So Lex had succeeded, but his achievement had come at a high price. Little wonder he’d looked sick when she’d showed him Kirk’s emails. But still, he hadn’t read them.
“I didn’t know any of this,” Jacinta admitted. “I’m glad you told me.”
If only she’d known Lex better ten months ago. She would have understood more about what drove him, and perhaps she wouldn’t have been so quick to condemn him. Maybe if she had known then what she knew now, she wouldn’t have judged him so harshly, and they might still be together...
Lex returned. His glance flickered curiously between her and Carl, making her wonder if she was giving something away.
“Having a good time?” Lex asked.
“Oh, sure,” Carl answered breezily. “I was just telling Jacinta that you two make such a cute couple. You can’t bear being apart.”
Jacinta’s face grew warm as Lex put his arm around her and squeezed her to his side. “That’s right,” he said. “We’re inseparable, aren’t we, sweetheart?”
He leaned in and feathered a kiss on her cheek. His blue eyes held hers, a flirtatious gleam in them, and she knew he was thinking about last night, when they had definitely been inseparable for several hours. Before she could say anything, they were joined by Nana Alice and a group of relatives that included Uncle Ralph, Kirk, and Holly.
Lex kept his arm around Jacinta’s waist as everyone chatted. She was hyperaware of his possessive hold, announcing their intimacy to everyone present. If she could only believe he meant it, how different things would be.
“I hear Alex Connelly has arrived,” Kirk said. “He’s getting ready up at the house.”
“Ooh, he’s such a great singer,” one of the women gushed. “I love his romantic songs.”
“Maybe he’ll take requests. We could all do with some romance,” Nana Alice said, looking pointedly at Lex and Jacinta.
“Yeah, Lex.” Carl nudged him with his elbow. “You could ask him to sing ‘Hard to Say I’m Sorry’ for Jacinta. It’s her favorite song, isn’t it?”
Lex’s hold on Jacinta slackened.
“Is it?” Holly threw them a skeptical look.
Carl nodded. “That’s how Lex won her back. He showed up outside her condo one night and started to serenade her. Can you imagine Lex singing his heart out in public? That takes a lot of guts.”
“Or desperation,” Kirk murmured.
“‘Hard to Say I’m Sorry’?” Holly snickered. “How does that song go again, Lex?”
Everyone was gazing at Lex with amused smiles, but his body was rigid against Jacinta’s and his discomfort was palpable. Oh dear, she hadn’t meant to embarrass him so much by that off-the-cuff story she’d invented.
“Lex only sings it for me,” she blurted out, squeezing Lex’s hand. “It’s our song, after all.”
“That’s very sweet.” Nana Alice took charge of the conversation. “Now, isn’t it time we all went into the marquee?”
The group broke up and began to move forward.
Lex held Jacinta back until his relatives had dispersed. “One of these days I’m going to strangle Carl.”
“I’m sorry,” she said, genuinely contrite. “I’ll ask him not to repeat that story again.”
“No, don’t do that.” He sighed. “Carl’s a great friend, and I have to admit your bullshit story would be pretty hilarious if it wasn’t about me. Hell, I’d be repeating it, too, if it involved one of my friends.”
“So you’re not mad at me?”
His gaze slipped over her face and lingered on her mouth. “I guess there’re ways you could make it up to me.”
She lowered her eyelashes. “Uh, let’s discuss that later.”
He grinned. “Maybe Carl’s done me a favor.” He linked his arm with hers. “Okay, we’d better go in.”
…
They followed the other guests streaming into the giant marquee, where rows of chairs had been arranged in a semicircle around a dais. Lex left her at the front row with Carl and Brooke while he joined his grandmother and the rest of his family on the dais. The marquee quickly filled up. When everyone was seated and the hubbub had died down, the speeches began. First Ralph, then Lex, Kirk, and Holly rose and delivered speeches that were short but filled with affection. Nana Alice watched on and drank in every word, and finally she stood up to give her own speech, her warm and witty words bringing a lump to Jacinta’s throat.
Then the stage was cleared, and Lex sat down beside her as the first of the performances began. There was a ballet recital, followed by a string quartet, and finally the star of the show, Alex Connelly, appeared to a burst of applause. His performance riveted the audience for forty minutes, and when he finished, he spent some time charming Nana Alice and the other fans pressing forward.
Jacinta stood back from the crush surrounding the dais. Everyone, it seemed, wanted to mob the singer. Lex was at his grandmother’s side in the middle of the mass. She’d lost sight of Carl and Brooke, so she made her way out of the marquee by herself. As she exited the tent, she spied Nancy Bird standing by herself. The assistant’s face was flushed beet red with anger as she scowled after a man striding away from her.
Jacinta blinked, wondering what was going on. The man who was stalking off looked suspiciously like Lex’s uncle Ralph. What had he said to make Nancy so furious? It was none of her business, but the woman looked so upset Jacinta couldn’t help approaching her.
“Nancy? Are you all right?”
“Of course,” she said. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“It’s just...” Jacinta gestured in the direction where Ralph had gone. “You seem to be upset about something Ralph Rochester said.”
Nancy pressed her lips together, her throat working. “He’s trying to intimidate me, but I won’t let him.”
“Intimidate you?” Jacinta started in surprise. “But that’s—there must be some mistake.”
“No, no mistake. And this isn’t the first time he’s tried to bully me. But I won’t give in. He can badger me all he wants but he won’t get it.” She clasped the strap of her purse tighter, as if she feared being mugged.
Jacinta was mystified. “What does Ralph want from you?”
The woman fished a cotton handkerchief out of her pocket and pressed it against her lips. “My clock.”
“Your...clock?”
“Yes.” Nancy sniffed. “The clock left to me by Mr. Rochester. Philip Rochester,” she added as Jacinta continued to gape at her.
“I don’t understand. Why would Ralph want your clock? He’s rich enough to afford any one he wants.”
“Exactly. That’s what I said to him, but he insists that his brother meant to leave him my clock. I won’t give it up, but it’s hard when he...” The woman faltered and dabbed at her eyes with her handkerchief.
Jacinta reached out toward her. “Don’t upset yourself any further. It’s wrong of Ralph to bully you like this. You should talk to Lex. He’ll get his uncle to see reason. Or, if you prefer, I could tell Lex and—”
“No, I can take care of things,” the other woman said, shaking off Jacinta’s hand. “I don’t need your help.”
“Okay.” Jacinta stood back. “Um, well, at least the party will be over soon and you’ll be able to go home.”
Nancy blinked at her. “I’m not going home until tomorrow.”
“Oh, I see,” Jacinta replied, not seeing at all.
“The meeting. Tomorrow morning. I’m taking the minutes.”
“The minutes?”
Nancy’s lips twisted. “Yes, I’m here to take the minutes. God forbid I should be invited to Mariposa just to enjoy myself.” She frowned at Jacinta, as if remembering who she was talking to. “Excuse me, won’t you?” She hurried off, clinging to her purse and handkerchief.
A moment later, Jacinta was still gazing after Nancy when Lex appeared beside her. “Well, the famous Alex Connelly has left. Do you want to grab a drink?”
Jacinta turned to him. “I’ve just had the strangest conversation with Nancy Bird.”
“How strange?”
“She said your uncle has been pestering her to give up some clock your dad left her in his will.”
Lex’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh? First I’ve heard of it.”
“You didn’t know your dad left her a clock?”
“I know that. I didn’t know about Uncle Ralph wanting it.”
“She was acting very strange about the whole thing.”
“There was nothing strange about my father’s bequest.” Lex shrugged. “I only wish I could have found Nancy a better position than just being my second personal assistant, but that’s the best I can do at the moment. When my dad died, I thought she might take early retirement, but she didn’t, and she seems happy enough where she is.”
Jacinta pursed her lips as the memory of Nancy’s sour expression continued to nag at her. “I don’t think she’s very happy.”
“Well, she’s never been a barrel of laughs, I’ll admit, but she’s satisfied at work.”