“And he proposed the next day. He told me he needed a wife who could stand up to his mother. I’d been crazy about him for years, you see, and I didn’t think he knew I was alive. We’d started dating off and on—mostly off—and our relationship seemed to be moving sideways. That Sunday dinner with his family was the turning point in our courtship.”
“And you’ve enjoyed a happy marriage.” Cindy made it a statement.
“For over forty years now.”
Silence followed.
“I want you to know that very little of what Thorndike and I say will influence our son. He’s always been his own man, and he hasn’t brought you here for our approval.”
Cindy nodded, agreeing that Thorne wouldn’t be intimidated by his family’s reservations regarding her. “You don’t need to say any more. I understand.”
“But I’m afraid that you don’t,” Gwendolyn said hurriedly. “It’s just that Thorne and Sheila seemed to be such an item that both Thorndike and I assumed…well, we naturally thought that he and Sheila…oh, dear, I do seem to be making a mess of this.”
“It would only seem natural that they’d get married,” Cindy said, understanding completely.
“And then out of the blue, Thorne mentioned meeting you.” Gwendolyn looked away and reached for her coffee.
Cindy dropped her gaze. The Christmas Ball and her little charade had clearly upset the family’s expectations.
“Thorne thinks very highly of you,” Gwendolyn added.
“You and your husband must be special people to have raised a son as wonderful as Thorne.” Cindy meant that sincerely. “He’s touched my life in ways I’ll always value.”
“I believe you mean that.”
“I do, but I realized early on that I’m not the woman for him. He needs a different type.” Although she would’ve given anything to be wrong, she knew she wasn’t.
Gwendolyn’s cup clanked against the saucer when she set it down. “I don’t suppose you’ve told Thorne that?”
“Not yet.”
“He won’t give up on you so easily.”
Cindy agreed, remembering the detective he’d hired. “He can be as stubborn as an ornery mule.”
Gwendolyn laughed outright. “He’s quite a bit like his father.”
“I’m doing a poor job of expressing myself,” Cindy said, not hiding her pain. “I want to reassure you that I won’t upset you or your family further by complicating Thorne’s life.”
“Oh, dear.” Gwendolyn looked startled. “Now that I’ve met you, I was rather hoping you would.”
The words were a soothing balm to Cindy. “Thank you.”
“Oh, my.” Gwendolyn touched her face with her fingertips. “I wonder if I’m making an idiot of myself again. Thorndike swears I should never drink wine.”
“He married you because of it,” Cindy reminded the older woman, and they exchanged a smile.
“Thorne would never forgive me if I offended you.”
“You haven’t.”
The men joined them a minute later and Thorne’s searching gaze sought out Cindy’s. She told him with a smile that everything had gone well between her and his mother and she saw him relax visibly. He’d been worried for nothing. She hadn’t been raised in a large family without learning how to hold her own.
Thorne gave his parents a vague excuse and they left shortly afterward. Instead of heading toward the freeway, Thorne drove into a church parking lot and turned off the engine.
“My father was impressed with you.”
“I can’t imagine why,” Cindy told him truthfully.
He ignored that. “What did my mother have to say?”
“What I expected.”
“Which was?” he probed.
Cindy shook her head. “We came to an understanding.”
“Good or bad?”
“Good. I like her, Thorne. She’s straightforward and honest.”
He rubbed his hand along the back of her neck. “So are you, my love,” he said softly and directed her mouth to his, kissing her hungrily.
“So, Cindy Territo, it wasn’t such a hard thing to reveal your name, was it?” He brushed his mouth over hers.
“No.” Nothing was difficult when she was in his arms. Since the Christmas Ball, she’d allowed his touch to confuse the issue. She’d be so certain of what she had to do, and then he’d kiss her and she’d fall at his feet. It wasn’t fair that he had such an overwhelming effect on her. She wasn’t weak-willed, nor was her character lacking. She hadn’t once suspected that love would do this to a person.
Her aunt was knitting in front of the television set when Cindy let herself into the apartment. Cindy glanced at her, said nothing and moved into the kitchen. Theresa put down the yarn and needles and followed her niece.
“So how was the Statue of Liberty?”
“We didn’t go there.” Her voice was strained with emotion.
“Oh.” Her aunt opened the oven door and basted the turkey roasting inside. “So where’d you go?”
“Thorne took me to meet his family.”
Surprised, Theresa let the oven door close with a bang. “His family? You must mean a great deal to him. So how did the introductions go?”
Cindy took a pitcher of orange juice from the refrigerator and poured herself a glass, but not because she was thirsty. She was merely looking for something, anything, to occupy her hands. “I met his mother and father and…nothing.”
“‘Nothing’? What do you mean?”
Theresa knew her too well for Cindy to try to fool her. She set the glass of juice on the kitchen table and slumped into a chair, burying her face in her hands.
Theresa patted her shoulder gently. “Love hurts, doesn’t it, honey?”
“I’ve been fooling myself…. It’s just not going to work. I made such an idiot of myself—and everyone was so nice. Thorne pretended not to notice, and his mother told me she’d done silly things in her life, too, and his father just looked at me like I was this amusing alien from outer space. I could have died.”
“I’m sure that whatever you did wasn’t as bad as you think.”
“It was worse!” she cried.
“Right now you think it is,” Theresa said calmly. “Give it a year or so and you’ll look back and laugh at yourself.”
Cindy couldn’t visualize laughing about anything at the moment. She was hurting too much. She raised her head, sniffling.
“I’ve decided I’m not going to see him again,” Cindy said with iron determination, promising herself as well as informing her aunt. “It isn’t going to work, and confusing the issues with love won’t change a thing.”
“Did you tell Thorne that?”
Miserably, Cindy shook her head. “I didn’t want to invite an argument.” She refused to spend their last minutes together debating her decision. Thorne had taken her to meet his family to show how easily she’d fit in, and the opposite had proven true. She’d enjoyed his parents. She couldn’t imagine not liking the two people most influential in Thorne’s upbringing. They were decent folks, but Cindy had known the minute she’d walked inside their home that the chasm that divided their lifestyles was too wide to ever bridge.
She glanced around the Territo family kitchen at the pine table with its plain wooden chairs that had once belonged to her grandmother. There were no plush Persian carpets or Oriental rugs beneath it, only worn hardwood floors. Their furniture was simple, as were their lives. Comparing the two families would be like trying to…to mix spaghetti sauce and rough red wine with lobster and champagne.
Before they parted, Thorne had asked to meet her again. Distraught and too weak to argue with him, Cindy had agreed. Now she was sorry.
“The man’s in love with you,” Theresa said.
“But encouraging him will only hurt him more.”
Theresa sadly shook her head. “Are you saying you don’t love him?”
“Yes!” Cindy shouted, then winced at the searing look her aunt gave her. “I love him,” s
he admitted finally, “but that doesn’t make everything right. Some things in life were meant to be. Others won’t ever work out.”
Her aunt’s expression was troubled. “You’re old enough to know what you want. I’m not going to stand here and argue with you. Besides, anything I say is unlikely to change your mind. But I want you to know that you’re a marvelous girl and a man like Thorndike Prince wouldn’t fall in love with you if you weren’t.”
Cindy shrugged helplessly. For now he might have convinced himself that he loved her, but later, after he knew her better, he’d regret his love. Because of their unusual circumstances, he looked upon her as a challenge.
She’d made her decision, and although it was the most difficult thing she’d ever done, she was determined to stick by it.
“Yes?” Thorne flipped the intercom switch, his eyes still on the report he was studying. Interruptions were part of his day and he’d grown accustomed to doing several things at once.
Ms. Hillard cleared her throat. “Your mother is here.”
Thorne groaned inwardly. He might be able to have Ms. Hillard fend off unexpected visits from Sheila, but his mother wouldn’t be put off by her excuses. He sighed. “Go ahead and send her in.”
“Thorne.” His mother sauntered into the office, her expression resolutely cheerful.
He stood and kissed her on the cheek, already guessing that she was concerned about something. “To what do I owe this pleasure?” She unbuttoned her coat and he saw that she wore her diamond necklace. Absently Thorne wondered how Cindy would look in diamonds. No, he decided, with her blond hair, he’d buy her emeralds. He’d give her emeralds—earrings and a necklace—as an engagement present when they set their wedding date. He’d have her pearl comb repaired, too. He was anxious to give her all the things she deserved. She’d given him so much in so little time that it would take a lifetime to repay her.
“I was in town and thought I’d let you take me to lunch.”
His mother had obviously taught Sheila that trick. “What about Dad?”
“He’s tied up in a meeting.”
“Ah.” Understanding came.
“Besides, I wanted to talk to you.”
Thorne bristled, automatically suspicious of her intentions. His mother wanted to discuss Cindy. He sighed, sensing an argument.
“What’s the name of that nice little restaurant you like so well?” his mother asked, rearranging the small items on his desk, irritating him further.
“The Corner Bistro.”
“Right. Oh. I made reservations at the Russian Tea Room.”
Thorne managed to nod. It didn’t matter where or what they ate as long as the air was cleared when they finished.
Half an hour later, Thorne studied his mother as they sat in a plush booth in the Russian Tea Room. Methodically she removed her white gloves one finger at a time. He knew her well enough to realize she was stalling.
“You wanted to say something, Mother?” He had no desire to delay the confrontation. If she disapproved of Cindy, he’d prefer to have it out in the open and dealt with quickly. Not that anything she said would alter his feelings toward the woman he loved. He’d prefer it if his family approved, but he wouldn’t let them stand in his way.
“Sheila phoned me this morning and I’m afraid I may have done something you’d rather I hadn’t.” She sent him an apologetic glance and reached for the menu.
Thorne’s fingers tightened around his water glass. “Perhaps you should start at the beginning.”
“The beginning…Well, yes, I suppose I should.” She set the menu aside. “I think you already know that I’ve had my reservations about Cindy.”
“Listen, Mother, I need to tell you that your feelings about Cindy mean very little to me. I love her and, God willing, I plan to marry her and—”
“Please, allow me to finish.” She silenced him with a look she hadn’t used since his youth. Her words were sharp. “As it happens, I find your Cindy a delight.”
“You do?”
“Don’t be a ninny! She’s marvelous. Now stop acting so surprised.” She shook her head lightly. “I thought at first that she might be too shy and retiring for you, which put me in a terrible position, since I doubted you’d care one way or another what I thought of her. But as it happens, I like her. The girl’s got pluck.”
“Pluck?”
“Yes. I’m pleased that you have the good sense to want to marry her.”
Thorne was so astonished he nearly slid out of the booth and onto the floor. “I have every intention of making her my wife as soon as possible. She may put up a fight, but I’m not taking no for an answer.”
His mother made a production of straightening the silverware, aligning each piece just so. “Well, dear, there may be a small problem.”
“Yes?”
“Sheila seems quite broken up by the news that I’m giving Cindy my wholehearted approval. Mentioning that you’d brought her by to meet your father and me might not have been my smartest move. I had no idea Sheila would react so negatively. I’m afraid the girl may try to create problems for you.”
“Let her.” Thorne dealt with sensitive situations every day. He could handle Sheila. He’d calm her and end their relationship on a friendly note. “Don’t worry, Mother, Sheila’s been well aware of my feelings for Cindy for quite some time.”
“She seemed to think you’d change your mind.”
Thorne’s mouth thinned with impatience. “She knows better.”
“I’m worried about her, Thorne. I want you to talk to her.”
Thorne ran his fingers along the fork tines. “Okay. I’m not sure it’ll help. I regret any emotional trauma I may have caused her, but I’m not going to do anything other than talk to her.”
“Do it soon.”
Thorne agreed, elated with his family’s acceptance of Cindy. He recalled the look on her face when he’d left her. She’d clung to him and kissed him with such fervor it had been difficult to leave. He thought about Cindy as his wife and the years that stretched before him—a lifetime of happiness and love. Even though he’d considered marrying Sheila at one point, he’d never thought about their future the way he did with Cindy, plotting the events of their lives.
“I’m seeing her tomorrow.”
“Sheila?” his mother inquired.
He shook his head. “No, Cindy.”
“But you will talk to Sheila? I’m afraid she might do…something silly.”
“I’ll speak to her,” Thorne promised, determined to put an end to his relationship with the other woman.
Thorne stared at the wall clock in the lobby of the American Museum of Natural History. Cindy was half an hour late. It wasn’t like her not to be punctual and he was mildly surprised. He had every minute of their evening planned. Dinner. Drinks. Dancing. Then they’d take a walk in Central Park and he’d bring out the engagement ring. Tonight was it.
All day he’d rehearsed what he was going to say. First, he’d tell her how knowing her had changed his life. It wasn’t only singing in the shower and noticing the birds, either. Before she’d walked into his life, he’d fallen into a rut. His work had become meaningless, merely occupying his time. He’d lost his direction.
But her laughter and her smile had lifted him to the heavens, given him hope. He’d tell her that he’d never thought he’d experience the kind of love he felt for her. It had caught him unawares.
Naturally she’d be surprised by the suddenness of this proposal. She might even insist on an extended engagement. Of course, he hoped they could set the date immediately and begin to make the necessary arrangements for their wedding—a church wedding. He didn’t want any rushed affair; when he made his vows to Cindy he wanted them spoken before God, not some fly-by-night justice of the peace. He intended their vows to last a lifetime.
Growing impatient, Thorne pulled the newspaper from his briefcase. Maybe if he read, the snail’s pace minutes would go by faster. He scanned the business news and reach
ed for the front page when the society section slipped to the floor.
Thorne retrieved it and was astonished to find Sheila’s face smiling at him benignly. Interested, he turned the page right side up and read the headlines.
SHEILA MATHEWSON ANNOUNCES PLANS TO MARRY THORNDIKE PRINCE.
Thorne roared to his feet. The paper in his hand was crumpled into a wadded mass. So this was what his mother had come to prepare him for…. And worse, this was the reason Cindy hadn’t shown up.
Ten
The minute Cindy walked into the apartment, Aunt Theresa and Uncle Sal abruptly cut off their conversation. Cindy studied their flushed faces; it wasn’t difficult to ascertain that they’d been in the midst of a rousing argument. When Cindy arrived, they both seemed to find things to do. Her aunt opened the refrigerator and brought out a head of lettuce and her uncle reached for a deck of cards, shuffling them again and again, his gaze on his hands.
“I’ll be in my room,” Cindy said, granting them privacy. She was sorry they were fighting, and although it was uncommon, she knew from experience that it was best to let them resolve their differences without interference from her.
Sitting on the edge of her bed, Cindy eyed the clock. Thorne would be heading for the museum by now, anticipating their meeting. Only she wouldn’t be there. She’d allowed him to think she’d agreed to this date, but she hadn’t confirmed anything.
Coward! her mind accused her. But she had no choice, Cindy argued back. Every time she was with Thorne, her objections melted like snow under a springtime sun. She was so confused, she didn’t know what she wanted anymore. Oh, she loved Thorne. But he was so easy to love. It would be far more difficult not to care for him.
Shaking her head vigorously, Cindy decided she couldn’t leave Thorne waiting. That was silly and childish. It simply wasn’t in her to let him waste his time worrying. She’d go to him and do her utmost to explain. All she’d ask him for was some time apart. A chance to test their feelings. Everything had happened so quickly that it would be wrong to act impulsively now. True love could wait, she’d tell him. A month was what she planned to suggest. Just a month. That didn’t seem so long. Thorne would have to promise not to see her until Valentine’s Day. If he truly cared for her, he’d agree to that.
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