The Only Solution(19)

           



       

The car slid to a halt in front of the house, and Mack got out and came around to open her door.

"Just the date on the ticket is all I need to know. The details can wait."

He helped her out and leaned into the back of the car to gather up shopping bags. "I didn't buy one."

"I beg your pardon?" The phrase came automatically to her lips, but  Wendy had heard him quite clearly  –  she just didn't comprehend the  answer. "Mack – "

One of the housemen came down the steps. "I'll take care of that, sir."

Wendy threw up her hands and turned toward the house. It was her own  fault that she'd waited too long to ask the question; one didn't discuss  things like that in front of the staff. She'd learned that much  already, in less than a day spent in this house. In any case, it was too  cold to stand out here and argue about it. But once she got him alone …

Why on earth wouldn't Mack have bought her a round-trip ticket? Because  he expected her to pay for her flight home herself? But that didn't make  sense; he knew perfectly well she couldn't afford it just now. And he  wouldn't want her hanging around Chicago for want of funds to get back  to Arizona.

The hallway was full of light and soft holiday music and the warm scents  of pine and vanilla, and a young woman wearing soft periwinkle blue  appeared in the drawing room door. Her blonde hair was caught up in an  old-fashioned twist which echoed the antique flavor of her dress, and in  one hand she held a champagne glass. "You're Wendy, of course," she  said. "Do come in, darling, you must be frozen stiff. I'm Tessa."

Wendy thought the woman looked a little like mother earth, in her  delicate, lacy dress  –  not at all the sleek sophisticated sort she had  expected from what Mack had said. And Tessa sounded down to earth and  homey, her voice as warm and inviting as cinnamon toast.

Surely a woman like this couldn't help falling in love with a baby as  delightful as Rory. The problem is, Wendy thought, I don't want to like  her. And I don't want her to be perfect for Rory.

Was she really as selfish as that?

The butler took Wendy's coat, and Tessa urged her into the drawing room. "I should go and change," Wendy said feebly.

"Nonsense, dear," Elinor said. "You're fine as you are for now." She  leaned forward a little in her wheelchair and beckoned Wendy toward her.  Her black velvet skirt caught the glow of the firelight, and a cameo  gleamed at the throat of her dainty old-fashioned blouse. "Come and meet  our son John."

Wendy sighed a little and went forward. Beside Elinor's chair stood a  young man whose face proclaimed his membership in the family; he was  shorter than Mack, and he carried a bit of extra weight around his  waistline. Perhaps that was a tribute to Tessa's talents as a cook,  Wendy thought. Or, despite Tessa's down-home appearance, there might  well be a Mrs. Cardoza in her kitchen, too.

She smiled at John Burgess and extended a hand. His grip was firm and  his smile pleasant. There was at first glance nothing to dislike about  him, any more than there had been about Tessa. Nevertheless, Wendy felt a  lump rising in her throat.

Mack came in, without hurry, and bent to kiss his mother's cheek before  extending a hand to his brother. Wendy didn't hear the pleasantries  because her attention was seized by a stir at the door as one of the  nurses brought Rory in.

"Ah, here's the one we've been waiting for," Elinor said with  satisfaction. "Such a good girl, isn't she, to have insisted on  finishing her nap?"

They had dressed the baby in pink this time, in a velveteen dress  trimmed with dainty lace and a big white satin heart appliqued on the  front.

She looks so grown-up that way, Wendy thought. It hardly seemed possible  that in a few hours the child could have changed so much, but Wendy  would have to adjust herself to much greater changes in the future. When  she saw Rory again  –  if she was allowed to see her again...

She must ask Mack about that. Surely no one would object to her seeing  Rory now and then, but it made sense to get everything clear. Or perhaps  it was John and Tessa whose permission she would need.                       
       
           



       

The nurse paused beside the enormous tree. Rory was staring wide-eyed at the glittering silver ornaments.

Wendy stole a look at Tessa. She was watching the baby intently, but she made no move to go closer.

"Wendy," Elinor said softly. "Would you take the baby, please?"

Wendy gave her one incredulous look before she hurried across the room.  Rory saw her coming and broke into a beatific smile, then practically  flung herself out of the nurse's arms and into Wendy's.

Over the baby's happy gurgles, Wendy didn't hear what Elinor was saying;  she only caught the murmur of the woman's lovely voice. But as she  turned back toward the little group by the fire with Rory in her arms,  she saw Mack leaning toward his mother, and she heard his answer. "I  know, Mother," he said. "I'm working on it."

The words sent a shiver straight to Wendy's heart.

Tessa laughed. "How perfectly darling she is!"

Wendy took a deep breath and tried to will her voice to stay level and calm. "Do you want to hold her?"

Tessa shook her head. "Not just now, when she's obviously so delighted  at having you. I wouldn't dream of interfering with your reunion      ." She  settled onto the edge of a chair and studied Rory thoughtfully. "You  know, several of my clients have asked if I'd design clothes for their  children. I've never been inspired by babies, so I've always turned them  down  –  but I must admit the idea seems a bit more appealing all of a  sudden."

"Clothes?" Wendy asked.

"Didn't Elinor tell you about my business? The blouse she's wearing is  one of my designs. And this dress, too  –  I nearly always wear things  from my own collection. It's good promotion." Tessa's voice was  matter-of-fact. Her eyes had narrowed as if she was mentally taking  Rory's measurements.

Wendy glanced at the tiny pin-tucks which decorated Tessa's dress. "And  you must have designed the nightgown Mrs. Parker found for me last  night." Too late, she thought better of saying anything  –  Tessa might  not approve of the housekeeper's actions, and she'd hate to get Mrs.  Parker in trouble.

But Tessa was interested, not annoyed. "The one with all the embroidery?  I forgot I'd left it here. Was the fabric soft enough to be  comfortable?"

"It was wonderful."

Tessa's eyes lit. "Oh, grand  –  I was worried about that. If you liked  the nightie, I've got some other things I'd love to have you try."

"Tessa," Mack cut in. "Not the time for a sales pitch."

"Of course not," Tessa said impatiently. "I'm not selling, Mack, I'm  doing research. This is a perfect opportunity for me to learn about  people in the Southwest  –  the kinds of styles and fabrics they like. I'm  going to be expanding that direction someday, you know. How long will  you be staying, Wendy?"

Oddly enough, Wendy thought, Tessa wasn't looking at her as she said it. She was surveying Mack from the corner of her eye.

Wendy didn't look at him herself. She waited just an instant, hoping he  would answer before she was forced to. But he didn't utter a word. "Just  a few days," she said finally. "I have things I must do in Phoenix."

Why hadn't the man bought her a round-trip ticket?

She had to admit that by not setting a deadline for her return, Mack had  been more generous than she had expected. More generous, probably, than  Elinor and Samuel Burgess would have been. On the other hand, that very  generosity could be used as blackmail, in a way. As long as she was  cautious, made no waves, caused no trouble, she could stay for a while.  But the slightest difficulty and Mack wouldn't have to wait for the date  on her ticket to arrive; he could have her on a plane in a matter of  hours.

Don't be silly, she told herself. He could do that anyway. And he would;  Mack Burgess wouldn't quibble about the cost of an airline ticket more  or less, if that was the only price for getting rid of a young woman who  suddenly became troublesome.

So why hadn't he bought a return ticket?                       
       
           



       

Rory leaned out of her arms and grabbed for the pen in Mack's shirt  pocket. "Oh, you're going for the expensive trinkets already, are you,  sprout?" he teased, and when the baby babbled happily at him, he lifted  her out of Wendy's arms and nestled her comfortably against his chest.