Semiautomatic Marriage (8 page)

Someone was coming!

He stared at the door to the hall and prayed they wouldn’t use it. Their voices came closer. A man and a woman. Damn. Jasper and Della had come back.

“We have no choice, Jasper. You know that,” Della was saying. “It doesn’t matter what we think of her. Nothing can be done. We’ve got to look ahead and see what opportunities may come our way. I can’t believe Arthur put one over on us like this.”

A low grumble was his only reply.

“Morna says they’re having lunch on the terrace,” the woman continued. “We’ll take a minute to freshen up and then go down with smiles on our faces.”

Adam let out his breath when they turned into their private rooms, giving him a chance to ease out into the hall. He couldn’t go back the way he’d come without going by their open door. Should he chance it? He had to get back downstairs and join Carolyn as quickly as possible before Della and Jasper made their appearance on the patio.

They’d left the bedroom door open, and he could hear movement inside the bedroom. If he tried to pass the door, one of them might see him.

Deciding not to chance it, he headed in the opposite direction down the hall. As he passed rooms obviously occupied by Lisa and Buddy Denison, he glanced in. The young woman’s bedroom was stark white with burgundy accents and filled with designer furniture. Buddy’s was that of a young man who chose comfort over style and was cluttered with mementos of his various pastimes: boating, golfing and
tennis. The idle rich. These two young people had the lifestyle down to a T.

There wasn’t any sign of back stairs at this end of the hall, which Adam had counted on. Only two doors. The first one he tried opened to a linen closet, but as he opened the second one, he breathed, “Bingo.”

He knew that in these old mansions, back stairs, or servant’s stairs were a must. It was important that staff members serve their masters without cluttering up the main halls and staircases.

When Adam closed the upper door behind him, he was in the dark, except for a thin light coming under the door at the bottom of the stairs. Musty air in the passage made him doubt that it was still in use, and he feared that the door at the bottom might be locked. When he reached it, his hand curved around the old doorknob, and it resisted his pressure, but at last the door opened with a squeak.

He saw that a narrow passage in one direction led to the kitchen, the other to a narrow outside door. No one was in sight as he quickly let himself out of the house and hurried toward the back terrace.

He was congratulating himself on making it back to Carolyn unseen when he realized that she was no longer sitting alone at the table.

A young man with curly chestnut hair that stuck out from under his captain’s cap occupied the chair next to her, and both of them looked up when he came into view.

As Adam came toward them, he knew the moment had come when the curtain was going up on a very dangerous pretense.

Chapter Five

Carolyn had been about to get up from the table and return to their suite when her attention was drawn to a white cabin cruiser coming across the water with a foamy wake, and heading for the mansion’s private boathouse and dock.

She watched as the craft eased into a berth, and a young man emerged from the cabin. After tying the bow line, he came sauntering up the path with a leisurely gait.

Carolyn knew instantly who he was. Buddy Denison. From the few things Adam and Bancroft had told her, she had already formed an impression of him. He was a young man who sponged off his mother and filled his time pursuing his own interests. Boating must be one of them, Carolyn thought, as he approached the terrace. He was medium height, well-built, and his light brown eyes rounded as he saw Carolyn sitting there, watching him.

“Well, I’ll be. It’s the rich girl, herself. Mom told me you’d be here today.” He gave her an embarrassed grin. “She warned me to make myself presentable. I guess it’s too late now.”

His relaxed manner put her at ease. “You look
very presentable, Buddy,” she assured him, nodding approval of his fashionable whites. “I’m Carolyn.” She extended her hand.

He wiped his hands on his trousers before taking it. “Nice to know you…I mean…” He faltered, obviously searching for the right greeting for someone who might boot him out of the house at any time.

“It’s a weird situation, isn’t it?” she said, truthfully. “Please sit down.”

“Is it really true you’re a doctor?” he asked as he plopped into the chair that Adam had vacated. “You don’t look like one.”

“I only just graduated,” she said lightly. “That’s a nice boat you have.”

He instantly brightened. “She’s a honey. The Suncrest doesn’t go with the house. She’s mine.” There was a warning in his tone. “You can’t take her.”

Before Carolyn could respond, their attention was drawn to a movement below the terrace as Adam suddenly appeared from around the corner of the house.

“I see you found some company while I took my walk,” Adam said pleasantly as he took a chair opposite Buddy.

“This is my husband, Adam Lawrence,” Carolyn said. Relief that he was back made her reach over and impulsively squeeze his hand. “Darling, Buddy was just telling me about his boat.”

Where the conversation would have gone from there, she didn’t know, because his mother’s voice intruded into the conversation. “Buddy, I didn’t know you were back. I thought you said you’d be out all day.” Della stepped out onto the terrace.

“No, that’s what
you
said
your
plans were. What brought you back early?” He grinned at her. “Couldn’t wait to see for yourself what the rich girl looked like, I’ll bet.”

“Mind your manners, Buddy.” Before she could say anything more, a startled gasp jerked everyone’s eyes to the doorway behind her.

A tall, thin man with slightly stooped shoulders stood there, staring at Carolyn as if he’d seen a ghost. As he walked slowly toward her, he breathed, “Dear God in heaven, it’s little Alicia, all grown up.”

Carolyn quickly stood. “Uncle Jasper?”

There was such a fullness in her chest she didn’t know if she could keep breathing. He was searching her face with an intensity that seemed to bore into her very soul. Della seemed ready to say something to break the weighted moment, when he sighed heavily. “It’s true, then, what Arthur believed? You’re Alicia’s child?”

Carolyn nodded and tried to find words to tell him that she was as stunned as he was to learn she was his sister’s child.

“Where have you been all these years? And why did your mother break our hearts the way she did?” His tone was pointedly accusing, as if years of rancor had finally found a release.

“I don’t know anything about my mother except what I’ve been told,” Carolyn responded firmly, lowering the arms she had been prepared to put around her uncle in a hug. His glare didn’t invite any expression of joy or acceptance. Just the sight of her seemed to ignite a long-simmering fire, and Carolyn thought with an edge of bitterness that
maybe her birthright was something she would have been better off without.

Della moved forward, purposefully edging Jasper to one side. “Carolyn, I’m sorry we weren’t here to greet you and your husband.”

Adam was ready to jump in and protect Carolyn from both Jasper and Della, if need be. He decided that Della was a woman who was making the best of being fifty. Her dark hair was fashionably cut, curled and colored. Her eyebrows had been precisely thinned, her lashes darkened with mascara and her bold mouth shaped by glossy lipstick. A simple tunic dress was cut in straight lines that flattered her thickening figure. There was a commanding presence about her that warned Adam to be on his toes.

“I’m Della Denison,” she said as her dark eyes settled on him for the first time.

“I bet they already know who you are, Mom,” Buddy said, his light-brown eyes sparkling in obvious enjoyment of the little scene. “It’s my guess there aren’t any surprises in this little gathering. We’re all just one happy family, aren’t we?”

He winked at Carolyn as if sharing a private joke with her, and in a way she was grateful for his inappropriate, juvenile behavior. At least it was honest.

“I’m sorry if seeing me has distressed you, Uncle Jasper,” Carolyn said, giving her attention to him, instead of to his paramour. “I know this situation is a difficult one. I wish we could have met while my grandfather was still alive.”

“I can’t believe Arthur kept such a secret from me,” he lamented. “Even though my sister, Alicia,
and I weren’t very close—there was a ten-year age difference—I still deserved to know.”

“He didn’t say anything about having found me and providing me with financial support through medical school?” Carolyn prodded. She was anxious to find the tiniest thread of connection between her and the man who had made her his heir.

“Not a word,” Della answered in her curt way before Jasper could say a word. “But that was just Arthur. I worked for your grandfather for nearly ten years and was always finding out things he was trying to keep secret. Of course, this situation tops them all.” She didn’t bother to hide the resentment in her tone.

“Easy, Mom,” Buddy said with an apologetic look at Carolyn.

Della ignored her son. “Arthur had a habit of not letting the right hand know what the left was doing. Believe me, it wasn’t easy trying to keep things running smoothly in the company when he kept holding things back.”

“Arthur never interfered in my lab,” Jasper said as if he felt the need to defend his father. “He liked the way I handled everything.”

“Then why didn’t he leave you fifty-one percent of the shares, instead of only thirty-nine? You were his son, after all.” Her tone was bitter.

“It doesn’t seem right, does it,” Adam said, deliberately fanning the fires. “I wonder why he didn’t.”

“He was a sentimental old fool, that’s why,” Della answered, ignoring the fact of Jasper’s miserable record of business failure and bankruptcy. “And Carolyn is going to realize in short order that
Horizon needs more than sentiment to keep it afloat.” Then she added pointedly, “Of course, there’s no reason for her to get involved in the running of the company. It’s very demanding. I’m sure the two of you have plans of your own.”

Carolyn and Adam avoided looking at each other. Della had unwittingly hit the truth right on the head. They did have plans of their own, but certainly not the kind this controlling woman expected.

“I want to familiarize myself with Horizon,” Carolyn said smoothly. “Because of my medical background, I have an interest in the pharmaceutical industry. Of course, I don’t intend to immediately try and run the company, but I think my husband may be of help in pointing out some ways to improve production.” She gave Adam a sugary-sweet smile. “Why don’t you tell them, darling?”

As Jasper and Della listened to Adam explain his background as an efficiency expert, their hostile resistance was almost palpable.

“So you see,” Adam finished in an eager voice, “I’ve put all my other commitments on hold while I gain some helpful insights on Horizon and make some professional recommendations.”

A tense muscle flickered at the corners of Della’s mouth. “Your work sounds impressive, Mr….”

“Adam, please,” he corrected her lightly.

“To be honest, Adam, there’s no need for that kind of streamlining at Horizon. Our production and shipping departments are running very smoothly, and I think it would be a mistake to alter them.”

“I don’t want anybody fooling around in my laboratory, telling me what to change,” Jasper said
flatly. “Especially someone who doesn’t know a beaker from a Bunsen burner.”

Adam laughed, trying to ease the tension. “I can appreciate your position, Jasper. You don’t have time to waste on someone who isn’t knowledgeable, who lacks the training to see what you’re about.”

“Well, I’d love to see your laboratory,” Carolyn said smoothly, stepping into the opening, knowing Jasper couldn’t very well fault her medical background. “It will be an opportunity to educate myself even further in laboratory research.”

Nicely done,
Adam thought, pleased that Carolyn used her status as a medical doctor to eliminate any of Jasper’s objections to her presence in his work-place.

Conversation faltered, and only Buddy’s quiet chuckle broke the silence.

“We thought it might be appropriate for us to invite a few people over this evening,” Della said, giving Carolyn and Adam a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Just a casual get-together. Mostly staff from the company. We didn’t want to rush things, but since we really didn’t know your plans, we thought that knowing a few people might ease the situation a little. The grapevine has been thriving since the news broke that they have a new boss.”

On the surface it seemed like a friendly gesture, but Adam was wary and suspicious. Did Della have some hidden agenda behind it? He knew that Carolyn would hate the idea of being on display and meeting a bunch of people, but as far as his investigation went, there might be a few fringe benefits in the affair.

“You’d better put on your battle gear, Carolyn,”
Buddy warned with a grin, ignoring his mother’s razor-sharp glare.

L
ATER
,
BACK IN THEIR WING
of the house, Adam and Carolyn sat on a couch in the small study, talking quietly. She was trying to still the nervous fluttering that just thinking about the evening ahead caused. She felt like someone holding on to a swiftly moving raft, not knowing what lay around the next bend.

“Why do you think Buddy said something like that?”

“Probably because he knows that his mother is a possessive dragon when it comes to anything connected with Horizon. Della doesn’t want you—or me—invading her territory. Because Jasper’s interest and attention is centered in the laboratory, your grandfather gradually put the business end of the company in Della’s capable hands. It’s obvious Della feels very ‘mine’ about the whole thing.”

“Then how are you going to get by her to do any investigating?”

“My wife is going to override her objections.” Sitting so close to her, Adam was aware of every breath she drew. His reaction to the tantalizing scent of her perfume and the teasing softness of her fair hair, surprised him.