Love With A Stranger (10 page)

“I’ll make sure you do…I’ll say good-bye now, Cass; you rest and take care of yourself.”

“See you tomorrow, Jason, and…” She paused and laughed before adding, “Thank you for everything.”

Jason chuckled. “You’re welcome, Cass. Good-bye.”

After he stopped in the kitchen to go over the changes with Inez, Jason left the Grantham home in a good mood. As he got into his BMW, his grimace came swiftly as he realized that a vengeful Peter could destroy his bond with Cass by revealing the truth about the past to her.

Inez watched the handsome physician drive away and frowned, suspecting this development was going to irritate Peter to no end. She hoped he didn’t hold her responsible because she had done the best she could to follow his orders. She didn’t know how to reach him, since he was between destinations. He had phoned early this morning to check on his stepmother and wasn’t due to call again until Sunday afternoon. With that nurse moving in tomorrow, perhaps Mrs. Grantham wouldn’t want her to come in on Sunday or stay there at night any longer, which meant she would miss Peter’s call and the means to give him a detailed report. No doubt he would call her at home after he spoke with the woman and made his shocking discoveries. She hoped he wouldn’t fire her because she needed this lucrative job.

As Cass relaxed in bed, she sipped on the sherbet-and-dietginger-ale float and glanced through the magazines that Inez had brought to her after Jason’s departure. With the aid of the mild tranquilizer and knowing somebody really cared about her, she was calmer than she had been in weeks. She liked
having a clear mind and realized she could not escape reality in a drugged daze. She had to get well and take control of her life and make plans for her future. She didn’t know what she wanted to do with herself yet, but she knew she shouldn’t make any hasty decisions. There were business matters to settle so she would know where she stood financially. Since Tom might only have been using her as a cover for his secret activities and never really loved her, it was possible that he hadn’t included her in his will and might have left everything—or almost everything—to his only son.

Cass lowered the magazine and stared into space. She could not understand how love could be slain so fast and completely. It was as if Thomas Ethan Grantham had murdered every genuine emotion she had ever experienced toward him. She felt nothing good for her deceased husband. She could not forgive him for his repugnant betrayals, or understand why he had committed them. Perhaps if Tom’s weakness had been only one brief affair, she might have been able to forgive him, but that was not the case.

She recalled how she had forgiven Bradley Stillman for his first offense because she had been naive and trusting and believed his seemingly valid excuses, even taking on part of the blame for his straying. She hadn’t given him a third chance to strike out; she had left him upon the discovery of affair number two. She had loved Brad, had adored him with that pure innocence of first love.

With Tom, it had been a mature love, a settling in a way for the best thing to come along in the ten years since her divorce and one soured romance. With two strikes against her for terrible choices, could she ever risk making strike number three. She wouldn’t worry about that matter any time soon.

As sordid images from those two videotapes tried to sneak into her head, Cass dismissed them swiftly. She didn’t want those ugly feelings to torment and destroy her. She had to
accept that dark reality and, if she could not forget the past, ignore it.

On Sunday at noon, Jason Burkman and Linda Carnes arrived within minutes of each other. Cass took an instant liking to the vivacious, pretty, and genial nurse in her late twenties with her very short but thick and fluffy blond hair and green eyes that seemed to sparkle from an inner radiance. At five feet nine, Linda was an inch taller than she was, and their weights appeared to be about the same—at least her own normal size before she’d lost many pounds during her bedrest.

As Jason examination Cass and took her vital signs, Linda recorded the information on a chart, asked several question’s about the man’s instructions, and observed the easy rapport between physician and patient. It was obvious to Linda that the two people had respect and affection for each other, though one behaved professionally and the other politely in her presence.

After his examination, Jason smiled and said, “You’re already doing better, Cass. I have a golf game this afternoon, so I’ll leave you in Linda’s capable hands. I’ll come by and check on you after office hours tomorrow. Either of you have any questions?” He saw both women shake their heads. He gathered his things, smiled again, and departed.

Cass looked at Linda and said, “I’ll show you to your room so you can get unpacked and settled in. Inez prepared it before she left yesterday; she’s my housekeeper and she’s off today. I might as well warn you, if Jason hasn’t done so already, but Inez can be a…difficult woman. She’s stern faced and grouchy most of the time, but don’t let her upset or offend you. She’s sort of annoyed that you’re replacing her.”

Yes, Linda thought, Jason had told her about the annoying woman. “Don’t worry, Mrs. Grantham, I’m accustomed to dealing with disgruntled people who view me as a disruption.
Have no fear, I can handle Inez. Just don’t you get upset if I have to be stern with her. Remember, you aren’t to eat or drink anything I don’t prepare and serve you; that’s the only way I can control your diet. You’re going to get sore and stiff from working out with me daily to get you toned and stronger, so she might think I’m pushing you too hard and try to interfere. I just hope she doesn’t get angry enough to quit because a good domestic is hard to find.”

“If she does, Miss Carnes, don’t worry about it. I’ve put up with a great deal of nonsense from her for months and I was planning to replace her soon, but I’m feeling guilty about dismissing her because she’s taken such good care of me since I…fell apart after Tom’s death. But Jason says he knows of a good replacement if Inez becomes unbearable.”

“You’re a very kindhearted and generous woman, Mrs. Grantham. I know we’re going to have fun working together.”

“Please, call me Cass, if you don’t mind.”

“That suits me fine, Cass, and you call me Linda…Well, I’ll settle in while you’re resting this afternoon, Right now, it’s lunch time. Would you like to show me around the kitchen? Then, I’ll get started on our meal. A healthy diet is important to you for regaining your strength.”

In the kitchen, Cass sat at the breakfast table while Linda prepared, then served them both sandwiches, garden salads, fruit cups, and skim milk. While they ate, they chatted briefly about themselves and Cass’s impending treatments.

After drinking an herbal tea blend of chamomile flower, valerian root, and other natural ingredients, Linda gave Cass a massage to stimulate weakened muscles in her body. As the nurse soothed her body and the tea and tranquilizer soothed her mind, Cass drifted off to sleep.

Linda spread a sheet over her new patient and slipped from the room to unpack her belongings. She liked the woman and
understood why Jason, as a doctor and friend, was concerned about her emotional and physical health. She concurred with Jason’s line of treatment, not with Hines’s. She didn’t like the man and couldn’t understand why the older physician had medicated Cass so heavily and for so long, since Cass’s anxiety and depression seemed relatively mild to her. Though he hadn’t said it aloud to her, Linda sensed that Jason was as suspicious of Hines’s course of action as she was. Her heart went out to the young widow and was resolved to help Cass recover fully and soon.

During a light exercise session in her home gym at five o’clock, the phone rang and Cass gave Linda permission to answer it. Cass listened to her end of the conversation.

“Grantham residence. May I help you?…This is Linda Carnes, Mrs. Grantham’s nurse…No, Doctor Hines didn’t assign me to her; Doctor Jason Burkman, her personal physician, did…Doctor Burkman took over her case yesterday and I started today…Yes, she’s here and I’ll see if she can speak with you.”

Linda turned to Cass and said, “It’s Peter Grantham. He wants to talk to you. Are you up to speaking on the phone?”

Cass took a deep breath, dreading Peter’s reaction to the change. “That’s fine, Linda, thank you,” she said, taking the receiver. “Hello, Peter. How is the business trip going?”

“That nurse said you’re seeing Doctor Burkman. Why?”

“Considering my alarming condition and his heavy hand with drugs, I wanted a second opinion.”

“If you didn’t like or trust Doctor Hines, why didn’t you tell me?”

“He’s all right, but I’ve seen Doctor Burkman several times since I moved to Sea Island, so I consider him to be my physician. Is there a problem?”

“No, the only thing that matters is getting you well. If he
makes you feel more comfortable, by all means use him. But if you’d told me about him earlier, I would have phoned him instead of Hines.”

Cass was relieved that Peter’s tone of voice was pleasant and tinged with concern. “I wasn’t in a state of mind for thinking clearly,” she reminded him.

“Of course not. Well, are you feeling any better?”

“Yes, I am. Doctor Hines lowered my medication yesterday before I changed to Doctor Burkman, and then Doctor Burkman lowered it even more, so this is the clearest my head’s been since I started treatment. The rest and medication have helped me a lot. Thanks for getting me started.”

Peter couldn’t contain his sudden barrage of questions. “Who’s the nurse and why was she needed? What’s she supposed to do for you? Why couldn’t Inez continue to take care of you?”

He hardly listened as she explained, his thoughts running in a different direction. With Cass returning to her normal self and sooner than planned, he was relieved he had her home phone line switched back to her house from his residence and had the mail delivery changed from the temporary post office box he had rented back to her house before his departure. He couldn’t ever let her discover what he had done to her with Hines’s help, and with Inez’s unknowing assistance. He didn’t like Jason Burkman being in the picture, but that could play nicely to his advantage if he pretended his only concern was her health. Besides, he could get rid of the man any time he desired with a few well-chosen words spoken into Cass’s ear.
That’s it, my greedy stepmother, get real close to him; then, if you require a little relapse, exposing Jason’s motive to you should certainly do that trick.
Peter decided, he’d phone Inez for a full report on this matter as soon as he hung up. “Besides having a clear head, Cass, how are you doing?”

“Better; the other symptoms are gone, and I feel calmer, rested.”

“That’s excellent news, so Hines did help you. Right?”

“Yes, and I hope he doesn’t get upset because I changed to my own doctor. How are things going out there?” she tried to change the subject.

“Excellent, but we’ll discuss our family business after I return home on Wednesday. While I’m on the road, I might as well check out all of the companies…If you’re feeling up to talking or having visitors, we got some calls and mail while you were…under the weather. They’re on my bedroom dresser, so you can ask Inez to fetch them for you tomorrow; she has a key to my place. I didn’t mention them before I left because you were too out of it to see or speak with any of Dad’s friends or anybody else. People at the companies have been asking about you. I told them you’re taking a holiday as we agreed. I didn’t know when you’d be feeling up to it, so my secretary finished the thank-you notes for Dad’s funeral flowers and donations. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Thank you, Peter, that was kind of you. Why don’t we go over the correspondence after you return home? And perhaps we could have dinner with some of the people who showed concern.”

“That sounds good, let’s plan on doing it as soon as you feel like going out for the evening. I have a late meeting now, so I’d better get going. You take care of yourself, Cass, and obey your doctor’s orders.”

“I will, and thanks again, Peter. Good-bye.”

At seven, Cass shared a pleasant dinner with Linda, then the two women sat in the den and watched television and chatted. Cass enjoyed Linda’s company. She was glad Jason had chosen the affable and interesting woman to be her nurse. If things continued, before Linda Carnes finished her assignment, they would be good friends; and she needed a friend badly.

That night, following her medication and another cup of
herbal tea—a blend including passion flower, catnip, scullcap, and hops flower—Cass slept peacefully and dreamed only of Jason Burkman.

When Inez Doughtery returned to work on Monday morning, Cass noticed how quiet and polite the woman was, she also noticed how the housekeeper tried to observe her and Linda on the sly. Cass assumed that Inez felt her job was in jeopardy and was trying to behave herself. The black-haired woman went about her chores with eagerness and skill and kept asking if there was anything she or Linda needed. But Cass saw Inez glaring at Linda and clenching her teeth when the housekeeper didn’t know she was watching.
When I get back to myself, woman, I’m afraid you’re gone.

When Inez asked again after lunch if Cass needed anything, Cass said, “Yes, I do. Peter said there was a box of mail and messages on his bedroom dresser and you would fetch them for me.”

Later, Cass sat propped in her bed with the box in her lap. First, she went through the messages, some written by Peter’s secretary, which meant they had come to his office at the seafood company, and others written by Peter, which meant they had come to either his phone or hers. Several were from Jason, so it was obvious Peter had not intended to keep her ignorant of his calls. There were a few letters without envelopes from men Tom had known, more like brief notes to express condolences to her and Peter. She glanced at the names on the most recent sympathy cards, recognizing some as acquaintances and business contacts. Regardless of whether or not those people knew or liked her, Cass reasoned, at least they had manners.

She came to several cards that touched her heart, brought tears to her eyes, and told her she had not been forgotten as
she’d believed in her emotionally disturbed state. There was one from her ex-in-laws who had focused on Brad’s second family instead of her following his remarriage and the birth of their grandchildren, children Bradley Stillman had denied her. Another card was signed by a group of employees at Smooth Rider in Augusta where she had worked for years, where she had met the deceitful Tom, the golf cart company he had purchased, and perhaps she now partly owned. Another card had a special message written by Kristy Stillman Franklin who had read about Tom’s death in the Augusta newspaper. Cass assumed that Peter or one of Smooth Rider’s managers had notified the newspaper and supplied the information on Tom.