“What kind of punishment?” Calida asked suspiciously as Edric slid his hands to rest at her waist and her eyes widened when suddenly he began to tickle her causing her squeal with laughter.
The clerk hurried out of the back room hearing the noise and she stopped when she realized what was going on, and the man who took care of the jewelry peaked his head through the doorway as he stated, “They make a good couple.”
The clerk watched them for a few minutes noting how easily Mr. Walwyn smiled down at the woman in his arms and she said softly, “They do, don’t they? He looks better with that young woman than the other one.”
The man nodded his head briefly but she thought he muttered as he went back to his worktable, “The other is haughty if you ask me.”
The clerk frowned slightly at his words if she heard him correctly and she had to admit that he was right about his opinion of Miss Jenkins, but she shook her head as suddenly a ring case flashed out at her and she said, “Thank you.”
“Mr. Walwyn, ma’am,” she called out getting their attention and they turned to look at her both eyes still filled with laughter. “Here is the ring.”
She handed it out and watched as Edric opened the ring box before taking it out and sliding it on Calida’s finger with a light kiss to the top of hand once it was in place.
“Now we are engaged,” he told her huskily and Calida laughed as the clerk clapped her hands telling them ‘congratulations’ before she rung it up and Edric paid for it without hesitation.
Edric noticed the wedding band set as they were leaving the store and he reminded himself to come back later to get it as he slid an arm around Calida’s waist getting an answering smile from Calida.
As they drove away from the store, Edric flinched slightly as he said, “I have to go by the office as something came up that I need to take care of. That’s what the phone call was about, honey, and I’m sorry that it interfered in our day together.”
Calida nodded her head as she said, “You can drop me off at your house so you don’t have to worry about me getting in the way.”
Edric wouldn’t hear of it as he headed straight for his office and as they entered the office area, Mariah glanced up from her desk with a smile which widened when she saw Calida.
“Hi Calida,” she called out as she stood up handing the file to Edric with a wince. “Sorry to break into your day off, but they said it was urgent.”
Edric nodded his head and glancing through the file, he asked, “Can you keep Calida occupied while I check it out?”
Mariah nodded her head as Edric gave Calida a kiss on the cheek before strolling in his office as Calida said, “So is there anything I can help you with? I took some secretary classes in college although I don’t think I did well in them.”
Mariah laughed as she said, “I have a date tonight so any help you can give me would be appreciated.”
Calida nodded her head as they got to work and Mariah glanced up briefly at one point to watch Calida work before shaking her head because Calida underestimated herself as she worked better than some of the part-timers that Edric hired every once and a while when she was sick, and a thoughtful look came to her face as she went back to her own work.
They had been working for an hour when the elevator doors dinged and both Calida and Mariah glanced over when they heard high heels on the hardwood floors.
“Is Edric in his office?” Sophia asked not bothering to wait for an answer as she strolled to the door and opened it without knocking.
“He is busy…” Mariah started to call out only to be cutoff as the door shut on her words.
Calida glanced at the door before her eyes shifted down to the ring on her hand and Mariah frowned following her gaze, and her eyes widened as she recognized what it was.
“Calida…are you…” she stammered glancing over at the closed door.
“He asked, I said yes,” Calida told her, and Mariah’s frown deepened.
“But you’ve known each other for a few months at the most,” she told her softly, and Calida glanced over at her.
“How long have you known Tomas, Mariah?” Calida asked her although she continued what she was doing. “Because I’ve got the impression that you haven’t worked for Edric long.”
Mariah opened her mouth and closed it before she confirmed, “I’ve been working for Edric about six months give or take the times I substituted for his last secretary who retired. I met Tomas during my second month as Edric’s secretary although we had talked on the phone constantly due to work.”
Calida finished her work and asked, “If Tomas asked you right now if you would marry him, what would be your answer?”
Mariah flushed and hurried over to her desk not answering the question, but Calida’s chuckle told Mariah she saw the blush that covered her face and knew what her answer would be if that was to happen.
“So we are in the same situation,” Calida muttered her hazel eyes glancing to the door and Mariah was unaware of the look of sadness that flashed in her eyes before she blinked it away. “Anything else I can help with?”
Mariah nodded her head as Calida walked over to the desk both alert to any noises or sounds coming from the office as they continued working.
Edric glanced up when the door opened a smile on his face until he realized who it was and the smile shifted to politeness as he asked, “What can I do for you, Sophia?”
As she closed the door, Edric’s eyes hardened although he didn’t’ comment as she strode over to the desk and said, “Did you get the information from Charles?”
Edric nodded his head wondering how she knew when he saw the triumph in her eyes before she said, “We were talking about it over lunch and I made a few suggestions, and as I knew that you were in a hurry to get the information, I told him to call and send you the changes today.”
Therefore limiting my time with Calida, Edric thought, but the only thing he said aloud was “I appreciate your concern in my company, Sophia” as he continued going through the paperwork that Mariah gave him.
He read through it as Sophia made herself comfortable on the chair in front of his desk and when his intercom sounded, he answered it absently, “Yes, Mariah.”
“We were about to go down and get a drink from the cafeteria,” Mariah’s voice came through the intercom. “Would you and Miss Jenkins like anything?”
Edric frowned slightly as he said quietly, “I think someone should stay just in case” and he heard Calida say in the background, “Go ahead, Mariah. I can stay here and listen out for the phone.”
“Are you sure, Calida?” Mariah asked, and Edric saw the frown that crossed Sophia’s face and he mentally smiled at that tell-tale action.
“I can watch the phones,” Sophia said suddenly, and there was silence at her words before Edric spoke up.
“I appreciate the offer, Sophia, but Calida has already said she would do it. Mariah go ahead and get you something to drink,” Edric stated. “Bring me my usual and something for Calida too. Would you like something, Sophia?”
Sophia’s lips tightened in an angry line before she uttered, “A bottle of water.”
“Thank you, Mariah,” he said after Sophia said what she wanted. “Oh, and Calida, can you come in here with a notepad and pencil?”
“Of course,” Calida said although everyone could hear the confusion in her voice, and as Mariah took her hand off the intercom button she looked at Calida who shook her head a hint of uneasiness in her eyes.
“I think he wants you to go and protect him,” Mariah teased as she handed Calida a pencil and notepad.
“He doesn’t need any protecting, Mariah, and we both know it,” Calida told her with a laugh. “A bottle of water for me, too, although I prefer flavored if they have it which I doubt.”
Mariah nodded her head as she laughed and headed for the elevator while Calida stepped to Edric’s door which she knocked on before entering.
“You called for me, Edric,” Calida said stepping farther
in the room leaving the door opened as Sophia glared at her and Edric smiled.
“I need you to take a few notes if you can keep up,” he said to her a challenge in his voice and eyes.
“I can do my best,” Calida said giving him a steady stare as she walked over and sat down in the other chair in front of his desk.
Edric glanced back down at the file in his hands but what he said had nothing to do with the information he was reading.
“Depending on what kind of wedding you want, we need to start making a list,” Edric said without hesitation as Calida’s head shot up and Sophia sat back a smug smile crossing her face. “I would prefer a small wedding myself but I will go with what you prefer.”
Before Sophia could say a word, Edric was going on as he explained that he had some friends who did wedding planning if that was something they wanted to do and he continued talking as Calida made notes on the notepad.
Mariah was standing in the doorway with their drinks when he finally stopped talking and said, “I know a place that sells beautiful wedding dresses.”
Edric glanced over at Mariah in the doorway as he asked, “Did you get that number I asked you to look for?”
Before Mariah could respond to his question, Sophia waved her hand saying, “I will have my dress made instead of buying off a rack.”
They all looked at her as Edric said, “I didn’t know you were getting married, Sophia, but congratulations.”
Sophia’s brown eyes almost popped out of her head as she stared at him and asked, “Ric weren’t you planning our wedding? I mean, I can go with most of what you said but I prefer a big wedding myself so we may have to rethink that…”
Before Edric could say another word, Calida still making notes on the pad said clearly, “I want a small wedding.”
Edric glanced over at her noting the slight frown on her face and how she was nibbling on her lip telling him that she was thinking about something a habit he recognized recently that she had. “Good, then we agree on that at least,” he said with a smile as he closed the file and put it on his desk. “What about the flowers and where would you like to have the ceremony including the reception?”
Calida tilted her head lifting hazel eyes to him as she said thoughtfully, “You have that big yard so why don’t we have both of them there? We can decorate it with the colors we choose and I think I know someone who would love to cater it.”
Edric nodded his head shielding his eyes as Sophia said sharply, “Ric, what is she talking about?”
Edric and Calida both looked at her when Mariah said smugly walking over to them handing each of them their drinks, “Their wedding, Sophia, of course. Didn’t you see Calida’s engagement ring?”
Sophia’s head turned slowly to look at Calida’s hands and her eyes narrowed in anger as she saw the ring on her left hand. “What is the meaning of this, Ric?” She hissed at him.
Edric sat back in his seat as he said, “I asked Calida to marry me, Sophia, and I thought you would be happy for me.”
“I thought…” Sophia began only to stop when Edric frowned.
“We have been friends for a long time and I will admit that at one time, we were closer and I thought about asking you to marry me but we broke it off when that other man asked you,” Edric told her catching the sudden pallor that came to Sophia’s cheeks.
“Ric, it was a mistake,” Sophia told him and Edric sighed gently.
“You didn’t think so at the time, and I moved on afterwards although we stayed friends,” Edric told her not bother mentioning to her that when he considered marrying her it was because at that time, he didn’t care if he got married or who he married.
Calida didn’t move her eyes from Edric and she saw something flash in his eyes that made her think that something was eating at him and she said quietly, “Edric.”
He put up a hand and shook his head as he gave her a smile before returning his attention back to Sophia. “I hope that you will be happy for us, Sophia,” he said watching as Sophia pulled herself together.
“Of course, Ric,” she said letting a smile cross her face shielding the look that came in her eyes. “Congratulations, Ric,” she turned to Calida with a short pause, “Calida. I hope that you two will be very happy.”
She glanced down at her watch and stood up saying, “I have a dinner arrangement so if you will excuse me.”
She nodded her head and walked out of the office with unhurried strides but once inside the elevator her brown eyes flashed with anger and resentment as she stated angrily, “You won’t win, Calida, because I know that he doesn’t love you.”
She smiled grimly as she walked out of the elevator a few seconds later a hard light in her eyes as she headed out to her car where she sat for a few minutes before she made a phone call.
“Tomas,” she began before she forced herself to sob. “Why didn’t you tell me that Ric was going to marry Calida? I always thought he was going to marry me.”
On the other end, Tomas frowned as he said slowly, “At one time, he would’ve because he cared about you more than any other woman in his life. As for Calida,” he hesitated here unaware that his hesitation caused Sophia’s mouth to curve with triumphant as speculation flickered in her eyes, “maybe it won’t last. I mean, they’ve only known each other at the most two months so…”
His words trailed off but Sophia knew enough about Ric and Tomas to know that they were up to something as she sniffled, and said in a low voice, “So maybe I should just give him some breathing room as he may come to his senses soon, Tomas, is what you are telling me?”
Tomas merely grunted before he hung up the phone although he had a feeling that Sophia would be waiting in vain because although Edric was not admitting it to himself right now, he had feelings for Calida. Tomas shook his head as the fax machine beeped at him and papers begin to come through as he muttered, “I just hope, Ric, that you know what you are doing” as he walked over to get the fax he had been waiting from the investigator he hired to get some information on Calida’s parents.
Chapter 12
Later that evening, Edric went to his home office with Tomas to go over some work as Calida helped Ms. Welsh clean up the kitchen.
“We got the information about Calida’s parents today,” Tomas remarked as he closed the door behind him. “Nothing new was discovered about her father from the last time we checked and her mother was an enigma from what I’ve gathered from the reports. Her mother showed up here at the age of 19 and started working in the Larina’s restaurant after holding down a few part-time jobs. No one really knew who she was so I think they would be surprised to learn that she came from old money. Her parents had died a few years before she moved here, and other than an inheritance that her grandmother left her, most of her parents’ possessions went to an older cousin which I found to be odd.”
Edric going through the file said, “As their only daughter, Calida’s mother should’ve inherited.”
“That’s what I thought,” Tomas said walking over to the desk to lean against the edge. “Once the cousin received everything, he applied for guardianship of Calida’s mother and so she left moving here. From what is in that folder, once she left he gained control of everything not that it mattered because within six months the business he inherited bankrupted and he was broke.”
Edric glanced up with narrowed eyes as he said, “The business was in good standing and he had inherited over two million dollars.”
Tomas chuckled although his eyes were hard as he said, “Bad business choices and investments.”
Edric shook his head as he turned his attention back to the file reading as Tomas summarized the contents for him. Edric wondered if Mr. Reseda had known about the woman he was marrying, but nothing from the report indicated that he did, or if he did, then he didn’t use that knowledge to help him.
Edric had done his research on the Reseda family when he learned that his sister’s boyfriend had been Jeremy Reseda and he had to admit to being imp
ressed by what he learned about Mr. Reseda, Jeremy and Calida’s father. The man had come from ‘old money’ and yet when he inherited the business it was almost broke with poor quality. He turned it around to the thriving business that it was today and he frowned remembering what Calida told him the first night she spent here.
“How are the shares of Reseda Electronics?” He asked sitting down behind his desk the file still open in his hands.
“I don’t have all the information yet, but so far from what I have learned is that the file you received is more or less accurate,” Tomas told him. “Reseda Electronics has been losing support in the last ten years and I believe that the recent funding has been coming from illegal means.” He shook his head as he straightened from the desk and sunk down into the chair facing Edric. “There is no way to prove it though so we are at a standstill.”
Edric placed the folder on the desk as a thoughtful look came over his face, and he said slowly, “You remember about a year ago that man, a Gregory Robertson, approached us about some dirt he had on Jeremy Reseda.”
Tomas frowned but nodded his head as he added, “I also remember that you turned him down when we learned that at one time he was on Reseda’s payroll.”
Edric’s green eyes hardened at the mention continuing on, “I wonder if we shouldn’t take him up on that offer now.”
Tomas stood up as he said, “I will see if we can find him although he disappeared sometime after that I believe.”
Edric went quiet before he asked, “Do you still have those pictures he gave us?”
Tomas’s face went hard as he shook his head slowly. “They disappeared along with him not too long after he gave them to us. I don’t know what happened to them.”
Edric nodded his head although it lifted a few minutes later when a knock sounded on the door and he quickly closed the file in front of him calling out ‘come in’.
Ms. Welsh opened the door seeing the haunted looks in both of their eyes as she said looking between the two of them, “Calida made some brownies before going to take a shower. I’m going to bed myself unless there is anything else you need.”
Past Sins Revisited Page 16
