A Moment in Time (35 page)

Valerie laughed. "I'll tell all," she said,
"but I think I'll get this morning over with first."

She told Colette everything that had
transpired at Marguerite's. She realized, even as she told Colette
the story, that it was already beginning to seem like a distant
memory because of the terrible scene at Eddie's that followed
it.

"This is almost too much for one person to
bear in a single day," Colette said sympathetically. "It's
horrible, of course, the way Marguerite treats you, the way she's
always treated you, but there is one marvelous thing to come of
it." She turned her beautiful blue eyes on Valerie and smiled. "It
gave you the perfect opening to give Teddy the old boot to the
backside."

"There is that," Valerie agreed. "It
certainly wasn't what I had in mind, but what could I do?"

"Exactly what you did do," Colette said. She
seemed lost in thought for a moment, then added, "I don't like
Teddy, frankly, and I never did. He always seemed too good to be
true, and a lot of things that seem that way are. But I hope he
doesn't take it badly."

"Teddy's been really moody and irritable
lately. Even nasty at times. I guess it's just work and me being
too busy to see him, but I don't know. It's really sort of
worrisome. And Mother, well, you know her. I don't think either of
them is going to take it lying down."

"No," Colette said, "come to think of it, I'm
sure you're right. I think that underneath all those lovely manners
they're both real fighters who'll fight for the sake of fighting.
But imagine! Those two in cahoots like that! And that stinking
cousin of yours in on it, too. Well, they deserve each other, is
all I can say."

Valerie smiled. "Somehow I don't think
they'll find much comfort in each other."

"Ha! Cold comfort at best," Colette said. She
took a sip of her tea, then looked over at Valerie. "How do you
feel about it now, darling?" she asked. "Do you have regrets?"

Valerie shook her head. "None whatsoever,"
she replied. "I wish it hadn't happened the way it did, but I
didn't plan it that way."

"Do you think you're going to be terribly
lonely and blue?" Colette asked. "Any port in a storm and all
that?"

"No," Val said, looking off toward the pond
in the distance. "I don't think I'm going to be lonely at all." She
turned and looked at her friend and couldn't help the smile that
hovered on her lips.

Colette's mouth, too, slowly spread in a
smile and her eyes brightened considerably. "Well, well, well!" she
finally said. "I don't believe it. But I do! Yes, I do believe it."
She clapped her hands together. "Is it the mystery man at
Stonelair, Val?" she asked eagerly. "Who is he, or shouldn't I ask?
You don't have to tell me a thing, but I'm dying to know."

Valerie was silent for a minute, then quietly
said, "Yes, it's Wyn Conrad at Stonelair."

Colette's eyes widened enormously. "You-you
don't mean it?" She clapped her hands together again. "It is the
mystery man. This is better than I could've ever imagined. You must
tell me all about it."

Valerie took a sip of her iced tea, then set
the glass down. "I've been taking care of the animals out at
Stonelair."

Colette nodded but remained silent, waiting
for more.

"Well, when I first met him," Valerie went
on, "I didn't get a good impression. In fact, he seemed like an
imperious smart-ass. Then he told me about the polo accident and
all, and since then, well . . . I've found out he's anything but
the man I thought he was at first." She turned and looked over at
Colette. "I feel like I've known him all my life."

Colette smiled dreamily. "Like an old shoe?"
she said.

"Something like that," Valerie replied. "The
first time we actually talked—not the first time when we just met
each other—I think sparks began to fly between us. No, I know they
did. Then last night at dinner, we got to know each other a lot
better. It's just . . . fabulous." She looked at Colette again and
shrugged. "So, there you are."

"I'm so thrilled for you, Val," Colette said.
"This really is the best news, and the timing! Well, it couldn't be
better, could it? It's almost as if it were planned this way."

"It is odd, isn't it?" Val agreed. "It almost
makes you believe in some kind of fate."

Colette took a sip of her tea and sighed
wistfully. "What's he like?" she asked. "I know he must be
wonderful, or you wouldn't feel the way you do. And I know he must
like animals or he wouldn't have them. But can you give me an
inkling?"

"He's . . . oh, it's so hard to explain," she
said. She decided she would confide everything in Colette, knowing
that she could trust her discretion. "He had that terrible accident
playing polo, like I told you, and it's going to take a long time
for him to recover—in more ways than one. His looks have been
affected by skin grafts and plastic surgery, and he's got to have a
lot more."

"Oh, dear," Colette said. "Will he be
permanently scarred?"

Valerie nodded. "Yes," she said, "and that's
terrible, of course. But I think the worst damage it's done is to
his ego. His pride. You can imagine. In places, his skin looks like
a burn victim's. Most of that's hidden, but some of it does show.
He'll have to live with it the rest of his life. There's no
escaping it."

"Perhaps with time," Colette said, "he'll
learn to cope with it, and perhaps . . . perhaps you can help
him?"

Valerie felt herself blush slightly. "I hope
so, Colette," she said. "He's still a very handsome man. Just a
little rough around the edges, I guess you'd say. That's one of the
reasons he came up to Stonelair. To get away from the world and
have a place to recover."

"So that's it," Colette said. "Something so
innocent, so harmless. And all this talk about drug lords and the
Mafia and such."

Valerie laughed. "It really seems ridiculous
once you get to know him." She went on to tell Colette everything
she knew about Wyn Conrad, and about their dinner the night
before.

When she'd finished, Colette said, "It's when
wonderful things like this happen, Val, that I begin to suspect
there might be a benevolent creator. That there might really be
some great plan. It seems much more than a mere coincidence." She
reached over and squeezed Valerie's hand in hers. "I'm so happy for
you."

"Thanks, Col—" Valerie began. The telephone
rang on the table next to her. "I'd better get that," she said
apologetically as she picked up the receiver. "I'm on call at the
clinic."

"Of course, darling," Colette said.

"Hello," Valerie said.

"Val?"

Her heart skipped a beat at the sound of his
voice, and she suddenly wished she were alone.
Thank God for
portables
, she thought, getting up out of her chair. "Wait just
a second," she said. She pressed the hold button.

"Colette, I'll be right back," she said.

Colette smiled knowingly. "Should I go?"

"No," Valerie said. "I'll just be a minute."
She stepped through the door into the kitchen, then went on down
the hallway to the living room, where she curled up in a chair. She
pushed the hold button again.

"Hi," she said. "Sorry about that, but my
neighbor's here and I wanted to have some privacy."

"That's okay," he said. "How are you doing
today?"

"I'm all right," she said. "Actually, it was
sort of hectic this morning. A friend's dog was poisoned, and I had
to go over there and check that out."

"Poisoned?" he said. "That's horrible."

"Yes," she said. "It really was terrible, and
I can't figure it out. Sometimes that sort of thing happens because
of real grudges or revenge, but there doesn't seem to be any reason
for this. The owner's a friend of mine, so it was really
awful."

"I'm sorry," he said. He paused a moment,
then added, "Maybe I can help make you feel a little bit
better?"

She felt her heart leap with joy.
So this
is what it's like
, she thought.
This . . . this wonderful
feeling is what I've been missing with Teddy.

"And exactly how do you propose to do
that?"

"I can think of several things," he replied
with a chuckle, "but I was thinking about a little dinner again
tonight. For two."

"Think you can wine and dine me and win me
over, huh?" she joked.

"I am sincerely going to give it my best
try."

"Spoken like a true male chauvinist pig," she
said. "So comforting."

"I thought so," he said. "I am putting up my
best front for you."

"I'd hate to see your worst."

"How about if I show it to you after dinner
then?"

"Sounds heavenly," she replied.

"About eight o'clock okay?"

"Perfect. I'll wear my new see-through
Versace."

"We don't want to scare the horses," he
said.

"You're one to talk," she said.

He was silent for a beat, then roared with
laughter. "You're a mean and hateful and spiteful woman, and I
can't wait to see you."

"Same here."

He hung up, and she sat there staring at the
living room walls, not really seeing anything. She didn't think
she'd ever felt so buoyant, so happy, so alive and full of hope for
the future. She went back out to the porch, where she rejoined
Colette.

"The look on your face says you have a date,"
Colette ventured.

Valerie nodded. "Yes." She sighed
happily.

Colette reached over and patted her on the
arm. "God bless you, Val," she said. "I suppose Hayden and I should
run along home and let you spend your time getting—"

The telephone rang again, and Valerie looked
over at Colette and shrugged. "What can I say?" she said. "I'm
popular."

She picked up the receiver. "Hello?" she
said.

"Val, I want to talk to you." It was Teddy,
and he sounded like a sergeant major giving orders.

"Not now, Teddy," she said. "Colette's here,
and we're busy."

"What do you mean you're busy?" he snapped.
"What's that old bitch ever done but powder her nose?"

Valerie was stunned speechless by the
vehemence in his voice. "I don't have to listen to this," she
finally replied. "I'll be glad to talk to you when you're not
feeling quite so offensive." She quietly replaced the receiver in
its cradle and turned to look at Colette.

"Oh-ho," Colette said. "He's not playing
nice-nice."

"No," Valerie replied. "Definitely not."

"Oh, dear," Colette sympathized. "If there's
anything I can do, darling, you just say the word, and I'll gladly
do it."

"I think Teddy and I'll just have to have a
little talk," Valerie said. "After what happened this morning, I
don't feel like I really owe him any explanations, but I guess I
ought to try to smooth over some of his ruffled feathers."

"Well, you were friends for years, so it
would be a shame for it to end really badly," Colette agreed. "But
don't you dare let him browbeat you, Val."

Valerie shook her head. "No, Colette," she
said, "don't you worry about that. I'm not going to let that
happen. I'm really sick to death of being told what to do by
him—and my mother. I'd like to be friends with both of them, but
I'm really up to my ears with their ordering me around."

"That's the spirit!" Colette said. "I knew
you had it in you."

"I guess you knew it better than I did,"
Valerie said, looking over at her friend.

"Well, you know it now," Colette said.
"You've

been very brave in the past, defying your
parents to do what you really wanted to do, but still, you've been
under their thumbs for such a long time—well, Teddy's and your
mother's—that it's wonderful to see you sprouting wings."

"Speaking of which, I'm surprised Mother
hasn't already called," Valerie said.

"Oh, she will," Colette said, nodding.
"Knowing Marguerite, she's simply busy plotting away at her war
table, drawing up new battle plans."

Valerie laughed. "You know her so well."

"Well enough to know she's not yet begun to
fight," Colette said. "Unfortunately." She opened the pocket of her
smock and peered in. "I thought I felt Hayden stirring about, but I
see he's sound asleep. I suppose I ought to take him home and put
him to bed."

"He's got to have his rest, so he can play on
his wheel all night," Valerie said.

"Oh, yes," Colette said. "They're completely
nocturnal creatures, and that's nice for me because you know how
nocturnal I am. Hayden keeps me company in the wee hours when I
read or write letters or watch television. Puff Puppy sleeps away
like a smart doggy should." She looked at her wristwatch. "Anyway,
darling, I'd really better go. I know you want to get all
beautified for tonight."

She eased herself out of the chair, then
adjusted her big straw hat. Valerie rose to her feet to show her
out.

"Darling," Colette said, "I'm so thrilled for
you I can't find the words." She kissed Valerie on both cheeks. "I
know you'll have a wonderful evening."

"I know so, too," Valerie said, "and don't
worry, I'll keep you posted."

"Oh, I hope you do," Colette said. "It's so
exciting." She leaned down and stroked Elvis. "Bye-bye, sweet boy,"
she said. Elvis thumped his tail in response.

Valerie held the porch door open for her, and
Colette left, waving as she negotiated the stone path, the sweet
scent of her perfume trailing behind her.
Thank God for
Colette
, Valerie thought.
I couldn't ask for a better
friend.

She filled Elvis's water bowl, added some dry
meal to his food bowl, and decided to take a long, leisurely bath.
After making herself a light lunch, she had worked for a long time
in the garden, weeding and deadheading mostly, before she had
finally decided to call Colette to come over. Now she could feel
her muscles, tired and sore.