She stared up at the mansion in front of her, then back at Jonah. He thought she was talking about the heat.
Jonah hooked his arm through hers and led her down the brick path leading to the front entryway. She quickly glanced up at him, searching for...what? She'd just married the man and what did she really know about him? How could she expect him to reassure her that she hadn't just eaten some funky mushroom and was now plunging into Alice's Wonderland?
As Jonah had promised, cool air hit her face immediately as she stepped through the foyer, which was like that of an atrium with a ceiling at least three stories high. The wide stairway wound itself up on the both sides of the foyer. Maggie marveled at the awesome dimension of the space. You could practically fit her whole tenement in the foyer alone.
Panic froze her right to the marble floor. She didn't belong here. In a million years she'd never expected Jonah was this...rich. Yeah, she knew he had money. She knew he probably lived in a huge house and had his own driver to take him anywhere he wanted to go. But she never expected…this.
Her attention was brought back to earth by introductions.
“Mary runs the house. She's also makes the best chocolate chip cookies in the world,” Jonah said with genuine affection.
Mary took the compliment with a smile and shrug. “Congratulations, my dear,” Mary said. Maggie bent over slightly to allow the shorter woman to give her a gentle squeeze. It wasn't just the older woman's age, or the silver in her hair, but something about Mary reminded her of her grandmother. Maggie closed her eyes as her heart squeezed with emotion.
“Please call me Maggie.”
Mary tugged at Maggie's chin with her fingers. “If you need anything at all, you just see me. I'm so happy to have you with us.”
The rest of the introductions to the staff were made quickly. Maybe she was reading too much into it, but by Mary's lingering gaze and the quick glances of affection that past between her and Jonah it was clear that theirs was a long standing relationship. Maybe living in this big house wouldn't be so lonely after all.
The subtle scent of Jonah's aftershave filled her as he leaned closer. “You look tired,” he said. She looked up at him and suddenly felt wide awake.
“I am a little. And I'm dying to get out of these shoes.” She slipped out of one white pump and bathed her foot on the cool tile floor, suddenly relieved.
“Why don't you take a nap before dinner? We normally eat around seven is that's okay with you.”
She nodded as Jonah draped his arms casually around her shoulder and led her to the stairway.
Something was wrong, Maggie thought. She was going up stairs to a strange bedroom with a man she hardly knew to take a nap.
At the first step she stopped and spun around on her toes to face him.
“This is all wrong. We rushed into this much too quickly.”
Jonah genuinely looked shocked. Or maybe just a bit disappointed. “You're having second thoughts about marrying me already?”
“No, we just should have discussed certain things in more detail.”
His look of bewilderment challenged her. “For instance?”
Taking a deep breath, she tried to focus on the issue and not the sudden heat of Jonah and the alluring way his lingering aftershave stirred her, drawing her to him, and betraying what she was about to say.
“We never discussed sleeping arrangements.”
# # #
Chapter Six
Jonah stared eye to eye with Maggie as she stood on the bottom step. She tilted her chin slightly, her body completely stiff. She felt as if she were ready to slip on a pair of boxing gloves and have it out in the ring. But she didn't care. Some things just weren't for sale. And they may as well get that settled right now.
Jonah's lips tipped up to an adorable grin that made her resolve waiver a tiny bit.
“Maggie, when I asked you to share my name, that didn't include sharing my bed,” he said resolutely. “I meant what I said about this marriage being in name only.”
“Oh,” she said on a sigh of relief.
The heat in his eyes was unmistakable. “Does that disappoint you?”
For a lingering minute, she just stared at him, her heart pounding. Then she chuckled. “Not at all. Phew!” Fanning herself, she added, “Now that that is taken care of, where do I go?”
She spun around and started up the stairs again with Jonah following behind.
Of course, Jonah hadn't expected her to climb into his bed. What was she thinking? He must think she's an idiot for even wondering. Besides, in her condition, how could he possibly be thinking of…
“Mary has taken the liberty of preparing a suite for you.”
He'd been talking to her and she didn't even realize it. She quickly recovered and tossed him a crooked grin.
“Only a whole suite? I'm not sure that will be room enough for the massive wardrobe I plan on acquiring.”
Jonah's laugh was rich, the laugh lines around his eyes growing deep and transforming his whole face.
“You think I'm kidding? Give me another month and you'll be seeing a whole new set of clothes on me with little tags that say Mother's Works or Great Expectations. Real figure flatterers.”
As they reached the second floor landing, Maggie stepped aside and allowed Jonah to take the lead.
“There is certainly ample room for as much clothing and anything else you care to store in the wardrobe. The suite is a mirror image of my own, which is just across the hall. It has a private sitting room and bath. Come, I'll show you.”
The wide hallway was covered with plush carpet, she noticed as they passed various doorways leading to hidden rooms. They stopped halfway down the hall in front of two wide paneled doors. One of them was hers, and across from hers was Jonah's.
It was like being dropped into a completely different world. One thing Maggie already knew for sure, whatever lay on the other side of that door would be a far cry from the squeaky brass bed and threadbare quilt she had in her room back home.
Home. She'd have to start thinking of this mansion, Jonah's house, as her home now, too. At least for the next twelve months. After that, she'd probably be returning to the top floor tenement where she'd been raised. It would be a little like returning to Kansas from the Land of Oz. But home was home, and even Dorothy knew she didn't really belong in Oz. No matter how wonderful.
“Here we are,” Jonah said, pushing the dark stained oak door open.
Maggie stepped in the room and Mary whisked passed her, immediately opening the drapes.
“I took the liberty of decorating the main bedroom,” Mary was saying. “The sitting room is empty right now, but I'm sure you're going to want to decorate it for the baby. I thought perhaps you'd want to have the baby close by in the beginning. We can always move the wee-one to another room later. Oh, and if you need any help at all shopping for nursery items, you just let me know, love.”
Jonah chuckled softly. “Mary's been waiting to buy baby booties for as long as I've known her. She's been positively beaming since I first mentioned you were pregnant. I'm afraid your baby has another grandmother whether you like it or not.”
Maggie's hand instinctively went to her stomach and she felt the prickle of tears behind her eyelids. If her grandmother were here... “A child can never have too much love.”
“I agree.”
Mary's smile was radiant, as if the simple act of accepting her help with baby arrangements had made her entire day. She glanced at Jonah, and again Maggie was caught by the look of affection they shared.
“The sun rises on this side of the house. I usually keep the drapes in my room drawn to keep the room cool. I'll be getting dinner soon. Shall I get you something to fill you in the meantime?”
Maggie shook her head. Lately her appetite had doubled, but right now, she doubted she had the energy to even eat.
Maggie waited for Mary to leave before she spoke. “Mary seems very nice.”
Jonah's smile was warm an
d telling. “None better.”
“Did she work for you in England?”
He nodded. “When I moved to America, I brought her here. She's taken over some of the cooking, which she didn't do back in England, except for the occasional batch of cookies when I begged her.”
His chuckle was soft and made Maggie wonder more about their relationship. He'd probably been raised by a team of staff when he was a boy. In many ways it was probably like the neighborhood she'd grown up in where everyone looked out for everyone's children.
“Mary enjoys being domestic and working in the garden. Her room is just down the hall, next to yours and shares the same view of her garden out back. Make no mind about it, Mary runs the show around here.”
“I'll keep that in mind.”
Maggie already decided she was going to like Mary. In some small way, Mary reminded Maggie of her grandmother. That made coming to live in Jonah's house feel a little bit like home.
She slipped out of her shoes and glanced around the huge room. Double wide windows dominated one wall and a bed big enough for at least three people hugged the opposite wall which led to another room. She padded across the room and dug her toes into the plush royal blue carpet as she stood at the open doorway to the smaller room. As Mary had informed her, the room was empty, just waiting to be filled with little baby items.
She stood, almost in a trance, wondering what it would be like in just a few months to have this room filled not only with a crib and pretty blankets and stuffed toys, but with the sound of her baby's laughter.
She felt Jonah behind her and swung around. He ran his hand over his dark hair and rested his hand on the nape of his neck. A sense of awkwardness engulfed her and suddenly Jonah was as much a stranger to her as the day they'd met. But something was different. An electric awareness flowed between them as it had right from the first. He was her husband. But they were nearly strangers.
As if sensing her awkwardness, Jonah cleared his throat and turned toward the door. “I know you're tired. I'll make sure your bags are brought up after you nap.”
He closed the door and allowed her privacy in her own room.
* * *
Maggie's little nap had her sleeping through dinner and waking in the early morning ravished enough to eat an elephant.
Elephants, she thought as she skipped down one end of the wide stairway in search of the kitchen. She could stencil little animals on the wall of the nursery.
She hadn't been given the grand tour of the house yet, but decided a good way to find the kitchen would be to follow the pungent aroma of bacon. She hit pay dirt on the first hall she followed, finding the dining room and the swinging door leading to the kitchen. She pushed inside.
“Good morning, Mary.”
“You're up so early, love.”
“I wasn't going to sleep with all the racket my stomach was making.”
Mary laughed, cracking another egg and dropping it into a bowl already filled.
“Can I help you with anything?”
“No, thank you. I have it.”
“Is there anything I can munch on before breakfast is done? I'm starving.”
Wiping her hands on the apron, Mary said, “I imagine you must be. You can't be skipping meals now that you're eating for two. Why don't you go into the dining room and get comfortable. I'll be there straight away with your breakfast.”
“Dining room? But there's no one in there. Am I eating by myself?”
“So far. Jonah's still upstairs.”
“What's wrong with right here at the kitchen table?”
Mary seemed to look pleased. “Nothing at all. But Jonah insisted that all the staff put out their best to make you feel welcome.” She winked and whispered, “He usually has his coffee and biscuits right here at the nook.”
Heat crept up Maggie's cheeks. “Since I already feel welcome, there is no reason for me not to do the same. I'm just another member of the family.”
“The only member of Jonah's family,” Mary said, turning back to the frying pan.
Maggie climbed into a seat at the stool at the breakfast nook and reached across the table for a banana from the fruit basket, peeling back the skin. “You're more family to Jonah than I am.”
Mary stopped short of spooning bacon on to the plate to drain, a measure of warmth was stretched across her face. “In a way, I suppose you're right. Up until yesterday, anyway.”
“You're the only person who doesn't call Jonah by his formal title.”
Mary chuckled. “I'm not so sure I could do that after all the scoldings I gave him when he was a young lad.”
“Did you raise him?”
Mary dropped a plate of biscuits and bacon on the counter in front of Maggie. “Now where on earth did you get an idea like that?”
Maggie shrugged. “It's just the way you look at him. It's obvious you have a special bond. It's not like the other members of the staff.”
Mary's pleasure was unmistakable. “For me, Jonah is as close as it gets to having children of my own. But if I did have a son, I would wish him to be just like Jonah. The whole lot of us were bursting with pride when the Queen honored him with Knighthood. Here, have some orange juice to help wash down that banana.”
Mary pulled a carafe from the fridge and poured the juice before placing the glass on the table in front of Maggie.
Maggie drank it down in one gulp.
“I'm going to have to stock up on juice if you keep that up,” Mary said, chuckling.
Jonah strode into the kitchen, giving Mary a scrutinizing glance, before sliding into the stool next to Maggie.
“I thought we'd agreed on breakfast in the dining room.”
“I like the kitchen,” Maggie said. “It's warmer in here.”
“It's August, it's hot as Hades everywhere.”
Mary jabbed him in the shoulder, then placed a dish of bacon and eggs in front of him. “You know fully well what Maggie is talking about.”
He smiled sheepishly.
Mary dropped the last platter on the table in front of them. “If you need anything else, Maggie, Jonah will direct you. I'm going out to the garden to harvest some zucchini and tomatoes.”
Jonah waited until the back door was firmly shut and they both filled their plates with food before he spoke.
“After how exhausted you'd been yesterday, I thought for sure you'd sleep in late this morning.”
“I have to get to work.”
Jonah's head snapped up from his coffee mug. “You're going to the coffee shop?”
She nodded. “I have to be there by the time the breakfast run is in full swing. Kelsey is still too new to handle it on her own. Then when it quiets down I have some inventory to go through. School will be starting soon and it's always busy once the college kids arrive. I'd like to get a little ahead of the game if I can. That way I can take a few weeks off after the baby is born.”
He was quietly looking at her, ignoring the mound of scrambled eggs he'd scooped on his fork.
“I just assumed you'd be quitting your job now that...” He dropped the fork in his plate with a clank.
She stared at him questioningly. “Now that we're married? You can say it, you know. I'm not going to bite.”
Jonah cleared his throat and dabbed his mouth with his napkin. “There's no need for you to work anymore now that we're married.”
She wasn't aware her mouth had dropped open until she tried to speak. “You are kidding, right?”
He shook his head, his eyes narrowing with question.
“You have to admit it's a bit barmy for the wife of a millionaire to be working as a waitress-”
“Owner, thank you very much,” she said, correcting him. “And I don't care how it looks to anyone. The Coffee Drop is my livelihood. How else will I be able to make money to support the baby?”
“I thought we settled all this the other night. Money need not be an issue. If you want to take some time off before the baby is born--”
It wa
s if he'd just slapped her across the face. Although Maggie would bet Jonah would never resort to such physical violence, his words stung just the same. What was he thinking? Did he really think she'd just sponge off his bank account for the next year?
“That wasn't part of the deal. I thought I'd made that perfectly clear.”
“You did.”
She threw her napkin on the table. “Then what is this all about?”
“Simply that you needn't worry yourself about whether or not you'll have money to support the baby. I can more than sufficiently care for both of you now.”
No, he couldn't, Maggie thought. He absolutely could not. Not now, not ever. Because if she let her guard down, she might end up needing him. If she needed him, she may want to stay here with him in her life after the year was through. And that was never part of their arrangement.
Her mother had needed her father. She'd heard countless stories of how for three years her father had courted her lavishly until the day he found out about Maggie. Then it was over. Unfortunately, it was also too late. Although they had never married, Rhonda had become so dependent on him emotionally and financially that it took years for her to be able to build back her self-esteem and stand on her own two feet again.
And then of course there was Keith. Maggie hadn't needed him financially. The one lesson she'd taken to heart from her mother's experience was that she had to learn to take care of herself. But she'd needed him emotionally, at least that one night after her grandmother died when she'd conceived her baby. And just like history repeating itself, he'd hit the road when he found out she was pregnant.
Maggie was determined that wouldn't happen again. She didn't want to become bitter like her mother had. She wouldn't depend on Jonah to take care of her or the baby. She would do it herself.
“I am capable of taking care of me and my child.”
“I have no doubt of that. But in the last week even I can tell you've been pushing yourself too hard. You were so exhausted you slept through dinner last night. When I brought your bags to your room, you didn't even stir when I shook you.”
She knotted her arms across her chest, not sure what she was feeling beyond the anger rising inside her. Jonah had been in her room last night? She had no idea.
Tempting Fate Page 38