“I'll be sure to do that. Now—how are you feeling?”
“Never better. I was saving this little fact to tell you after you'd triumphed at the ball, but I might as well tell you now. I'm planning to arrive at Mar Vista on Monday to take over from you. At last you can get back to your normal life.”
Terry's lips curved in an emotionless smile. “Wonderful,” she said, forcing cheer. “I'll be looking forward to it.”
After hanging up she stared at the wall for a long moment. It was finally here. She would have to face reality.
She'd be leaving, and she would probably never see Rick again.
Desperately, she tried to think of ways to keep her father away, but good sense dampened those plans. There was no getting around it. The summer was almost over.
She was heavily involved in last minute preparations when Aunt Julia came whirling in from a trip downtown with news and could hardly wait to tell everyone. ““Well if this doesn’t beat all!” she exclaimed as she came in the front door. “Rick, you’ve got to hear this one.”
She sank into a chair and began to fan her warm cheeks with a piece of the mail she’d picked up. “I’ve just been down talking to Jennifer Thornton. Oh, I mean Jennifer Carrington of course. The pretty girl Reid married. The one who runs that cute gourmet shop.”
“Yes, I know who you mean,” Rick said impatiently, while Terry pretended to be looking for something in a desk drawer in order to have an excuse to stay and hear the news. “What happened?”
“Yesterday everybody was at Mickey Adams wedding to Robert whatever his name is.” She wrinkled her brow. “Now, why weren’t we invited?”
“We were,” Rick told her. “We didn’t go. I’ll have Yardley send a present.”
“Don’t bother,” Julia said, turning to include Terry in her dramatic presentation. “From what Jennifer said, everything was wonderful. Flowers everywhere. Roses at the ends of the pews. Lovely voices singing lovely songs. And then it came time for the ceremony. Everyone was sitting there, waiting. Robert and his best man were at the altar, along with the minister, waiting. The Wedding March boomed out. Everyone turned.” She paused for emphasis. “But no bride appeared.”
“What?” Rick frowned. “She didn’t show up?”
Julia nodded wisely. “Not only did she not show up. Neither did Tag Carrington. And his boat is missing from the marina.”
“Wow.” Rick looked dumbfounded. “Are they sure that’s where she went?”
Julia shrugged. “It appears likely. They say Tag took Meggie over to Matt and Janet’s and asked them to look after her for a few days. And then he took off with a determined look on his face.” She gave them both a significant look. “He hasn’t been seen since.”
“He kidnapped Mickey?” Terry guessed, shocked. Tag had seemed unhappy with the relationship Mickey had with Robert, but she could hardly believe he would have done something like that.
“Looks like.”
Terry shook her head and turned to search Rick’s eyes. “Do you think it was against her will?”
They all pondered that for a moment, then Rick shook his head. “Nah. She’s crazy about him. Always has been.” He shrugged. “I do think he probably showed up at the church and threw her over his shoulder, but I also think she was hoping against hope that he would do exactly that. She’s loved him for years.”
“So she went willingly,” Terry said softly, looking out at the blue sky. “Following her heart.”
“Well, Robert isn’t buying that,” said Aunt Julia. “He’s spittin’ nails and about to go after them himself because he thinks the police are dragging their feet.”
“Wow.” Rick looked at Terry. “That’s some story. Hope it comes out okay in the end.” He shook his head. “When you follow your heart, sometimes you end up sleepwalking off a cliff. Metaphorically speaking, of course.”
Terry turned to look at him.
“Mr. Cynical,” she murmured, but she had to admit, he could be right. After all, if she was to follow her own heart—yup, right off a cliff. She had to be more careful than that. Disaster lurked at every turn.
She was in her room a short time later when there came a knock on her door.
“Come in.”
Rick entered, holding a gown on a hanger. She looked up in surprise. “What's that?”
His smile was a bit wary. “Your dress for tonight.”
She rose. “But I'll have to wear something more conservative than that,” she told him quickly. “The butler...”
He hung the gown on a hook and tore away the protective plastic. She gaped at it. She'd never seen anything so beautiful before in her life. It was a swirling pastel confection of lace and taffeta. She'd never dreamed she would wear a dress like it.
“Oh Rick,” she breathed, walking up to touch it. “It's... it's...”
“It's yours,” he told her. “Wear it tonight.” The look on his face told her he had something else to say that he wasn't sure she was going to like. “I want you by my side, Terry,” he said softly. “I want you to enjoy the ball. So I've hired another butler to take care of things this evening.”
“What?” The full shock of his statement took a moment to register. After all she'd done! She'd planned this as the showcase for her success. Now he meant to take it away from her just at the crucial moment. “You can't do that!”
He drew her into his arms. “I'm doing it for you, Terry. I want everyone to meet you as you are and see you as a woman, not as a servant in my house.”
“But…all the work I’ve done! I wanted to show everyone I could do it and I did. Now you’re going to take my moment away from me?”
“No. Not at all.” His kiss was persuasive. “I just want you to be a part of the fun of it. Please, Terry. Do it—for me.”
His kisses always made her dizzy. She hated this, but at the same time, she wanted to make him happy. Wasn’t that the point of it all? “Can I still be in charge in case there are any problems... ?”
“Of course. But the man I hired will do the announcing and take the coats and all of that. I want you free to have fun.” His grin was warm. “I want to be able to dance with you.”
She had to admit it would look pretty funny to see the master of the house dancing with the butler. “All right,” she told him, carefully hiding her disappointment. “It might be fun at that.”
An hour later, while she was counting out silverware, Aunt Julia came breezing through the room, stopping only long enough to say, “Did Rick tell you?”
Terry sighed. “About the new butler? Yes, he told me.”
“No, about his grandfather. He's coming to the ball.”
Terry turned, horrified. “What?”
“He's arriving tonight. We're all in a tizzy. He always does things like this, you know. Never a word to anyone until the last moment!”
Julia spun away, leaving Terry to lean against the table, anger rising in her breast. Was that why Rick wanted to keep her “at his side”? He knew his grandfather was coming. He didn't think she could cut it with the old man around. And he wasn't about to chance it.
That hurt. She'd been doing a great job. She knew it, Rick knew it. Why didn't he trust her? She knew he was obsessed with having everything perfect when his grandfather arrived. But why didn't he think she could make it so?
She wanted to have it out with him, but there was no chance. Every time she found him, he was surrounded by others, usually workers hired to create the setting for the Waltz Away Ball.
The grounds looked marvelous. Gardeners and landscapers had worked for weeks laying out flower beds around the fountain, Viennese style. Carpenters had been working on the bandstand. Electricians had strung lights everywhere. Rented tables filled the dining room and its adjacent hall. Streamers and balloons decorated the balk room. Catering people swarmed in the kitchen, preparing light food that would soon fill the banquet tables. The ice sculptor had arrived and was awaiting the delivery of the huge block of ice he would transform
into a dolphin for the center of the punch bowl.
Even the new butler was in residence. His name was Percy Sinclair, and Terry was as gracious as she could be to him under the circumstances. But he had shifty eyes and she didn't trust him to take care of her ball. The culmination of all her work now rested on the shoulders of a hired man who perhaps looked more like a butler than she did, but wouldn't care the way she did.
Erica was turning out to be a big help, but Jeremy was constantly underfoot, and finally Terry asked Charles to take him into town for a few hours.
“What will I do with him?” Charles asked.
“I don't know. Buy him something to keep him busy.” Terry dug into the household money and handed a large bill to the chauffeur. “Just don't you dare bring him back until just before the ball begins.”
She went up to her room to put on her dress and fix her hair, and when she was finished she looked in the mirror and smiled with surprise. She looked gorgeous.
Rick thought so too. When she came down the stairway he looked up to catch sight of her.
“Wow,” he said, leaning close when she neared him. “I don't know if I dare leave you here alone while I run to the airport to get Grandfather.”
“Are you leaving now?” she said, and suddenly her heart was in her throat.
He nodded. “Charles has the car, so I'll pick him up in mine.”
“Oh.” She'd forgotten about that when she told Charles not to come back too soon. “I hope he likes to ride in sports cars.”
Rick shook his head. “Actually, he hates the things. But he'll have to make do this time.”
She regretted not having thought of that but she didn't have much time to worry. There were a thousand little details to be attended to in the last hour before the ball was due to begin. On top of that, the new butler was worrying her more and more. Though he looked the picture of English civility, she heard him speak to one of the kitchen help in language she didn't like, and when she came near him she thought she smelled liquor on his breath.
“You do understand there is to be no drinking on the job?” she asked sharply.
“Oh yes, Miss Yardley,” he responded. “I wouldn't think of such a thing.”
There was no time to do anything about it now. The guests were beginning to arrive. Aunt Julia and Erica formed the short receiving line and Percy manned the door. Terry made a quick pass of the ballroom, checking on everything. The orchestra had arrived and was tuning up. The lights were on. Excitement buzzed all around her. Stopping for just a moment, she tried to memorize how it all looked. She'd never been so proud of anything in her whole life.
Suddenly a voice called to her from the shadows of the veranda. “Hey, gorgeous. Save the last dance for me, okay?”
She spun and stared into a dark, handsome face that reminded her of Rick—particularly the impudent grin. He wore a tuxedo with an air of outrageous arrogance and his eyes shone with mischief.
“Johnny,” she guessed automatically.
“Give the little lady the prize cigar,” he answered. “And I'll bet you're Terry, the spoilsport who's made Angelina the loneliest lady in the trade.”
She flushed, wondering just how much Rick had told him. Then she remembered who he was and what he was interrupting. Rick had told Terry about relations between Johnny and Calvin Carrington. They were anything but cordial. In fact, Calvin had once gone for his shotgun while Johnny made a run for his car.
“What are you doing here?” she cried. “Did you know your grandfather is coming?”
He paled visibly. “No kidding?” He grimaced. “Do you suppose he'll toss me out on my ear in front of everyone?” Considering for a moment, he shook his head. “No, probably not. He is getting on in years, and he might not be able to throw me as far as he used to. I'll bet he'll hire soldiers to string me up at dawn. What do you think?”
“I think you should get out of here while the getting is good.”
He pursed his lips and shook his head regretfully.
“Sorry, old sport. Can't be done. Gotta face the music sometime, and it might as well be now.”
Now? In the middle of the Waltz Away Ball? Terry's heart fell, but she couldn't argue. Guests were beginning to arrive, and as she turned from Johnny she saw the limousine drive up, so she hurried to the side entrance to greet Jeremy.
What she found when she opened the door was one very excited little boy, and four wire cages full of very colorful, very hysterical little birds.
“What's this?” she demanded of Charles, who was already retreating toward the garages.
“You said to buy him something,” Charles called over his shoulder. “There was a tropical bird shop having a going-out-of-business sale and Master Jeremy fell in love with all the birds. ...”
“Where are we going to put them?” she cried.
“My room!” Jeremy answered.
“No way. We'll put them in my room. No, that's no good, either.” She was sharing her room with one of the maids for the night. “Rick's room. It's the only one off limits to everyone else.”
She snagged a couple of footmen who’d been hired expressly for the ball and told them where to take the cages, sent Jeremy up to have a bath, and hurried back to see how things were going in the receiving hall.
The orchestra was playing a lovely Strauss waltz. Aunt Julia and Erica had formed an informal receiving line and were happily greeting guests, seemly having a fine time. Terry smiled at them tentatively, wondering if they were okay with her being in a beautiful gown instead of butler wear, but Julia didn’t seem to mind. She motioned for her to join them and linked arms with her.
“I want you to meet Rick’s sister, Shelley,” she said, smiling as she waved at the slim blond who was approaching on her own. Shelley gave them all a wide grin and Terry liked her immediately.
“I’ve got such great news!” she told them after shaking hands with Terry. “I just heard from Kathy in Rome. She won!”
“She won?” Aunt Julia looked thunderstruck. “Oh my goodness. And everyone has been saying all summer that she was just too old.”
“I know,” Shelley said happily. “I’m just so proud of her.” She looked at Terry and explained. “She was a swimming star twelve years ago. She won a bronze medal in the Olympics. For her to try to do it again at this age is really unusual. She worked so hard.” She made a face, shaking her head. “I wish I’d taken the week off and gone to see her do it myself. It’s such a sensational accomplishment.”
“Give her our congratulations,” Terry added to the general celebration as everyone around them repeated the news. “Rick told me about what she’s been going through. I’m so glad all her hard work paid off this way.”
But Aunt Julia was frowning. “Shelley my dear, I’m surprised to see you without an escort. I’d heard there was a handsome man in your life these days.”
To Terry’s surprise, Shelley turned beet red. “Who told you that?” she muttered, but she didn’t wait for an answer. “I see Janet and Matt over there,” she murmured vaguely, edging away. “I ought to go say hello.” A quick smile, and she was gone.
Reid Carrington arrived with his very pregnant wife Jennifer and there were hugs all around. Terry was introduced to all kinds of Carrington cousins, most she'd never heard of before.
Julia and Calvin's youngest brother John, who everyone seemed to call the Colonel, was especially friendly. An old charmer from way back, he had a twinkle in his eye as he looked her over. The handsome males from the Carrington clan seemed to span all ages, and quite a few of them had managed to make it to the ball tonight. She met a tall, gorgeous businessman named Rafe, a gallant and especially friendly airline pilot named Scott, and impeccably dressed Ross, who she vaguely remembered having met in her younger days. They all seemed to be able to accept her as a butler, so that was a relief. She secretly speculated that Julia had prepared them for the surprise ahead of time.
She was beginning to feel more comfortable. No one seemed to find it s
trange that she would be welcoming guests as though she were one of the family. She was actually beginning to relax, when Erica motioned for her to come close and whispered, “There's something wrong with that butler.”
Terry looked over at the doorway, and sure enough, something was wrong. Percy was greeting guests with exaggerated elegance, and he seemed inordinately interested in the brooches decorating the front of some women's gowns. As Terry watched he leered lustily right down the cleavage of one especially buxom lady, causing her to start back in surprise, and her husband to glare warningly.
“Oh, no,” Terry moaned. She could see the flat bottle bulging in Percy's back pocket. The man was obviously sneaking sips of liquor when no one was watching.
But before Terry could speak to the butler there was a crisis in the kitchen and she ran to stop an argument between Anatole and the caterer. When she returned to the ballroom something strange had happened. The orchestra seemed to have developed swing tendencies and had picked up a vocalist. Johnny was singing, Frank Sinatra style, and all waltzing had come to an abrupt halt.
“What is he doing?” she hissed to Aunt Julia.
The woman shrugged and laughed helplessly. “That's Johnny for you. My brother is going to kill him when he arrives.”
And, right on cue, Rick's sleek car pulled up before the front door.
From then on things happened so quickly, Terry never did straighten out exactly what took place. Suddenly Rick's grandfather was standing in the doorway, looking more like an Old Testament prophet than an ancient captain of industry. His face had turned wrathful as he stared down at Percy-—who was passed out on the entryway floor.
The next moment everyone was screaming as a flock of tiny, colorful birds swooped into the ballroom like a fighter plane squadron in attack formation. Ladies ran for cover, protecting their hairdos. Gentlemen lost their cool, batting at the poor little birds as they flew by in confusion. The punch bowl went over, sending the ice dolphin skidding across the ballroom floor, and then everyone was falling, slipping in the punch, or knocked over by others trying to escape the birds.
Promoted to Wife (Destiny Bay) Page 16
