A Moment in Time (2 page)

"You bet I have," Valerie said. "That
cocktail shaker looked so lonely—and so seductive." She smiled up
at him. "Besides, I knew you'd take forever in the shower. You
always do."

He leaned down and planted a kiss on the top
of her head. "You know me too well," he said. Then he made a
beeline for the drinks table, where he poured himself a martini and
popped in an olive.

Teddy sauntered over to the sofa and sat
down, putting an arm around her shoulders and hugging her to him.
He brushed her cheek with his lips, lightly and tenderly.

"I'm so glad you could spend the weekend with
me," he said. "All weekend. Just the two of us."

"Don't forget Elvis," she said, scowling at
him playfully.

"Yeah," he said, "and Elvis." He looked
around the room. "And where is the ugly beast?" he asked.

"He's not ugly," she replied. "He might not
win any beauty contests, but, well, he's beautiful inside."

Teddy kissed her nose again and smiled. "I'm
sure he is," he said. "And I'm glad you told me, but where is the
internally beautiful beast?"

Before she could answer, he held up a hand to
silence her.

"No, wait... let me guess," he said, placing
a hand on his forehead dramatically. "I'm getting psychic
vibrations. Could he be ... ? He's ... in the kitchen with
Hattie."

Valerie laughed. "Of course he's in the
kitchen with Hattie, you fool. He knows where all the good stuff
is."

Teddy hugged her shoulders again, leaning
over and kissing her neck. "Hmm, you smell so good," he said. "I
could eat you up."

Valerie looked at him out of the corner of
her eye. "Why don't we have dinner first?" she said.

"Must we?" he countered, licking her neck and
ear hungrily. Then he abruptly stopped and sat up, reaching over
for his drink.

Hold off, Ted,
he told himself.
Remember, you're going to make tonight very special for Val
.
He took a long swallow of his martini, finishing it off, and set
the glass back down. Then he rubbed his hands together and got to
his feet.

"Ready for another?" he asked.

"Not yet, Teddy," Valerie said, surprised
that he'd downed his so quickly.

Teddy picked up his empty glass, plucked out
the olive, popped it into his mouth, then walked over to the drinks
table for a refill.

Valerie eyed him speculatively
. It's not
like Teddy to back off,
she thought, slightly puzzled.
I
wonder what's gotten into him?

She nervously ruffled her long
strawberry-blond hair with one hand. She'd taken care dressing
tonight, even though she'd finished in half the time Teddy had.
She'd blow-dried her hair and let it hang loose rather than pulling
it back in a ponytail or—her usual for work—a long single braid.
Then she'd carefully applied a little makeup—eyeliner, mascara, a
touch of blusher and lipstick. Finally, she'd donned a cream silk
blouse, matching pants, and expensive leather thong sandals,
completing the look with gold knot earrings, a heavy gold link
necklace, and a gold link bracelet. All to please him.

If truth be told, she'd much rather have
jumped out of the shower and into old jeans and a T-shirt without
bothering about her hair and makeup. But Teddy had always hated it
when she looked anything less than perfectly groomed and dressed,
no matter the occasion.

He loved to see her turned out in a ladylike
fashion. And she, in turn, hated the disapproving glances he would
give her if her attire didn't meet his exacting standards. That
furrowed brow, those cocked eyebrows, and those thin, grimly set
lips reminded her all too much of the disapproving looks she'd
suffered over the years from her mother, Marguerite. For years such
looks had diminished her sense of self-worth. When she and Teddy
had started dating in college, she had been surprised to see him
react to her cavalier attitude toward clothing much as her mother
had. She had worked hard to please him, and still did, but lately
she'd found herself lapsing in this area and pleasing herself more
often.

Teddy looked over at her thoughtfully,
swirling his fresh martini in its crystal glass before taking a
sip. "You look beautiful tonight," he said after he'd swallowed.
"Absolutely beautiful."

Valerie felt all of her doubts and worries
vanish as if by magic. "Thanks, Teddy," she said, and she meant it.
"And you look as handsome as ever."

Hattie quietly stepped into the conservatory,
Elvis at her heels, wagging his tail furiously, watching her every
movement with adoring eyes.

"Dinner's ready," she said. "I can serve
anytime, Teddy."

"Thanks, Hattie," he replied. "We'll be right
in."

Hattie left the room, Elvis prancing along
beside her, his tail wagging.

"Hattie's got a serious fan tonight," Valerie
said. "I wonder what wonderful goodies she's been giving him."

"Something really special," Teddy said.
"Because I came up with the menu."

Valerie looked up at him. "You did?" she
exclaimed. "What's the occasion?"

"You," he said, extending his drink toward
her. "Me." He took another sip of his martini. "Us."

"You're sweet, Teddy."

"I'm glad you think so," he replied. He
walked over, leaned down, and kissed her forehead again. "Ready to
go in to dinner?" he asked, looking into her eyes.

She nodded, returning his gaze. He seemed
somehow nervous . . . but no, that wasn't precisely the word.
What, then?
she asked herself.
Just a little anxious, I
guess. As if. . . as if he's hiding something. But what?

"I'm starved," she said gaily, dispensing
with her concerns. "Swimming always makes me hungry."

"Well, you've come to the right place." He
offered her his free hand. "We'll be glad to do something about
that."

Valerie took his hand and rose to her
feet.

Teddy finished off his martini, set the glass
on the coffee table, and together they went to the dining room.

The beeswax candles flickered in their
Georgian silver candelabra, casting shadows onto the dining room
walls. The elegant robed figures in the antique Chinese murals
mysteriously appeared to come to life in the dancing light, as if
to bear witness to tonight's special occasion.

Valerie sighed with pleasure, inhaling the
heady perfume that wafted through the air from the huge
old-fashioned roses. Hattie had stuffed full-blown reds, pinks,
yellows, and creamy whites into a turn-of-the- century Tiffany
silver bowl placed in the center of the table.

"You look contented," Teddy said from across
the table.

Valerie looked over. His eyes glittered in
the candlelight, a bit mischievously, she thought, and there was a
smile on his lips. "I am contented," she said, returning his smile.
"Supremely contented. I don't remember the last time I've eaten so
much that was so good. And the dessert!" She patted her tummy in an
unladylike manner and looked down at the empty Flora Danica dessert
plate in front of her. "I don't believe I ate all of it."

"That's one of Hattie's specialties," Teddy
said. "Boca negra. Killer chocolate cake with white chocolate
sauce."

"It's the best chocolate cake I've ever
eaten," Valerie said.

"I know," Teddy replied, grinning. "It's the
bourbon, I think. It's like the Cartier of chocolate cakes, but I
won't let her make it too often. It's so good it could be
addictive."

"I'd forgotten what a great cook Hattie is,"
Valerie said. "And the dining room looks so beautiful. The flowers
and candles and everything." She waved a hand and looked around the
room. "I don't think we've ever eaten in here, except for a couple
of your important client dinners." She paused and looked at him.
"The only thing missing is Elvis."

Teddy returned her look. "You're worried
about his being out in Hattie's cottage, aren't you?"

"Nooo, Teddy," she replied, shaking her head.
"I just hope she doesn't give him too many goodies."

"He'll be fine," Teddy said. "I just wanted
us to be alone tonight. Besides, Hattie's crazy about him." He
stared into her eyes for a moment. "She's crazy about you."

"I like her, too," Valerie replied. "And I
love her cooking." She laughed but stopped abruptly when she saw
that Teddy's expression had suddenly turned serious.

"Then you shouldn't be such a stranger around
here, Val," he said. "You could have Hattie's cooking anytime."

"Oh, Teddy, you know how busy I am," she
replied. "With the clinic and having my own place to look after . .
. well, it's all I can do to go anywhere. It's different for you,"
she went on, "being in the city most of the week, then coming up
here to relax or going up to the place in the Adirondacks to hunt
and fish. I'm either on call weekends, or I have to catch up on the
house and garden and a thousand other things."

Teddy got up and went around to her side of
the table, pulling out a chair to sit beside her. She turned to
face him, and he took her hands in his. "I could make it a lot
easier for you," he said earnestly.

His eyes burned with an intense light that
she'd seldom seen in them. It was similar to the terrible gleam
they held when he was extremely angry about something. She began to
feel slightly uncomfortable. "What. . . what are you driving at,
Teddy?" she asked.

"I think you know," he said.

"I. . . I'm not certain," she sputtered.

He released her hands and stood up. She saw
that there was a solemn expression on his face as he turned to the
mahogany sideboard behind him and plucked something from the huge
Imari bowl set in its center.

Valerie gazed at him in silence, her
expression curious. Teddy was often quite formal, sometimes even
stuffy, but tonight his behavior was practically ceremonial.
What's going on?
She wondered.
Because he is definitely
up to something
.

He sat back down, taking one of her hands
very gently and reverently. He looked into her eyes, his expression
still sober. He cleared his voice. "I ... I have something for
you," he said.

"For me?" she said quietly. She felt that any
show of excitement would somehow interfere with the ceremony—or
whatever it was—that was taking place.

He nodded and held out his hand.

Valerie looked down at it and saw a small,
black, cloth-covered box. Even in the flickering candlelight she
could see that impressed into the cloth top was one word:
Bvlgari
. The jeweler who used the Roman
u
. Her breath
caught in her throat, and she held it, not daring to breathe. Her
mind began to race, whirling around in crazy circles. She couldn't
sort out her thoughts and feelings, so overcome was she by his
gesture.

"Teddy . . . Teddy . . . ," she finally
stammered breathlessly. "I. . . I . . ."

"Shhh," he hushed, squeezing the hand he
held. "Just take it, Val," he said. He let go of her long, slender
hand and placed the box in it.

Valerie held it cupped there, still at a loss
for words.

She took a deep breath and looked briefly at
Teddy's serious face. Then, hands quivering, she lifted the lid off
the box. She was prepared for the gleam of an expensive bauble of
some sort, but inside, fitted perfectly, was another box, this one
covered in black leather.
Bvlgari
was pressed into the
leather as on the cloth box.

She quickly opened the leather box, unable to
bear the tension any longer. She gasped when she saw the ring
resting in the soft beige suede that lined the interior of the box.
It twinkled back at her as if alive, its stunning canary yellow
color animated by the candlelight that reflected off it.

"Oh, my . . . God," she stammered. "Oh . . .
Teddy, ... I don't know what..." Unbidden, tears sprang into her
eyes and, like the ring, they glimmered in the light.

He was watching her intently, his eyes never
leaving hers. "You only have to say one word, Val," he said. "One
simple little word."

She looked at him, wanting to please him, but
she found herself speechless, unable to utter the word that she
knew he wanted to hear.

He threw his arms around her, tugging her to
him. "Come on, Val," he urged. "Say yes. Just say yes."

Her mind was still in a whirl, and she was
not sure how to react.

Teddy pulled back and looked into her eyes.
"You can do it," he said, nodding his head. "You don't have to say,
'Yes, Teddy, I'll marry you.' "He laughed and chucked her under the
chin with a hand."All you have to say is yes!"

Valerie felt elated and somehow defeated at
the same time. She was thrilled that a man desired her this much,
and she found it difficult to believe that the man was somebody as
sought-after as Teddy de Mornay. For years she had been genuinely
puzzled by his attraction to her. How could she be so lucky? But at
the same time, deep down inside, she realized that if she committed
herself to him, she would be doing them both a disservice. Some
instinct was telling her this was all wrong, despite the fact that
she liked Teddy, perhaps even loved him, or once had.

Oh, God, help me,
she thought
. What
do I do?

Teddy's eyes searched hers pleadingly, and
she saw the earnest, loving expression there, so like a puppy's
that her heart was wrenched in two.

Oh, my God. What do I say?

"Say it, Val," he repeated anxiously. "Or
just nod. Yeah. That's all you have to do. Just nod!"

And she did.

She felt her head, as if with a will of its
own, almost involuntarily begin to nod that yes that he was begging
for. A yes that was perhaps a lie, a yes that was a defeat of her
spirit.

She looked up at him, her eyes teary. She
wanted to tell Teddy that she loved him, but that she wasn't
certain that she was "in love" with him. The words, however, could
not be summoned up from her tortured soul.