With a sigh, I continued my walk, passing through white swinging gates to the area of the plantation where a number of historic buildings still stood, including a pigeonnier, an overseer’s cottage, a few barns, a sugar house, and a couple of slave quarters. I headed over to one, and on my way, I heard voices coming from behind a cypress tree. There was no mistaking the female as Jessica.
“I can’t believe my grandfather would do that to me,” she whined. “I’ve been visiting him twice a week for months. That should count for something, shouldn’t it?”
“I’m sure he appreciates that,” Jaxon replied in his sexy drawl.
“How can you say that when he all but left me out of his will?”
“Don’t worry. I doubt that city girl could last two weeks here, let alone six months.”
The hairs on the back of my neck bristled at Jaxon’s response. He knew nothing about me, yet he assumed I was soft and weak.
Jessica giggled. “I’ll bet you’re right. Once she’s gone, I can work on Grandfather.”
Anger boiled inside me, and I couldn’t listen to more, afraid I might not be able to keep silent much longer. I raced over to one of the slave quarters and hurried up the rickety steps to the tiny front porch, not caring that I twisted my ankle in the process.
It took a minute for my eyes to adjust to the darkness inside. The room was empty except for an old wooden rocking chair. I sank onto it, rubbing my ankle and trying to calm my racing heart. Guess I’d been as wrong about Jaxon as he’d been about me. Just because he was handsome, polite, and sexy as heck, that didn’t make him someone I’d like to get to know better. Besides, he was a terrible judge of character to be involved with someone like Jessica.
I leaned back in the chair, taking in my surroundings. The place was musty and damp and had an air of intense sadness to it. I closed my eyes and thought of all the men and women who’d lived here and how their lives had revolved around milling sugar cane and doing the bidding of their master—hard work in the sugar cane fields from sunrise to sunset. I could almost feel their muscles straining in pain, and a deep, unaccustomed misery tore at my heart.
The door flew open, jolting me from my vision, and I nearly jumped out of my skin when I spotted Jaxon standing there.
“I saw you trip and thought you might be hurt.”
I sprang out of the chair and stormed past him. “See,” I said, marching down the steps. “I’m fine. Not a weak city girl after all.”
His gaze was riveted on me, but before he could say a word, I left him standing in the doorway.
I didn’t care that my ankle throbbed. I raced through the white swinging gates and through the French parterre garden, then up the back stairs to the rear porch. When I entered the house, Theresa came hurrying out of the kitchen toward me.
“Miss Olivia, dinner’s bein’ served in the dinin’ room.” Wisps of her red hair poked out from beneath her hairnet, and she had traces of flour still on her hands.
“Thank you.” I hadn’t realized so much time had passed since having tea. I walked through the vestibule and then into the dining room, surprised to find it empty.
I chose a seat at the far end of the table, and while I waited for the others to arrive, I reflected on the events of the day. Earlier, I’d had no idea what to expect and certainly never anticipated having my grandfather want to leave me the plantation. Once again, I thought of my mother and her dream of turning it into a bed-and-breakfast. I glanced around the room and tried to envision it full of guests waiting for dinner. Could I handle the running of a place this size? And did I even want to try? These were questions I couldn’t answer. Yet, I had to make a decision by morning.
Chapter Four
I HADN’T HEARD Jaxon come in and wasn’t even aware that he was in the dining room until he sat across from me at the table.
“How’s your ankle? The way you ran out of that shack, I wouldn’t be surprised if you injured it more.”
I studied him carefully before answering, trying to determine whether he was mocking me or truly interested in how I was feeling. There was genuine concern on his face, so my hackles went down a little. “It’s fine. Just a slight twist. I’m sure it’ll be good as new in no time.”
“The comment you made before you left, about not being a weak city girl, I take it you said that because you overheard me talking to Jessica.”
My cheeks warmed. “I wasn’t eavesdropping,” I said defensively. “I was taking a walk and just happened to hear you.”
He seemed to choose his words carefully. “What I said wasn’t meant as an insult. And I never called you weak, by the way. That’s something you misinterpreted.”
I scowled at him. “Oh, really. How should I have interpreted it, then?”
“I simply meant there’s quite a difference between city life and plantation life. Even though Turnberry’s no longer producing sugar cane, there’s still a lot of land to maintain. To say nothing of what goes into the running of a bed-and-breakfast.”
“And how would you know about that?”
“Because my mother manages the neighboring bed-and-breakfast.”
I squinted as I stared at him. “Are you related to Jonathon Clairmont?”
He smiled widely as if reveling in my astonishment. “Yes, he’s my uncle.”
“I’m surprised my grandfather would hire you with the ongoing feud between our two families.” I was becoming increasingly uneasy under his scrutiny.
“There might not be any love lost between your grandfather and my uncle, but Asa is smart enough to hire the best and most qualified man for the job.”
“Hmmm, you’re modest too.”
“You can add honest to that list, as well.”
Before I could respond, Theresa came in carrying a tray filled with food. She set it down between us, in the center of the table, and then removed the lids from each of the delicious looking platters. “I’ll be back soon to see if ya need anythin’ else.”
As she headed out the door, I said, “Shouldn’t we wait for the others to join us?”
“I’m sorry, miss. I was told it was just the two of ya. Your grandfather ain’t feelin’ well, so he had some soup up in his room. Miss Jessica is lyin’ down with a headache, and yar uncle called to say dat he was dinin’ out with some friends.” She offered me a small smile. “Enjoy yar dinner.”
If my stomach wasn’t grumbling with hunger and the food didn’t smell so fabulous, I would’ve been tempted to leave and let Jaxon eat alone. But the thought of going to bed hungry just to be spiteful seemed foolish at best.
We filled our plates and then began to eat, but an uncomfortable silence loomed between us, making it impossible to enjoy the meal.
“How long have you worked for my grandfather?” I asked between bites.
“Almost a year. Asa’s a wonderful man. Generous and kind. He’d give the shirt off his back if he thought someone needed it. There aren’t many men like him left. These past few months have really been tough on him. His body just seemed to give out. Of course, numerous bouts of pneumonia haven’t helped.”
It was evident that he truly cared for my grandfather, making my feelings toward him soften a little. “There seems to be some bad blood between him and my Uncle Paul. Any idea what that’s about?”
Jaxon stared down at his plate.
“I’m sorry. You don’t need to answer if you don’t want to. I wasn’t looking to gossip. It’s just that I barely know my grandfather, yet he wants me to inherit nearly all of his estate, leaving very little to his son and other granddaughter. I can see how they’d be angry and feel cheated.”
“You don’t need to feel bad for your Uncle Paul. Asa has good reason not to want to leave him much. He’d just gamble it all away…”
I sucked in my breath. I had no idea Uncle Paul was a gambler. “What about Jess? Is he afraid she might have her father’s addiction?”
Jaxon hesitated again, and I could see that this was making him uncomfortable. “I�
�m sorry. I understand if you don’t want to talk about her, you two being involved and all.”
“What? Involved like romantically?” His mouth quivered a little, and I could tell he was trying not to laugh.
I frowned. “Why is that funny?”
“She’s far from my type.”
“Oh? You seem like you’d go for gorgeous and sophisticated. So then what is your type?”
The way his fabulous blue-gray eyes delved into mine sent my pulse thrumming.
“I’m not sure. Guess I’ll know it when I see it.” His gaze held mine a moment longer, then he shifted it over to one of the platters and helped himself to another piece of steak.
We finished the rest of the meal chatting about all the things we loved about Louisiana, and it became abundantly clear that Jaxon adored this part of the country and never planned on leaving it. It wasn’t until we were having coffee and dessert that he brought up the subject of the bed-and-breakfast.
“Any idea what you’re going to do?” he asked.
I shook my head. “None. I’ve tried weighing the pros and cons, but they seem to be equally distributed.”
He took a sip of coffee, then leaned back in his chair. “I don’t know if this’ll help with your decision, but I promised Asa I’d stay on and manage the B&B. Of course, only if you want me to,” he quickly added.
I tried to hide my shock, but it was clear that I hadn’t done a very good job, because his bronzed skin now had a slightly ruddy cast to it.
“I wasn’t trying to put you on the spot or anything,” he said. “And I’m certainly not begging for a job. Believe me, I won’t have the least bit of trouble finding another one if need be.”
I didn’t want to make him defensive. It’s just that he’d really thrown me off guard. “Thank you so much for the offer. And if I do decide to stay here and open a bed-and-breakfast, I’ll definitely think seriously about having you run it.”
He quickly chugged down the rest of his coffee, then set the cup in the saucer. “Good enough. I just wanted you to know I’d be here if you needed me. It was important to your grandfather that you not be left on your own.” He pushed back his chair and stood. “Good night, Olivia.”
After he left, I took a few more bites of dessert, then pushed the plate away. I had no idea what to make of that man. One minute he made me so angry I could scream, and the next he had me thinking he was someone I could come to trust and depend on. Not to mention the fact that he sent my heart racing like it had been charged with jolts of electricity.
As I was about to head up to my room, Theresa arrived and began to clear the table.
“You wouldn’t happen to know if there’s Wi-Fi here, would you?” I asked.
“Oh, yes, Miss Olivia, there is. I use the Internet all the time.”
“Would you be able to get me the password and network key? I’d like to email my friends back home tonight.”
“Come with me,” she answered.
I followed her into my grandfather’s study, where she went over to an old rolltop desk and opened a drawer. She took out a small notebook, flipped through the pages, and then wrote the information on a sticky note next to the phone.
“Here ya go,” she said, ripping it off the pad and handing it to me.
“Thank you.”
When I was upstairs in my room, I sprawled out on the bed, signed onto the Internet, and sent Kelly an email explaining my dilemma. She immediately wrote back, in her usual blunt style, asking if I was insane for having trouble making a decision. How could I not jump at the chance to own a plantation and become filthy rich? She also wanted to know if I’d contacted Dale.
I got a knot in my stomach every time I thought of him. I might not be madly in love, but I cared deeply. I didn’t want to hurt him, and moving to Louisiana, even if only for six months, would do just that.
I snapped my laptop closed. Better to say nothing until I made up my mind. And there was someone I needed to talk to who might be able to help me do that. I reached for my cell phone and dialed home. It only rang twice before I heard my father’s familiar baritone voice say hello.
“Hi, Daddy!”
“Livvy Luv! It’s so great to hear from you. How are you surviving Turnberry?”
“Okay, I guess. Grandpa looks worse than I thought he would, and he didn’t come down for dinner like he’d planned.”
“Aw, sweetie. I’m sorry, but that’s why he wanted to spend time with you…you know, before…” His voice trailed off, and I knew he couldn’t say the words because he was thinking of what happened to Mom.
“That’s not the only reason why he asked me here.” I heard my dad’s deep intake of breath as he waited for me to go on. “Grandpa wants to leave me the plantation, along with almost all the rest of his estate.”
“I had an idea you’d be in his will, but not to that extent. My goodness, Livvy, you’ll be set for life a million times over. You must be overwhelmed.”
“That’s putting it mildly. But there’s a condition to my inheritance. Remember how Mom always wanted to make Turnberry into a bed-and-breakfast?”
“Of course. I’d thought that was a great idea too, and we would have if things had been different.” His voice cracked a little.
I waited a second before I went on. “Well, to honor Mom, Grandpa wants me to do that, but I have to stay here for at least six months, or I’ll lose my inheritance. After that time, I can move back to Boston if I want, and keep the money he’s leaving me. However, the plantation will be given to the historical society.”
“A bed-and-breakfast is a huge undertaking, Liv. Do you know what you’re going to do?”
“I thought you could help me with that.”
“My, my, Livvy Luv. I couldn’t do that. It’s your life. Only you can decide what to do with it.”
I swallowed hard, trying to manage an answer. “But I can’t. That’s the problem—I don’t know. Part of me thinks, why not? It would be a wild new adventure. And part wants to go home now. There are so many memories of Mom here. And besides, what about you? I can’t leave you. You’ll be alone.”
There was a long pause on the other end of the phone. “Dad, are you still there?”
“Yes… Yes… I am. Look Livvy, you can’t live my life. You need to live your own. Follow the path that’s right for you.”
“But Dad—”
He cut me off. “I’ve been delaying telling you something. Seems like this is the right time. I met someone. We’ve gone out a few times—once for coffee and once for dinner. I didn’t want to say anything until I knew for sure she might be someone I’d actually want to date on a regular basis.”
The shock of what he said hit me full force. “Oh my goodness, Dad. Are you kidding me?”
“This doesn’t in any way change my feelings for your mom.”
“Dad! Don’t be ridiculous. I’m so happy for you. I hated seeing you so miserable. You need someone in your life. Mom’s been gone a long time. She’d want you to move on as much as I do.”
“Have I told you lately what a special person you are?”
“All the time.”
“You’ll make the right choice, Liv. You always do. Just follow your heart.”
“Thanks, Dad. Love you.”
“Back at you.”
It wasn’t until after I hung up the phone that I realized I had tears running down my cheeks. A large weight had been lifted from my shoulders. My dad might actually find a little happiness. I was so grateful for that. However, I still had to decide what to do.
~*~
MOONLIGHT STREAMED IN through the bedroom window, and the cypress trees, draped in Spanish moss just outside it, were cast as shadows on the wall. They looked like monsters moving back and forth as the wind blew their branches around.
I closed my eyes, but sleep eluded me. My mind was awhirl. How was I going to give my grandfather an answer in the morning? I thought of my mom and wondered what she’d want me to do. She used to give the best adv
ice, and I wished more than ever that she was still here. With an overwhelming desire to feel closer to her, I grabbed the terrycloth robe at the end of the bed.
After slipping it on, I headed down the hall, stopping in front of a closed door. My hand shook a little as I turned the knob.
It was pitch-black inside, so I ran my hand over the wall until I found the light switch. The room, now bathed in an eerie golden glow, looked exactly the same as the last time I was there—feminine and beautiful, just like my mom had been. I walked over to the antique four-poster and sat on it. I could visualize her lying there, and I could almost smell her perfume. “What should I do, Mom?” I whispered, holding my head in my hands. I sat there for a long while, oblivious to the time, half expecting to hear her voice. But of course, that didn’t happen.
I got up and headed for the door. As I reached for the wall switch to turn off the light, my indecision disappeared. It was as if my mom had found a way to communicate with me. I knew without a doubt that this bed-and-breakfast opportunity had been given to me for a reason, and I needed to pursue it. Not just because that was what my mom would want me to do, but because I’d be saving my family’s heritage. My grandfather had faith that I was up for this challenge, and I needed to do it for him and the other Turnberrys before him.
For the first time since arriving here, I felt the weight I’d been carrying dissolve. I didn’t want to wait until morning to talk to Grandfather, so I raced down the hall toward his room.
After two knocks on his door, I heard my grandfather grumble what sounded like “Come in.” I peeked inside. The lamp on his nightstand was on, and he had a book resting on his chest, as if he might have dozed off while reading.
“I’m sorry if I woke you.”
A half smile lit his drawn features. “Come in, my dear. Come in.”
As I neared his bed, I realized that beads of perspiration soaked his forehead. “Grandpa, are you all right?”
He scrunched up his face as if in pain before answering. “Just those darn night sweats.”
I thought there might be more bothering him than that, but I didn’t press the issue.
Shadows and Lies: A World of Gothic: United States Page 3