Morgan's Child (28 page)

Finally Morgan had agreed to live on Teoway Island, which pleased Kate tremendously. She preferred the wide open spaces of Teoway because it was so much like her own beloved Yaupon Island, and also, she was reluctant to live in the same house that Courtney and Morgan had occupied together.

Morgan watched and waited for some sign that Kate loved him.

He had thought that Kate was beautiful before, but now—now! Her figure was sylphlike and graceful, her cheeks rosy and rounded, and he desired her more than ever. The six weeks of her recovery could not pass fast enough for him. He wanted to make love to her now more than he had ever wanted to make love to anyone in his life.

These days Morgan was privy to all the intimate details of living with Kate. He knew how she hummed to herself so that he always knew what part of the house she was in. He knew that she wore the most unattractive underwear he'd ever seen. Kate professed that it made no difference what underwear looked like because underwear wasn't for looks, it was for practical purposes. Morgan had to admit that when he saw Kate in her underwear, he didn't think about the underwear—he thought about what she would look like out of it.

She was a terrific cook. This surprised him somewhat, but she gloried in the large well-appointed kitchen on Teoway Island, swooping here and there bearing big copper pans and presenting him with meals that rivaled the finest gourmet meals he'd ever eaten.

Morgan dreaded the day when Kate would leave.

She was his wife. After several weeks of coming home from the office to find a humming Kate in his kitchen and baby Pearl in the nursery bicycling her legs and spitting bubbles out of the corners of her mouth, he could not imagine either of them not being there.

He knew that Kate received a lot of letters, replies to the letters of job application that she had sent, and she never discussed the contents with him. She spent a lot of time online, too. He supposed all of that was her business. But was it really? Didn't he have some say-so in the matter of when, or even if, she would leave? Didn't she owe something to him and to Pearl?

Joanna baby-sat for Kate while Kate went to the doctor for her six-week checkup, and afterward Kate had a pleasant visit with Joanna and her children.

"Your baby is
so
little," Melissa said, peering into the old cradle where Joanna rocked her.

"She's
much
better than our baby," Christopher said.

"Wouldn't you like to leave Pearl with us for the night? You could come to pick her up in the morning," Joanna said.

"I'm nursing her," Kate said.

"She took the bottle very well for me today," Joanna assured her.

"Please let her stay!" Christopher said.

"Please?" asked Melissa.

"Do," urged Joanna, and Kate, who was feeling the strain of too many night feedings, thought how well-loved Pearl would be among her cousins and how good it would feel to be able to sleep all night and late the next morning.

"Okay," Kate said, still reluctant. She couldn't imagine being apart from Pearl even for so short a time, but maybe this would be a good rehearsal for the time when she'd have to go away forever. Tears poured down her face all the way back to Teoway Island, and she missed Pearl terribly. Even so, she fell into bed and slept like a rock.

When she woke up she saw a light on in the dressing room and knew that Morgan had come in from work. She sat up as he was tiptoeing past the bed.

"I tried not to wake you," Morgan said.

"I was already awake."

He sat down on the edge of the bed, and in the dimness of the light from the next room, she saw the smile on his face.

"Joanna told me she was baby-sitting Pearl overnight," he said, stroking her arm.

"I miss her," Kate said.

"I know. When I came home tonight, the house seemed so quiet without you and Pearl waiting for me when I came in the door."

"I went to the doctor today," Kate said. "It was my six-week checkup."

"And?"

"And he gave the go-ahead for us to resume sexual relations."

"Resume sexual relations," he said, drifting his fingers down the curve of her throat. "It sounds so clinical."

"To make love," she whispered, her eyelids fluttering closed as she imperceptibly leaned toward him.

"Oh, Kate," he said. "To think that I wouldn't have known you if Courtney hadn't recruited you as the mother of our child. To think that I would still be walking around with that great emptiness in my life and not even knowing it."

He cupped a hand around her face and looked deep into her eyes for a clue to what she was feeling in the depths of her soul. If he read her right, she loved him. Why didn't she say it? Why couldn't she admit her emotions?

Her arms went around him, and he drew her close, pleasure filling him up and spilling over into desire, as she pulled him down upon the pillows.

Outside the sea rushed to the shore, and inside the tides of passion flowed in their veins. It had been so long since they had made love, but the moves were familiar, as though they had known these things about each other all of their lives. Her breasts were full and firm, her body was slender and practiced in the ways of love, and Morgan thought there could never be anyone else in the world for him, ever. And she was smiling, so he kissed her smiling lips.

"Dearest Kate," he whispered because that was how he thought of her now all the time. "Dearest Kate, I love you so much," and he heard her breath catch, the words perhaps sticking in her throat when she tried to say them, and she didn't speak after all. But she trembled violently in his arms, and he knew this was her climax, and in a moment he collapsed against her, drained and gasping for breath.

They lay together for a long time, neither of them talking, only touching, and each thinking private thoughts.

* * *

Kate was so glad to see Pearl the next morning when she went to pick her up at Joanna's that she nearly danced across the sidewalk as she carried her to Morgan's car. For her part, Pearl's eyes lit up and she smiled.

Since they were both in such a good mood, Kate decided to drive to Preacher's Inlet, both to see Gump and to pick up her mail.

She carried Pearl in her arms and met Gump at the ferry dock as he returned from a run to the island. A few tourists filed off the boat, and Gump stumped down the ramp after they had left to hug Kate warmly and chuck Pearl under the chin.

"That's a good-looking baby," he told Kate with a twinkle.

"Do you think she looks like Morgan? She has his blue eyes." Kate said.

"Nope. She looks like her own self," Gump said. "Say, why don't you ride over to the island? See how Willadeen's museum is coming along?"

Kate's expression darkened, and she shook her head. "I don't want to see it. I'd rather remember it the way it was. The reason I'm here is that I came for my mail," she said.

"I've been saving it for you. Wait a minute and I'll get it," Gump said before boarding the ferry and disappearing momentarily into the wheelhouse.

Kate stood on the dock, inhaling the familiar scents of tar from the pilings and salt air from the ocean. Yaupon Island was a blur on the horizon, and Kate wondered if she would ever go back. Probably not. Some things were best remembered as they were.

Gump returned with a stack of envelopes. "Here you are. Could I interest you in lunch? The Merry Lulu serves snacks these days. We could have a sandwich together."

"Thanks, but it'll have to be some other time, Gump. I'm glad to hear about the sandwiches, though. You keep your nose out of beer mugs."

"Haven't tied on a good one since you left," Gump complained.

"See that you don't," Kate warned him.

"Hey, after I retire I'm going to move to North Carolina to live with my sister. No booze allowed in her house. You don't need to worry about me," he said.

Kate shifted Pearl to her other shoulder and stuffed the envelopes in her purse. "I'll be back for lunch before long," she called as she left.

When Kate got home, she had to feed Pearl, and then she ate her own lunch and took a short nap. Afterward there was Pearl's bath, and then she tossed a load of laundry in the washing machine. It wasn't until almost dinnertime that she remembered the mail.

The letter from Northeast Marine Institute nearly jumped out at her. With its distinctive logo, she spotted it right away. She thought perhaps Penelope was writing her a personal congratulatory note about the findings of the FHF, but the letter wasn't from Penelope. It was from the new director of the institute.

Dear Dr. Sinclair,

Recently you received a letter from the Federal Health Foundation stating the results of that agency's investigation into matters concerning falsified data.

I have recently been appointed director of Northeast Marine Institute in order to fill a vacancy created when the former director of the lab, Dr. Deakin Cleveland, resigned. I'm pleased to inform you that I am now in a position to discuss the resumption of your valuable research under the auspices of Northeast Marine Institute.

Please call this office as soon as possible to arrange an interview.

Sincerely,

Austin J. Follett, Ph.D.

Director, Northeast Marine Institute

Kate sank down on a chair in the living room, tears stinging her eyes. Finally! It was clear from the letter that she could have her old job back for the asking.

She stared out at the ocean, wishing she felt happier. She had won the fight and prevailed in the end. Now she knew for sure that she would soon be leaving Morgan and Pearl.

She walked softly into the room where Pearl slept, her tiny fists curled into balls. Pearl wore a nightgown printed with pink teddy bears, and her favorite mobile swung over her crib. In a while she would wake and grin a big toothless grin, waving her arms and legs as Kate changed her diaper. Then she would suckle at Kate's breast, her breath warm upon Kate's skin, her sweet talcum-scented body curved to Kate's as it had been all those months that Kate had sheltered her in her body.

So engrossed was she in thoughts of Pearl that Kate didn't hear Morgan come in or the sound of the door closing behind him. Suddenly he was behind her, his arms sliding around her as they both gazed down at the sleeping baby.

Morgan nuzzled Kate's neck, and swiftly she pulled away. She shook her head at him and laid a finger across her lips, leading him outside and gently closing the nursery door. He slipped his arms around her waist and tried to turn her toward him for a kiss, but she evaded him once more and led the way into the living room.

"You're early," she said faintly.

"I know," he said, smiling. He picked a gaily wrapped package up from a nearby table. "I thought about you all day and couldn't wait to get back to you. Last night was—well, more about that later. I went shopping and bought you some things. Open it." He handed her the box.

He sat down across from her—dear Morgan, always kind, always thoughtful. How was she going to break the news to him?

As he watched expectantly, a wide grin on his face, she slid the wrapping paper free of the box and lifted the lid. Lacy underthings, all kinds—bras, panties, slips, garter belts, camisoles. She raised her eyes to his, unsure how to respond.

"Things you need. Things I'm going to enjoy seeing you wear. Plain vanilla underwear is okay, I suppose, but why not have fun? I like to see my wife wearing pretty things," he said.

"Your wife," she said heavily, touching one of the camisoles. It was a confection of ivory silk, matching lace, and blue satin ribbon. She looked at him. "Morgan, there's something I must tell you," she said.

His face grew serious, and overlaying the seriousness was a look of dread. She didn't take time to figure it out. Instead she plunged ahead.

"Morgan, I received a letter today," she said, pushing the box with all the lacy underthings aside and retrieving the letter from the floor where it had fallen. "It's from the new director of Northeast Marine Institute. He wants me to call for an interview. I'm going to get my old job back."

It seemed as if all the air left him. He sagged against the plump cushion of the chair where he sat and stared at her.

"I see," he said.

"You knew I'd be leaving eventually," Kate said. "It was our agreement."

"I know."

"And the opportunity to resume my work is important to me."

"How about Pearl? Isn't she important to you?"

What could she tell him about the sweet pleasure that filled her when Pearl nursed at her breast? How could she justify leaving the child who so occupied her days and nights that sometimes Kate didn't know where Pearl began and Kate ended? There was no way, and so Kate merely stared at the floor.

"I suppose I'd better get a list of prospective nannies from Joanna," Morgan said at last.

"Yes," Kate said.

He stood up abruptly. "I'm not hungry. No need to cook dinner," he said. He strode out of the room and disappeared into the TV room, slamming the door after him.

Kate sat in the darkening living room. She wouldn't be able to eat anything, either.