Chapter Twenty-Three

Nothing Is Ever Quite As It Seems

I frowned at the insistent buzzing of the office intercom at my elbow. I had no intention of answering it. It was another distraction I didn't need.

My day in court, which had begun badly enough, had now slid down into the interminable tedium of yet another two-week continuance. It had to be some kind of record. And there was still no end in sight to a frustrating case that should have been open and shut. Embezzlement 101.

But the opposing counsel was pulling out all the stops to prevent their weasel of a client from going to jail where he so rightly belonged for embezzling every last cent of his firm's pension fund. I grimaced as I pushed the fingers of one hand through my hair.

The blasted man gave snakes a bad name. But he appeared to have more lives than a stray alley cat. I knew I shouldn't let it get to me, but it did. The unfairness of it all rankled deeply. It seemed no one cared, but me.

"By the time this confounded case is finally done, I'll be older than Methuselah," I complained, tugging down the knot of my tie and loosening the top button of my shirt.

The buzzing of the office intercom continued, and the flashing red light snared my frustrated gaze. "I thought I said, no calls…"

After the irritation of the morning session, I'd complained all the way from the law courts to my sixth-floor firm and stalked through the bullpen to my office door. Everyone within my frowning line of sight had ducked for cover or tried to appear too busy to strike up a conversation.

I'd stopped long enough to give my tersely worded command to my long-suffering secretary, Nancy, to hold all my calls. I'd then taken refuge in my office and slammed the door shut behind me.

It didn't make me feel any better and I regretted it almost instantly. None of it was their fault.

"Blast…" I'd dropped into the leather chair behind my desk and buried myself in the case files, desperately searching for a fresh perspective.

I'd been up since well before dawn and had eaten very little. A tension headache began to pound in my temples. I knew I really needed to slow down and draw a breath. Let the thing ride out its natural course. But a burning sense of outraged anger drove me on.

Early afternoon sunshine speared into the room as I worked through the case transcripts. The warm light cast shifting patterns over the oak-panelled walls and painted them with gold. I didn't notice and kept my head down. I'd slaved very long and hard hours to get where I am now, and I was damned if a fresh continuance was going to put me off my game.

There had to be an opening I could exploit in here somewhere. "I just have to find it…"

Facts and figures could be balanced and weighed. Sifted for that tiny kernel of truth. I trusted them more than most people, beyond my immediate family.

The intercom began to buzz again insistently, dragging me from my introspection. Someone obviously wanted to speak with me.

I shook my head as I thumbed the button. "I said, no calls, Nancy. I'm far too busy. Tell them to call back some other time."

Nancy ignored my brusqueness as she replied crisply, "There's a Mr Devon Miles on the phone. He said he needed to talk to you right away. It sounded urgent."

"Devon…" I inhaled deeply, shaking my head. "Of course. Put him right through." I sighed. "And Nancy… I'm sorry for my earlier outburst. It was uncalled for."

"That's okay, Boss," she replied in an annoyingly calm tone. "We've all said worse things about that case. But you do need to take some time off to breathe and give yourself a break. You work far too hard and you're too young to be so serious. We're all here, rooting for you. Putting Mr Miles through now…"

"Edward?" Devon asked immediately we were connected. "Are you all right? Your secretary sounded worried about you. Have I caught you at a bad time?"

"Hi, Devon…" I leaned back in my chair and ran the palm of my hand up and around the back of my neck, trying to ease the pain of my headache. "No, it's okay and I'm fine. Just overworked as always. I… is there something I can help you with?"

I paused, frowning. "Is it Mum? There's nothing, wrong, is there? I can drop everything and come out there, right away if you need me."

"No, no, there's nothing wrong," my father was quick to reassure me. "But your mother is the reason I called."

That paternal title still caught me unawares. Ian Bridges had been my father for nearly all of my life. It still seemed odd not to think of him as such now that Devon had married my mother. For which I was grateful.

We never got on, and he had never been a good husband to my mother. Everyone knew about his affairs with other women, and he never tried to hide them. In fact, in later years when my mother became a famous author, Ian delighted in flaunting his latest woman for all to see.

We'd become virtual strangers in the last few years, and I made no push to reconnect with him. Now I had every reason never to speak with him again. Which I was more than fine with. I was hopeful I now had a father more worthy of the paternal title.

I lifted my shoulders. "Then, how can I help you, Devon?"

He drew a long breath. "Your mother and I were wondering if you had the time to come out and visit us. Stay with us for a while this time. If you're willing. She would love to see you, as would I. We hardly saw you after our wedding."

There was an unusual note of hesitation in his voice. The Devon Miles I had come to know was always forthright and commanding. And he loved my mother deeply and honestly. He made her smile and blossom into the warm, passionate woman she was always meant to be.

"I…" My frown deepened. "That is…"

I knew I should deny his request, offer my sincere apologies and hang up. I had this confounded case and a dozen other fires to put out. But some crazy urge seemed to be tugging at me, making me shift inside my clothing with a rising sense of dissatisfaction with my current dilemma.

Rachel, my last girlfriend, had recently left me because she said I worked too hard. She accused me of being married to my profession, leaving no time for anything or anyone else. I'd tried to deny it, but deep down in my gut, I knew she was right.

She'd left me for a man who came home to her every night and gave her everything she'd ever wanted. I didn't blame her.

I stared at the sunlit walls before my eyes. In my mind, I could see my parents' new home in Montecito. It was a charming, old, turn-of-the-century villa and suddenly I had an odd aching desire to see it all again. My last visit for their wedding had been too short, due to my workload and commitments. I'd made my excuses, but I knew my mother had been worried about me. She often told me I worked too hard.

I was aware that Lucy and Danny had stayed there longer than me. I shook my head. Danny must have had a very hard time letting go of that amazing talking car Devon had built. I could have sworn the vehicle was almost human…

'But you really do need to take some time off to breathe and give yourself a break. You're too young to be so serious…'

I grimaced at Nancy's stern words of wisdom. She was a middle-aged widow and always had my back. Even though she tried to mother me at every turn.

There was a matter of a two-week continuance where I would not be needed in court. I could use the time any way I chose. My associates could write up all the breakdowns and hunt for openings we could exploit in the complicated bookkeeping. Maybe they would succeed where I had failed.

What had been a bane only a couple of hours ago, now seemed like a blessing. What could it hurt?

"Well, actually, I'm not needed here right now. I've just been granted two more weeks of a continuance on my current case," I replied slowly, on a crazy impulse I could never afterwards explain. "Will that be long enough?"

※※※※※

"He said he'll fly right out and be here tomorrow afternoon," I said to Carolyn as I hung up the telephone. "He'll rent a car and drive over from Santa Barbara airport. He's planning on staying for about two weeks."

"He is?" She looked briefly confused. "How did he sound on the phone? Maybe he's ill or something…" she then pondered worriedly as she filled the sink with soapy water and began to wash the dishes. "He's always been so busy with his work. He works far too hard. I've been telling him he needs to slow down. But he doesn't listen."

"Well, it seems he's finally listening." I shrugged as I crossed the kitchen to pick up a dishcloth to dry the dishes. "He said he's just been given a two-week continuance on a case, so he's free."

We carried on with the washing up for a few minutes in silence. "And if we are talking about stubborn…" I replied. "I think he has both of us to blame for that trait. Neither of us ever knew when to quit and walk away."

"Maybe, but I still don't like it…" Carolyn shook her head as she handed me the last washed plate. "I do hope he's not too heartbroken over his girlfriend leaving him. I liked Rachel, but she wasn't for him. Too flighty and needy."

She finished with her task and wiped the bench down. "My lovely son needs someone who's more down to earth and, oh I don't know… um, wholesome," she ended in a rush.

"Wholesome, right." I smiled at the old-fashioned and fanciful notion. "Well, he didn't sound too heartbroken over the phone. Maybe he's just too busy. He won't thank you for getting all mixed up in his love life."

"I'll judge for myself when we see him tomorrow," she replied. "Women are so much better at these sorts of things than men. And mothers, especially."

"Who says, Luciana?" I challenged softly, pulling her close to kiss her lips.

She leaned eagerly into my caress and reached up to thread her damp fingers into my hair. After several heartbeats, I felt her smile against my mouth as she pulled back slightly to rest her forehead against mine. Her eyes were open, and she looked deeply into my gaze.

"What are you thinking now?" I asked gently.

She made a small moue. "Well, we've made such a great start on the inside of the house. When it's cooler later on today, maybe we should take a good look around the gardens. I'm sure the magazine will be interested and there will be things that Edward can help us with. They'll take his mind off Rachel leaving him, and his workload. Two weeks away from it all will be a gift. Hopefully, they'll give him a fresh perspective. We must make the most of it while he's here."

"Ah, I did have other plans for this afternoon now that we're finally alone here with all the workmen have gone," I replied softly, playing the ball of my left thumb back and forth across her lower lip. "And it doesn't involve getting down and dirty in the garden…"

I paused, pretending to consider our options. "But now that you've mentioned it…"

"Stop teasing me…" My love's soft laughter at the outrageous suggestion echoed through me.

The wanton thought took me back to our incredible trip to Sedona and also our honeymoon. Long hot days and warm summer nights beneath the stars. Set free from all her inhibitions, my Luciana was glorious, and she frequently took my breath away with her inventiveness. As the months went by, I often had reason to bless her vivid imagination.

"Come here…" I pulled her closer to me with my hands on her hips, making her deeply aware of what her warm femininity was doing to me.

I longed to love her again as she deserved to be loved. She didn't resist or object as she went up onto tiptoe to slide her arms around my neck to hold me even closer.

"My Luciana…" I breathed into the warm sweetness of her open mouth.

I was about to take things much further when there was a tentative knock on the outside door leading into the kitchen. We had left it open for the fresh air and afternoon sunshine.

"Busted…" I whispered wryly, kissing my love swiftly on the tip of her nose.

We broke apart a little guiltily and turned to see a pretty, young woman standing in the doorway. She was barely taller than Carolyn and slender.

Dressed in a white T-shirt and faded blue jeans, with her long chestnut brown hair tied back in a no-nonsense ponytail, she seemed the very essence of the warm summer's day.

'Wholesome…' I shook my head at the fanciful notion.

"Hi," she said, smiling at both of us uncertainly. "I'm Katherine Morton." She shrugged. "With a K, not a C. But most people just call me Kat. It's less of a mouthful. I was told I could call back and see you."

She stood easily with her thumbs hooked into the front belt loops of her jeans. But I could sense she was uneasy and trying to cover her nervousness with her too-casual stance.

"Good afternoon," Carolyn replied, returning the young woman's smile. "Um, can we help you with something?"

Our visitor frowned. "He didn't give you my message, then?"

Carolyn and I exchanged glances. She shrugged, obviously as clueless as me.

"Who are you talking about and what message?" I asked, walking toward the young woman.

"The tall guy in the fancy black Trans Am." She lifted a hand to jerk a thumb over one shoulder. "Neat guy. Cool car. He said he was in a tearing hurry that day. He was talking to the car when I pulled up in the driveway. I thought he'd lost it or was drunk. But he seemed okay."

She divided her worried glance between us. "He said for me to call back in two weeks when you'd returned from your honeymoon and settled in. He told me he couldn't make any promises on your behalf, jumped into the car and roared off down the drive."

I knew she was talking about Michael and his oversight of the restoration work he'd been doing on the house. But I was at a loss and aware Carolyn still had no idea. "Ah, why are you supposed to be calling on us?"

"I'm your gardener," Kat replied quickly. "Or I'd like to be if you want to employ me. I've got good references out in my truck if you want to see them."

She pointed through the windows into the garden. "I used to maintain all the grounds for old Mrs Greig until she died. Her executor paid me to tidy the place up for the estate sale. He told me to come and see you about my continuing to work for you, now that you own the place."

Her shoulders lifted. "I can see there's plenty of work that needs doing. If I don't do it, then someone has to."

※※※※※

I watched Kat talking to Devon. The young woman's lovely face was open and sincere. Her nickname made me smile. It suited her far better than the more formal Katherine, though I liked the name.

Her movements were economical and lithe. The hot afternoon sunshine outside struck russet highlights in her brown hair, making the strands gleam.

'Wholesome…' The word resurfaced in my mind. I raised one shoulder against the fanciful notion.

"Come on in out of the sun and let's talk about it," I invited quickly, waving her inside. "Sit down and I'll put the coffee on. How do you like yours?"

"Black, no sugar, please," she responded immediately, leaning down to unlace and kick off her work boots to reveal sensible white socks.

"Mrs Greig always insisted," she replied to my glance as she straightened. "She said her antique Italian tiled floors were worth more than I was." Her quick laugh was soft and sweetly tuned. She walked in onto the same expensive floor tiles to hitch herself up onto one of the swivel stools at the large kitchen island.

Without really knowing anything about the young woman, I found I liked her immediately. There was an open frankness about her and the scattering of golden freckles across the bridge of her small nose added to her wholesome appeal.

I shook my head. There was that word again. But I couldn't shake off the thought.

I studied her closely as I handed over her mug of coffee and poured another for Devon. There were no rings on her left hand and no sign there had ever been any marring her smooth, healthy tan. She wore very little makeup beyond a soft lip gloss, and I could guess her age to be somewhere in the mid-twenties.

"Carolyn…" Devon caught me looking and shook his head.

I lifted my chin as I walked behind our visitor and poked my tongue out at him in cheeky sauciness. He grinned at me and waved a stern forefinger before accepting his mug of coffee with a nod of thanks. I walked back to the other side of the kitchen island and poured my coffee.

I introduced us both. "I'm Carolyn Miles and this is my husband, Devon. We've only properly moved in two weeks ago. We love this house. It's one of a kind and a very lucky find."

"I can see you've already done a ton of work." Kat looked around the kitchen admiringly. "The old house hasn't sparkled like this in a good long while. It's great to see it coming to life again. It's been far too long asleep."

I was puzzled at her odd choice of words as I sipped my coffee. "How long did you work for the previous owner?" I asked as Devon walked around to stand beside me. "Did you know her well?"

I was thinking about the puzzle of the portrait of the sea captain from the attic. Maybe this young woman had a few answers to some of my questions.

"Long enough to know where all the bodies are buried," Kat replied with a smile, then shook her head in apology. "Sorry, that was an old joke between us. Mrs Greig loved her cats. You'll find a few small graves in the back corner of the garden."

She straightened on her stool. "She was my first employer when I left school at sixteen and was looking for work. Then she found me other positions in the area. Ten years ago, she helped me start up my own landscaping business. I owe her more than I could ever repay."

Her soft grey eyes gleamed briefly with unshed tears. "I miss the old lady. She was one of a kind and very good to me." She wiped the back of one hand across her cheeks.

"Just as long as she's not buried out there in the back garden along with all her cats," Devon offered quietly, obviously attempting to lighten the young woman's suddenly sombre mood.

A quick smile of appreciation flashed across her face. "No, she's not. But I'm sure she would've been happy with that. She really loved this old house. She'd have lived here forever. She often said, if she had her way, she'd never leave."

She raised one slim shoulder. "I guess, God wasn't listening. She died in her sleep one night." She looked briefly stricken again. "I… found her in the morning, when I came over to do some work. She was smiling…"

"I'm sorry…" I reached out to place one of my hands over hers in sympathy. Before I could issue an invitation, my wonderful and kind husband beat me to it.

He hitched his chin toward the open back door. "Finish your coffee and then go and get those references of yours. We'll be happy to take a look at them."

"Hey, thanks…" Kat smiled a little tremulously at both of us. "I love this old place too. I would surely miss it if I couldn't come here anymore. It's always felt like home to me."

※※※※※

The Pacific sea air always smelled different to that of the Atlantic coastline. With the strong wind sweeping in off the ocean, there was a clean freshness to it that was lacking in the congestion of the busy Boston Harbour area I'd left behind.

I walked out of the Santa Barbara airport terminal and into the hot Californian sun and was glad of my sunglasses. They cut down on the glare that seemed to reflect off every polished surface. I found my rental car and threw my luggage into the trunk. I slammed the lid shut and levered myself behind the steering wheel.

Now that I was here, I was suddenly keen to leave the rest of the world behind. The haven offered by my parents' new home seemed so far removed from everything that I felt was going wrong in my life.

I drove out of the airport and took Highway 101 along the coast, eager to begin my enforced vacation. With the light traffic, it took me barely thirty minutes to arrive at my destination.

I turned up into the wide concrete driveway with a sigh of relief. I sat for a moment, absorbing the dreaming quiet of the afternoon. I could not shake the feeling that I was somehow coming home.

I frowned at the absurd notion. My mother's house in Santa Fe had never felt like a home. It had simply been the house where I was born and had lived until I was old enough to move out and move on.

"But this place feels like a real home…" I studied the elegant façade of French windows and the widow's walk that surely offered fine views out over the city and the ocean beyond.

Now that I was here, I couldn't wait to explore the place properly and probe its many secrets. I smiled as I opened my door and got out to stretch in the warm Californian sunshine. I felt my whole body relax. I was unaware I'd been so uptight until I left Boston behind.

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