Her mother finished her coffee and walked to the sink to rinse her cup. "I'm afraid you'll be alone for dinner, Jennifer," she said. "As we weren't expecting you until tomorrow, your father and I accepted a dinner engagement for this evening."
"That's all right, Mother," Jen said. "I'm sure I can find a crust of bread and a bit of cheese to eat."
"I beg your pardon?" Tony scowled at her from the doorway to the pantry.
Jen laughed. Her mother even managed a chuckle. "I'm off to have a short nap." She again brushed Jen's cheek, this time with a real and surprising kiss. Celia hesitated a moment then murmured, "If you'll follow me, I'd like for us to have a talk before I take my nap."
Jen blinked before nodding her head. "I'll be up in a minute."
Without another word, her mother swept from the room.
"She certainly knows how to make an entrance and exit," Tony drawled as he strolled into the room. "And you, young lady, you will enjoy a delicious dinner right here in the kitchen." He tried to look angry, which was pretty funny.
"On one condition." Jen scowled back at him.
"Name it." He cocked an eyebrow.
"You and Ida join me at the table."
He smirked. "I was planning on it."
Curious about her mother's startling request for a discussion-and it was a request, not an order-Jen went straight to her mother's lavishly decorated bedroom. And it was her mother's bedroom. Celia and John had slept in separate bedrooms for as long as Jen could remember.
She lightly knocked on the wood panel, softly calling, "Mother?"
The door immediately swung inward, almost as if her mother had been hovering on the other side, anxiously waiting for her daughter.
"Come in, dear," she said, indicating a small table flanked by two chairs. "Have a seat."
"Thank you," Jen said, inwardly frowning at the puzzling invitation as she sat.
"Jennifer," Celia said, seating herself in the other chair, "I think it's time for you and I to have a mother-and-daughter, heart-to-heart talk."
Stunned, Jen stared at her mother. "A heart to heart?" she repeated. "Mother, isn't it a little late for that? I'm crowding thirty. I know all about the birds and the bees. Men and women, too," she said, attempting to make a joke to break the tension. What on earth was her mother about to say?
"I know, dear." Celia's smile was sad. "I wasn't referring to you. I was referring to me." She paused, and swallowed. "To me, and William Terrell."
"Mother, I..." Her voice came out raw. Not wanting to hear whatever her mother had to tell her, Jen put her hands on the arms of the chair to stand. She practically wanted to run from the room.
"Jennifer, listen." Celia placed a hand on Jen's arm, keeping her seated. "I need to explain the situation."
Jen tried once again to rise. This time her mother stopped her with the desperate plea in her voice.
"Jennifer, please."
Cringing inside, Jen sank back into the chair, half-sick about what she feared she was going to hear. "Okay, Mother, I'll listen."
Celia drew a deep breath before saying, "You saw us together at some point, didn't you?" She asked the question as if certain Jen would know what she meant by "together."
"Yes." It was barely a whisper from Jen's trembling lips. "And Dad with Annette." She drew a quick breath. "I left my car out front and came up the stairs heading for my place." Tears were trembling on the edges of her eyelids. "The doors were open and..."
"That's enough." Celia sounded choked, her elegant fingers squeezing her daughter's arm.
Jen sent a quick glance at her mother, a pang twisting in her chest at the sight of tears running down her mother's beautiful face. She wanted to run, yet she couldn't move, her knees weak, her body trembling.
"Will you listen as I explain?" The strain in Celia's voice caused another pang in Jen's chest.
Afraid to trust her own voice, Jen nodded her assent.
"I love your father but I'm not in love with him." She sighed. "I've known him all my life. Our families were neighbors. He and I grew up together. I was always trailing after him. For some time, he tried to chase me away," she said, a smile touching her lips, "but eventually he gave in and let me follow him around. We were companions, pals." Here, her voice hardened. "We were never romantically interested in each other."
"But then-" Jen was silenced by her mother's raised hand.
She drew another deep breath before continuing. "Unknown to either your father or me, soon after my birth, our parents decided it would be a perfect idea to betroth the two of us, thereby keeping the wealth of the families together."
Jen simply could no longer be quiet. Eyes widening in disbelief, she said, "That is absolutely ridiculous."
"Yes, of course it is," Celia agreed, shaking her head. "Let me finish the entire stupidity of it all, then you can say anything you wish." She raised her brows. "Okay?"
"Okay." Jen sank back into the padded chair. But she managed to add, "I suppose we should have just had our coffee up here."
Celia gave a soft laugh. "I suppose we should have, but we can do that another time."
Realizing her mother was offering a sort of olive branch, Jen felt another sting of tears in her eyes. Indelicately sniffing, she said, "I'd like that."
"And I." Her smile wider now, Celia brushed the tears from her cheeks before continuing. "At the time our respective parents informed us we were getting married, neither your father nor I had met anyone we were romantically interested in, although we had both dated others. Of course, there was one holdout-your grandmother. She adored her son, and she liked me. She didn't think it was fair to either of us."
"She was right," Jen said.
"Yes-" Celia nodded "-but she was overruled. Both of us caved in to their demands." She closed her eyes as if in pain. "Praying we could come to fall in love, we really tried. We were both delighted when I realized I was pregnant with you, and thrilled when you were born."
Sniffling, Jen nodded.
Celia handed her a small box of tissues, taking one herself. After mopping up, she went on with her story.
"Then I met William." She briefly closed her eyes. When she opened them she stared straight into Jen's. "I fell in love with him at first sight, and he with me." She paused to give Jen time to respond if she wanted to do so.
Jen remained quiet, waiting until her mother finished.
"I give you my word of honor, Jennifer, nothing happened between William and me until two years later." She shook her head as tears started once more. "That was when your father and Annette told William and me that they were in love." She shook her head in despair. "Sorry tale, isn't it."
Jen couldn't remain seated-she jumped to her feet. "Why didn't you get divorced?" she cried. "Hasn't it been hell living like this?"
"Of course it has, and we did discuss the possibility of divorce," Celia said, getting up to face Jen. "But by then your father's family's finances were so entwined with my family's, and there was you and the Terrells' son, Bill Jr., to consider." She dropped back onto the chair as if exhausted. "We decided to go on as we have been." She swiped at the tears with a delicate hand.
Trembling, shoulders shaking, not knowing exactly what she was feeling about the whole mess, Jen sat back down on the edge of the chair and covered her eyes with her hand.
"Jennifer, please try to understand. I love your father. We are still companions and pals. He feels the same, but there's William and Annette..." Sighing, she let her voice trail away.
"Mother," Jen began, anxious about the defeated look on Celia's face.
"I've wanted to talk to you so often, to bare my soul, but you seemed to always be running away, if only to hide inside yourself." Her soft voice was tinged with pain, her eyes wet again. "Can you ever forgive us, Jennifer?"
"There is nothing to forgive, Mother," she said, walking the few steps needed to wrap her arms around her mother. "This is your life-yours and Dad's." Stepping back, she gave her mother an understanding smile.
Now Celia was sniffling. She laughed as Jen handed her a tissue before taking one herself.
"Will you talk to Dad, tell him I'm not angry or resentful? I'm not, you know. I'm just glad you explained it to me."