"Well, that's understandable. If I had a sister, I would probably react the same way."
Catherine's thoughts drifted. Michael had jumped to conclusions and misunderstood the situation. But she kept replaying in her head his haunting words, "Do you really think you should be considering another relationship right now?" It was not fair to Alex or to her to continue this friendship further without making Alex aware of the pregnancy. She would tell him soon.
. . .
Alex kept The Lady Droxell cruising at a good pace. He was hoping to get through the next lock before lunch. They had already gotten through the first one. As it turned out, they arrived just as it was closing. They would have about a 30 minute wait for the next one. They tied The Lady Droxell at the docking area in front of the lock and took advantage of the time to stretch their legs.
They were both starting to get hungry. So Alex finally pulled out the peanut butter jar and crackers. He grabbed a couple of beach towels and suggested they picnic on the grass. They both laughed and said 'picnic' was not exactly a good description of peanut butter crackers. But it was better than nothing. It was a pretty day. The air was cool but pleasant. The sky was clear and beautiful -- vivid blue full of billowy white clouds. Catherine was still wearing Alex's flannel shirt instead of her jacket. She had gotten attached to it and hated to take it off. It was comfortable and keeping her warm.
"Are you warm enough?" Alex asked.
"Your shirt is doing a fine job of keeping me warm. It's versatile -- goes from night to day. You should put that in one of your Outfitter Ads, Alex!" Catherine said laughing.
"I'll mention it to my marketing person!" Alex said continuing the joke.
Catherine loved the way it was so easy to laugh and talk with Alex. If she was honest with herself, she loved everything about Alex. Michael's words came flooding through her head, colliding with the pleasant thoughts she was currently having. Do you really think you should be considering another relationship right now?
And then she did it. There on the grass overlooking the lock while they were eating their peanut butter crackers, Catherine decided to share her secret.
"Alex, there is something that I need to tell you."
Alex could sense that this was probably relating to the tears after he had kissed her. He suspected she was going to explain her comment that there were reasons why they couldn't pursue a relationship.
He put his hand over hers, somehow sensing that she needed the reassurance to go ahead and begin speaking.
"I told you back on the boat after you kissed me that there were 'things' that made it impossible for us to pursue a relationship."
"I remember, Catherine. I'm glad that you have decided to share whatever they are with me."
"Well, there is only one thing, Alex, I am pregnant."
After uttering the words out loud, Catherine had a mix of feelings run through her. There was a certain amount of shame -- unfounded though it was. There was sadness at the thought that their happy time spent together would now be changed. There was relief, but there was also a lot of anxiety not knowing how Alex would react.
She had not been able to look directly at Alex when she spoke the words.
Alex's first reaction was not with words. He took his hand and gently turned her head to face him. He looked directly into her eyes and then he began to speak.
"Did your husband know that you were carrying his child?"
Catherine looked down again and shook her head no. Alex lifted her chin so that she was again forced to look at him.
"You should have told me, Catherine."
"I know, I'm sorry, Alex. I just wanted to spend some time together and enjoy being with you." Her voice started to quiver. It was evident that she was holding back tears.
"You should have told me, Catherine," Alex repeated, "so that you wouldn't have had to deal with the burden of bearing this alone. I can't imagine what it must have been like for you knowing your husband wanted to leave you, then hearing that he had been killed in a car accident, and then learning you are pregnant."
Catherine diverted her eyes once again. She was finding it difficult to both look at Alex and keep her composure.
"Please look at me, Catherine," Alex said softly, once again pushing her head to face him. "Do you think that it matters to me that you are pregnant?"
Catherine needed no further encouragement to look Alex directly in the eyes as she said, "It doesn't matter to you? You would consider a relationship with someone carrying another man's child?"
"No, not with just anyone carrying another man's child. But it is not shameful that you became pregnant while you were married, only to have your husband abandon you and then die. It does not matter to me, Catherine, do you understand?"
Catherine could hardly believe what Alex was saying. Did he say it didn't matter? Was there a possibility that the two of them could start a relationship?
"I'm glad I told you, Alex."
"I'm glad you did, too, Catherine.
Chapter Thirty-seven
PUERTO VALLARTA
Max and Eva thanked Jason for the excellent overview of Puerto Vallarta's exclusive listings. They told him they would be back in touch.
They headed back to their hotel eager to discuss their next step. They had found Mr. Castlebury, or at least it appeared so. But finding him was still steps away from getting the diamonds back. Were the diamonds here in Puerto Vallarta? Or, were they perhaps in another safe deposit box back in the states? How were they going to find out?
"Can you believe we have located where Doug lives, Max?"
"It is astonishing, but it's just another piece to the puzzle. We still need to find the diamonds. The fact that he could afford to buy a $10 million property pretty much confirms that Doug is our man. It's not likely he had another means of buying a property like that here in Mexico."
"Right, and his connection with my Corvette which contained the bank addresses and safe deposit box keys in the secret compartment also points to him. So where do we go from here, Max?"
"Well, I'd say we need to find a way to befriend Mr. Castlebury and try to get an invitation inside his villa. Hopefully, we can pick up another clue about where we think the diamonds are."
"Any ideas how to do that?"
"Well, we could try to make inquiries at the dive shop and try to intercept him there. But I think I have an idea for a quicker and more direct approach. I noticed there was another property for sale not from his villa. We could knock on his door and say we were considering moving to Puerto Vallarta and buying into the neighborhood. We could say we wanted to talk with him to see how he likes living here and how he likes the neighborhood."
"Sounds like a good plan. It does sound reasonable. If I were moving here, I would consider doing just what you are suggesting."
"We don't have much to lose. He can invite us in or tell us to leave."
"You're right. Let's go for it. When did you have in mind?"
"Our time is limited. I'd say let's go down to the restaurant, grab some lunch, and then head over there. It may take a few visits before we find him at home."
"Okay, Max, let me freshen up a bit, and I'll be ready to go."
. . .
Max and Eva went down to the hotel restaurant and had an excellent lunch. The restaurant had a lovely view of the bay. Eva said once again how much she wished they were here on vacation. It would be nice to enjoy themselves instead of looking for the diamonds. Max reminded her that if they found the diamonds, he would buy her a house here, and she could come and visit whenever she liked.
They ate quickly and got into the black Chrysler sedan they had rented for their stay. Using their GPS, they managed to find the address that Eva had recorded for The Villa Castlebury. The driveway to the villa was rather steep and long, so they decided to drive to the top rather than parking on the street below. They realized the approach they were taking might result in them being thrown off the property. But they were confident in their abi
lity to play the part of an excited couple from the States wanting to buy a property in paradise.
When Max and Eva got to the top of the driveway, they noticed the door to the garage bay was open. Inside was a Torch Red Corvette much like the one Eva had. She immediately nudged Max and motioned for him to look in the garage. It was a good sign on two accounts. It was another confirmation that this was the guy they were looking for. It also was a good sign that he was home. They made their way up the well-landscaped path to the imposing front door. They rang the bell which proceeded to sound a long melody of sounds. A young Mexican woman promptly answered. She stared at the couple and glanced over to their car in the driveway. Max and Eva detected a degree of alarm, fright, or at the very least concern on her face. Perhaps she wasn't used to strangers -- especially Americans -- coming to the door.
"Hello," Max said, extending his hand. "My name is Max Harrodson, and this is my wife, Eva. We were wondering if we might speak with the owner of the house?"
The young woman's facial expression continued to reflect concern.
"Wait here please; I will see if he is available, sir."
Isabella left them standing on the porch while she went to find Doug. Doug was in the room with the pool table, practicing some shots. Isabella walked into the room and approached him.
"Who was that at the door, Isabella?"
"It is a man and a woman, Mr. Castlebury. They are driving a dark car like we have seen down on the street. They want to speak with you."
Doug immediately put the pool stick down and walked over to the window to check the vehicle parked in the driveway. He immediately became nervous and anxious. It did appear to be like the car they had been seeing from a distance parked down on the street. He was somewhat relieved to hear Isabella say that it was a man and a woman. Perhaps he had been right in his guess that it was American tourists admiring the villa. But why had it followed him to Starbucks? And why did it pull away rapidly whenever the driver thought he had been spotted? Well, there was only one way to find out. He was glad to have this settled once and for all.
"Thank you, Isabella, I will go to the door and see who they are."
Doug left the pool room and headed for the front door.
Isabella had pushed the door semi-closed on Max and Eva not knowing if they would be welcomed by her employer.
Doug swung open the door and said in a rather business-like tone, "Yes, how may I help you?"
His less than cordial manner took Eva and Max off guard for a minute. He did not appear to be pleased that they were at his door.
Max extended his hand and smiled. "My name is Max Harrodson and this is my wife, Eva. We are Americans here on vacation looking for a property to buy here in Puerto Vallarta . . ."
Doug interrupted and said abruptly in a most unfriendly tone, "Well, I'm sorry my property is not for sale."
Max realized by his manner, this was not going to go as easily as he had hoped.
"I'm sorry, I wasn't clear, we are not inquiring about buying your house. There is a property in the neighborhood that is for sale. And we thought it might be helpful if we talked to someone in the neighborhood to see how they like living here."
Doug looked over at Eva as if seeing her for the first time. Eva smiled. If Max looked -- as Catherine's secretary Jill had described -- as though he stepped out of a James Bond movie, Eva looked as though she could have been one of the female love interests. Doug was quick to notice her beauty. He smiled back.
"Well, let me introduce myself, my name is Doug Castlebury. Perhaps you'd both like to step in and have a drink. We can chat about life in Puerto Vallarta."
Max sighed a sigh of relief. He had been worried there for a moment. It did not go unnoticed to him that Doug's attitude changed when he looked over at Eva. Max was well aware of her effect on the opposite sex. He also knew that Eva would know how to use Doug's reaction to her to their advantage."
Doug welcomed them into the house and directed them through one of the living areas and out a set of French doors. It led to a terrace which had a stunning view of the bay.
"Please have a seat here, I'll have Isabella get us some drinks. Is there anything in particular that you would like?"
"A beer would be fine for me, thanks," Max said.
"One beer coming up and for you, Eva? Isabella makes a delicious Pina Colada."
"That sounds perfect," Eva replied.
Isabella came out on the terrace at that moment and Doug asked her to bring a beer and two Pina Coladas.
Doug looked over at Eva and decided it might be nice to have Americans living nearby. He was, after all, trying to develop a circle of friends.
"So you are thinking of buying here in Puerto Vallarta?"
"Eva likes it here a lot," Max replied.
"Your home looks beautiful, Mr. Castlebury. It's a lot larger than the one we are considering."
"Please call me Doug. Thank you. I think it is one of the largest and nicest properties. I knew the minute I saw it that it was the one for me. Would you like to take a tour?"
"Oh, we don't want to intrude . . . but I would love to see it!" Eva responded.
"Not a problem, follow me. Isabella does a fantastic job keeping everything in order -- it's always ready for a tour. We'll start on the outside."
Doug proceeded to walk them through the interior and exterior areas of the house. He was in his element showing them the luxury of the villa.
As Doug paraded Eva and Max through the villa, they were looking with keen eyes for any potential locations for a safe. If the diamonds were here at the villa, they would have to be kept in a vault or safe.
Doug had spent a great deal of time showing them the library. It was the room that he was most proud of. Each time he walked into the room he remembered the Castlebury house where his mother had cleaned. He remembered the longing he had felt for the things that the Castleburys had. Each time he walked into the library it confirmed to him that he had achieved his goal. He no longer needed to envy the Castleburys. He had become Mr. Castlebury. He had not only taken on his name but he now possessed more wealth than he had ever imagined. Doug felt important when he sat behind the desk in his library. It was reassuring to him to know that behind the wood paneling in the room he had a stash of diamonds that would keep him living a life of luxury for the rest of his life.
Eva and Max were glad that Doug had lingered in the library. This room seemed to be the likely candidate for the safe or vault. Eva and Max knew more than a little about safes. They could look at a room like Doug's library and assess the likely areas for a hidden safe. They were also expert safecrackers. As Max's eyes surveyed the room, he convinced himself that if he had the opportunity of being in the house alone, he could probably locate the diamonds fairly quickly. That is, if the diamonds were in the villa.
While in the library, Eva had become aware of Max's intent observation of the room. She had assisted in providing Max more time to assess it by engaging Doug in flattering conversation about the opulence of the library. This, of course, was music to Doug's ears. He would have gladly spent all their visit chatting with Eva about his favorite room.
When they had finished their tour, they went back out onto the terrace. Doug insisted that they each have another drink. By now, he had become quite comfortable around Max and Eva. He hoped that they would buy a house nearby. So he happily answered all Max's questions about life in Puerto Vallarta. He directed most of the answers to Eva whose smile continued to intrigue him.
When Max and Eva felt they had accomplished their task and gathered another piece of the puzzle, they graciously thanked Doug for his hospitality and left the villa with Doug feeling happy that he had made two new friends, one of whom was extremely beautiful.
On their way out to the car, Doug made sure he walked them over to his new Torch Red Corvette. As he proudly walked them around it, he envisioned one day taking Eva for a ride in it.
Some things never change. Some people never change. Doug
certainly had not changed.
Chapter Thirty-eight
THE OSPREY COVE LODGE
Alex and Catherine arrived back at The Osprey Cove Lodge a little past noon, tired and hungry. They agreed to shower and change and then meet in the dining room for lunch. The Veranda Room seemed even more inviting and embracing than it had ever been. Catherine felt at peace. She was adjusting to the new circumstances in her life. She was accepting the fact that a child -- Doug's child -- was growing inside her. Alex's kind words when she told him of her pregnancy left her reassured that there was hope for new beginnings. Since Catherine had shared her secret with Alex, she felt a tremendous sense of relief. She was happy again.
Catherine took off Alex's flannel shirt with hesitancy. She felt as though taking it off would somehow make the magic of the last day and a half go away. She wanted to hold onto it forever. It was comforting and soothing. She slowly took it off and hung it on the back of the dressing table chair. She would ask Alex if she could keep it to remember their time together on The Lady Droxell.
When Alex climbed the stairs to his third-floor living space and walked through the door, he felt a rush of new feelings. This place felt welcoming and inviting. It no longer felt like Mr. Badeau's living quarters. It felt like home. He was glad to be here. He was looking forward to showing it to Catherine later today. It gave him a warm and happy feeling to know that Catherine was just a flight of stairs below him and that they would be together again shortly. As he undressed and got into the shower, he started thinking not about her pregnancy but about how being with Catherine made him feel. When he was with her, he felt complete again, the way he had felt when he was with Sarah. Alex had thought he would never have that feeling again after Sarah's death. Now that he had found it, he was determined not to let it get away. But his more rational side raised questions. Am I still suffering from the rebound effect of what happened with Rosalind? Is it possible to have such strong feelings and attachment for Catherine after just the limited amount of time we have spent together? These rational thoughts were there, but they were not dominating his thinking. He recalled his reaction to Catherine the first time he met her, before the experience with Rosalind. He knew even at their first meeting that she was someone special. But she had been married.
Return to Osprey Cove Page 18
