Dixie Virgin Chronicles: Joanna (Book 6)

by Webb, Peggy

  Joanna

  From: Molly

  To: Joanna, Janet, Clemmie, Bea, Catherine, Belinda

  Re: Heart

  When I got back from Paris, Sam and I set sparks off each other the minute we saw each other. I think a reaction that strong is almost always the beginning of love. Whatever you do, just don’t stop being yourself.

  Molly

  From: Janet

  To: Joanna, Molly, Clemmie, Bea, Catherine, Belinda

  Re: The married ones

  I think you may be getting ahead of yourself because you just spent some time with us, and five of us are happily married. Listen, Joanna, you’re young and just now out of school. Decide what you’re going to do first. Even if you’re falling love, it will wait.

  Janet

  From: Belinda

  To: Joanna, Janet, Molly, Clemmie, Bea, Catherine,

  Re: Pshaw!

  Why wait? Sex is FABULOUS!!!! And every one of us swore we wouldn’t open the gates to Virginia until we had a ring on our finger. Speaking of fingers, mine are crossed that I don’t get my period! Meantime, Reeve and I are still keeping the bed hot!

  Belinda

  From: Bea

  To: Joanna, Janet, Molly, Clemmie, Belinda, Catherine

  Re: Sex

  I know I’m the one who wrote Rule Four, and I know it worked for five of us already, but I’m wondering if it’s time to release Cat and Joanna from that pledge. I mean, really, Joanna, if you just went out and had a little fling, I think your Virginia would settle down and you could get your mind off marriage and back on what you’re going to do now that you’re out of college. The last thing you need is to find yourself married and dependent on a man until you’re able to stand on your own two feet. Dang, girlfriend! You don’t want to have to ask a husband for money every time you need the least little thing! Even if he is filthy rich like Kirk.

  Bea

  From: Clemmie

  To: Joanna

  Re: Peppertown

  Joanna, living in the house with Kirk and not knowing whether you love him is bound to be driving you crazy. Why don’t you come over to Peppertown and stay a while. I have two empty rooms in the boarding house, and I’d love to have you!

  Clemmie

  From: Catherine

  To: Joanna, Belinda, Clemmie, Janet, Molly, Bea

  Re: Buy shoes

  Go out and buy a cute pair of shoes, Joanna, and then forget about everything! You are so lucky to have the luxury of just letting life unfold. Me? If I don’t get a job soon, I’m going to end up back in New Orleans with Mother! She’s still driving me crazy about that Wainwright dude. Ugh!

  Cat

  Feeling better already, Joanna opened one of her magazines to an articles titled Take the Love Test.

  o0o

  Kirk had no clear-cut plans. All he knew was that he had to get out of the house. Dancing with Joanna had made him all too aware of her as a woman. He feared the situation would become explosive if he stayed near her for the rest of the evening.

  He dressed quickly, then picked up the phone. He’d call Marsha. Maybe even spend the night with her. They’d had a pleasant affair since his divorce, though it had been nothing to set the world on fire. In fact, the affair had quickly fizzled to an easy friendship. Sex hadn’t been a part of their relationship in nearly a year. Still, they were comfortable with each other. Tonight, if things should lead to the bedroom, he’d certainly not object.

  He dialed three digits of her number, then slammed the phone receiver down. What kind of selfish brute was he? Using one woman to forget another? Two wrongs didn’t make a right. He was wrong to be feeling anything except protective toward Joanna, and he was equally wrong to be thinking of taking his sexual frustration out on Marsha.

  He jerked off his tie and flung it across the bed. If he’d had a punching bag handy, he’d have pulverized it. He felt trapped, helpless. It was a feeling similar to the one he’d had during his marriage to Trixie. And it was a feeling he hated.

  He strode from his room and down the stairs. When he picked up the Lincoln keys, he noticed the ones to the Oldsmobile were missing. Joanna had probably taken them. Who could blame her for leaving? He’d certainly provoked her. It was too late to do anything about that now. He’d let that get out of his control, too. If she did anything drastic, he’d have it on his conscience.

  As he got into the Lincoln, his whole body felt tense, even his scalp. His mood matched the murky damp weather that had settled in after the rain. He was fit company for neither man nor beast. The best thing he could do was hole up somewhere, like a sick man in quarantine.

  He turned his car toward the all-night drive-in movie.

  o0o

  Joanna failed the love test. That made her so depressed she carried her magazines to the kitchen in search of food. Suddenly she had an intense longing for her mother—for her love, her approval, her presence. She longed for an ordinary mother-daughter relationship. But Laura was gone—in Rome, according to her last postcard. Joanna pretended that didn’t matter, either.

  She made herself a huge bologna sandwich, one with plenty of mayonnaise and lettuce and pickles. Then she spread her reading material across the kitchen table and settled in for a crash course in romance.

  Never had she known there were so many ways to please a man. And all of them were set forth as rules. Her dander rose immediately. She hated rules. Some of them made sense, though. For instance, she could understand how looking one’s best would please a man, or anybody else, for that matter. But she’d be darned if she knew why mending a man’s underwear was so all-fired important. Why didn’t he just throw the ratty old things away and buy some new ones? Or mend them himself?

  The suggestions for pleasing a man in the bedroom excited her imagination. Some of them even made her blush. She flipped quickly past those pages.

  “No sense in trying to master all that stuff, Rags. I have to catch him first.”

  Her conversation didn’t even wake Rags from his dream. He lay in his dog basket, legs twitching in imitation of chasing a rabbit.

  Joanna turned back to her research, cocking her head occasionally to catch any sounds indicating Kirk’s return. The nighttime creakings of the house were all she heard.

  Around midnight Joanna moved her stack of magazines upstairs. She read an article called “For Whom the Bed Tolls” while she was in a tubful of bubbles. Then she dressed for bed and fell asleep over “Six Easy Lessons for Vamping a Man.”

  o0o

  Kirk studiously avoided Joanna the rest of the weekend. He kept himself fully occupied until Monday, working and running errands—even inventing them when necessary. And then he could no longer avoid her. When, he came down to breakfast, she was dressed and ready to go to work at Deerfield Manufacturing.

  “You’re up early, Joanna.”

  “I wanted to make darned sure I didn’t miss you. You’ve been a phantom all weekend.”

  “I’ve been busy. Have you had breakfast?”

  “Yes. Rose was already here when I got up. She’s made some for you, too.”

  “Join me and we’ll discuss business.” As she sat down he noticed that she’d passed over her usual flamboyant outfits, brightly colored sundresses and rows of bangle bracelets, in favor of a simple navy-blue linen dress with a white collar. “You look nice today, Joanna. Very appropriate.”

  “I’m not sure I like appropriate, but I do want to make a good impression on my first day at work.”

  “You know the terms of Grandfather Deerfield’s will?”

  “I vaguely remember them. I’m not sure I understand it in connection with the business, though.”

  “Deerfield Manufacturing is a closed corporation. I own fifty-one percent; you own forty-nine. I’m the designated manager, in perpetuity, with full voting control of your stock until, in my judgment, you are capable of voting your own.”

  “That could be never.”

  “Exactly.”

  She was thoughtful
for a moment. And when she spoke, he was pleasantly surprised at her attitude. “Grandfather Deerfield was a wise man. He knew that you’d protect my interests as zealously as you’d protect your own. I’d be foolish to think I could waltz into Deerfield and start giving orders simply because I’m part owner. I may be young, Kirk, but I’m not dumb. I want to learn, not take charge.”

  “Then I’ll teach you. And I want you to feel free to suggest changes and improvements. You are one of the owners. I believe any company benefits from innovation.”

  Kirk relaxed for the first time since she’d shown him the slow dance. Where business was concerned, he was in full command. There was nothing mysterious or frustrating to him about Deerfield Manufacturing. In that familiar and comfortable territory, he could handle anything, even teaching Joanna.

  After they’d arrived at the plant, he gave her a complete tour, introducing her to the employees and explaining their product lines. He noted with satisfaction that she listened carefully and asked intelligent questions. And he took pride in the employees’ reactions to her. She charmed them, which didn’t surprise him in the least.

  Back in his suite of offices, he introduced her to his private secretary.

  “I’m going to put you in the hands of Karen—at least for a few days. She knows everything that goes on, and she can help you get a feel for the business.”

  To Karen, he said, “As you know, Joanna is the other stockholder. Confidentiality is no problem.”

  “You leave everything to me, Mr. Maitland. I’ll take good care of Miss Deerfield.”

  “If there are any problems, I’ll be in my office.”

  “Call me Joanna,” he heard her say as he closed his door. Everything was going to work out fine, he decided.

  Joanna took an immediate liking to Karen. She was tall and slim and efficient-looking. She fairly sparked with energy. With her long legs, long face and trim gray hair, she reminded Joanna of a greyhound who was a veteran of the racetrack.

  “I hope you have a magic wand to wave over me. I’m afraid I’m totally ignorant of anything connected with business. Especially bookkeeping.” She wrinkled her nose at the computer open to a spreadsheet on Karen’s enormous polished desk.

  “We’ll master those in no time flat.” Karen took Joanna’s arm and led her to a small table. “We’re going to start small and work up to the big stuff. We keep hard copies in these files. I’m going to explain my filing system, then I want you to read this correspondence before you file it. That way you can learn a little of what goes through this office. Later on I’ll have a personal computer sent up for you so you can really get your feet wet.”

  Joanna worked hard. She was determined to learn as quickly as she could. By the end of the day she’d made three discoveries: her background had left her abysmally unprepared for big business; her artistic nature rebelled at so much scheduling and precision; and Kirk was a dynamo, cramming so much work into one day that she rarely saw him except when he passed through the reception area of his office suite.

  By the time the day had ended, Joanna was exhausted.

  Even Kirk noticed. As they walked to his car, he noticed that her usual jaunty step was missing. “Poor baby. You’re tired.”

  She leaned her head back against the seat. “I’ve never worked so hard in my life.” She sat quietly while he started the car and headed out of the parking lot toward home. “I don’t think I can move, let alone eat.”

  “I’m sorry the day was so long for you, Joanna. Tomorrow we’ll go in separate cars so you won’t have to wait until my conferences are over.”

  “Do you work until eight o’clock every day?”

  “Not every day.”

  “But most?”

  He grinned. “Yes. I thrive on challenge.”

  He seemed to thrive on hard work, too, Joanna thought as the car pulled into Meadow Lane. He seemed as full of vitality as he’d been that morning. She didn’t understand how he could do it. She felt that her legs could barely carry her into the dining room.

  Rose had left dinner for them. The sight of the crystal and china, sparkling against the snowy tablecloth, and the delicious aroma of lobster Newburg restored her spirits.

  Joanna ate her meal with gusto. Watching her, Kirk laughed.

  “I thought you were too tired to move.”

  “Food always revives me.”

  “I’d forgotten that.”

  “There are a lot of things you’ve forgotten. Chess, for instance. We haven’t had a good game since I got home. Let’s play after dinner.”

  “Sorry. I have work to do.”

  Up until now she’d thought his work at home was necessary. But it suddenly occurred to her that he might be using it as a means of escape. She wasn’t naive enough to think he needed to escape from her, but she wondered if he felt the need to escape from relationships in general. Maybe he was carrying some scars from his marriage to Trixie. Privately, Joanna had always thought she was a witch. She remembered that Kirk had described himself as being a boring husband. That witch had probably done something to make him think so. Or maybe Marsha, that ice-cool lawyer number, was giving him some trouble. Her concern for him overrode the usual surge of jealousy she felt when she thought of Marsha.

  Joanna sighed. Whatever her other feelings for Kirk were—and she’d be darned if she could figure it all out— first and foremost, she was his friend.

  “Do you want to talk about something, Kirk? You can tell me anything.”

  Her reward was the pleased expression on his face. “That’s always been true, hasn’t it, Joanna?”

  “Yes.” She reached across the table for his hand.

  He lifted her hand to his lips for a brief kiss, then released her. “Thanks for the offer, but not this time. This is something I have to work out by myself.”

  “Then, do you mind company tonight?” She saw the strained look on his face, and before he could say no, she hurried on. “I have a good book to read. If you don’t mind, I think I’ll bring it to your study.”

  “I always enjoy your company, Joanna, but...”

  “I’ll be quiet as a mouse. I promise.”

  He stood up. “When you turn on that high-voltage smile, I can never deny you. Bring your book into my study.”

  It was so late, Joanna decided to bathe and dress for bed before she joined Kirk. Anyway, reading always put her in the mood for sleep. On the other hand, baths usually woke her up.

  She poured bath oil into the tub—jasmine, her favorite—and soaked in the bubbles for a while. Then, humming a jazzy tune, she put on her gown. It was black with alternating panels of lace and satin, and it fit like sin on a fallen angel. The matching robe was designed for beauty, not for cover. Joanna loved pretty, feminine clothes, and she adored the feel of satin against her skin. She was smiling when she picked up her book and started for the door.

  Suddenly a line from the magazine article about vamping your man came to her: “Always dress as if sex is the ultimate goal.”

  Her hand faltered on the doorknob. Although she hadn’t consciously set out to vamp Kirk, she was certainly dressed for the part. Deep down, was that what she wanted? Even Bea, the staunchest independent in the group, had suggested Joanna break the dreaded Rule Four.

  She remembered the way she’d felt when she and Kirk danced. She recalled the pleasure of his kiss. Of course, she’d initiated the dance and goaded him in to the kiss, but that didn’t change her feelings. She’d felt gloriously happy and content. She’d felt warm inside, as if a shining flame had been lit next to her heart. And she’d felt a strange, exciting tension, as if her body knew something her mind did not.

  Joanna pressed her hands to her temples. If she really knew what falling in love felt like, she’d say that’s what was happening to her. All the reasons she shouldn’t fall in love with Kirk Maitland came pouring into her mind. They were separated by more than age; they were separated by life-styles. He was so straitlaced and business-like that her harum-
scarum ways would drive him crazy. He needed somebody sophisticated and settled. In addition to all that, she was his cousin—not blood relations but in his eyes and in the eyes of the world. Psychologically, they would have to make a quantum leap to overcome that relationship.

  She felt like crying, but what good would that do? Self- pity was a waste of time. Besides, Kirk was downstairs waiting for her. If she didn’t show up he’d probably stalk upstairs like some great jungle beast to find out what was going on. There was only one thing to do: try to stop falling in love before it got out of hand.

  Joanna pulled off her black lace robe and substituted the old blue terry-cloth one. It was just as well that she could never have Kirk. He was too domineering. She certainly didn’t intend to be bossed around the rest of her life.

  Picking up her book, she marched resolutely downstairs to Kirk’s study. Then she pushed open the door and went inside—bravely, as if she were accustomed to facing lions.

  o0o

  When she came through the door, the first thing Kirk noticed was the scent of jasmine. The heady fragrance sparked such a burst of desire within him that he was thankful to be sitting behind his desk. The brief glimpse of black satin and lace hanging below the edge of her robe didn’t help, either. Fighting for control, he took a deep, steadying breath.

  She glided silently by, never even glancing his way. It was just as well. He feared his face might have given him away.

  With an effort he dragged his mind back to the project on his desk. From time to time the fragrance of jasmine wafted to him across the room, compelling him to glance up. Joanna was sitting in the wing chair, her head bent over a book. Finally the brief glances weren’t enough. He looked up from his work and frankly studied her. True to her word, she was being quiet as a mouse. There was a dignity in her silence that he’d never noticed before. There was tranquility, too, the kind of peacefulness a man could enjoy.