Lotus Blossom (26 page)

Across the room Jennifer and Ann had hold of Dash’s arms.

“John Dasher . . .” Jennifer panted. “You cannot make a scene here.”

“God forbid,” Dash said through his teeth. “I’m going to kill him, not spill his blood and make a mess of course, but I am going to garrot him.”

“In front of Boston society?” Ann squealed, rolling her eyes at her husband. “Do something.” “Not me.” Richard smiled amiably. “Your brother has a wicked right.”

“Not to mention his left hook,” Jennifer’s husband, Warren, interjected.

Alan ambled over to them, a young curly-headed deb on his arm. “Dash’s going to kill Dexter?” he asked his sisters interestedly.

“Monster!” Jennifer seethed, her nostrils flaring as her younger brother laughed.

“Will you two let me go before I drag you out on the floor, clinging to my arms?”

“Not until you promise not to make a scene, John Dasher,” Jennifer huffed.

“Swear in blood.” Ann intoned each word as she strained to hold him.

“Where did he come from?” Dash grated, nodding at them, finally able to shrug off his sisters.

“Dexter is always around, dear boy.” His mother floated toward her progeny, sizing up the red faces and scowls at once. “You mustn’t mind him, dear. Besides being an execrable dancer, he’s harmless.”

“He’ll tire her,” Dash snarled. “I won’t have it.”

“Mother! Help us,” Ann hissed. “John Dasher has that horrid bull dog look. He’ll break Dexter’s back.”

“Right.” Dash bared his teeth.

“John Dasher, you must not kill Dexter. He is family. Besides, we don’t want scandal.” His mother reproved him mildly.

“Do think of the scandal.” Warren, Jennifer’s husband, leaned toward Dash.

“Heavens, yes.” Richard chuckled.

Dash looked at his two brothers-in-law, then at an eager-eyed Alan. “Well, well, anxious about a brouhaha, are you?”

Warren ignored his wife’s outraged gasp and shrugged. “It might slice some of the boredom off this rat’s fest.”

“How can you?” Jennifer bit off each word.

“I will be glad to break one of Dexter’s legs to help out,” Richard offered helpfully.

“Outrageous.’’Ann froze a laughing Laura with one look.

Zachary Colby glanced at his wife, then at his older son. “Ahem . . . my boy, I fully understand your feelings, but 1 would prefer you waylaid Dexter in an alley, rather than take him and his cronies on here.”

Dash’s head swiveled slowly away from his wife who was trying desperately to hang on to an energetic Dexter doing the mambo. “Okay.”

Ann and Jennifer expostulated, not able to articulate clearly as they tried to expel their wrath.

“Mother.” Jennifer tried to appeal to her for help.

“Now, now, girls, your father has settled everything. Dasher won’t do anything here . . . and I’m sure we’ll all be home and in bed before he’s able to get Dexter into an alley.” She frowned for a moment. “I can’t even think of an alley terribly close to us.”

“Mother!” Ann squeaked. “How can you encourage Dasher! He has always been such a—such a—Hun.” She finished with a baleful glare at her spouse who was propped against the wall laughing. “And you are as unprincipled as Dasher,” she told him.

“Thank you, Annie. That’s the nicest compliment you’ve paid me in a long time. In fact, it may be the only compliment you’ve ever paid me.”

Blood chugged into Ann’s face just as a panting Lotus staggered from the floor with Dexter to come to a halt next to her sister-in-law.

Lotus saw the hurt flit across Ann’s face, then fade as she looked at Richard. She squeezed her sister-in-law’s arm companionably and smiled at her. “Ann, Dexter still wants to dance.”

Ann’s smile wobbled, then steadied “Thanks. Just what I needed.” She held out her arms to her cousin. “Hello, Dex. Just delete the jumps and leaps and we’ll be fine.” She gave Lotus a weak smile and dragged her cousin onto the floor.

“But I wanted to talk for a while,” Dexter complained, looking over his shoulder.

“I think you may have saved his life,” Jennifer’s husband murmured to Lotus.

“I suppose she has.” Jennifer’s smile was fleeting, but her husband kissed her on the forehead.

“If you’ll excuse us, Lotus, I think I’d like to dance with my wife.” Jen’s husband grinned when his wife’s social smile widened.

“Of course.” Lotus stepped back and felt a hard body meet hers, reveling in the familiar strength.

“I felt like dismembering that cousin of mine.” Dash gave a rueful laugh.

Lotus sagged against him. “No problem, darling. It was just a dance, but I will admit he’s like a dynamo. He would go up and down and sideways all at the same time. It was amazing.”

“Devoid of rhythm,” Laura pronounced solemnly as she sidled up next to them. “Madame Duval said it many times, but it never penetrated Dex’s thick skin. He has always been of the opinion that he’s a great dancer.” She smiled at Lotus. “I always hide in the ladies’ room when I see him coming.”

Dash slipped both his arms around his wife, holding her tight to him. “Well, I don’t think you’ll escape this time, sis. The Menace has just discarded a half-dead Ann and is now approaching-”

“No,” Laura cheeped, turning to face an ebullient Dexter who took a grip on her upper arm. “I have a broken leg,” she told him.

“Nonsense. The exercise will do it good.”

“Get my husband,” Laura gasped at Lotus, then was dragged away by the inexorable Dexter.

“We have to find him,” Lotus told Dash as he was about to walk away.

“I want to leave before I land him one right on that soft chin of his.” Dash had a mixture of amusement and irritation in his voice.

“Dash,” Lotus cooed. “We’ll leave soon.”

“Stop doing that. The city of Boston is going to see your effect on me because I don’t think my jacket will disguise it.”

Lotus laughed, leaning against him, joy spilling out of her.

“Was I that amusing?” His eyes held lazy heat. “No. But it’s wonderful to laugh when you’re happy. Next to singing it’s the very best thing to do.”

“I'll remember that. I feel a little like singing myself.”

“You look surprised that you would experience such a thing.”

“I am.” He looked down at her, studying her. “You have the skin of an angel.”

“I think angels are blond.”

“Wrong. Angels have blue black hair and almond-shaped green eyes, with wide cheekbones and delicate bone structure. They’re doll-like and have great
legs and breasts
,” Dash whispered the last three words in her ear. “And I love them.”

“Good.” She could feel her heart beat out of control. “Did you say something about leaving?” “Good idea,” Dash said hoarsely, leading her toward his mother and father. “We’re leaving,” he told them succinctly.

“Your manners astound me, John Dasher . . ." his mother drawled, but when she looked at Lotus, her eyes were twinkling. “I’m sure Lotus would love to stay for another hour or two.”

“She wouldn’t,” Dash said brusquely, making his father chortle. “What’s so funny?” he charged his parent.

“I do enjoy seeing you out of stride, my boy.” His father smothered another laugh when Dash muttered an imprecation.

“Lotus, you must learn to control your husband.” Lissa was chuckling.

“She controls me well enough,” Dash said when Lotus started to open her mouth.

“Good night, everyone,” Lotus said, then impulsively, she hugged her mother- and father-in-law, taking note that their mouths were agape when she pulled back. “I had a lovely time. Thank you.” “Dash, why don’t you move East with your wife and take over your grandmother’s house on the Hill? It was left to you,” his father stated gruffly, his eyes sliding back to Lotus. “I have a hankering to have my daughter-in-law nearby. I think she’s good for this family.”

“I agree,” Lissa said softly, watching her son as he cuddled his wife close to him.

Dash shrugged. “The business demands a great deal of attention.” He looked down at Lotus and smiled. “But I know you would like to be closer to your family. Perhaps we will locate somewhere in the East, if you like.”

Lotus wanted to shout at him that she would live on Main Street on the moon if he wished, but instead she quietly nodded.

The other good-byes were quickly made and in minutes they were walking down the wide curving stair to the outside. Dash didn’t release his hold on her until he helped her into the front seat of the Porsche. Conversation was fragmented between them, but Dash held her hand all the while they drove. Boston traffic was fairly light at one o’clock in the morning so that they had no holdups on the route they traveled to Beacon Hill.

When they left the car to mount the steps to the front door, Dash had his arm around her waist. He kept it there, even when he unlocked the door so that they could enter the house. When they were standing in the foyer, he looked down at her and smiled. “Shall we have a nightcap? A juice or something?”

Lotus shook her head, smiling when he grinned at her. “It was fun this evening. Even Dexter . . .”

“I was ready to kill him.” Dash shook his head as he led her up the stairs to the third-floor suite they occupied.

Lotus was brushing her hair, when Dash came out of the bathroom. He was rubbing his head with a towel. She smiled at him, continuing to brush.

“By the way, darling, what is the birth control pill called that you’re using? I think we should tell the doctor the name when we arrange for your physical.” Dash disappeared back into the bathroom.

“What pill?” she whispered to her mirror image. “I meant to tell Dash I wasn’t on birth control pills . . .” She groaned, her hand, with the brush, falling to the dresser with a thump. She remembered he had been prepared the first time they made love, but they hadn’t discussed it since. She straightened with a jerk. “Maybe I’m pregnant now.” She pressed one hand to her mouth, the other to her middle, both elated and horrified at the thought. What would Dash say? He would be happy about the child, but he might be irritated with her, that she hadn’t discussed the possibility with him that she could get pregnant. Especially since he made such a fuss about her getting checked by a doctor first. She tapped her lips with an index finger. She would find a nice quiet place to tell him. That way they could discuss any disagreements they might have. Yes, that was the best way, she thought, when they were alone, with no interruptions. She smiled to herself. She was probably crazy to act as though it were a fait
accompli
that she was already pregnant. Yet she couldn't chase the certainty from her mind that she and Dash would be parents.

CHAPTER TEN

The flight to Greece was uneventful, yet Lotus knew that Dash was irritated with her. More than once in the last two weeks, while they were in Las Vegas finishing up the paper work for Dash’s takeover of the casino in downtown Las Vegas, he had asked her for more details about her visit to the doctor. She had had the physical. The doctor had confirmed her suspicions. She was pregnant.

Lotus had told him as much as she could without revealing that she was expecting. She knew she was vacillating, but she wanted to tell him when they were in Greece, in pleasant, relaxing surroundings where their privacy would be total.

She had not been surprised when Dr. Ellen Ryan pronounced her pregnant. After the night of the Symphony Ball she had been positive. Not even the fact that she had always had irregular menstrual cycles had shaken that faith. It was fait accompli to have Dr. Ryan concur with her feelings. Before she had taken the test, the doctor had-told her that she would have bet money that she was to have a child.

How ironic! The wife of a casino owner would bet money she’s having a child, Lotus mused, her head, lolling against the back of the plane seat as they banked over Athens. Athens! The cradle of civilization! Lotus straightened in her seat as they approached.

“Are you looking for the Acroplis? You can’t see it from your angle.” Dash’s voice had that same curtness she was getting accustomed to hearing since she had been evasive with him.

“Will we see it? Or are we going right to Piraeus and the boat?”

“We’ll see it.” Dash felt impotent anger. What was she hiding from him? It had put him into a cold sweat when he suspected it was her health. He had called the doctor himself and been assured that Lotus was in excellent condition, but even then he had felt a reserve when he asked Dr. Ryan if it were safe for Lotus to be pregnant.

“Yes, I would say that it is safe for her,” Dr. Ryan had answered in measured tones. “If you will excuse me, Mr. Colby, I have a patient.”

“Yes. Of course,” he’d told her, but he had picked up the restraint in her voice.

Now as he helped Lotus leave the plane and watched her scan everything eagerly, he wished he could read her mind. What was bothering her? Was she frightened of having a family? He could feel his features tighten in anger at being closed out of her thoughts.
Talk to me, damn you, Lotus,
he grated in his mind. He sighed. He would find out what was going on! His mind ticked over the conversation he had had with the doctor. Except for a slight lack of iron in her system, which was being taken care of with iron pills and supplemental vitamins, there, was no problem. Could Lotus be

worried that he might not be able to impregnate her? Could she think he was sterile? His anger increased.

“Dash? Dash, the customs man said we’re all set.” Lotus said, pulling his sleeve.

“What? Oh, fine. Let’s go. There should be a car out front to take us to the hotel. Then if you like we’ll explore Athens this afternoon and take the boat tomorrow.”

Lotus nodded.
Oh, darling, don’t look so hurt. I’m going to tell you everything when we get to the island. I just want us to be alone when I tell you our good news, with plenty of space in case you decide to blow your stack.

“What are you smiling about?” Dash looked at her suspiciously as he directed two attendants to see to their luggage, speaking in very passable Greek.

“Where did you learn Greek?” Lotus asked him.

“One of my partners in the Atlantic City casino is Greek, born and raised in Salonika. He taught me to converse in it, so that we can speak privately at times. Athos Paranis is a tough, wily fox, whose body is made of raw hemp and whose soul is tempered steel. He smiles like a piranha and he would literally snap off your head with his teeth, but I’d trust him with everything I have. You’re the only person I trust more,” Dash said.