“The only catch to that,” Michael said grimly, “is so do I.”
“YOU HAVE A VISITOR.”
Jenny laid down her correspondence. Half the world seemed to have sent her cards and baby gifts. She looked up as Megan peeped into the room.
“You’re not asleep!” Megan exclaimed. “Heavens, child, you know those were doctor’s orders. Sleep, sleep and more sleep for the next few days.”
“I’m fit as a flea,” Jenny said soundly. “If I didn’t think Michael would fuss more than you, I’d be out of here in a minute.” She smiled to take any offence from her words, and Megan smiled back. But Megan knew enough to sense why Jenny had agreed to stay. This gave her a few more days of time out, away from Michael.
“So are you up to visitors? I said I thought you were asleep, so you have a ready-made excuse.”
“No, it’s fine. But who…”
“I think you might have to see for yourself,” Megan told her, and whisked herself out of question range.
Two minutes later, she ushered Gloria in and closed the door behind her.
THE LAST FEW TIMES Jenny had seen Gloria, all she’d felt was fear. As it was, her hands went down to clasp Gary, who was sleeping tucked into the bedclothes at her side. She lifted him and held him against her breast in the age-old gesture of a mother protecting her young. Gloria saw-and she winced.
“My dear…”
That was a change. Gloria had only ever addressed her with silky-smooth disdain or vindictive dislike. Jenny’s eyes widened, and she suspected a trap.
Gloria sighed. She didn’t attempt to approach the bed, just regally took a seat on the chair, carefully smoothing her tailored black skirt over her silk stockings.
“There’s no threat to you from me,” she said softly. “Your husband brought me here. He’s waiting outside to drive me back to my hotel, and tonight I’m returning to England.”
“Michael brought you here?”
“He did.” The older woman’s face creased into a tired smile. “He came to see me a few days back, to introduce my grandson. His son. He’s quite a young man, your husband.”
“I…yes.” There was no answer to that one. Jenny was poleaxed.
“I came to agree to his proposal and to ask that you accept mine,” she said.
“I don’t understand.” How on earth had she gotten her voice to work? It was beyond her.
“Michael told me you wouldn’t,” Gloria went on, and then paused. “I can see I need to explain.” For the first time her voice faltered. She took a long look at the baby in Jenny’s arms, then she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I intend to start at the beginning, if you’ll listen…”
So, while Jenny lay back in stunned silence, Gloria told her what she’d told Michael. She told her story calmly and rationally, without any of the pain Michael had heard, but there was no way Jenny could miss the suffering behind the words. And when she fell silent, there was a much different feeling in Jenny’s heart from the fear that had been her first reaction to this visit.
“Oh, ma’am.”
“No,” Gloria said strongly. “Not ma’am. I should never have made you use that. My name is Gloria. I know I’ve never let you use it, but I wish it now. If you will. What I’m saying…what I’m telling you is not an excuse for what I’ve done. I don’t have one. I was hurt, so I hurt everyone around me for such a long time. I’ve done much damage, and I can’t undo it. It wasn’t until I saw your baby that I realized. I’ve poisoned most things. All I’d like to do now is try to salvage something from the mess. For Peter’s memory. And for Richard’s.”
She paused, but then held out her hand to stop Jenny from interrupting. The gesture was imperious. Gloria might be sincerely sorry, but the noble blood in her family background had bred a haughtiness she probably wasn’t even aware of herself.
“I would very much like to keep in contact with you all,” she said firmly. “Not just with my grandson, but with you and with your husband, too, and with any children who might follow. With that in mind, I’d like to write. I’ll write once a week, and there’s no need for you to write back. Photographs will suffice. I’ll pay for any postage and processing. I’d also like very much to be present at Gary’s christening, but if that’s not acceptable, then I’ll understand.” She paused, and she finally took her eyes from the baby and looked at Jenny. The haughtiness faded.
“Your husband says he’ll pay for an extended holiday in Britain each year, but I’ll fight him on that one. I’ll do the paying.” She almost sounded humble. “It would be my honor-my absolute privilege-to have you all stay in my home. As you know, the estate is huge. It’s my sorrow and shame you were never invited there while you were married to Peter, but we have guest apartments to spare. Come, and bring as many friends as you want. Make it your home. Your…your home away from home.”
“And at the end of our stay?” Jenny asked, her voice hushed in shock at what she was hearing. “You’d let us go again?”
“If I can’t bear to let go, then I’ll lose you completely,” Gloria whispered, and it was as much as Jenny could do to hear her. “I don’t think I could bear that. I’ve been so stupid. I’ve lost so much already.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
MICHAEL didn’t come near her after that. He must have waited outside, taken Gloria to her hotel and then returned to Maitland Maternity. For the next couple of hours Jenny lay in baffled bewilderment, going over the events of the last few hours in her mind.
Michael had gone to see Gloria. Michael had taken Gary to see her.
Why?
And she knew. She knew!
Where was he? Why didn’t he come? As the afternoon wore on, so did Jenny’s patience. Finally at five o’clock, Shelby bounced in to see her, having given Socks his daily constitutional. Socks led the way, towing Shelby, and both dog and woman stopped in astonishment at the sight of Jenny dressed-in her gorgeous golden dress-and packing her bags. “Where,” Shelby said carefully. “are you thinking of going?”
“Home,” Jenny told her. “It’s time.”
“Does Megan know?”
“Megan’s right behind her.” Megan came into the bedroom carrying a pile of clean diapers. “Of course I know. Like Jenny says, it’s time.”
An hour later, Michael came home from work to dump the paperwork he had to do that evening, before heading around to Megan’s to see Jenny. When he arrived he found his wife and his son and his dog sitting before the living room fire, waiting for him.
“JEN?”
“Michael.” To any onlooker it would appear to be a normal evening after work. Gary was fast asleep in his infant seat by the fire. Jenny looked placidly at her husband as Socks bounded over to greet him. “Welcome home.”
But Michael didn’t feel normal. He put Socks aside with a halfhearted pat and focused on his wife. “Why are you here?”
“Waiting for my husband to return.” She smiled at him. “Like a good and dutiful wife. Socks, go fetch your master’s slippers.”
Socks gave a goofy grin and just sat there. Jenny sighed. “Rats. Some things will never change. Sorry, Michael, you don’t seem to have a docile dog. Will a docile wife do?”
Michael had stopped at the door. Now he felt as if he’d stopped breathing. The world seemed to stand still, waiting.
“I don’t think I’d know what a docile wife was,” he said carefully, and she smiled that gorgeous, blindingly brilliant smile of hers, and rose and came over to him. She was wearing her wonderful dress, he thought, dazed. She was looking just…
Just too desirable for words.
“Michael, thank you,” she said softly, and she caught his hands. The faint scent of her perfume drifted into his orbit.