He caught her after she herded the twins into the dressing room. “Listen, if you don’t have the time to collect pinecones tomorrow, don’t worry. I’ll explain to Madeleine.”
Then Max waited, wanting her to take him up on his offer, but hoping she didn’t.
“A chance to walk along the Hudson on a Sunday?” She smiled. “I wouldn’t miss it. This is my vacation.”
He inclined his head, appreciating that she didn’t want to disappoint his daughter. A lot, in fact, because as he watched Madeleine twirl in the mirror, her excitement tangible, the sight grabbed him by the throat. She was so starved for a woman’s attention.
True, he’d made sure she’d had women in her life. Claire, whom he’d brought over from France and lived at Overlook with them. There was Rosie, Felicia’s mother, his own mother, Sarah, Riley, Caroline. And each of them fitted in as a small piece of the puzzle, but not one of them could replace Felicia.
Now here was Lily Susan, with all her savvy around the kids, who was both the woman he wanted and the woman he didn’t want.
He already had a family of businesspeople. He wanted a real family. That had always been part of the attraction to the Angelicas. He loved his own family, cared about each of them, but he wanted more than business and money to be the glue holding them together. And for one fleeting moment he’d had it, too.
He understood Madeleine’s attraction to Lily Susan. She was larger-than-life yet a kindred soul—an Angelica who spoke French and created magic. Max was sure the package couldn’t get any more attractive in his daughter’s eyes.
Even so, Lily Susan didn’t seem all that happy to him. Sure, she was ambitious and motivated enough to build an impressive business at a very young age. But she had sacrificed all the important things in life for the things that didn’t ultimately make people happy. Had she realized that after her ex-fiancé’s betrayal? Or did she think she was happy with her jet-setting, nonstop working life?
If she thought so, Max would have to change her mind.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
LILY GLANCED one more time at her BlackBerry display.
Wedding preparation is so much fun! Tasting yummy cake. Sipping lovely bubbly. Visiting amazing locations. Is there any place more beautiful than walking along the Hudson River on a brisk, sunny afternoon? There’s no place like home;-)
But she really wanted to tweet:
Mental exhaustion robs the joy from everything good in life. It muddles the senses, makes everything feel like a catastrophe and makes it damned near impossible to withstand the charms of even the most unsuitable of men. So skip whatever you’ve got on the agenda today. It’s Sunday. Take a long nap.
She pressed the send button then stared at the doorbell. She couldn’t bring herself to ring it. Not yet. All she wanted today was a little peace and quiet and a lot of pinecones. Was that really so much to ask?
The only thing working in her favor right now was the fact that it was Sunday, which meant she probably wouldn’t hear from her attorney. Or Lucas, either, with any luck, which she hadn’t had all that much of lately, admittedly. Scott had advised that the best bet was to have her attorney draw up a cease-and-desist letter to send to the hosting company of the blogging service. Once the company knew they were facing potential legal action, they would investigate what was written on the All About Angel blog and likely take it down.
A lot of phone calls and faxes later, Elaine had finally sent the letter. Lucas didn’t feel this action was nearly enough, as he’d told her during yesterday’s telephone conversation, but Lily didn’t care what he thought. She grilled him to find out if he was behind the All About Angel blog, but he’d called to let her know that he didn’t like being dragged into this mess by some random blogger and planned to file a lawsuit. He didn’t care that this blogger was trashing her reputation, but he cared now that he’d been dragged in. Panic seemed a natural response to impending fatherhood. Good old Lucas. Lily didn’t think his anger was an act.
God, she was tired.
She hit the doorbell. Within a minute the door opened and the butler appeared.
“Please come in, Ms. Angelica,” he said, stepping aside so she could enter. “Mrs. Downey asked me to let her know when you arrived.”
Lily opened her mouth to tell him she was actually here to see Miss Downey, but she would have had to raise her voice because the man had already retreated halfway across the reception hall.
Lily went into the adjacent salon. She’d always liked the double parlor arrangement of these rooms. They were actually two twin rooms—the drawing room on one end and the music room on the other, each flowing into the other through a wide archway with elaborate moldings. Lily had seen the design before, in Europe, New Orleans and other places that had now blended into memory. At least she still had the energy to appreciate decor.
She stopped in front of the French doors beside a marble fireplace. Forested acres of the estate blocked any view of the river from this part of the house. The vista here was wilder than most of the grounds, less manicured with the lawn melting easily into the forest. Untamed patches of shrubbery and fallen autumn leaves created small oases beneath the splintered sunlight from the trees overhead.
This place had once held such magic for her.
She’d planned a wild woodland wedding with attendants dressed as fairies on this very spot. She’d always been the bride in these elaborate ceremonies. And Max the groom.
Shoot. Her. Now. Even she couldn’t explain why Overlook had inspired her. She knew it wasn’t the stuff—the big house, the cars, the fancy furniture. Even now she wasn’t much of a stuff person. She had a nice apartment on the Upper East Side, but it wasn’t large by anyone’s calculation—especially not Lucas’s. But Lily loved the place. She had an amazing view of the park, and for the amount of time she spent there, her apartment suited her lifestyle. She didn’t even own a car.
Funny, but Overlook hadn’t diminished in her mind. She remembered the first time she’d visited her elementary school as an adult. The chairs had seemed teeny tiny and hallways that had once felt endless she suddenly crossed in a few strides.
But she could still look at these grounds and envision a thousand ways to create fantasies. Maybe her attraction came down to nothing more than that it was the first place that had opened her eyes to circumstances so different than those she’d grown up in, circumstances where anything and everything had seemed possible.
She supposed she had Max to thank for that.
He had bridged the distance between two very different worlds for Lily. If the heir to the Downey dynasty could sit on her living-room floor playing Nintendo with Joey or kill her dad at chess, then there was no reason why she had to wait for school field trips to visit grand estates like Overlook, or the Vanderbilt Mansion or President Roosevelt’s Springwood, no reason why she couldn’t reach for the stars and grab them.
“Lily, dear.”
She turned as Ginger swept into the room, a woman at one with her surroundings. She was understated luxury personified with her tailored pantsuit and stylish scarf.
“I know you’re here for an outing with Max and Madeleine. Everyone heard all about it at breakfast.”
From Madeleine, Lily assumed, since Max had seemed pretty eager to get her off the hook for the pinecone excursion. Was he as eager to avoid their chemistry as she was? There was no denying it when the air between them practically sizzled. She knew that’s all it was—physical attraction. She’d been alone since Lucas, spending all her time working. As usual. And Max was a very handsome, very charming guy whom she’d once fantasized about.
Was it really any wonder she responded to him? But she wasn’t looking for a fling. She wasn’t even looking for a man. She didn’t want to think about men—that only brought painful memories of Lucas and how poor her judgment had been. Sheesh. She could have married him and made the biggest mistake of her life. What had she been thinking? Lily didn’t know, but she’d learned her lesson the hard way
and she wasn’t about to make another mistake.
Felicia had died two years ago. As much as Max had adored his wife, he was still a man, and from what her mom had said, he hadn’t so much as dated since.
Still, she liked that Madeleine was so excited and was glad to have made the time for her. Maybe this could be her vacation. An afternoon vacation. Why not?
“I hope you don’t mind that I had James head you off, dear. There are some details I wanted to discuss and I didn’t want to hunt you down tomorrow when you’re already here now.”
Hunt down being the operative term, since Lily’s life sans bridal crew had degenerated into one of nonstop errands.
“Of course not.” She kissed Ginger’s cheek. “What’s up? No problems with the florist, I hope?”
For all the mock weddings she’d planned on these grounds in her youth, Lily didn’t possess the tactical expertise Ginger had entertaining in her own home, a resource she simply couldn’t overlook. And to Ginger’s credit, she’d been contributing as a part of the team.
“Come with me, dear, and I’ll show you.”
Ginger led Lily into the dining room and Lily immediately spotted the details up for discussion.
Both ends of the table had been laid out with formal place settings of the same china, silver and glassware. But the different centerpieces changed the entire look. One had the organic shades they’d chosen for the wedding—dusty violets, earthy crimsons, lush greens, blushes and creams. The florist had cleverly created a harvest arrangement with real eggplants, bunches of purple and red grapes set amidst crimson roses and lush greenery that was both colorful and rustic.
The second setting had only blush peonies swelling from crystal vases with wood accents and greenery. The display lacked color, was almost stark, but when set against the china, silver, crystal with the teardrop chandeliers above, the effect was rustic yet very elegant.
“Oh, my,” Lily said. “I see.”
“I knew you would. I know we’ve already chosen the colors, but when I got the florist here, I didn’t like the color on the table nearly as well as I thought I would.”
“That peony centerpiece is definitely simpler, but if they line the center of the tables with all the silver and crystal, the effect will simply be stunning.”
Ginger nodded. “I thought so, too.”
She went to the sideboard and retrieved two votive holders made of fragile clear glass. “If you agree with the peonies, then I think we should add these.” She set them on the table and lit both. “Lots of them sprinkled all the way down the tables. I like how they sparkle against the silver, and we’ll need the light. Trust me, this room will become dark after the sun sets.”
Lily folded her arms over her chest and imagined the dressed tables around the room. “I do trust you, and I think the room will be gorgeous. But what about the gallery for the cocktail hour? Can we use harvest centerpieces there? I really like this.”
A smile spread across Ginger’s face. “And that’s exactly why we’ve made such a good team all these years. Attention to detail. We’re kindred souls because that’s exactly what I was thinking.”
“Wonderful then. Let’s do it.”
Ginger was obviously pleased with the response, so eager to have her contributions acknowledged that Lily felt another pang for having ignored this location for so long. Even Mara came into the city on a regular basis for inquiry review meetings, and had the chance to feel as though she was a part of the Worldwide Weddings Unlimited family, even if her operation was limited in scope. Not so with Ginger. The renovation had been the first time that she’d had a chance to feel included for four years.
That said, Lily also knew the situation was complicated. While she’d known Ginger wanted to keep a hand in the office, there had been no way to know that Ginger’s involvement in the renovation would spark this interest to be involved in more than the financial aspects of their operation.
Lily hadn’t known because she hadn’t been around. There had been too much going on for so long. Was that why she hadn’t felt inspired in so long?
She took a deep breath when Ginger stepped out of the room to arrange with her butler to transport the harvest arrangement to the gallery.
She refused to stress out so early in the day, but that muscle below her eye was twitching again.
True, she was busy, but too busy? The only thing different in her life the past few years had been her involvement with Lucas. He’d been the perfect solution, the perfect opportunity to combine business with pleasure, to have a friend…well, a business partner with benefits.
To have a life.
That came at her sideways.
Lucas hadn’t been the perfect groom in any way.
“Have you made a decision about the ceremony yet?” Ginger asked on their way upstairs.
“No, but we’ve got to. We’re almost out of time. I think our best option is the double parlor. We could have the ceremony in the ballroom, but then we’ll be scrambling to set up the room for the reception during dinner. Not sure why we’d want to do that when I very much like the idea of Jamilyn and the wedding party making grand entrances down the staircase. Getting the musicians at a vantage where they can see the procession might be tricky, but— If only the weather was warmer. Every wedding I ever envisioned at Overlook involved the grounds.”
“We could even work with this weather,” Ginger agreed. “But in another month, even an unseasonably warm day will still be too cold for much time outdoors.”
Another month. With still so much to do. Her eye twitched again for good measure. The whole point of this outing with a little girl and her dad for pinecones had been to do something enjoyable while accomplishing something, too.
More combining business with pleasure.
All she’d done was work since she’d gotten home. Nonstop. No slumber parties with Caroline. No movie nights with Riley and the twins. No sit-downs with Joey to address whatever his beef was with her.
No time to visit Mike at the cemetery.
By sheer effort of will, Lily wrested her thoughts on track. “Which is why your idea about the gallery works. And if the weather is unseasonably decent, we’ll throw open the French doors in the double parlor and ease up our space restraints.”
“Invite the outside inside.”
“Exactly.”
Ginger slanted a sidelong glance and flashed that pleased smile again. “I’m glad you’re back, dear. You’ve been missed.”
Lily hadn’t expected such candor from Ginger and wasn’t entirely sure how to respond. She settled on honesty. “Thank you. And I’ve been missing all too much myself. I hadn’t realized it. Not until this visit.”
“You sound surprised, dear. You’ve devoted yourself to establishing your reputation and building your business. That sort of dedication comes with a price, but now you’re established. You don’t have the same demands on your time, and it takes time to notice that things are changing.”
Lily wondered if that’s what Ginger had been doing in her own life. Involved with her family, rearing children, keeping up with charitable endeavors and social connections. Then her boys were grown and starting their own families. That had freed a chunk of Ginger’s time. Was it any wonder she’d embraced the renovations with both hands?
After James had relocated the harvest centerpiece, Lily asked him to let Max and Madeleine know she would be with them shortly. She didn’t feel right about running so late, but she also didn’t feel right about rushing Ginger, who clearly needed some attention. And since she’d been making an effort to be part of the team, Lily suspected Max would agree that diplomacy was the better part of valor.
They went through all the details of the cocktail portion of the wedding before Lily finally headed to the drawing room, where she was greeted by Madeleine and the baskets.
“Bonjour,” Madeleine said, looking absolutely adorable dressed for their outing in a peacoat and matching beret.
“Bonjour, ma fille chér
ie. Please forgive me for running late.” Lily knelt and kissed the child’s upturned cheek in welcome and resisted the urge to explain.
Keeping an excited little girl waiting for business?
The very idea struck her as backward, and she couldn’t place the blame solely on Ginger’s shoulders.
Madeleine shrugged and ran to grab the baskets, leaving Lily to face her father.
She stood slowly, bracing herself to meet that striking gaze and those chiseled features. He looked kind of stoic but, sure enough, as if on cue, her insides sort of melted.
“Max.” She inclined her head. “Thanks for hosting.”
“So my mother got a hold of you.” Not a question.
“Just some decisions to be made with the floral arrangements. I should have asked her to wait until after our outing. I’m afraid I didn’t realize how long it would take.”
He shrugged. “You’re here now.”
Something about him was almost disbelieving. Why? Because he thought she’d actually stand up his daughter after accepting an invitation? Or because she’d accepted the invitation at all?
Lily didn’t get a chance to consider the answer because Madeleine was suddenly handing her a large wicker basket, and Max held out her coat.
“These gloves are for you so your fingers don’t get pricked,” Madeleine explained, the perfect minihostess and tour guide as she led them out the door into the brisk, and beautiful, Sunday afternoon. “I’ll take you to all the good trees. We have lots of them. Some have big pinecones and some have little ones. Which ones do you need for Camille’s wedding?”
That made Lily smile. “Actually we need both. Big ones. Little ones. Teeny tiny ones, too. We can use all sizes for our arrangements. And we need to remember some for the birds and squirrels, too. What size do they like?”
“Big, so they get lots of peanut butter.”
“Then we’ll make sure to give them the biggest ones we find.”
No Groom Like Him Page 13
