Angels In Red

by Laudan, Adelle

  Mr. Bond glanced at his watch and folded his hands on the desktop. “Yes, I have a little time. I must say you’ve piqued my curiosity.”

  Charles furrowed his brow. “Is everything okay, Jenna?”

  “I think so. I’m a little confused, though. You see, while reading through a letter addressed to my grandmother, my mother talked about a daughter she had before meeting my father.” She scrutinized both of them in turn to gage any reaction. “It seems my father agreed to pay for ‘Angelina’s’ care as long as Mother agreed to never speak of having a child out of wedlock. I think my sister may have some kind of special needs. Which is why my mother agreed, so her daughter got the care she could never afford to give her.”

  Charles sat with his mouth slightly agape. His genuine surprise at the news reflected in his eyes. “I’m not sure what to say. I had no knowledge of this. Your mother never breathed a word of having another child…at least not that I’m aware of.”

  Jenna faced Mr. Bond; his stone-face was void of expression.

  “You’ve been my father’s lawyer long before he married my mother. Did he ever ask you to draw up a letter for him? Knowing my father, I would think he’d have something in writing so my sister didn’t get a piece of the inheritance.”

  “I can assure you I’m just as surprised as you by this revelation. Your father never spoke a word of this girl… Angelina, did you say?”

  “Yes, Angelina. I find it hard to believe Mother never visited or spoke about her to anyone in the fifteen years married to my father. She wasn’t that type of person to just drop her own child off someplace, never to be seen or heard from again.”

  Mr. Bond pushed away from her father’s desk, gathered his papers and put them in his briefcase. “I agree. Your mother had a heart of gold. I wish I could be of more help. Like I said, I’m just as surprised as you.”

  “Do you have any suggestion as to how I go about looking for Angelina? If my father never made provisions with you, I need to find her and make sure her expenses continue to be paid for her care.”

  He shook his head. “I’m hardly in a position to play detective. When you learn of her whereabouts, I’d be happy to prepare the appropriate documents you might need.”

  Charles walked over to the door and opened it. “Thank you for coming out today. We’ll be in touch.”

  Mr. Bond paused briefly. “My condolences to you both.” He nodded curtly in her direction before taking his leave. The front door banged shut seconds later.

  “Well, kiddo, it looks like you’ll never have to worry about money for the rest of your life.”

  Jenna sunk in to her father’s chair. “This is all too weird. You were there and heard my father’s last words to me.”

  He dropped to one knee in front of her and held her hands. “Now, you listen to me. You deserve every penny of that money. It’s your birthright.”

  She searched his eyes for answers. “I can’t do all this alone. How do you feel about staying on here? You can take care of the staff and the estate while I’m with Jack. I’ll even double your wages. I’d like you to continue with the charity work my father was involved in. Maybe you can…”

  Charles rose, shaking his head. “Whoa, slow down, kiddo. Are you telling me you intend to go back and live in that cabin with Jack?”

  She laughed. “Seriously, can you see Jack being happy in a place like this?”

  The corner of his mouth twitched. “You have a point. Why don’t we discuss all of this after the funeral?” He took a seat beside her before clasping her hands in his. “Now, you say your sister’s name is Angelina, what else did you discover?”

  “Exactly what I just told you and Mr. Bond. My mother had Angelina long before she met and fell in love with my father. That would mean Angelina’s last name is Freeman. When he proposed marriage, he had one condition—nobody could know she had a child out of wedlock. In exchange for her silence, he’d pay for the best care money could buy and all of her expenses. In essence, give Angelina everything my mother could never have afforded her.”

  Charles shook his head. “Your poor mother, I can’t imagine how hard that must have been for her.”

  Jenna squeezed his hands. “Think hard, can you recall anything she might have said or done over the years that made no sense at the time, but…”

  “Nothing comes to mind right now. Maybe we should ask the staff. It’s more likely she would’ve shared something that personal with Edna or Grace.”

  “I can’t think straight. I need a little time alone to process everything.” She yawned. “I wish you’d let me help with the funeral arrangements. There must be something I can do.”

  “It’s all taken care of.” He leaned against the desk and folded his arms across his chest. “We’ll have a very short service on Friday.”

  Suddenly her eyes grew heavy. The emotional rollercoaster she’d been on was taking its toll on her—how she wished for the simpler life with Jack again. “I’m going to lie down for a bit.”

  Charles pulled her into his arms, wrapping her in a very much-needed sense of family.

  “Why don’t you put on one of those pretty dresses of yours and we get out of here this evening? Let’s go to The Chateau?”

  The last thing on her mind was dressing up and going out, but she saw how happy the thought made him. Jenna shrugged. “Sure, I guess I can do that.”

  Recent events must’ve taken a bigger toll on her than she realized; it hadn’t been her intention to sleep the day away. One minute she sat on the side of her bed, and the next, the sun was setting on the horizon.

  Jenna took a long, relaxing bubble bath before her dinner date with Charles. The Chateau was an extremely beautiful, upscale establishment. Truth be told, she’d much rather be curling up on the sofa with Jack, watching the fire crackle and pop. There was no need to go elsewhere, fully content with being alone in each others’ company.

  She sighed with longing as she stepped out of the tub and dried herself off. If it wasn’t for Charles, she’d be halfway home by now. Out of respect to him, she’d at least stay until after the funeral. Her dear friend had gone to such great lengths to make her comfortable after her father’s passing—and there was the discovery of her sister…

  Jenna took her time and swept her hair up in a chignon, decorating it with two antique, emerald clips—a gift from her mother on her sixteenth birthday. Out of the many gowns in her closet, she opted to wear a little black dress with no embellishment…only because the dress code wouldn’t allow the comfort of wearing jeans.

  Standing in front of her full-length mirror, she had an epiphany of sorts. I don’t belong in this world anymore. I belong with Jack, living in his little cabin in our own private paradise.

  She strolled through her suite, reflecting on all the things that had once been so important to her. Floor-to-ceiling shoes, a canopy bed imported from France, and a spa-like en suite that could easily be featured in any high-end design magazine.

  Jenna now had the means to bring all of these luxuries to the cabin, but realized she didn’t want or need any of it to make her happy. Well, maybe the bath, she thought, chuckling lightly to herself.

  Slowly, she made her way to the staircase where she found the chauffeur, John, in wait of her.

  “Good evening, Ms. Jenna. Charles asked me to take you to The Chateau. He’ll be waiting for you there.”

  “Do you know why he couldn’t take me himself?”

  “He said something about a meeting he’d forgotten .” John held the door open for her.

  It was another beautiful, star-filled night, and as the spectacular city lights grew closer, all she could think about was whether or not Jack was looking through his telescope at the same sky. The sudden stop of the car jostled her thoughts back to the present. She absent-mindedly played with the clips in her hair as John rounded the front of the car.

  Jenna got out of the back seat and took in the grandeur of The Chateau. No matter where she looked it oozed money. At
one time, this would’ve been a requirement for her to dine there. Enormous pillars and marble stairs led to an over the-top foyer, dripping in crystals and snobbish airs.

  Funny, I remember it being much bigger than this.

  The amount of money that went into such things now seemed frivolous and less than impressive.

  She paused in the doorway of the dining room. Through the maze of candle-lit tables, she perused the room when her gaze caught on chocolate-brown hair curled above a stark-white collar. Her breath hitched, and she reached for the wooden archway to steady herself. She blinked rapidly and briefly closed her eyes, only to open them to the same unbelievable sight before her.

  How is this possible?

  Jenna moved forward; the familiar scent of earthy cologne reached her and set her pulse racing. She was close enough to touch when he stood and turned to face her.

  “Wh-what are you doing here?”

  Jack grinned, a devilish glint in his eyes. “It’s nice to see you, too.”

  Jenna squealed and threw herself into his arms, pressing her lips against his mouth, kissing him soundly.

  He held her at arm’s length. “I can’t tell you how good it is to see you. God, you’re beautiful.”

  She fluttered her lashes and sat in the chair he’d moved closer to his. “What about Sasha and the pups?”

  Only after he was seated did she notice all the heads turned in their direction. Jenna smiled and winked at them, quite pleased in the united reaction of shock and condescension.

  “We definitely owe Charles a debt of gratitude. Just before lunch time, two residents from the Veterinarian Institute showed up to take care of the dogs. The first weeks of the pups’ lives are crucial in training them for sled dogs.” He shook his head. “Your friend even sent a car to fetch me so I could be here with you.”

  “He’s such a dear man.” She sniffled, deeply touched by Charles’ intuitiveness.

  “He said you needed me.”

  Jenna couldn’t stop the stinging of tears. How incredibly blessed she was to have two men in her life who loved her so much.

  Jack took her face in his hands, using the pads of his thumbs to brush away the droplets. “No more tears, Jenna. You’re not alone. Are you going to be okay?”

  “Now that you’re here, I will be.” She dabbed her eyes with corner of a monogrammed napkin.

  “I took the liberty of ordering us a glass of wine. I hope you like it.”

  She arched an eyebrow. “You ordered wine?”

  He grinned. “Don’t look so shocked. I wasn’t always a hermit.”

  Jenna sipped the golden liquid. An explosion of plump, juicy grapes teased her pallet. “It’s perfect. I didn’t know you were such a connoisseur of fine wines.”

  “Hardly.” Behind his hand he whispered, “Between you and me, I picked the only wine on the list in English.” Jack winked at her playfully and settled back in his chair. Adjusting his tie and rolling his neck uncomfortably. “So, this is how the other half lives…pretty impressive.”

  Jenna laughed at his admission before shrugging indifference. “It’s not such a big deal.” She reached over and loosened his tie, undoing the first two buttons of his shirt.

  As if her action gave him permission, he unbuttoned his shirt cuffs and rolled his sleeves up to his elbows before he mouthed, Thank you. He waggled his eyebrows while he brazenly eyed her up and down. “You really do look beautiful tonight.”

  “Thank you, but I’d be much more comfortable wearing jeans back home.”

  He smiled. “I like that.”

  She cast a glance to either side of her. “Like what?”

  “That you called the cabin home.” He grabbed her hands and kissed the palms. “Maybe there’s hope I haven’t lost you back to all of this after all.”

  A shiver passed over her. His touch rekindled her desire for him. “You can’t get rid of me that easily.”

  He let her hand go and rubbed his thighs. “So, what’s good to eat in a joint like this?”

  Jenna laughed as he scanned the neighboring tables for what she believed to be menus, a perplexed look on his handsome face.

  As if on cue, a waiter appeared at their table. “Good evening. Can I get you another drink from the bar?”

  “I’ll have a beer. What would you like, Jenna?”

  The waiter smirked, apparently amused by Jack’s request.

  She glared at the stuck-up snob. “We’ll both have a beer. Can you handle that? You do know what a beer is, don’t you?”

  The waiter gasped and stepped back, promptly turning on his heel to make his way to the bar.

  “I’m sorry, but I hate assholes like that,” she said under her breath, quickly accessing his reaction, not having thought she might’ve embarrassed him.

  Jack snickered, seemingly unscathed by the arrogant waiter. “Remind me never to piss you off.” He patted her hand. “Don’t worry about it. I don’t give a rat’s ass what that jerk thinks of me.”

  Her anger dissipated, quickly replaced by an overwhelming urge to be anywhere but there. “Do you mind if we get out of here?”

  Without a moment’s hesitation, he balled up his cloth napkin and tossed it on his place setting, pushed away from the table and offered his hand.

  “Thank you. I’m sure I can rustle us up something to eat back at my place.”

  He winked and placed her hand in the crook of his arm. “Or we could rustle something up on our own.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Jack relaxed against the plush seat in the Rolls while Jenna rested her head against his chest as they drove back to her childhood home.

  How can a woman so vastly different from me end up in my arms? Compared to this, will she one day tire of the primitive lifestyle of my cabin?

  He wrapped his arms around her, rewarded by a soft mew like a kitten. Tonight, he’d show her just how much she meant to him.

  The car turned onto a long, winding road leading to a mansion of epic proportion; a home that only existed in movies, until now.

  “Wow.”

  She pulled away. “Wow what?”

  “You actually grew up here?” He whistled long and low as he put down the window.

  She dropped her gaze. “It’s not really as grandiose as it might seem.”

  Jack kept any further comments to himself as they got out of the car and walked arm in arm toward the mansion. She led him through ornate front doors and stepped onto polished marble tile flanked by a staircase right out of Gone with the Wind.

  Jenna took his hand and whisked him up to her suite.

  Holy cow!

  He’d imagined the estate would be posh, but not like this. It was as if the room had been taken off the pages of the most elite design magazine. Light from the fire illuminated the strands of gold woven into the billowing fabric draped around the canopy on her bed.

  She stepped out of her heels and gazed back over her shoulder. “Will you unzip me?”

  Her sultry tone stole his full attention. Slowly, he inched the zipper down, making sure his finger skimmed the length of her spine. Jack nuzzled her neck, and the sweetness of her perfume filled his senses. Her breath hitched as he slid the straps aside to give him better access to trail soft kisses along her neck. She quivered under his touch.

  He spun her around to face him and eased her dress completely off her shoulders. The soft fabric followed the lines of her body until it gathered around her ankles.

  She stepped out of the dress and smiled. “I’ll be right back.” Her eyes twinkled with mischief as she padded across the carpet to the bathroom. “Don’t go anywhere.”

  Jack growled and shifted to accommodate the growing bulge in his boxers. He sat by the fire and unlaced his boots, his every nerve ending on high alert.

  God, what that woman does to me.

  Sheer fabric billowed over a canopy bed unlike any he’d seen before. Tapestries hung on the wall that probably cost more than a brand new truck. Sure, he had a healthy bank a
ccount, and the matter of Carly’s substantial life-insurance payout. He just couldn’t justify spending her money, or any money, on something that had no meaning just to hang on a wall.

  Light streamed in from the cracked bathroom door. A very feminine silhouette robbed him of breath. “Jenna.” Her name came out nothing more than a heated whisper. She opened the door fully as he walked toward her. The silky, pale pink fabric of a tiny slip skimmed the curves of her body. The firelight cast a warm glow over her alabaster complexion.

  “Jack, I’ve missed you so much.”

  He swallowed hard. Any doubt he had about their future together quickly dissipated with the way she looked at him. She loves me, plain and simple.

  Jack swept her off her feet and cradled her in his arms, covering her mouth with his in an intense, passionate kiss while he carried her and laid her on the bed. He swept the length of her with his gaze. His body responding to the way her nipples pressed taut against the fabric, begging to be touched.

  “Come to bed.”

  Her sultry voice prompted him to quickly undress. He climbed on the bed and straddled her to look down into her lust-filled eyes.

  “You take my breath away.” His fingers danced across the swell of her breast, and she trembled under his touch. He teased her erect nipples with his tongue before lightly blowing on the dampened fabric.

  “Jack, please…make love to me.” She pressed her belly against his erection.

  Jack looked directly into her eyes. “Before you go to sleep tonight, you will know with no uncertainty, just how much you mean to me.”

  The early-morning funeral was a solemn affair; the first one Charles attended where not one tear was shed. Jenna put on a brave front, clinging to Jack like a lifeline. He could only imagine what was going on behind her far too bright eyes.

  Thankfully, the service was kept short, and Kenneth Blackburn the Third’s ashes placed in a vault. There would be no gathering afterwards. The few people in attendance, business associates and staff, left the funeral home to get on with their lives.