Letters to Caroline (The Talmadge Sisters Book 1)

by Barbara McMahon

  "Longer than that for Caroline," Abby said leading the way into the living

  room. "She's the one who came home to care for Grandmother when we learned she was so ill."

  "Was Eugenia sick for long?"

  "Several weeks," Abby said. "And it's still taken its toll. She looks exhausted."

  "Tell us what you've been doing, Brandon. We haven't seen you in years."

  "It has been a while," Brandon acknowledged as he followed the two sisters into the huge formal living room.

  Quickly he noted the elegant furnishings, the paintings by the famous artists on the wall. Nothing had altered since he'd last been in this room. It still felt as cold and impersonal as a hotel lobby or a museum. It was a perfect setting for Eugenia Talmadge. Ornate, luxurious, pretentious. At least in his mind.

  Baton Rouge was full of antebellum homes. Many were in various state of disrepair or had been turned over to an historical trust. Only a few of the old mansions were still owned privately.

  Eugenia Talmadge had gripped hers tightly with both hands, changing nothing in the home that'd been in her husband's family for generations. She'd taken inordinate, arrogant pride in every stick of furniture, every painting, every piece of silver. She'd never let up on the heritage of the Talmadges compared to the last of such from the boy from the bayou.

  He'd once longed for such a setting—costly furniture, valuable paintings. To make it big to show her he could provide for Caroline as Eugenia wanted.

  Only discovering once achieved that it offered cold comfort.

  While the house remained the same, Caroline's younger sisters had changed. Michelle was tall and slender and lovely. She'd been nineteen when he last saw her. Still living under Eugenia Talmadge's domineering thumb, shy and studious. He wondered what she was doing now.

  Did the sisters all still live in the old family home? Or had they, like Caroline at that age, broken away and tried to make a life away from Talmadge Hall?

  Abby offered him some punch from the amount remaining in the silver bowl on the buffet against the wall and sat beside him on the brocade sofa. The remains of the recent wake were evident throughout the room with cups and glasses and empty plates everywhere.

  Abby had changed the most, he mused, sipping the small glass she'd brought. A high school senior when his marriage ended, she'd blossomed into a beautiful woman, bright and sassy if the trend of her conversation was any indication. Had she stopped talking since they'd sat down?

  "—so of course I had to come home, just like you, Brandon. Family rallies around in the time of crisis, right? It wasn't easy getting time off. We are always swamped. But then, hospitals are always shorthanded and the number of patients seems to increase every year."

  "Abby, you're babbling. Shut up and let Brandon get a word in edgewise," Michelle said with a smile, sitting on the chair near the sofa. She didn't appear as open and friendly as her younger sister, Brandon noted. From loyalty to Caroline? Or her own innate reserve?

  "I'm interested in what she has to say," he replied.

  It always paid to discover what he could about the people he'd be dealing with. His years growing his business proved that. These women had the closest ties to Caroline. He'd learn more about her through them.

  "Do you both still live here?" he asked.

  Michelle shook her head. "Actually Abby and I live in New Orleans. We have for several years."

  "Moved out as soon as we were old enough to escape," Abby said irrepressibly.

  He raised an eyebrow in surprise. "You've been in New Orleans all this time? You should have called me."

  Michelle looked at him gravely. "I didn't think you wanted any more involvement with the Talmadges," she said. "And it's not as if we move in the same circles, is it? We've seen how successful Domino Software has become."

  "Still, as Abby says, we're family."

  Until he got Caroline's signature on the papers he carried—until the final link was severed.

  Then he frowned. Why had he said that. Eugenia Talmadges had never considered him part of the family. She'd done her best to stop Caroline marrying him and then criticized him at every turn.

  He hadn't thought a minute about family ties when Caroline left. Angry at her decision, he'd been determined to prove to the world, and to himself, that he needed no one. His parents never understood his goals. The new family he tried to forge had come to a tragic end; going alone had been the one option he followed these days.

  Abby took a sip of punch and studied Brandon. "We missed you," she said.

  If he were honest, he'd admit to missing them. Missing Caroline most of all, but also her adoring sisters. He was an only child. He'd enjoyed watching the sisters interact during the short months of his marriage. Had been almost envious of their closeness.

  "Where do you two live?"

  "I live in a great apartment not far from the downtown area. Abby has a place in Metairie. She works at St. Joseph's Hospital," Michelle replied.

  "And Caroline?" He had to ask. Curiosity was a burning desire to know more about her even as he was about to cut her totally from his life.

  "She has a condo in Dallas. She never goes to New Orleans. She never comes to visit us," Abby said.

  The sudden silence proved awkward. Each knew why Caroline never returned to New Orleans, though no one said it aloud. The memories were too painful.

  "You'll plan to stay here, won't you?" Abby invited to break the tension. "There're a dozen bedrooms upstairs. And it'd be so nice to have you right on the spot to help out. Being in business you must have a better idea than we do of what to expect in winding down the estate and how to handle things. We don't have a clue. And I hate the thought of Caroline coping with it all on her own—look how thin she is and how tired. Since she's the eldest, Grandmother designated her as executrix. Now I'm worried about her."

  "I hadn't planned to stay at all," Brandon said, setting his glass on a coaster on the Queen Anne table. From the dirty glasses, cups and plates stacked haphazardly here and there, he guessed the place had been full of people only a short time before he arrived. Thank goodness he'd been late enough to miss that!

  "Oh, do stay. It'll be weeks before the estate gets put into probate and then months for it to go through the entire process. Caroline will probably have a dozen questions. We've never gone through this before. Stay just a day or so," Abby said, leaning close, her eyes beseeching.

  "If you can manage it, Brandon, please do. Just to make sure Caroline has a handle on things. I can only be here until tomorrow. I hate the thought of leaving her alone to deal with all this, but I can't get any more time off from work right now. I'll come back on the weekends. But it'd mean a lot to know she has someone here with her," Michelle added.

  "And I have to be back on duty tomorrow night. Michelle and I are driving back together tomorrow. Do stay at least another day, Brandon," Abby urged.

  "I hardly think Caroline would appreciate such an arrangement."

  Surprised, he actually considered it. He'd never liked Eugenia Talmadge, but she'd been Caroline's grandmother. The woman who had raised the girls. Caroline had loved her, and her death must be a huge loss. An empty house would be hard to deal with.

  Maybe he'd stay over. He'd once loved Caroline. He'd never thought they'd come to this. Would it hurt anything to stay another day?

  Silence filled the bedroom when Caroline awoke. Turning on her bedside lamp, she looked at the clock. It was after eight. Slowly she stretched, still feeling tired, overwhelmed. Life had been simpler two months ago, before her grandmother had become so ill, before Caroline's world had been turned upside down a second time.

  Changing from her black dress to a light cotton robe, Caroline fastened the buttons pensively. She was starving—not surprising when she considered how little she'd eaten recently. Had Brandon left already?

  Hurrying down the stairs, she listened for voices. Where were Michelle and Abby? The living room was tidy once again. Obviously they'd cleaned
up the mess. Had they gone out to dinner?

  Pushing open the door into the kitchen, Caroline stopped in surprise. Brandon looked up from the open refrigerator and caught her eye, letting his gaze travel over the robe. He straightened slowly and closed the door.

  "I thought you'd be long gone by now," Caroline said.

  For one confusing moment, she wished she'd brushed her hair, freshened her makeup. Pushing the thought aside, she tried to figure out why he was still here.

  And how to slow the rapid increase in her heart rate. She refused to let herself be attracted to him again, just because he looked wonderful. Ruthlessly ignoring her clamoring senses, she tried to remain cool.

  "Not yet. Your sisters are changing their clothes, then we're planning dinner. I thought I'd look around and see what we might find to eat in here. Otherwise, we'll go out. What happened to your grandmother's cook?"

  "I gave her the week off. She was quite upset. She was devoted to Eugenia."

  "Mmm." He leaned against the counter, crossing his arms over his chest.

  Caroline noticed he'd discarded his suit jacket somewhere along the way. His tie was loosened at the neck, the collar button unfastened. He'd rolled up his sleeves over muscular arms. He looked at ease, at home.

  And suddenly fascinating.

  She remembered being held in those strong arms. Being kissed—

  She looked away, trying to forget the stubborn memories.

  "Some people liked my grandmother," she said defensively, hearing the skepticism in his tone. Brandon had never been one of them.

  "Hungry?" he asked, deliberately changing the subject.

  Caroline hesitated. While she didn't mind hunting up some soup or sandwich fixings, she hadn't expected to share a meal with Brandon. And especially not cook him one. On the other hand, if he took her sisters to dinner, she'd spend the evening alone. She didn't want to miss time with Abby and Michelle—their visit was too short as it was.

  "Caroline, it's a straightforward question. Are you hungry? You look as if you're considering some major life change," he said impatiently.

  "I already had that." The words came unbidden. Horrified, she stared at him in dismay.

  He drew a deep breath. "That's what I've come to discuss."

  Shaking her head, Caroline stepped back bumping against the swinging door. "No. Not now. It's far too late to change anything by talk, Brandon. If you and my sisters want, I can prepare something for dinner."

  "Or we could order something, have it delivered."

  "Oops," Abby said as she pushed against the door and barged into Caroline. Peering around the corner, she stepped into the kitchen once her sister moved.

  "I see you're up. Are you hungry? We thought we'd go out for dinner, unless you found something, Brandon?"

  "Nothing that wouldn't take a long time to prepare. I was telling Caroline that we could order in."

  "Oh, that's sounds great. Does that Chinese place on Royal Street still deliver?" Abby asked Caroline.

  "Yes, I think so."

  If she didn't look directly at him, maybe she could ignore him, ignore the emotions that were all mixed up. Maybe she could pretend he was merely an acquaintance.

  Letting Abby carry the conversation, Caroline tried to concentrate, but her thoughts were churning too much to pay strict attention.

  Until Abby said something she couldn't possibly believe.

  "What did you say?" Caroline asked, her startled eyes meeting her sister's.

  Abby looked at her, smiling brightly. "Just that Michelle and I are pleased Brandon agreed to stay to help you during the next few days. We feel terrible leaving you with all the work. And we didn't like the thought of your remaining here all alone."

  Horrified, Caroline turned to look at Brandon.

  His gaze met hers and her heart sank. The amused gleam in his eyes did not auger well for her immediate future.

  Chapter Two

  Caroline stared at him in disbelief. "You aren't staying here!"

  "He can help," Abby said.

  "I don't need help," Caroline protested.

  Brandon stared at her, trying to ignore the clamor of his senses, the heightened awareness being near her brought. Even with her hair mussed and dark circles beneath her eyes, she was beautiful. Too thin, yet with an allure that still had the power to captivate. He instantly evaluated his options. He could find his jacket, pull out the papers and insist she sign them, then and there. Take that final step to end their marriage for once and for all. That'd remove him from her proximity which she seemed to want.

  He could have it out with her once and for all. Let her know how her leaving affected him. Tell her how disgusted he'd been when she'd chosen her grandmother over him.

  But something held him back.

  She looked too fragile—as if she were at the end of her rope. For all he knew she'd be glad to sign, glad to get him out of her life. She'd made her position clear years ago.

  He hadn't succeeded by ignoring his instincts.

  "I've said I'll stay a couple of days. If you don't need my help with the estate, then I'll be gone—after we have our talk."

  And after she signed those papers.

  Caroline stared at him mutinously, her eyes narrowed in anger. She brushed a hand through her hair.

  Brandon clenched one hand to keep from reaching out to touch those silky tresses. His fingertips remembered the soft texture. Did she still smell of lilacs? Taking a deep breath, he imagined he could detect the scent from where he stood.

  Caroline raised her chin, obviously frustrated by the turn of events. He almost smiled at the familiar gesture as bittersweet memories surfaced.

  "The time for us to talk was five years ago. There's nothing left to say. But if you don't mind wasting your time hanging around here, do what you want."

  "I don't think it'll be a waste of time," Brandon said as he studied her. "If nothing else, we'll clear things between us. But after Abby and Michelle leave. I don't wish to air our dirty laundry before all and sundry."

  "Since you're here for dinner, I'll go change," she muttered.

  Leaving the kitchen with her head held high, Caroline hurried to her room. She sat on the edge of the bed. Why had he shown up now? What was so important he wanted to talk to her today? Why not six months ago or six months in the future? Or five years ago when she needed him so much?

  Slowly she rose to change into casual clothes. She wondered if she could get Brandon alone tonight and find out what was so important. What was there left to say? The past couldn't be altered. They'd each moved on. She had a good life in Dallas that suited her. She knew he'd succeeded beyond what either of them expected when they were first married.

  Pulling on a loose cotton dress, she slipped her feet into sandals and went back downstairs.

  Michelle and Abby were chatting easily with Brandon when Caroline entered the living room.

  "We ordered Chinese," Michelle said. "It'll be here soon. Want something to drink?"

  Caroline motioned Michelle to stay seated. "I'll get some iced tea."

  A quick glance at Brandon showed him firmly ensconced in the chair near the sofa, his long legs stretched out before him, his right hand casually holding a tall glass. For a moment her heart threatened to stop, then skipped a beat and began to pound.

  When he looked at her with those familiar dark eyes, she felt the heat rise in her cheeks. One look and she spun back to that shy college freshman who had been so enamored with the young computer techie who'd singled her out and courted her so assiduously.

  Not that he was that much older than she, only five years. He'd been twenty-five when they married. He was thirty-one now. But when he'd been courting, he'd seemed so much more mature than she felt.

  Turning away she knew she needed to get control of her emotions. She needed to somehow ignore the pull of attraction that rose despite her best efforts at keeping a distance.

  Brandon was not for her. That had been made clear five years ago
.

  "Brandon's been telling us about his software company," Michelle said.

  Caroline sat gingerly on a chair opposite Brandon, hoping her sisters wouldn't comment on how far the seat was from the rest of them.

  "Your software company?" she asked. She'd heard from her grandmother when he'd first started up. The older woman had scoffed at his efforts, saying firms in California did more for the software industry than any in the south—especially New Orleans. She'd been so critical.

  Thinking back, she realized that was Eugenia's strong point—criticizing every thing and every one. It had been hard trying to please her when growing up.

  Caroline studied her glass of tea, wondering if she dare ask how he'd started his own company. He'd often talked when they were first married of his plans for developing business-changing software. Dreams of making it big.

  She wasn't surprised to learn he'd succeeded. But he must have devoted every waking minute to achieve so much in only five years.

  Would a show of curiosity on her part be misconstrued as interest? Would he read more into a casual inquiry than was warranted? She couldn't help being curious. Each time a memory would surface over the years, she'd ruthlessly squash it. She was over him!

  Dreams had been another thing. Something she couldn't control. How many times had she dreamed his arms were around her again, his deep voice speaking softly in her ear.

  What else had he been doing since she'd last seen him? Or had business consumed him to the exclusion of anything else?

  Work had consumed him to the exclusion of everything else when she'd lost the baby. Did he forget about people and other commitments in his quest to make more money? Was he still striving to get ahead and become even more rich and powerful? Or had things changed at all since she left?

  "How long before the food arrives?" she asked. She refused to be drawn into his life again. Once was enough.

  Brandon's teeth gleamed white against his tan as he smiled directly at her. "Changing the subject, Caroline, or just trying to ignore that I'm here?"