A Season of Miracles (29 page)

 

Robert didn't make the skating party, but he was there for the play, and when they took the kids out to eat after, he was great. Jillian felt a surge of pleasure watching him. Though he seemed a bit preoccupied, he laughed, cut meat, pushed in chairs, distributed napkins, rescued a few drinks, and never once made a child feel awkward.

But he seemed to be avoiding her family, she realized. Douglas had gone home early, right after the theater, Amelia at his side. But Daniel, Theo, Griff and even Gary had joined them for the evening, and every one of them spent time with the children.

When the evening was over, the kids thanked everyone. Jenny spoke to Jillian again, saying thank you again and nothing more, but Jillian was still delighted. And the little girl gave Robert a big hug, which seemed to surprise him.

“She's a pretty little thing,” he told Jillian, one arm around her as they stood on the street, shivering a little as they watched the children get back on the bus. Daniel and Griff were inside, settling the bill. Eileen, Gary and Theo had gone on home. “I bet you looked like that when you were little.”

“Maybe. I don't remember.”

“Well, I'd like a dozen like her.”

“A dozen girls? No sons?”

He looked at her, angling his head, smiling. “How about a dozen of each?”

“Wow, we'll be busy.”

“But it sounds like fun, huh?”

“It does. But I think two dozen children may be a few too many.”

“Maybe. I'll let you work on the number. As long as it's more than one.”

“Four.”

“I like it.”

She smiled, putting her arms around him. “You know, I love you more and more every day.”

“I love you, too,” he told her, but there was an odd tension about him. She could feel it in the heat of his body, in the tautness of his muscles.

“Just think, only a few more days and then we're off to Connecticut again for Christmas. Time together, the scent of pine, packages all wrapped up in string.”

“I was thinking of not going to Connecticut for Christmas,” he told her.

“What?” she asked incredulously.

“It's our first Christmas together. We could go somewhere alone.”

She hesitated, drawing back, watching. “Robert, I love my family.”

“I didn't say that you shouldn't.”

“But you don't want to be with them for Christmas.”

He stared down at her. It was growing colder by the second. “I'm sorry. Too many things have happened. It's hard to trust them.”

“Robert, I don't know how many Christmases Douglas has left.”

“I don't know how many
you're
going to have left!”

She searched his eyes, deeply blue, almost black in the shadowy light. “I can't leave my grandfather on Christmas, Robert. I can't. And I won't.”

“Morwenna died on Christmas Eve.”

“Sometimes you believe in the book, and sometimes you don't,” she charged him. “Whatever's convenient for you. If history is somehow repeating itself, if we
are
old souls trying to make things right in a new life, running away isn't going to solve anything.”

“And what if you have a homicidal cousin?”

“None of my cousins would ever kill me—especially at Christmas,” she said vehemently.

To her dismay, Griff was coming up to them. She prayed that he hadn't heard her. If he had, he made no comment, just asked Robert, “Did you drive over? Daniel said to check with you. If not, I can give you a ride.”

“Thanks, Griff. I drove today.”

“Cool. Good night.”

Griff started off; then he turned back, a curious expression his face. “Hey, cuz, I'd never kill you at Easter, either. And certainly not on St. Patrick's Day.”

“Great,” Jillian moaned, watching him walk away. “Now his feathers are all ruffled.”

“Maybe they should be.”

“Just what is your problem?” she demanded angrily.

“Daniel had rat poison in his desk.”

“Maybe he was killing rats.”

“Maybe he killed the cat.”

“He wouldn't. He likes cats.”

“Yeah, well, the cat wasn't supposed to die. You were the intended victim, Jillian.”

She shook her head, backing away from him. “You're wrong. And I'm not staying away from my family on Christmas, Robert. I'm not.”

He sighed. “Jillian…”

“I'm going to take a cab.”

“The hell you are.”

“No, you know what? I'll get a ride with Daniel.”

“Jillian!” When she started to walk away, he went after her, catching her arm, spinning her back around. “Okay, have it your way. We'll be with your family for Christmas, Jillian. Let's go home now, can we?”

Neither of them was happy, but she gave in. They drove the distance in silence. Robert, usually fairly calm behind the wheel, swore at the drivers around them the whole way.

At the house, Jillian hurried upstairs to shower, then rushed into bed. He didn't come up until later. She heard him as he shed his clothing, but he didn't come right over. He had picked up the snow globe Milo had given her and was examining it.

Riders in the snow.

After a while he came to bed. It was the time to make up. One of them should have rolled toward the other. They should have talked, touched, laughed, made love.

But they kept their distance.

That night, she didn't dream about fire.

She dreamed instead of a massive dragon with Eileen's face.
Jillian, precious Jillian. Perfect Jillian, Douglas's beloved. You'll need a miracle, a miracle, a miracle….

Then Robert was there, a perfect fairy tale prince, riding through the snow, ready to fight the dragon. His sword was drawn, his arm was ready.

But Eileen was laughing at him.
He was the one who strung the arrow. He was the one to shoot Morwenna straight through the heart….

She jerked awake. He was at her side, instantly alert. Immediately, his arms were around her, his eyes anxious, even in the shadows. “The burning…?”

She looked at him and laughed. “No, no, I'm sorry I woke you.”

“What, then?”

“Eileen. She was a dragon. But it's okay—you were fighting her off.” She was smiling, but he frowned. “Really. She was a big, fat, black dragon. It was actually very funny.”

He eased back, watching her. “You're really all right?”

“Absolutely. Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Because I'm wide awake now.”

“Meaning…?”

“I wouldn't want to take advantage of you or anything, but if we're even remotely thinking about two dozen children, it would never be too soon to start.”

She laughed, and then, still laughing, she threw herself into his arms. “It seems I'm wide awake myself,” she whispered.

 

Three days later, they all gathered once again at the house in Connecticut. They spent the first few days shopping like crazy, then insanely wrapping, throwing themselves entirely into the Christmas spirit. Eileen and Gary were behaving a bit strangely, whispering all the time, with Eileen far more quiet than catty, which was definitely different for her.

The relationship between Connie and Joe was still strained, and Jillian wondered if it wouldn't be better after all if Connie told her husband the truth.

Connie's mom, the kids, Amelia and Gracie, who seemed to have become one of the crowd, seemed to be the most cheerful among them—unaware, perhaps, of the underlying currents of unease. Admittedly, though, despite the tension she sometimes felt, Jillian had a wonderful time at the parties they held during the week. One was for the sales staff and buyers, another for the charities with which they were associated, and the last for the children of St. Mary's Orphanage, a follow-up to the skating party. Jenny came back for that one and played with Tricia and Liza, who didn't mind that she didn't speak. When she left, she once again said, “Thank you” to Jillian.

Griff went missing at one point during the party. Douglas needed him for something, and Jillian went searching for him.

She found him in the library. Reading the book. She grabbed it from him, not sure why she felt red-faced.

“Hey,” he protested. “What's the matter?”

“Nothing.”

“Is that your personal property?”

“No.”

“Then, may I finish reading it?”

“Not now. Grandfather is looking for you.”

“Fine.”

“Now.”

“I'm coming,” he told her.

She turned around and left him. Later, when she went back for the book, it was gone. The fact that Griff had it disturbed her greatly, and she wasn't sure why, unless it had something to do with Connie's warning.

She didn't want to let Robert know. He was already growing more and more tense as the holiday approached.

 

On the morning of Christmas Eve, at the breakfast table, Douglas tapped his spoon against his glass. “I have an announcement,” he told them.

“Oh my God!” Griff cried out dramatically. “He's changed the will. In memory of Jeeves and in honor of our new black cat, the entire Llewellyn fortune is to be left to a home for wayward alley cats.”

“Not a bad idea, Griff,” Douglas said. “But no. I wanted to let you know that after a tremendous amount of persuasion, Amelia has agreed to be my wife.”

Jillian gasped with pleasure, jumping up. “Amelia! Oh, merry Christmas.”

Amelia smiled back. “He bought me the most beautiful ring.”

“There you go,” Griff said, throwing up his hands. “The patriarch has had it with all of us. He's marrying a sweet young thing, and they're going to produce all new, far better behaved, offspring.”

“That's it, Griff, dear,” Amelia said. “I always wanted my first child before my seventieth birthday.”

Eileen stood up suddenly, looking very pale. “Joke, Griff, just go on—joke!” she exclaimed. Then she suddenly burst into tears and went running upstairs.

“Wow,” Griff said, looking totally lost and confused. “I didn't think she wanted the money that badly.”

Gary stood, stared at Griff, threw his napkin down and went after Eileen.

“It isn't the money,” Connie said softly.

They all stared at her. Then, suddenly, Jillian thought she understood. “Is Eileen pregnant?” she gasped.

“No, it's more than that,” Gracie murmured.

“I think you're right,” Robert said very softly. “I think she's lost a baby.”

Douglas stood. “Well, I didn't mean to make such a happy occasion for me such a sadness for my granddaughter. Excuse me.” He was going up to see Eileen, Jillian knew. But he paused, looking back. “Jillian, Robert, though I believe most of the family has guessed, I think it's time you shared your news, as well.”

“Jillian,” Griff declared, “
you're
pregnant.”

“No, I'm not pregnant. That I know of,” she added as a quick afterthought.

“But we are married,” Robert said.

No one moved.

“That's all?” Daniel said after a moment.

“I can even tell you when you went off and did the deed,” Theo said, laughing.

“We all knew,” Griff told them. “Well, if you'll all excuse me, I still have some Christmas presents to wrap.”

“I'm going up to see Eileen,” Jillian murmured. She glanced at Robert, then left the table, anxious to talk with her cousin.

Upstairs, she found that Douglas had been and gone, and Gary was nowhere in sight, either. Eileen wasn't especially welcoming when she told Jillian to come in, but she at least allowed her to enter.

Jillian sat by the bed. “Why didn't you tell me?” she asked softly.

“There wasn't that much to tell,” Eileen said with a shrug, looking away. “I was stunned when I found out, and I admit all I thought at first was wow, how great, I've beaten Jillian to something at last. Then…then I realized I wanted the baby. It was this wonderful life, a person. Gary and I had created a person. And then I lost it.”

“Oh, Eileen, I'm so sorry. I didn't know.”

“How could you?” Eileen asked bitterly. “You're off in your own little world with Robert. The perfect mate for the perfect grandchild. Maybe Grandfather really did hire him so you two could create your own dynasty. Which you will now, of course. You're perfect.
You'll
never have a miscarriage.”