to Lucie, looked up at her and said quietly, “It’s going to become a three-ring circus around here and if you notice that I’m on the verge of losing it and telling everyone to go to hell, please stop me.”
“Okay, I’ll do my best.” Lucie’s lips twitched with a hint of a smile.
“What are you two whispering about?” Myrle frowned, the action deepening the wrinkles in her forehead and between her eyes. Undoubtedly Aunt Myrle was overdue for another Botox injection. “Goodness, Tessa, you know how unmannerly it is to whisper.”
“I apologize,” Tessa said, then deliberately changed the subject. “On second thought, Charlie, why don’t you go find Daddy. It’ll be dark soon and I’m sure it’s getting cooler outside. I don’t believe he took a jacket with him.”
“Yes, certainly,” Charlie replied. “Do you know in which direction he went?”
“Probably down around the river and the path through the woods near where the old grist mill used to be. It’s a favorite walk of his and the dogs love it.”
Celia grasped Charlie’s arm. “Be sure to put your overcoat back on. We can’t have you taking a chill, can we?”
When Charlie kissed Celia on the cheek, he cut his eyes in Tessa’s direction, apparently checking for a reaction. Tessa hurriedly glanced away.
Myrle settled herself in G.W.’s chair beside the fireplace. “You should get Hal to replenish the firewood. It looks a bit low. And you should alert Eustacia that there will be guests for dinner this evening. I expect Olivia and Tad will be here soon.”
“Olivia and Tad!” Oh, God, just what she needed. Just what her father needed. That femme fatale sycophant had been chasing her father for nearly three years now and Tessa feared the woman was actually wearing him down, inch by inch. After all, G.W. was only human, only a man. Being flattered by the attentions of a woman fifteen years his junior would be hard for any man to resist. But the most powerful weapon in Olivia’s arsenal was sex, which she used quite expertly.
“Of course, I telephoned Olivia immediately,” Myrle said. “After all, she loves your father and I knew he’d need her. I mean, she’s practically G.W.’s fiancée, isn’t she?”
Yes, of course. G.W. needed Olivia Sizemore and that worthless son of hers the way he needed another hole in his head. But because Olivia and Myrle had been friends since their days as sorority sisters, her aunt not only had been supporting Olivia’s pursuit, but took every opportunity possible to point out to G.W. what a marvelous wife Olivia would make.
Tessa clenched her teeth, then looked at Lucie, a plea for help in her eyes.
“I’m sure Tessa appreciates your taking the initiative to let Mr. Westbrook’s lady friend know about the situation with his granddaughter,” Lucie said.
Tessa mouthed the words “thank you,” then excused herself on the pretense of needing to take something for her headache. Instead she escaped to the powder room,dropped the commode seat and plopped down as the tears she’d barely been controlling broke free and ran down her cheeks.
“Please, Dante, call soon with good news,” she whispered, as if saying the words aloud gave them more power.
L ESLIE A NNE washed her face, brushed her teeth and put on her pajamas, then she eyed the fruit basket the motel had provided. She wasn’t hungry, but she was thirsty and the small bottle of grape juice in the basket looked
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