The Widow and the Wastrel

by Janet Dailey

  The first day there had been the crushing sensation that he was completely indifferent to her, aloofly so. The way he had of holding himself apart from others in their presence was more pronounced than ever. Then, that evening, she had felt his gaze dwelling on her with thoughtful, almost brooding intensity. He rarely addressed any comment to her, keeping the main flow of conversation with his mother, but neither did he subject her to any taunting jibes or mocking looks.

  The waiting game was a difficult one for Elizabeth to play. Hope would alternately rise and fall until she felt she needed a barometer to record the erratic fluctuations. The physical attraction Jed held for her was undeniable. The most accidental contact had her senses leaping in immediate response. And she guessed that he had only to take her in his arms and she would be his for the asking.

  Five days she went through the tortues of Tantalus. Jed's previous routine didn't vary much; he spent most of the day away from the house and some evenings. Yet there was never any pretense on his part that nothing had happened. The very second she thought there was, Jed would send her a look that was meant to remind her.

  How much longer was this going to go on? Elizabeth sighed to herself. Painstakingly she trimmed off the crust of the bread, varying the design of each slice from circles to squares to triangles. Flaky cherry tarts were cooling on the counter, the tarts and the canapés she was making were refreshments for Rebecca's Literary Club women. Their monthly meeting was being held here this time and Elizabeth had naturally been requested to take on the task of fixing the light refreshments.

  "Can I help, Mom?" Elbows propped on the table, chin cradled in her hands, Amy glanced up at Elizabeth.

  "May I help," she corrected automatically. She pushed the small bowls of egg salad, ham salad and tuna salad to her daughter along with a knife. "You can help me with the sandwiches."

  "May help," Amy corrected her mother with impish humor.

  A slow smile spread across Elizabeth's face as she ruefully nodded an acknowledgement of her own grammatical error. Cooking and preparing foods was another interest of Elizabeth's that Amy appeared to be beginning to share.

  "How long are those ladies going to be here?" Amy asked in a less than enthusiastic tone.

  "Probably until after four," Elizabeth answered. At her daughter's grimace, she added, "It would be best if you stayed in your room until it's time for the refreshments."

  "I suppose Mrs. Cargmore is going to be here," Amy grumbled, then adopted a mimicking voice. '"Children should be seen and not heard."'

  "At least not too often," Jed added in conclusion.

  The bread knife clattered to the floor, narrowly missing Elizabeth's foot as she spun around to face him. She tried to cover her confusion by bending to the floor to retrieve the knife, but in the next second Jed was kneeling beside her, handing her the knife. For all the amused mockery in his smile, his eyes were golden warm in her face.

  "Someone should teach you to be careful with knives or you're going to end up chopping off your toe," he scolded gently.

  Her pulse was accelerating at an alarming pace. She straightened quickly, trying to hide the flow that brought an emerald brilliance to her eyes.

  "You startled me," she breathed in defense.

  "Is that what I did?" Jed asked with a questing arch to one brow.

  Bouncing her gaze away from his face, Elizabeth realized that he knew the way he disturbed her. He made a lazy, sweeping appraisal of her from head to toe, his eyes twinkling merrily when they returned to her face. She caught her breath at the change in his manner. The aloofness was gone, but what did it signify?

  "All of this can't be for our consumption. Are we having a party?" Jed shifted his attention to the sandwiches Amy was stacking neatly on the plate.

  "Not exactly," Amy explained. "Mom and I are doing the refreshments for Grandmother's Literary Club meeting."

  "Looks like I'll have to change my plans for the afternoon. I had thought I'd spend it around here, but not if we're about to be invaded." The tobacco brown head made a definite negative shake.

  "It isn't that bad," Elizabeth murmured, her heart sinking slightly as she wished she knew if there was a particular reason why Jed had intended to spend the afternoon here—possibly with her? Was that what he had intended?

  "Well, I sure wish I had somewhere else to go." Amy licked the salad off her fingers and picked up another slice of bread.

  "Amy, you shouldn't do that. Now wash your hands," Elizabeth looked her reproval.

  There was a disgruntled sigh as Amy replaced the knife and bread and walked to the sink. Jed was leaning against the counter, smiling faintly at Amy.

  "So you've been condemned to spending the afternoon here?" he teased.

  "In my room," Amy answered with an expressive widening of her brown eyes. "Isn't that exciting?"

  "Well, you can always sit and count how many times Mrs. Garth sneezes," he suggested dryly. "That's what we used to do. Her record was twenty-four times as I recall."

  "Did you really count?" Amy giggled.

  "Must you encourage her, Jed?" Elizabeth sighed, but with humor. "Your mother already thinks she's disrespectful of her elders."

  "On second thoughts," a smile played with the edges of his mouth, "why don't you come with me this afternoon? I thought I'd visit Maggie."

  "Could we stop by the farm and see the puppies, too?"

  "Amy, you—" The quick words of reproval were interrupted.

  "Perhaps you should ask your mother if you can go," Jed suggested.

  Amy rebounded to Elizabeth, not allowing her time to bask in the faintly intimate smile he had turned to her. "Please, Mom?"

  "If Jed is sure he wants to take you, I don't object," Elizabeth agreed. Her gaze was drawn back to the leanly carved face, less cynical now with its expression of patient indulgence, but no less compelling.

  "Oh, he's sure, aren't you, Uncle Jed?" Amy hastened to have the invitation affirmed.

  Jed straightened from the counter, the muscular length of him achieving his full height. Elizabeth felt the force of his masculinity drawing her to him even with the width of the table separating them.

  "Yes, I'm sure," he nodded. The grooves around his mouth deepened as he ruffled the top of Amy's head. "I think we'd better be leaving before your grandmother discovers what we're up to and changes us into a couple of bookworms!"

  Amy was already giggling and racing for the back door. Silently Elizabeth observed that her daughter seemed as anxious for Jed's company as she was. If only she could react that naturally and with such obvious pleasure instead of being plagued by uncertainty and caution!

  "I'll look after her," he said quietly, misinterpreting the slight frown.

  "Of course," Elizabeth smiled wanly, "Thank you…for asking her."

  Jed seemed to examine her words, his gaze running over her with disruptive thoroughness. Elizabeth was certain that her inner agitation must be apparent. Her shaky poise felt completely destroyed, assaulted by too many days of uncertaintly and doubt. But he made no comment regarding her stilted expression.

  "We'll be back later this afternoon, with luck after the dragons have left," he said, and followed the path Amy had blazed out of the door.

  Staring after the lean figure, wide shoulders tapering to a slim waist and hips, Elizabeth wished they had asked her to come along. She couldn't have gone, of course, she acknowledged with a sigh, reverting her gaze to the bread slices on the cutting board. But she wished Jed had asked her for her company.

  Lucidly she didn't have to take part in the afternoon’s meeting. As a silent participant, she was not required to concentrate on the book reviews being given. Once the meeting was over and the refreshments served, the women seemed to intend to linger indefinitely, exchanging local gossip, Mrs. Garth sneezed again and Elizabeth contained a smile.

  This would never do, she told herself sternly. One more time and she would surely laugh aloud when she saw Mrs. Garth raising the embroidered handkerch
ief to her nose. As unobtrusively as possible, Elizabeth excused herself from the two ladies she had been sitting beside, guessing they would not miss her since she had added so little to the conversation, and began gathering together the dishes and carrying them to the kitchen.

  On the third trip, she found Jed and Amy seated at the colonial kitchen table. Amy raised a conspiratorial finger of silence to her lips.

  "Ssh!" she whispered. "We don't want Grandmother to know we're back yet. Did she say anything?"

  "Only that she hoped you'd behave yourself," Elizabeth answered softly, not commenting on Rebecca's initial surprise and wary doubt on the advisability of letting Amy go with Jed. "Did you have a nice time?"

  "Oh, yes. Maggie was so glad to see me," Amy asserted proudly. "And Uncle Jed, too. And you should see the puppies, Mom! Freda said I could have one when they're old enough to leave their mother."

  "We'll see about that." It was difficult to keep her gaze from straying too often to Jed. An odd breathlessness had claimed her lungs from the moment she had entered the room and encountered his tawny gaze. She carefully stacked the dishes in the sink, trying to control her schoolgirl reaction to his presence. "There are some cherry tarts left. Would you two like some?"

  "Yes, please," Amy accepted eagerly, while Jed only nodded.

  Just as Elizabeth set the plates with the tarts on the table in front of them, a sneeze echoed into the room. Jed darted Amy a knowing look and smiled at her.

  "There goes Mrs. Garth again," he observed dryly.

  Amy suppressed a giggle with her hand. "How many times do you suppose that is?" she whispered gleefully.

  "Sevent—" Elizabeth bit quickly into her lip, suddenly and guiltily aware that she had been counting. Red flags of embarrassment ran up her checks at the mocking light in Jed's eyes.

  "You've been counting!" Amy's brown eyes rounded in astonishment.

  "Nonsense, I—" Her protest was defensively automatic, but the expressions on both their faces mirrored their disbelief.

  "How many times, Liza?" Jed prompted softly.

  Flustered for a second, Elizabeth turned back to the counter; their infectious humor was beginning to replace her chagrin. A smile hovered near the surface.

  "Make her tell, Uncle Jed." Checked laughter rippled through Amy's voice. "I knew she was counting!"

  At the scrape of the chair leg, Elizabeth glanced over her shoulder. At the sight of Jed's deliberate approach, her heart pattered wildly against her ribs.

  "We shouldn't be making fun of Mrs. Garth this way," she protested again. For too many years, her life had been ruled by strict courtesy for Elizabeth to succumb easily to their amused, yet innocent mockery. "She can't help it."

  "How many, Lisa?" A wide smile was daring her to continue to withhold the information.

  Elizabeth pivoted to face him, her fingers closing over the hard counter top pushing into her back. "It isn't polite." Good judgment and discretion were rapidly being overtaken by the onslaught of his amused gaze.

  "How many?" Jed persisted.

  He was in front of her now; his nearness weakened her resistance. A smile started to break through and Elizabeth pressed her lips tightly together, glancing wildly at her daughter. But he had seen the laughter glittering in her green eyes. The touch of his hands on her shoulders brought it bubbling to the surface in soft giggles.

  "Jed, Please!" It was a half-hearted protest through her laughter that acknowledged she was about, to give in. Her palms spread across his chest in an effort to keep his intoxicating length at a safe distance.

  Tilting back his head, he chuckled quietly in victory and drew her closer, locking his arms around her waist. "You can't escape, Liza, until you tell us."

  "Seventeen." Her answer was immediate and breathless.

  Another sneeze was heard and they all broke into open laughter. Tears filled Elizabeth's eyes and she couldn't remember the last time she had laughed this hard. It was a wonderful, joyous sensation, especially since she was sharing it. Gradually it lessened into deep breaths for control. She found herself nestled under the crook of his arm, her head resting weakly against his shoulder.

  Curving his hand under her chin, Jed raised it to inspect her face, and Elizabeth was much too contented and happy to do any more than gaze at his compellingly masculine features as he grinned at her.

  "I've never seen you look more beautiful," he murmured huskily, the gold light in his eyes burning over her face. "You should laugh like that more often."

  "Really?" she whispered, basking in the fiery warmth, unable to decide whether the heat racing over her skin came from contact with him or was born inside herself.

  "Yes, really." Although there was mocking amusement in his voice, it wasn't the message she saw written in his gaze as he slowly turned her into his arms, his hands moving in an arousing caress down her shoulders and spine to mold her closer against him.

  A tiny sound from the table reminded Elizabeth suddenly that they were not alone, Amy was watching them with obvious interest. Quickly she averted her head from Jed's descending mouth, gasping slightly as he settled on the lobe of her ear.

  "Jed, please," she whispered with a self-conscious glance at her round-eyed daughter. "N-not in front of Amy."

  He lifted his head a few inches from hers in seeming discretion, a crooked smile twisting the sensually male lips. The glitter of his eyes never left her face.

  "Amy, do I have your permission to kiss your mother?" he asked quietly. The grooves around his mouth deepened at the rush of pink in Elizabeth's cheeks.

  "Yes," Amy answered quickly with a broad, conspiring look, and settled into her chair to watch.

  "You see?" he mocked.

  This time he didn't take any chances that Elizabeth might avoid his kiss, but held her chin firmly until he had taken possession of her mouth. At his masterful touch, she surrendered to the whirl of inevitability, let ting the waves break over her head and become submerged in the superior force of his attraction.

  A horrified gasp broke through the ardency that was about to carry Elizabeth completely away. As she broke away from the addictive pressure of his lips, her startled gaze encountered the shocked faces of three members of the Literary Club. At her twisting turn, Jed partially released her from their embrace, keeping one hand firmly around her waist and in plain view of the ladies. Before he glanced at the trio, his gaze mocked Elizabeth's crimsoning complexion.

  "Was there something you ladies wanted?" he inquired with unbelievable calm.

  "We were just leaving," one of them sniffed.

  "We thought we, should see Elizabeth and offer our goodbye," a second responded, a brow arching at Elizabeth in disapproval.

  The third woman merely looked from Elizabeth to the gleaming Amy and back to Elizabeth. Her indignant shock was more condemning in its silence than the rest. Stiffly Elizabeth thanked them for coming.

  The three women were barely out of the kitchen before the rapid exchange of their voices could be heard, no doubt comparing reactions. Only then did Jed remove his hand from her waist, lighting a cigarette from his picket and letting his contemplative gaze dwell on the uncomfortable warmth still reddening her face.

  "Does it bother you that you're going to be the subject of a lot of talk?" His tone challenged despite the softness of his question.

  "Yes," Elizabeth swallowed. "It does a little."

  "Jeremy was always the apple of the town's eye, not me. Are you ashamed to be seen with me?"

  Her gaze bounced away from the harshness in his otherwise calm expression. "Not ashamed," she hedged. "I would have been self-conscious with anyone."

  Jed studied her face for a long moment. The expression in his own masculine features was unrelenting. Then he turned to walk away.

  "Jed." Her whispered plea called for his understanding.

  Without glancing back, he paused beside her daughter's chair, and Elizabeth noted the faint softening of his profile as he gazed into Amy's curious and concerned
expression.

  "Your mother is a prude, Amy," he smiled crookedly.

  "Is that bad?" Amy breathed.

  There was a resigned shrug of his shoulders that was hardly encouraging as it accompanied the negative shake of his head. "No, it isn't bad." Then glancing briefly at Elizabeth he added, "I'll be back for dinner," and left from the rear door of the kitchen.

  Chapter Seven

  "Is that everything, Mrs. Carrel?" The woman clerk paused before ringing up the total on the cash register.

  "Yes, thank you," Elizabeth responded, absently glancing to be certain that Amy was still at her side.

  "It's quite a chore getting children ready for school these days. The list of things they need keeps getting longer and longer," the woman sighed. "With five of my own in school, I ought to be an expert on it."

  "I think this completes Amy's list." Elizabeth smiled as she took the smaller of the two parcels and handed it to her daughter, juggling the larger into a comfortable position with her two previous purchases.

  "Are you ready for school to start?" The clerk smiled down at Amy.

  "I suppose so," she shrugged.

  "I thought you were looking forward to the first day of school?" Elizabeth tilted her ebony dark head in curious surprise.

  "Not since Uncle Jed came back. It's much more fun at home now that he's there," Amy observed.

  "Uncles usually are more fun than school," the clerk agreed, darting an amused look at Elizabeth.

  "Jed is fun. He even makes Mom laugh," asserted Amy.

  Another customer approached the check-out counter and Elizabeth was relieved to direct her talkative daughter toward the door. The clerk's look of amusement had been tinged by speculation after Amy's last comment. There was little doubt in Elizabeth's mind that the incident witnessed by the three members of the Literary Club had been transmitted all over town.

  A faint sigh of frustration slipped from her throat as she and Amy stepped outside. Truthfully she had expected Jed to seek her out again, but over the weekend not once had he indicated that he wanted to be alone with her. He had been charming and amusing, as Amy had pointed out, but he had also avoided any opportunity to be alone with her.