Mysterious (13 page)

"Close. Sami has these little dinners at least once a month, sometimes more, depending on how she feels everyone is doing." He smiled reminiscently. "I remember a time, several years ago, when I was otherwise occupied and I tried to offer my regrets."

"Tried?" she asked warily. "What happened?"

"Sami sent Eugene to get me. As I recall, I was in a beautiful companion’s bed at the time. Poor Judith. The last time I saw her she still hadn’t gotten over the shock. And I still have no idea how Eugene found me."

He laughed and suddenly pulled her to him, kissing her until she began to tremble. "Do something for me," he whispered. "Let me choose what you wear tonight."

"Of course." How could she answer any other way? This was Jerome, and she loved him.

He left her briefly, and when he came back, he was carrying a package she had never seen before. He held the box out to her. Carefully she pulled off the lid, then let out a gasp. A pool of emerald green shimmered beneath the folds of tissue paper. Speechless, she looked up at Jerome.

His eyes sparkled with happiness at her reaction. Lifting the dress from the box, he tossed the bottom part of the box aside and held the dress up for her inspection. Quite clearly an original design. The dress was made of silk charmeuse with a circular skirt and a surplice bodice.

"It’s beautiful, Jerome, but why did you buy it? You’ve already bought me so many lovely things."

"I saw it in the window of a dress shop, and I knew that you should be the only woman to ever wear it."

Without a word Jennifer shrugged out of her robe. Standing before him naked, she asked, "Do you want me to try it on now?"

He took a step forward and held the dress against her body. The fabric slid against her bare skin, molding itself to her curves.

"Beautiful." he whispered, not looking at the dress he was holding against her, but into her eyes. And then the dress dropped away and she went into his arms.

A primitive fire ignited between them, and Jerome lowered them both to the couch. Their lovemaking held no element of anything civilized. It blazed and transformed, their movements attacking, their touches invading, their lips commanding.

#

On first seeing the house where they were to have dinner, Jennifer suddenly remembered all the reasons why she didn’t want to go to a dinner party given by a woman named Sami. The house was an enormous two-story mansion that spoke of old money and great care, and the long circular driveway already held several cars in it when they pulled up. Lights blazed from every window.

Jerome got out and came around to help her out.

Under her cape the silk charmeuse of the dress softly curved around her body, rubbing against her with a life of its own. She silently prayed she was dressed correctly.

As if he knew of her uncertainty regarding the evening ahead, Jerome circled her body with his arms and looked down at her. "You know, this is really the first time I’ve had to share you with anyone, and now that we’re here, I have a sudden compulsion to take you home."

She smiled her gratitude for his words and lifted her hand to his face.

Lowering his head, he placed a tender kiss on the side of her neck. "You look absolutely and completely beautiful. So come on," he reassured her softly. "There’s nothing to worry about. You’ll see. Tonight is going to be a snap." He took her hand and together they walked toward the house.

Almost instantly the door was swung open by an unseen hand and Jerome ushered Jennifer inside. The unseen hand turned out to belong to Eugene, who stood impassive and huge just inside the door. Helping her out of her cape, Jerome said to her, "You remember Eugene, don’t you? Sami’s butler."

"Butler? But I thought you said—"

"Go right in," the mountain, designated as butler, boomed. "You’re expected."

With his hand warm and supportive against the small of her back, Jerome led her through a series of impressive rooms where fine old pieces of furniture—Regency, Queen Anne, Victorian— coexisted with perfect grace. Around the walls of the rooms, high shelves held priceless and fragile works of art. At first glance it appeared that this was a home, much lived in and much loved, and even at night it had a light and airy quality to it.

"Come on," Jerome directed, as she tended to linger. "The family will be at the back."

"Family?"

"Yes. Years ago, when Sami first moved in here, she had several walls knocked out to form one big room at the back of the house. You’ll see."

And so she did, even though she was aware he hadn’t answered her initial question. They entered through a set of double doors that already stood open. It was the loud and happy laughter that assaulted her first. Then the colors: gold, yellow, rosy pink, and a touch of lavender—the colors of summer.

Next, the people. Two men stood by a giant fireplace, deep in discussion. One of them was a very distinguished-looking man who wore dark-framed glasses. The other was tall, dark, and handsome. They both appeared to be in their late forties.

A lovely woman with ash-blond hair sat on the floor, leafing through a magazine. At her feet were a young girl and boy, playing Monopoly. Bright pillows, toys, and books were scattered everywhere. To add to the confusion, there was a long cushiony sofa on which two small children were in the process of doing somersaults from one end to the other. And in one corner of the room there was a complete four-horse carousel.

In the middle of this splendid disorder, a radiantly beautiful woman with honey-blond hair stood holding a large bouquet of summer-colored flowers. Her hair was pinned up into a Gibson style, from which drizzled golden ribbons and tendrils of curls.

About to arrange the flowers in a crystal vase, she raised her head and saw the two of them standing there, and her golden eyes widened happily. "Jerome!" She threw up her arms in welcome and the flowers went everywhere. Seeming to take wings, she flew toward them, her dress billowing out around her in drifts of intricate champagne-colored lace. Throwing herself into his arms, the extraordinary creature exclaimed, "It’s about time! I’ve missed you so much. I’ve been counting the seconds."

Much to Jennifer’s dismay, Jerome lifted her off the floor and kissed her.

"Hi, honey," he said and kissed her cheek.

"Jerome!" Sami looked up at him in amazement. "You have some gray hairs that I haven’t seen before."

"I’m not at all surprised. Allow me to introduce you to the reason why they’ve sprouted." He set her on her feet and turned to Jennifer, his hand reassuringly closing about her waist and pulling her to his side. "This is Samuelina Adkinson Parker-St. James. And Sami, this is Jennifer Prescott."

"Oh, and you’re just beautiful, but then, I knew you would be!" Sami beamed. "I pumped Eugene."

"Shamelessly as a matter of fact." The distinguished man with glasses had joined them. "But you have to know that Eugene’s description didn’t do you justice." He held out his hand and Jennifer took it, liking him immediately. "Hi, I’m Daniel, Sami’s husband and Jerome’s law partner. And over at the Monopoly board is Danielle, our nine-year-old daughter." The child smiled shyly, and Jennifer could see that the girl had her mother’s glorious hair and her father’s navy-colored eyes.

Jerome chimed in. "The kid that’s upside down on the couch over there is their five-year-old son, Samuel. He was named after Sami’s grandfather."

He was a precious little boy, and even upside down, Jennifer could see solemn golden eyes peering at her.

"You’ll meet the rest of our children in a little while," Daniel told her.

Jennifer looked around bewildered and encountered the blue-green gaze of the other lady. "We’re a little overwhelming at first, but you’ll get used to us," she said kindly, rising and gliding toward them. "I’m Morgan Falco. The seven-year-old girl over on the couch who’s being extremely unladylike at the moment is my daughter, Joy. Let’s see, there’s another one someplace. Oh, yes, Jase." She pointed toward the Monopoly board. "He’s twelve." Jennifer could see that the boy was an exact replica of the man who still stood by the fireplace and who, she assumed, was Morgan’s husband. Morgan confirmed it. "And that’s my husband. Jason."

"Don’t worry about remembering anyone’s name," he called, striding toward her and offering her his hand. "If you hang around long enough, we tend to sort ourselves out."

"Jason," Morgan said in reproof. "There’s no if about it. Of course she’s going to be around here a long time. She’s the first girl that Jerome’s ever brought home to us."

"Home? Do you all live here?" Jennifer asked faintly.

"Oh, no, although at times it seems like it. Jason and I have our own place down the road."

"Are you all related?"

"Absolutely."

"Ahhh." Jennifer felt better. She had figured them out. These people were all related in some way.

"But not by blood."

"Oh." Maybe she hadn’t.

"Related by love," Morgan explained. "You see, Sami and I grew up together, and Jerome joined us when he was about eighteen. We’ve been together ever since, sort of helping each other make it through life."

Jennifer was once more thrown for a loop and turned puzzled eyes to Jason.

"Then I found Jason and convinced him to marry me—"

The handsome man by her side chuckled. "She did a great job of convincing."

"—and a year later Sami found Daniel. Unfortunately Jerome has never found anyone to settle down with. At least not yet."

"Yes," Sami said, taking up the conversational thread, "and it’s worried me a great deal. I’d like to talk to you about it." She linked her arm through Jennifer’s and steered her toward a Victorian settee. "Tell me all about yourself."

"Subtle, Sami," Jerome said, "real subtle." Jennifer looked dazedly back at Jerome, who grinned. "Don’t worry. I’ll be right here. I won’t desert you. And remember, you’re required to give her only your name, rank, and serial number."

They had just settled on the love seat when Eugene ambled in, a diaper over each shoulder and a baby in each arm. They looked lost in his powerful embrace.

"Oh, good, now you can meet our twins."

"The babies have been fed and are ready for you to put to bed. "

"Thank you, Eugene. He’s a wonderful nursemaid," Sami confided.

"Nursemaid? I thought he was—"

"They’re nine months old." Sami reached for one squirming pink bundle. "This is Meridith, named for Daniel’s mother, and he"—Eugene had just deposited the other baby in Jennifer’s lap— "is Carstairs, named for Daniel’s father. Weren’t we lucky that Daniel had parents whose names rhymed?"

"Meridith and Carstairs rhyme?" Jennifer repeated, confused.

"Sure. Meri and Cary." Sami glanced around the room. "Let’s see, that about accounts for everyone. Well, almost, except Frankie. She’s our cook."

"You mean Eugene isn’t—?"

"Where is she?" Jerome asked, having come to kneel down beside Jennifer. He let Cary grab on to one of his long fingers. Because of his position, her knees were pressed into his lower abdomen, and her blood heated as she remembered how just hours before her head had lain in that very place.

"Oh, around," Sami answered him vaguely. "You know."

Remarkably Jerome nodded as if he did, then glanced up at Jennifer and smiled. He was remembering, too, she realized, and fought to control a blush.

"Eugene, where is Frankie?" Sami questioned.

"In the kitchen. Dinner will be ready in ten minutes." He growled, making Jennifer jump. "Or at least that’s what she claimed."

"See, I knew she was around somewhere! She’s French-Canadian and her name is really Francoise, but the children can’t pronounce it, so we’ve shortened it to Frankie. She’s great. You’ll like her," Sami ended, as if in her mind anything else was totally out of the question.

Samuel came up to Jennifer and put his hand compellingly on her knee. "Would you like to come ride on our merry-go-round?"

"Oh, what a good idea, darling!" Sami exclaimed, and turned to Jennifer. "Why don’t you two do that while Daniel and I put the babies to bed? Then we can all go in and eat." She stood up. "Daniel, could you come get Cary? Jerome, make sure Jennifer doesn’t run away. Eugene, you go see if Frankie needs any help."

Eugene made another growling noise that had Jennifer jumping again. Samuel patted her knee in a comforting manner, Eugene went to do Sami’s bidding, Jerome sank onto the couch beside her, and Daniel, the ultra-distinguished lawyer, scooped his son up into his arms and started talking baby talk.

Once relieved of the baby, Jennifer slumped back against the cushions. It seemed Sami had the men in her life trained to do exactly as she wished. Including Jerome.

The evening was just beginning and already she was tired. She was even more weary just a scant ten minutes later when dinner was served.

It was a lively affair, incongruously informal in the elegantly appointed dining room. The children, Jennifer was told, usually ate with the adults, but tonight they would be eating in the kitchen so that everyone could get to know Jennifer.

Eugene served, along with a dark-eyed, petite French woman, who, in Jennifer’s view, ordered the big man around with total disregard for her life, calling him, "Oo-jhene", and spewing out streams of incomprehensible French. Whether Eugene understood her or not was debatable, but with his growls and her French they seemed to have some sort of communication going.

"They adore each other," Sami told Jennifer after one particularly heated, unintelligible conversation.

"If you say so," Jennifer returned disbelievingly. Actually the whole night was one of disbelief. There was such an aura of all-encompassing love surrounding these unexpected and exceptional people that she found herself feeling quite sad. Seeing Jerome so totally at ease, basking in and returning their love, she was torn between her feelings for him and her heartache. She was afraid that he could never feel the same for her. Would he ever allow himself to open up to her as he had opened himself up to these people? Would she ever have a loving home, such as this one, with Jerome? She didn’t have the answer to her question, but she did know that she wanted it very much.