Past Betrayals, Past Loves

by Walters, Janet Lane;

  “Men are dumb. Once they sink their teeth into a position, they won’t let go.” Astrid opened the refrigerator and took out the iced tea container.

  “He cares.”

  “Not enough and not in the right way.”

  Sarah carried a glass of tea to the front window. “And if you’re wrong? Men find speaking about their emotions difficult. I’ve loved your dad for years. He hasn’t spoken so I kept silent. We settled for friendship when we could have had more.”

  Astrid joined the older woman. “I told Duncan how I felt and he said nothing.”

  “Give him time.”

  “Why don’t you tell Dad how you feel?”

  “I just might.”

  “Good.” Astrid sipped the tea. How were sales today?”

  “We sold a lot of what Clive calls junk. I think many of the cloisonné pieces are lovely and some of the older costumes jewelry pieces aren’t bad. Clive only cares about jewelry that has precious or semi-precious gems.”

  “I’ve noticed they’ve removed most of the inexpensive pieces from the showroom.”

  “Clive ahs pushed your dad into seeking a different clientele. At least Antiquities looks less like a flea market booth.”

  Astrid nodded. “I’m not particularly business oriented but I think there should be a few inexpensive pieces on display.”

  “Agreed.” Sarah set her glass on the coffee table. “Tell me about the new key. Wasn’t that why you dragged me in?”

  Astrid related the tale of the searched apartment. “Had to be Clive.”

  “I think you’re right. Will you be in the shop tomorrow? He asked me if I knew.”

  “I want to finish the inventory so I can get on with my life. Why don’t you join me?”

  “Sounds like a good idea. What time?”

  “Say ten or so. I’ve my run, breakfast and some chores here.”

  “I’ll be there.” Sarah walked to the door. “See you in the morning.”

  * * *

  Duncan strode up the street. He scowled. Had he really expected her to agree to come to the house? He hadn’t believed, only hoped.

  Thank you for dinner and the interesting entertainment.

  Was that all the weekend had meant to her? Maybe he’d come off a bit strong but his concern was valid and logical. He knew she didn’t trust Clive and wouldn’t let him into the apartment. What about tomorrow when she was alone in the shop? As she had said, Clive could ambush her there or during her morning run.

  So what do you plan to do? Lock her up and only let her out when you can be with her?

  He groaned. She would never agree unless he made the commitment he didn’t plan to make for years. He could lose her. He wasn’t sure how that made him feel. He cared more for her than any woman he’d been with. Did that mean she was the one?

  He pushed those thoughts aside, entered the house and stopped in the kitchen for a beer and a bottle of iced tea to stock the mini-refrigerator in his study. Once he reached his lair, he opened the safe and took out the letters Astrid had brought with the jewelry.

  After he read them, he knew why Madelaine and her cousin had fled. They’d been brave to leave with little money and no real skills, especially when Madelaine learned she was with child. She had survived long enough to give birth. Her cousin had made sure the baby was sent to his father.

  He read the first letter again. So Chester, his great grandfather’s cousins, had killed Madelaine’s father. Chester had left town. Had he followed the women or had he run to escape being caught?

  Duncan finished a beer, took a shower and turned on the television. He gazed at the bed and wished Astrid was here.

  We had sex. Call me when you find the netsuke.

  Was that all there had been? He rubbed his temples and stared at the screen. He watched the end of a Yankee game and caught the news. All the while, thoughts of Astrid stirred. He had to make a decision about her. Did she really love him, or was she only caught up in the dreams?

  He sat up. The netsuke. He recalled the small figure of a Japanese warrior. The beach house. The ivory carving had been among the toys he had played with on rainy days. Was it there? His grandfather had packed the toys away when Duncan had become a teen. They would be in the storage rooms above the garage. He would call Astrid and she could help him search.

  The next morning, he handled several business matters and wrote several scenes for his new book. He reached for the phone to call Astrid. The fax hummed.

  As the pages emerged, he scanned them. He shook his head. What was Clive planning? When they’d graduated, Clive had gone to work for a jeweler and had learned to evaluate gems. He’d traveled to Europe and then returned. Several times, he’d come under investigation when pieces he’d appraised had been discovered to be paste instead of jewels. He’d never been arrested because there’d been no proof he’d been responsible for the substitution.

  Duncan frowned. Had Clive been playing that game at Antiquities? What would happen if someone who had bought a necklace, bracelet or pin discovered the jewels were fakes. Lloyd would be held responsible. Duncan groaned. He had to tell Astrid about the latest development and they had to find a way to deal with Clive.

  When the last page emerged, Duncan sat on the couch to read the entire report. What a narrow escape, he thought. Lorna and Clive were married. Duncan shuddered when he thought of the scandal that could have erupted if he’d succumbed to her blatant overtures. A second tidbit shocked him. So Clive was really a Garrett, a direct descendant of Chester.

  He dialed Clive’s apartment and left a message. When he tried the man’s cell phone, he was shunted to voice mail. Would Clive respond to any of the calls?

  * * *

  At a few minutes before nine, Astrid entered Antiquities. She sealed and marked the boxes remaining from the street fair and carried them to the office. After opening the vault, she groaned. What had Clive been searching for? She would have to restore order and check the inventory she had begun.

  She printed the running list of articles purchased and sold since Christmas. She put the paper with the printed inventory list.

  At a few minutes before ten, Clive entered. Astrid frowned. Where was Sarah? Being alone with the assistant wasn’t her choice. He stood in the doorway. “Sorry about the mess.”

  She brushed past him. “You destroyed hours of work.”

  He shrugged. “There were things I needed.”

  “Such as.” “Doesn’t matter. I would stay to help but it’s my day off and I have a dozen things to do.”

  “Sarah said she would give me a hand. She should be here soon.”

  “Could you cut me a check? Lloyd should have added my name to the account.”

  “When you see him, you can ask. Why do you need a check?”

  “Some purchases I made at the fair and for some gems to repair a few pieces. Five grand should do it.”

  Astrid choked back a gasp. “Give me the sales slips.”

  He scowled. “Can’t you take my word? The slips are at home. Your father never questioned me.”

  “I’m not my father.”

  “How well I know.” His gaze roamed her body.

  She tensed. Was he about to make another unwelcome pass? “I’ll see Dad tomorrow and ask him how to handle the matter of such a large amount.”

  “Fine.” He strode to the door.

  Astrid returned to the vault and finished straightening the shelves. There were eight pieces missing. All were jeweled. Had they been put on display or sold? She heard the bell above the door and closed the vault.

  Sarah waved. “Sorry. I was tied up on the phone.”

  “I’ve finished the vault.” Astrid left the office. “Let’s work out here. You can call off the numbers and I’ll check the forms.

  When they finished, Astrid frowned. “The total of missing items had reached a dozen and all were of the more valuable ones. “Are you going to see Dad today?”

  “I’m leaving as soon as we finish. “I’ll
cheer him on with his exercises and have dinner with him.”

  Astrid retreated to the office. “Could you take these lists with you? There are eight pieces missing from the vault and four from the showroom. Some of them may have been sold. Dad and Clive are bad about paperwork.”

  Sarah nodded. “You’re absolutely correct about that. Sunday, I had to nag Clive to log the items he sold several times.”

  “Ask Dad about these items.”

  “Why?”

  “A hunch. I’ve been thinking about having the locks down here changed. I’ll explain why to him tomorrow. I haven’t told him about the apartment being searched.”

  “Want me to make the suggestion?” Sarah asked.

  Astrid shook her head. “I will.” The phone rang and Astrid took the call. “Antiquities.”

  “Astrid.”

  She gripped the receiver. Was Duncan going to push her again? “What do you want?”

  “I know where the netsuke is and it’s going to take a bit of searching.”

  “Where?”

  “In the storage room above the garage. Would you like to help?”

  “When?”

  “Say three. I’ve some business to finish. I’ll leave the gate open and meet you.”

  “I’ll be there.”

  At precisely three, she drove down the long driveway and parked beside Duncan’s car. He motioned her over and opened a door on the side of the garage. As she followed him upstairs, he flicked on the lights. Astrid looked at the stacks of boxes and the jumble of furniture and groaned. “We’ll be hours. You could have a perpetual garage sale.”

  He laughed. “Another of my grandfather’s traits. Never know when something will come in handy and if you’ve thrown it away, you’ll have to buy another.”

  “How do you expect to find a small ivory figure in all this?”

  “With luck, the boxes will be labeled.” He pulled one from a stack and set it aside. After examining four, he lifted a fifth. “Beach house. Duncan’s toys. This should be the one.”

  He carried the box to a table and slit the top. He and Astrid moved the contents. She gasped when she touched a cigar box. “Here, I think.”

  “Let me.” Duncan took the small container. “Don’t want you collapsing here. No room to stretch out. He searched through the contents. “Here it is.”

  “Let me see.”

  “Come to the house.”

  She followed him down the stairs and across the drive to the house. When they reached his bedroom, she kicked off her shoes and lay on the bed. She hadn’t planned to be in this room again. After she tripped in the past, would she be able to resist the temptation of finding comfort in his arms?

  “Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked.

  “Very sure.” She held out her hand and he placed the small carved figure on her palm. She closed her fingers.

  * * *

  The early days of summer heated the air but Hoshi felt cold and alone. Her father was dead. He had been betrayed by the man who stood on the other side of the bier. Saburo, who had forsworn the ways of the samurai and sought power in the emperor’s court. No one would accuse him but she knew.

  Why hadn’t her father broken the betrothal made just before her younger brother’s birth? In those days, Saburo had been a warrior-in-training and a perfect match for the daughter of a samurai. That was no longer true.

  She lowered her gaze and fought to keep from smiling. The step she was about to take would end that hated union. If her father’s death had come a lunar later, she would have been wed. She glanced at the suave man. His smug expression and the lust in his dark eyes made her ill.

  Hoshi fingered the netsuke warrior, once her fathers and now hers in trust for her younger brother. Keyoshi stood tall and proud at her side. In four years, he would be of age and stand as the head of the family. She would choose the best warriors and scholars for his teachers. He would be a great leader.

  She blinked tears from her eyes. This was no time to display weakness. Her grief would remain buried beneath the determination and anger she felt. Until her brother stood as the head of the house, she would put aside her woman’s life and stand as samurai. A rare choice but permitted when the heir was too young.

  With measured steps, she approached the bier. She lifted her father’s sword and held it aloft. “Those who are born must die. Those who meet must part. Samurai, here stands your heir, Keyoshi not yet of age. Thus I stand in his place until he is ready to hold this sword. Today I wear women’s clothes for the last time until my service ends. “Now, my father, you can depart in peace. Your grave is prepared.”

  She signaled the men. Holding the sword point up, she walked to the grave. Keyoshi matched her pace. Once the body was lowered, they returned to the house.

  Chika, nurse to Hoshi and Keyoshi, wept. “This is the saddest day.”

  Hoshi nodded. “Dry your tears, foster mother. Send Ishi with food and tea.”

  Keyoshi touched her hand. “Will you really stand for Father? Saburo will not like that. He is very angry.”

  “What he wasn’t does not matter. I will do my duty. Before your birth, I was the heir. Once we knew you thrived, I stepped aside as I will again.”

  “I will be as great a warrior as Father.”

  She nodded. “You will be greater for you will learn all the ways of leadership and the way to find treachery so no one can betray you as they did Father. Let us eat and remember him.”

  “I have much to learn.”

  “You will.”

  A commotion startled her. Saburo burst into the room. Two guards followed. “What foolishness are you about, Girl.”

  “Foolishness.” Hoshi rose. She wouldn’t remain in an inferior position before him. “I do what my father trained me to do.”

  He snorted. “He was a fool. You are a woman and no warrior. You are my betrothed.”

  “No longer. Would you care to test my skills with the sword? As I recall, I defeated you twice. Will you make it thrice?”

  “We were children and I knew not to harm a girl.” His eyes narrowed. “This house is weak. I would have brought safety. The emperor would have cast his shade over the house and n one would dare touch anyone who serves him.”

  Hoshi sucked in a breath. “This is a house or mourning. I am the one to decide what course we will take. You have no statue here. Return to the emperor. Leave us to our remembrances.”

  Saburo caught her hands. “You would have been my love. You would have shared any position in the court. Should matters change, I will not wed you but take you as my concubine for I would have you in my bed, not in men’s armor.”

  “Never. Leave and don’t return. The guards will not admit you.” She waited until he was gone before sinking onto the mat. Tomorrow, she would cut her hair and put her woman’s clothes away.

  * * *

  Hoshi spent the next day organizing the household. She put Chika in charge of the servants with Ishi as her assistant. She spoke with the guards and named the oldest as the leader. She found padded armor and had it adjusted to her size. Once her brother was settled for the night, she went to the garden.

  What would Keyoshi do if she died before he came of age? She must select strong med with ties to the house as his teachers and name them as guardians if she fell. Who had the knowledge, skills and honor? She considered a number of distant cousins and selected two. In the morning, she would send for them.

  The scent of summer flowers sweetened the air. She knelt before the massive black stone set on a sea of sand. Silently, she pledged herself to the heart of the house. She thought of what she must do tonight. The hilt of her knife dug into her palm.

  In this time of trouble, Fathers turned against sons and brothers against brothers. The cloistered emperor sought to walk in the world. What did he know of warrior ways? Yet, his ambitions had set her on the path she had to take.

  A rustling noise startled her. She gripped the knife and listened carefully to the changing soun
ds. Had Saber send an assassin? Her aging nurse appeared. “What is it?” Hoshi asked.

  “A man seeks the head of this family.”

  Who would intrude on a house in mourning? Surely word of her father’s death had spread through the city. “Did he ask for me by name?”

  “For your father. Should I send him away?”

  Hoshi wanted to say yes. The hour was late for a caller and she feared some plot of Saboro’s. Yet, as her brother’s guardian, she had to face all challenges. “Send him here and have the guards remain nearby. Pray he doesn’t come with a challenge. I’m not ready to face one.”

  Moments later, the elderly woman led a stranger into the garden. His richly embroidered silk robe spoke of wealth and ease. She frowned. Why had a courtier other than Saburo been sent? Did this man stand with or against her former betrothed?

  He strode toward her. Hoshi stared. Tall, broad-shouldered and lean. His face surely brought sighs to every woman he encountered.

  Their gazes meshed. She felt a jolt of recognition. Though she’d never seen him before, she knew him and her body responded to his presence with yearning. She tore her gaze away. How could she know he was the man she’d always wanted to find? While she maintained the honor of the house, there could be no man in her life. “Why have you come?”

  “To speak to the head of the house. Where is he?”

  “Here.”

  He frowned. “But you’re a woman.”

  Hoshi drew a deep breath. “My father was buried yesterday. Until my young brother stands here, I head the family.”

  “Then I greet you and am sorry for your sorrow. I have been away from the city and didn’t hear the news.” He bowed low. “Yemon, servant of the emperor.”

  Hoshi gestured to Chika. “Have tea brought.” She needed time to compose her thoughts. Why was she drawn to this man? She didn’t understand her response to his presence. Did he bring danger to her and the house?

  * * *