by Regina Duke
Vicky approached the desk. “Dolores is still asleep. You may want to call her doctor for an update on her condition.” She pulled a collection of pill bottles out of her pants pockets. “These were on her dresser.”
“Oh, great.” He sagged in the chair.
“It’s not your fault, you know. She sent you away. Now she wants you back. She hasn’t been filling you in on all the details of her life. Maybe she told your Aunt Grace what was going on?”
“If she did, Grace kept it to herself.”
“Grace must be sad to see you return to Eagle’s Toe, after losing her husband and all. How lonely for her, having you way up here.”
Jason’s eyes lit up with an idea. “Vicky, you’re a genius.”
“I am? What did I do?”
“You reminded me that I’m not in this alone.” He took out his cell phone and hit the speed dial for his Aunt Grace.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Vicky attended to Dolores after she woke up. Having rested a bit, Dolores demonstrated why Gloria had called her a war horse. She was cantankerous and bossy. But none of that bothered Vicky. After all, hadn’t she survived a childhood with two people who could be described with those same words? She merely smiled and artfully changed the subject whenever Dolores tried to drill her on her relationship with Jason.
As a matter of fact, she was wondering about that herself. She couldn’t help but be attracted to him, and she knew it was a lot more than the monetary offer he’d made her. He was, after all, an extremely handsome man. Just like his father, as so many Eagle’s Toe residents had remarked. Vicky helped Dolores tidy her hair, blocking out most of the woman’s complaints. After all, she was incredibly rich. How much complaining could a billionaire do?
“What is he doing now? Doesn’t he know I have things to tend to?”
“Jason? He’s arranging some household matters. Wouldn’t you be more comfortable and safer here if your cook moved back in?”
Dolores peered at her reflection with a critical eye. “I shouldn’t have napped in these clothes. Now they’re wrinkled.”
“Don’t you have a maid who could help with that? Press something fresh for you?”
Dolores snorted. “My maid retired. The nerve. Retirement. I’m older than she is, and I’m still chugging along, aren’t I? She wanted to spend time with her husband. Travel the world. A waste, I tell you. If they can afford that, I was obviously overpaying her.”
Vicky’s eyes widened in surprise as she realized Dolores was talking about Madlyn’s mother. “Her husband worked, too. They probably saved and scrimped all their lives to be able to take one cruise.” She couldn’t help but defend them.
“Can you do a French braid? I want my hair in a French braid.”
“No problem. I can do one with my hands behind my head.”
Dolores frowned a question at her.
Vicky smiled. “I fix my own hair and I often wear one. I think it would be a great idea to find you another personal maid. What’s the use of having all the money in the world if you can’t pamper yourself?”
Dolores nodded. “That’s exactly how I feel.”
“Then why did you cut back on everyone’s hours?”
“Gloria talked me into it. She said my household account was dwindling, said I had to cut back.”
“Don’t you have a CPA? A banker? Surely, they’re the ones to decide how your accounts are faring.” Vicky combed gently through Dolores’ white hair.
“Why, yes, of course, I do.” Dolores sounded like the idea never occurred to her.
Vicky smiled. “Perhaps Jason could check on that for you.”
“Yes, good idea. It will all be his someday, so he should start playing a bigger role. Settle down, get serious, instead of running off to fly those dangerous planes. Just like his father.”
Vicky was making quick work of the French braid. “Almost done here. May I ask a question?”
“I suppose. Can’t guarantee I’ll answer it.” As the day progressed, Dolores’ mind seemed sharper.
“I haven’t seen any photos of your son and daughter-in-law. Do you keep them in a private room?”
Dolores’ eyes grew wet. Vicky could see them in the mirror. But before tears spilled over, the old woman grabbed a large barrette from the dressing table and jabbed it in Vicky’s direction. “That’s enough fussing with my hair. Pin it with this, and go downstairs and fetch me some tea. And a cookie. Just one, mind you. I have to watch my figure.”
Vicky fastened the barrette in place. “All right. I’ll be back in a flash. Jason is in the next room if you need anything.”
“It’s about time he got serious about the family business. What time is it? My party planner is supposed to be here at five to give me an update on preparations for the ball.”
“It’s only four. Plenty of time for a cup of tea.” Vicky left the bedroom, but detoured next door to tell Jason where she was going.
He was just hanging up the phone. Again. The legal pad in front of him was covered with numbers, times, and notes.
Vicky kept her voice low because the adjoining door was still ajar. “Jason, your grandmother wants tea. I’m headed down to make it. Can I bring you some?”
Jason leaned back in the chair and ran a hand through his gorgeous hair. Vicky hadn’t paid much attention to his clothes earlier, but now that she’d met his grandmother, her attention was drawn to Jason’s tidiness. His jeans were pressed with a seam down the front. She wondered if his aunt Grace did that for him.
“I would love some tea. And find some cookies or something. A sandwich sounds good.” Then he caught himself. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be bossing you around.”
Vicky drew herself up and pretended to be offended. “No, you shouldn’t. We haven’t signed the paperwork yet. I’m not your employee or your wife until we do that.” She tipped her nose in the air and lifted the back of her hand to her forehead. Then she checked his reaction out of the corner of her eye. “Too over the top?”
“Yeah, just a little.” But he smiled.
“I think I can rustle up a sandwich,” she said. “I wanted to let you know that your grandmother has been maneuvered by that Gloria woman into letting the staff go. She was told her household accounts are lacking. And she actually sounds pleased that you are here to handle things. She seems to think it’s about time.”
Jason’s brow crinkled in puzzlement. “I just don’t understand her at all.”
Vicky drew near and lay a hand on his shoulder. “I have a suspicion about her behavior. Not just her confusion today. She’s perking up now, sounding more in control. She remembered that her party planner is coming at five.”
“Yes, I saw that on her calendar.”
“Is your aunt Grace coming?”
“It took some doing, but once I promised a town car would pick her up, take her to the airport, and meet her in Denver to bring her here, she finally agreed. She’s not used to traveling alone. She should get here around midnight.” He blew out a weary breath. “If I have to do much more of this, I’m going to need my own personal assistant.”
“Not a bad idea. It looks like you’ll have to start thinking in those terms. Your grandmother’s age is beginning to show. My grandmother had similar symptoms as the years passed. Also I think I can help you understand why she sent you away all those years ago.”
“How is that possible? You just met her.”
“Maybe it’s women’s intuition. But haven’t you noticed how she tears up at the mention of your parents? And she says you’re just like your father, right down to flying dangerous planes.”
“Flying isn’t dangerous,” protested Jason. “I’ve spent hundreds of hours in flight school learning how to handle a plane. She’s using that to try to control me.”
Vicky stepped back and studied his face. “No offense, but you aren’t able to view your grandmother objectively. She sent you off to boarding school, and that hurt you terribly. It makes it impossible for you to see anyo
ne’s pain but your own.”
Jason tapped a finger on the desk. He glanced up at her, then away. At last, he slumped in the chair. “I admit that I’ve been reacting to everything she does as if she’s out to punish me for something I never did. You think that’s blinding me to her problems?”
Vicky nodded. “And don’t feel bad. I’m guilty of the same thing. I’m sure my mother has her own troubles to deal with and doesn’t torture me just because that’s her goal in life.”
Jason laughed out loud. “Holy mackerel, there’s a Freudian moment for you. I guess we both have family issues. Tell you what, you help me with mine, and I’ll help you with yours. Deal?”
“Deal.”
“Thanks for jumping in.” He squeezed her hand.
Vicky’s heart fluttered. His touch was like an electric spark. It fired up all kinds of inner workings that she never knew she had. Touching Darius was never like this. Feeling dazed, she withdrew her hand.
“I’d better go get tea and snacks before she gets impatient.”
From the other room came a crash and a shriek.
“Too late,” said Jason.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Jason headed for his grandmother’s room. “Go ahead and get the tea,” he said. “I’ll deal with this.”
Vicky headed downstairs as he entered Dolores’ bedroom. She was standing by her dresser, and several small bottles and a jewelry box lay scattered on the hardwood floor.
“That intruder stole my drugs!”
“Easy, grandmother. Your medicines are in the other room. I’ll go get them. What are they for anyway?” He forced a nonchalant tone. “You seem perfectly healthy to me.”
Dolores drew herself up and put a hand to her throat as if he’d caught her in her nighty instead of fully clothed. “I take something for my nerves. There’s nothing wrong with that. And goodness knows I’ve had a nerve-wracking morning. Where is that woman?”
“Who? Vicky? Gloria?”
“Dee! She’s supposed to fill me in on the party arrangements.”
“She’s coming at five, remember?”
“Oh, yes. Of course. It slipped my mind. Are you ready to marry Gloria? She’s a looker, isn’t she?”
Jason froze. He blinked, unmoving, as the realization of his grandmother’s mental deterioration crawled up his spine and left him suddenly sad.
His voice weary, he said, “I’m already engaged to Vicky. Remember? I told you last night that I would bring my fiancée to the ball.”
Dolores looked at him through narrowed eyes. “Oh, yes. Of course. But if she’s your fiancée, she’s not your wife yet. There’s still time for you to change your plans.”
Jason turned away and gestured with one hand. “How can you say that? Why would you want me to marry Gloria? Even as kids, I couldn’t stand her.”
“I thought the two of you played together every time her family came to visit.”
“Only because mom and dad begged me to be polite, for their sake. Gloria is older than me, she’s bossy as hell, and frankly, I don’t like what I see of the job she’s been doing for you. And by the way, why is she even working here?”
“She’s from a good family that fell on hard times. I wanted her to have a safe place to land.”
“Grandmother, this is the twenty-first century. She went to Harvard. She has tons of classmates and old family connections that could get her a job anywhere, including Wall Street. I don’t trust her. If she’s working here, it’s because she thinks she’s going to make a killing by doing so.”
Dolores stiffened. “You don’t trust my judgment. Very well. You may leave. I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”
Jason caught himself before he could annoy her further. He knew that the last thing he could do was leave Dolores in Gloria’s clutches. “I apologize. I’m just worried about you being here without staff. What if this morning’s intruder had been intent on doing you harm? Please forgive me. I want to stay. I want to help.”
Dolores’ expression softened for a moment. Then, in a flash, her gaze sharpened. “Worried about the family money, eh?”
Jason almost lost his temper. But his uncle Jerry’s voice came to him once more. Think of the good you can do with that money. And now he had a further reason. His grandmother might soon be unable to make important decisions for herself. That thought weighed heavily on him. It made him wonder just how long she’d been slipping, and how long Gloria had been plotting and planning to worm her way into the family. He suspected that changing the will to demand that Jason marry within the year was all Gloria’s idea. And he was certain that the lawyers’ reluctance to put her name in the document was driving her crazy.
He also realized that he needed to view his grandmother’s behavior differently. He couldn’t fly off the handle every time she said something outrageous. He could see now that much of the aggravation she caused him was owed to her failing memory and her natural tendency to snap at everyone.
Yet somehow, Vicky managed to ignore all that. His aunt Grace would say that his uncle’s spirit had led him to Vicky. She certainly seemed to be exactly the person he needed at exactly the right moment.
Downstairs the doorbell rang. Was Dee early with her party report?
Dolores was ready to go. “Someone’s at the door. Would you escort me downstairs, my dear?”
“Glad to.” Jason offered his arm and they took the elevator to the ground floor. Once there, he patted her hand. “Just a moment. I’ll see who’s at the door.”
“I’ll be in the parlor.” Dolores moved in that direction.
Jason opened the front door, expecting to find Dee there. It wasn’t Dee.
Frank Lopes, the gardener, was middle-aged with a full head of sweaty dark hair and a slightly hunched walk. But he was dependable, hard-working, and took pride in his work. He stood at the door in his blue overalls, holding his wide-brimmed straw hat in his hands.
“Mr. Lopes, is something wrong?”
Frank held up his cell phone. “Mr. Darby, I done been fired again.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Vicky found a stainless steel two-tiered trolley in the kitchen and placed the tea tray on the top shelf with cups, tea pot, sugar, lemon, milk and sandwiches. On the bottom, she set a bag of potato chips and a bag of ginger cookies. She rolled the trolley toward the elevator just in time to hear the gardener tell Jason he’d been fired again.
Jason’s exasperation was obvious as he read the text message from Gloria Mercer to Frank. “What does she think she’s doing? Ignore her, Frank.”
Lopes looked uneasy. “Well, sir, I want to ignore her, that’s for sure, but she’s been signing my paychecks for the last year.”
“What? That’s ridiculous! I mean, I’ll take care of it. And I’ll personally guarantee your wages, Frank. Our agreement still stands. Just keep working. I’ll figure this all out. You have plenty to do around here.”
Frank brightened. “Yes, sir.” He raised his straw hat in a salute, then headed back to the rider mower.
Jason closed the door. He looked worried. Vicky waited for him.
“Everything all right?”
“No. I need to call the bank and find out why Gloria is signing paychecks. Oh, grandmother is in the parlor.” He led the way to a room at the front of the house.
Vicky followed, pushing the trolley. At least she was doing something useful to earn her money, but she wished they could get the paperwork signed so she could send her mother the money she needed. She paused at the door to the parlor.
“Hold on a moment. You should know that there’s hardly any food in the kitchen. I had to scramble to find bread and tuna fish.”
Jason nodded curtly. “I’ll let cook know she’ll have to do some shopping on her way over.” He went in ahead of her. Vicky poured tea for everyone.
“Lunch is late today,” said Dolores.
“Sorry, ma’am. I’ll try to do better.” Vicky winked at Jason.
She didn’t
know how hungry she was until she bit into her sandwich. A second later, she opened the bag of chips and poured some out on a plate.
Dolores’ appetite was excellent. She ate her sandwich, half a plate of chips, and followed it with three cookies.
Jason ate silently.
Vicky knew his mind must be racing with the latest developments. “If you need to finish some work upstairs, I can keep Dolores company until Dee arrives.”
Jason brightened. “That would be great.” He stood up and gathered his tea and sandwich. Then he leaned over and gave Vicky a kiss on the cheek. “You’re a gem.”
Vicky’s breath caught. There it was again, that electric hum deep inside. She felt her color rising. She mumbled, “No problem.”
Once Jason left the room, the cold and dreary decor settled around her. She wondered how Dolores could stand it. Was the emptiness she felt a result of Gloria’s influence?
The front door opened and slammed shut.
“Excuse me, Dolores. I’ll see who that is.” Vicky moved toward the entryway.
Gloria Mercer nearly bowled her over at the doorway. “Get out of my way, you imposter.” Her eyes flashed fire. “How dare you come here and pretend to be good enough for Jason?” She pressed forward, forcing Vicky back into the parlor. “I know what you are, you money grubbing nobody. If you think you have a future here, you are wrong, girlie. You might as well leave now.” She pointed at the door, her hand shaking with fury.
Vicky stepped behind a tall arm chair to keep some distance between her and Gloria, but she felt surprisingly calm. The woman’s vituperation was no match for the fits of artistic pique she’d dealt with from competition judges, not to mention from competitors. Her inner survival mechanism kicked in without waiting for instructions. “You seem overly excited about something. Can I help you resolve it?”
