Losing Control (13 page)

She caught his gaze, peered into the
deep set blue eyes, wanted to get lost in them, as if they were a calm,
beckoning sea.

“I can’t make love for a long time,
can I?”

“The doctor said about six or seven
weeks. But I can wait. I told you before it was more than that between us.
Right now I just want to take care of you. To make sure you get healthy and
strong again. Then, once you’re better, I have some big plans.”

“What? Tell me, please? Give me
something to look forward to.”

“Well, after the doctors’ give you
the okay, we’ll get married and take an extended honeymoon. I want to show you
London
, and
Paris
, maybe
Rome
, too. And then we’ll go to Eze.”

“Oz?
Like where the wizard lived?”

“No, Eze! It’s a beautiful old
village that sits high up on a mountaintop in the South of
France
. I stayed at a hotel there once, by
myself. I swore someday I’d go back there with the love of my life. Oh, it’s
unbelievable,
Fawn
; a cozy room with a great big
canopy bed, a fireplace, and a balcony! When you’re ready I’m going to take you
out on that balcony. I’ll switch out the table and chairs for a comfy little
mattress and then we can make love out there, high above the
Mediterranean Sea
! We’ll feel like we’re on top of the
whole world!”

He was bringing her back to life,
replacing the dull, empty ache in her abdomen with a thrilling hope of things
to come.

“It sounds too good to be real! I
can’t wait to get well now! Taury, thank you for being here. And for loving me.”

“You don’t have to thank me.”

“Yes, I do. You know, I went through
three miscarriages while I was married to Richard and not once did he think to
come to my room while I recuperated. He said I’d heal better without him. I
guess he was right, though. He was never one for comforting me or saying the
right words to help me feel better about myself.”

“That’s his loss, and my gain. I’m
sorry you went through all that sadness and misery. I wish I could have kept
you from it somehow.”

“You’re my reward for all that pain.
I truly believe that.”

He leaned close, kissed her mouth.

“Go back to sleep now. You need a lot
of rest. I’ll be here when you wake again.”

“Promise me?”

“I promise.”

She drifted into a soothing slumber
while Taury hummed a gentle tune.

This time her dreams came sweetly,
with visions of a mountaintop sanctuary where they could hide away from their
controlling families and all the cruelties of the world.

FOURTEEN

The bottom fell out of the sky and it
rained for days on end. Fawn began to stir from her bed, and to shower, and
shave – little things that made her feel human again.

Taury remained by her side night and
day; catering to her every need and whim. He brought her delectable dinners
from the fanciest restaurants, and special chocolates from the factory. He gave
her back rubs and foot massages. He sang to her and cuddled her, never
expecting anything in return, though she couldn’t help but offer him her hands
and mouth to satisfy his own needs now and then.

Her parents were in a hotel down the
street. Taury refused to let them hassle Fawn with their troubles until she was
strong enough. What troubles that might be haunted her. They’d never been very
forthcoming about things they considered ‘their’ business, meaning anything to
do with finances or their relationship.

“Do you want me to see them, Fawn?”
Taury asked her as they curled up together on her bed. The nurses had scolded
him about sleeping with her, fearing he might pull out an IV or something but
he was paying their salaries – his company owned the
Cambridge Private
Hospital
- so they didn’t protest too much.

“Oh, no, I can handle it. I only wish
I knew what your mother … I mean
Elizabeth
… had up her sleeve.”

“Whatever it is, I won’t let her use it
against them, or us! I swear she’s like one of those evil Disney characters,
the queen in
Snow White
or Cruella deVille!”

His cell phone whirred, causing a
tickle on Fawn’s hip. He answered it.

“Yes.” He paused for a long time,
listening to a frantic male voice on the other end. Fawn watched as a dark
frown replaced his smile. “Fine. Calm down! I’ll be there as soon as I can.
They can’t sell it without my blessing, and I’ll never give it to them!”

He flipped the phone shut, heaved a
bothered sigh.

“What’s wrong, Taury?”

He climbed up off the bed, began to
slip on his shoes.

“All hell seems to be breaking loose
at work! Apparently Harper has gone in with that jerk Allen Ainsworth! They’ve
finagled a deal with a private equity group to buy my company! I don’t get her.
I thought I could trust her with my life!”

“I told you she was jealous of us.
You’re feeling that age old thing called a woman’s scorn. What is a private
equity group, anyway?”

“For the most part they’re a bunch of
coyotes that buy a company, run it into the ground and sell it off, making a
huge profit while causing job losses and bankruptcies! I’d die before I let
them get hold of the Trahern Candy Company!”

He threw on a black leather slicker,
leaned down for a sweet kiss.

“I hate to leave you. I can’t bear
the thought of being without you even for a second. You’ve got your brand on
me, Fawn Hamilton.”

“I can’t wait until your brand …
Trahern … is on me.”

“Yeah, I’ve thought about bringing a
chaplain or some such person up here. The sooner we’re legal, the better. But I
want our wedding to be special. I know you don’t want another big show. I don’t
like the idea of that, either; maybe a simple ceremony behind the beach house?
How does that sound to you?”

“Wonderful!” she sighed. “Just
wonderful! Can I start planning it, Taury? I want Stephanie to be there, and
the Finches, and the De Paolos. I miss them all so much!”

“So do I! After I straighten out this
thing at the company I’m flying you home on the private plane! The doctors be
damned!”

His lips found hers again, lingered
until she thought she’d swoon.

“I’ll call you later. Love me?”

“Forever!”

“That isn’t long enough,” he
whispered, stealing one more kiss. Then he was out the door, and Fawn was alone
for the first time since she’d been there.

Afternoon found her flicking the
remote towards a wall-mounted TV – the programs full of haughty judges and
childish defendants, or brassy baby mamas there to prove which of three guys
was the father, or dull, noisy game shows, or movies she’d seen so often she
could recite the dialogue. She wanted out of that place, was weary of the
waiting and the bleeding and the pills. If only she could go home with Taury to
her little bungalow on the hill!

Her phone rang; it was Stephanie.

“Hey, girl! Taury called me, told me
what went down. I’m sorry I wasn’t there to keep you company.”

“Oh, you couldn’t have known I’d wind
up like this.”

“You don’t sound good, Fawn. Going
stir crazy?”

“Yes, I am! I don’t see why I can’t
go home!”

“Well, from what little I know about
these things, I’d say the doctors are being cautious. Traveling might rip some
stitches, right?”

“I suppose. But I didn’t mean to lash
out at you. How are you, Steph? Is everything going okay with Tom?”

“I should say so! We got hitched,
Fawn! Can you believe it?”

“You’re married? Ha! I’m in shock!”

“Yeah, I know, it’s wild! He took me
to
London
to meet his family, and we got married in a tiny little
church near the house he was born in.”

“Sounds romantic.”

“Oh, it was! And, I’ve got some other
news … but I kind of hate to throw it at you, seeing what you’ve been through…”

“You’re pregnant! Really?”

“Yep!”

“God, Steph, that’s wonderful! Don’t
think you have to hide it from me! I’m thrilled! I can be Auntie Fawn, I hope,
and spoil it rotten!”

“Him, it’s a boy. We’re naming him
London
, after his dad’s hometown.”

“
London
Cedar.
That’s a hell of a name! But I like
it!” She paused, she’d been thinking about Taury’s real mother a lot lately,
wondering what had happened to her. “Steph, can I ask you something?”

“Sure. What is it?”

“You’re a lawyer, so you know private
eyes, right? Some really good ones?”

“I do. I’ve had to use their services
plenty of times. Why?”

“I want you to find someone.”

“Who?”

“A maid. She used to work for Taury’s
family about twenty two years ago.”

“Do you have a name?”

“Just Inger.”

“And you want to find her because…”

“It’s important, Steph. Could you
look into her disappearance, please?”

“Of course. I know someone in
San Francisco
who is really good at finding
skeletons in closets … even when they’re still alive!” She laughed.

“Thanks, Steph! You’re the best!”

“Don’t I know it! Bye, love, as the
Brits would say!”

“Bye.”

Fawn sat on the bed, thought about
how strange it was that Stephanie could be married and expecting. The two
things Fawn truly wished she could be at that moment. She felt a tugging in her
heart, and sighed.

“Well, maybe I can be married,
anyway. But Taury deserves to have children. I know he’d be such a great
father.”

She sighed again, walked to the open
window, watched as the miserable rain rushed past her. The sky was charcoal,
ripe with threatening storms; it cast a gloom over the city. A strange chill
went down her spine.

The door creaked behind her; she
turned, hoping it would be Taury, but it was Elizabeth Trahern who entered the
room, silently accompanied by the two guardians, Greg and Henry. She removed a
wet raincoat and discarded it on a chair, revealing a neat black pinstriped
jacket and hip-hugging skirt. Fawn readjusted the plain blue robe she wore, feeling
ugly.

“Well, you look better than the last
time I saw you,” the Queen announced. “Where is your rescuer? Moved on to
greener pastures?”

“He’s taking care of his business.
Isn’t that what you’d want him to be doing?”

“Certainly! Anything to keep him far
from you.”

“He loves me, Mrs. Trahern. Why can’t
you accept that?”

“For the moment, he does, but once he
realizes that you are merely damaged goods, shall we say, then he’ll abandon
you, and you’ll have to pay for this hospital stay yourself. I know you’re not
poor, but you’re not rich, either. I can help you out with the bills, and more,
if you’ll let me.”

“I don’t think you can make me
disappear, the way you did Meg and her family.”

“No? Your parents haven’t been to see
you yet, have they?”

“What have they got to do with it?”

“Your father is in dire straits. If
you leave Taurus, I’ll help him, but if you insist on keeping my son ensnared
in your feeble trap…”

“I couldn’t hold him if he didn’t
truly love me. I’m not glamorous or beautiful like you.”

“I cannot understand the attraction
at all myself. But then I’m not a man. Maybe you have talents that aren’t
evident to another woman.”

“Especially not one like you,” Fawn
huffed, weary of the insults.