Chapter 16

I got home and told everyone of the rough trip. Melissa only shrugged.
She was much more interested in meeting another man to bat her false
eyelashes at. The blonde was still glued to Mark and, remembering what
was going on between them, caused a twinge of pain. Mark had been
worried about me, of course he had. But as his sister. Nothing more.

"You're very quiet," Glenn remarked when the rest of the family was
gathered in the music room to hear Melissa play the grand piano. I had
to admit that she was good. I slipped into the deserted kitchen to pour
myself a cut of coffee. Glenn followed me.

I sat down at the table and crossed my legs, making my beige silk dress
make a noise.

"I like that dress," Glenn said. "It's one of my favorites."

"Jeff liked it, too"

"I like Jeff. He makes me feel sophisticated and smart." Glen laughed.

"He what?"

"He's young isn't he?" Glen asked.

"Ouch."

"You know what I mean, don't you? Beside him, Mark looks even more
formidable than usual. Did he cut you up?" Glen asked, touching my shoulder. I could see the worry in his eyes over all of Mark and my fighting.

"Mark? Suprisingly, no. I guess I should have told him I was going in
the first place."

"Brenda finally reached him in Atlanta. He flew there you know. It was
a devil of a risk, but he took the chance. You were headed home by
then. He had the state troopers after you." Glen told me.

"I didn't realize...!"

Mark had flown in that weather to find me? Had the cops looking for me? Why would he do that? Would he have done that if Melissa was missing too? Or would he have called the FBI to find her?

"He'd been waiting for almost an hour at the hotel when you got there.
Sweating out every minute - along with the rest of us. Small cars are
dangerous when it floods. I'm surprised he didn't really blow up. I
imagine he felt like it."

"Yes I imagine so." I said closing my eyes. I never would have done
it anyway if I hadn't been upset by Melissa, but I couldn't tell Glenn
that. "It was a stupid thing to do."

"When are you going to stop fighting with Mark?"

"When he lets go of me."

"That could be a very long time..."

The next morning Jeff and I went riding.

Jeff sighed. "He doesn't like me."

"Mark? He's hard to get close to."

"If I planned to be here longer than three days I think I'd buy a suit of armor. He made me feel like an idiot."

"He's in the middle of labor disputes. He and Mr. McMahon are trying to
work out some kind of agreement."

"It looks like he's putting more effort into working on that daughter. A dish, isn't she? And talented too."

I forced a smile. "Yes, she is."

"Are they engaged? I get a strong feeling that something's happening
there."

"I think they are. Let's head back. The cook hates to set the table
twice."

The question brought it all back. Of course they're engaged, and I
can't understand why Mark was so concerned about keeping it a secret.
The whole thing made me angry. And Mark had told Melissa about...I
could never forgive him for that. And the conceit of the man, thinking
that I was naive enough to read anything into the kiss. I'd put his
treachery out of my mind yesterday, in the face of Mark's obvious
concern for my safety. But now, with the danger over, it was burning
holes in my temper. Damn, Mark!

What I need I told myself is a place of my own!

I dismounted at the barn and waited for Jeff to walk up to the house
with me.

Mark and Melissa were the only ones at the breakfast table and I clung
to Jeff's arm as we joined them at the table.

"What a lovely ride." I said glancing at Melissa. "Do you like horses?"

"Can't stand them." Melissa said with a smile staring at Mark.

My temper flared but I held onto it.

"How many garners does it take to keep the grounds so neat?" Jeff
asked.

"Oh, Mark has three yard men, don't you, darling?" Melissa answered for
him, leaning her shoulder briefly against him. I wanted to sling scrambled eggs at her.

"My parents have a garden about a fourth the size of yours. Dad's hobby
is roses." Jeff said.

Mark lit a cigarette and leaned back to study Jeff. "Do you grow
flowers too?"

"Mark!" I screamed.

He didn't even glance at me. His whole concentration was on Jeff, who
reddened and looked as if he might explode any minute. Despite his
easygoing nature he did have a temper, and it looked as if Mark was
trying his best to make him lose it.

"Do you?" Mark persisted.

"I write poetry, Mr. Calloway," Jeff said tightly.

"What abut?" Mark said.

"Pompous asses, mostly." Jeff said.

Mark's dark eyes glittered dangerously. "Are you insinuating something,
Jeffrey?"

"If the shoe fits..."

"Stop it!" I yelled. I stood up and threw my napkin down. My lower lip
trembled. "Stop it, Mark! You've done nothing but pick on Jeff since
he got here. Do you have to...!"

"Be quiet," he replied coldly.

"You're horrible, Mark," I whispered. "Jeff's a guest..."

"Not mine" he replied glaring at Jeff, who was now standing.

"You're right there," Jeff replied. He turned to me. "Come and talk to
me while I pack."

He left the room and I turned back at the doorway to glare at Mark. "If
he leaves, I'll go with him."

"You may think you will."

"We'll see about that."

Despite all my plea's Jeff packed in record time and started to call a
cab when Mr. McMahon stopped him.

"Melissa wants to go shopping and since the rivers down, it's quite
safe. Glen's going to drive us and you're welcome to ride along. We'd
be happy to drop you at the airport."

"Thank you," he reached down and gave me a light kiss on the cheek.
"Sorry, love. I'm very fond of you, but not fond enough to take on your
guardian."

"I'm sorry it worked out like this. Give my best to Missy."

"Goodbye."

I watched him walk away with a sense of loss. It had all happened so
fast. I tried to piece together Mark's unreasonable behavior. He'd
done his best to break up my friendship with Jeff from the beginning.
But why? He had Melissa. Why did he begrudge me of a boyfriend? I
hated him. Somehow, I had to get out from under his thumb.