Love With A Stranger

by Taylor, Janelle

  Peter sat down beside her. “I just got home from work and Inez told me you’ve been asleep all day. She didn’t want to leave you alone until I got here. Are you all right or do I need to have Doctor Hines come over and take a look at you?”

  Still in a groggy state, Cass struggled to sit up and prop herself against the headboard, unmindful of her touseled brown hair, puffy eyes, and sensual sapphire nightgown.

  After Peter pulled the top sheet to her shoulders and pushed a stray strand of hair from her face, she took a deep breath to finish clearing her head. “I must look a wreck. I feel as if I’ve been run over by a fast train that reversed and took a second strike at me.”

  Peter chuckled and jested, “You’ve looked better on past occasions, but I don’t see any real damage. How do you feel?”

  Cass took another deep breath. “Like a lump of melting butter but at the same time as heavy as a rock. That Valium knocked me out cold; maybe I shouldn’t have taken two on an empty stomach. But, I’m awake and fine now. Or I will be as soon as I take a shower and drink some coffee.”

  “Inez said you haven’t eaten all day. She tried to wake you up for lunch and again late this afternoon, but you were out to the world. She figured you needed sleep more than food. Now, why don’t you take that shower and slip on some clothes while I prepare us some coffee and something to eat?”

  “You know how to cook?”

  “Rather well, I must say, so don’t look so skeptical. A bachelor can’t eat out all of the time and I have been on my own for years. What .about one of my special omelettes and some toast?”

  “It sounds wonderful to me; I’m starved, and I need a cup of coffee desperately. Thanks.”

  Peter nodded and said, “I’ll see you downstairs in…say about twenty minutes?”

  “Perfect. Make the coffee strong; I need the caffeine.”

  “You best go easy on it or you’ll be awake all night.”

  “Were there any problems at the seafood company or the electronics firm?” she queried him about two of Tom’s eight businesses, as the remaining six were in other towns and states.

  “Just minor ones and I handled them. We’ll talk more while we eat. I’m starved, too; I skipped lunch and just ate a pack of crackers.”

  After Peter left the room, Cass noticed her luggage sitting on the floor, still waiting to be unpacked from her trip to Los Angeles. She recalled why that chore wasn’t done and why she had been so upset and taken the tranquilizer. She wondered if the police had gone to see Peter today after speaking with her; if so, it seemed odd that he didn’t phone her or rush home afterward to see what they had asked and what she had answered. Even if the detectives hadn’t seen Peter today, surely, Inez would have told him about their visit and her reaction, one that she was embarrassed and baffled to recall. No doubt Peter was planning to discuss the matter tonight and that was his reason for awakening her.

  As Cass showered and dressed, the shocking episode was replayed in her head like a videotape. True, the men had been rude and insensitive and their timing was lousy, but she couldn’t imagine why she had behaved so rudely, almost as if she had freaked out. But wasn’t that natural under those circumstances? After all, they had implied Gretchen Lowrey was Tom’s… There was no way that could be true. And they had speculated that Tom had been…murdered. Surely that wasn’t true, either; it couldn’t be. What was worse was they sounded as if she were a suspect; that was absurd and frightening. She didn’t want their private lives invaded by those two slugs, based on…On what?

  Cass hurriedly brushed her long brown tresses and went downstairs to the breakfast room, dismissing the troubling thoughts.

  Peter glanced up from his cooking and smiled. “Now you look like yourself. For a minute there, you had me worried, Cass.”

  “I’m sorry; it wasn’t intentional. Now, what can I do to help?”

  “Pour your coffee; I already have a cup. And you can start the toast. It should be ready when this second omelette is done.”

  After she finished those tasks, she asked, “What’s next?”

  “See if I’ve missed putting out anything. If not, take a seat and get prepared to have your tummy filled with a real treat.”

  She passed her gaze over the table to find that it was completely set with dishes, silverwear, placemats, and napkins. All of the needed condiments were there, too: salt, pepper, sweetener, butter, and jelly. Peter had positioned them across from each other at the beveled glass ring that was supported by a large square ivory pedestal with floral gold-leaf accents on all sides. Four Louis XVI-style chairs with golden tortoise finishes on Italian beechwood surrounded it; their seats, rounded backs, and a section of the armrests were covered in an ivory fabric with gold pinstripes and self-welting. It was lovely, but too formal, she felt, for a breakfast room; she would have preferred something more casual, but an interior decorator whom Tom had hired had chosen it, just as the man had selected everything else in the house, including most of the accessories and artwork. When Tom had brought her “home” for the first time, the house was ready for immediate occupancy, down to perfectly landscaped and manicured grounds. Even the walk-in pantry, freezer, and refrigerator were stocked; and Inez already was employed.

  Cass wished she could have had a say in decorating the house, but Tom had wanted to surprise her by having it finished and ready to enjoy. It wasn’t that she didn’t like the decorator’s excellent taste, but making those selections herself would have made it seem more like her home. She hadn’t even known about its purchase until Tom flew them over to take possession early last October. They had stayed at the nearby Mobile 5-Star Cloister resort on two occasions, so he had known how much she liked this location. Yet, it would have been nice to have been consulted.

  “What are you thinking about so intensely?” Peter asked as he put a plate with an omelette and two slices of toast before her.

  “About the day your father surprised me with this house. All I had to do was walk in and unpack a few suitcases. Everything was finished. He’d even had my clothes and belongings sent here from the other residences. He was a unique and wonderful man, so thoughtful and generous. I can’t imagine him being gone and never seeing him again.”

  “Life goes on, Cass. You have to accept reality, just as I have, no matter how difficult it is,” Peter said kindly.

  “I know. I learned that bitter truth after my parents died.”

  Peter didn’t remark on her statement because he knew from his father that Cass’s parents had been killed in a train crash while taking a vacation she had suggested and paid for years ago, an anniversary gift from a child the couple had borne in mid-life. “Taste your omelette before it gets cold,” he said to distract her thoughts.

  “Thank you, Peter, for doing this,” she said before she cut into the omelette prepared with, two kinds of cheese, sauteed onions, diced ham, and assorted herbs. She took a bite, then swallowed it, looked at him and smiled. “It’s delicious,” she proclaimed. “A master chef couldn’t have done better.”

  “From somebody who’s eaten in the best restaurants in the world, that’s an enormous compliment. Thanks.”

  It felt strange for Cass to be eating and genially talking with Peter. The only times they had dined together in the past Tom was always present. They had done as little talking as possible in private and with polite pretense in public. Now, here they were in a cozy setting, alone, and being astonishingly cordial to each other. Even so, she didn’t know what to talk about. She decided to follow Peter’s lead and waited for his next move, which didn’t come until he finished eating most of his food and leaned back in his chair.

  “I’ve ordered audits on all of Dad’s businesses and full reports on his holdings. As soon as they’re completed, we’ll meet with his lawyer and go over them and his will. I’ve already contacted his insurance company, so they have the paperwork in progress. Since you and I are co-beneficiaries, I’ll let you know what happens in that area. There is one important matte
r we need to discuss tonight, if you don’t mind.”

  Cass nodded for him to continue, anxiety nibbling at her.

  “I know we haven’t gotten along well, but I hope we can put that behind us now. During this past week, I had a chance to study you closely and I realized I had misjudged you and never given you a fair chance. It’s clear to me that you loved my father and he loved you, and you two had a happy marriage. I hope we can become friends, Cass; if not, at least we can have a truce because we’ll have a lot to take care of together in the coming months. Think about what I’ve said before you answer while I pour us some more coffee.”

  Cass watched Peter rise, collect their cups, and walk to the counter. He poured hers, then pushed his cup aside.

  He turned and said, “I think I’ll have Kahlua instead. Do you want any?”

  “No, thanks, coffee is fine with me.”

  Cass waited in silence for his return with their drinks, wondering if she could trust his unexpected turnabout. If he was angry about her inheriting Grantham money and holdings after less than three years of marriage and if he was planning to fight her tooth-and-nail for every dollar she received, those feelings and intention were well concealed. She couldn’t help but question his motive for suddenly being so nice! She told herself to watch him with eagle eyes for signs of deceit, but to pretend to accept his offer and hope it was sincere. After he sat down and she thanked him, she said, “Little would please me more than for us to become friends, Peter. I’m sure that would have delighted Tom.”

  Peter smiled and said, “You’re a special woman, Cass. My father was lucky. As somebody who’s still caught up in the dating game, it can be miserable and frustrating at times. I realize I’ve gotten quite a reputation as a playboy for dating so many women while looking for Miss Right. You and Dad were lucky you found each other and had several good years together; that’s more than a lot of couples share.”

  Peter chuckled before he added, “But my misbegotten love life isn’t what we need to be talking about tonight. I have the enclosure cards from the flowers sent to Dad’s funeral and a few notifications of donations made to several charities in his name; I expect there’ll be more of those coming in later. The printing company I use at work is doing up thank-you cards with special messages on them.”

  “I agree, Peter, and that was thoughtful of you. Those details hadn’t even entered my mind, and I realize I haven’t been much help to you in this matter.”

  “I didn’t think about it, either. We have my secretary to thank for the reminder when she offered to help with the project. The printer told me he would put a rush job on the order and they should be ready Monday afternoon, at least a good portion of them. I’ve decided to hire a temp next week to address the envelopes for us so we can get them in the mail as soon as possible. You might want to look over the names on the enclosure cards and read the sympathy notes this weekend; they’re in that box on the counter.”

  Cass glanced in the direction he pointed.

  Peter took a sip of his drink. “If there are any messages or people you want to respond to personally, pull out their cards and I’ll bring you some of ours as soon as they’re ready; I’ll do the same. The temp can address them for us, so just clip their notes to yours. Is that all right with you?”

  “I would prefer to address and seal my own notes, if you don’t mind. I don’t want a stranger reading special messages I’ve written to Tom’s friends.”

  “That’s no problem. When they’re finished, I’ll collect them and mail them for you.”

  “Thank you, Peter, I really appreciate your help.”

  “Let me know if you think of anything I haven’t done. This sort of thing is new to me.”

  “I wish it were new to me. My parents’ deaths were a long time ago and I had forgotten there was so much to do afterward. I’m glad I had you there to help me with the arrangements this week.”

  “I’m sure that was a tough job to handle alone.”

  “Yes, it was.”

  “Being an only child, too, I’m glad you were here to help me.”

  “Thanks.” They were both quiet for a long moment, then Cass said, “Since you cooked and served dinner, I’ll clear the table and clean up the kitchen.”

  “We’ll be done faster if I help. I’ll collect the dishes and rinse them while you load the dishwasher.”

  Cass wished he had just left. She was beginning to feel edgy again, and assumed it was because of the stressful nature of their topics and spending time with this man she wasn’t sure could be trusted. She didn’t want to think or plan tonight. She was tired of talking about grim matters and only wanted to be alone, relax, and not think about her troubles and anxieties.

  As Cass was putting things in the refrigerator, Peter asked, “Do you want any more coffee before I empty the pot and wash it?”

  “No, thanks. I’m sure I’ve had more than I need. After staying in bed most of the day and having two cups, I’ll probably be awake half the night.”

  “If you get tired but you’re too jittery to sleep, take one of those Valiums. But just one, Cass.”

  “I’ll remember, and thanks for your concern.”

  As she loaded the dishwasher, Cass reasoned she should get their last topic out of the way so he could leave when they finished their chores. “Did Inez tell you I had a visit from two police detectives this morning?”

  “So did I,” Peter revealed, “but I didn’t want to spoil our dinner talking about it. I was running around part of the day taking care of errands, so it took them until late this afternoon to catch up with me. I didn’t phone you afterward because we needed time and privacy to discuss the matter.”

  It sounded to Cass as if he answered the questions forming in her mind before she could ask them. “They were rude and insensitive, Peter, and downright intimidating.” She related the episode to him. “How did they behave with you?”

  “They were smart-ass all the way and covered that same ground with me. They’re stupid if they think somebody killed my father. Nobody tampered with his car; it was kept in a fenced area when not in use. The only other person with keys is the mechanic who services it, and he’s totally trustworthy. It was an insult to Dad and to me to even hint that anybody could hate him that much. I told them not to bother me again unless they had evidence of foulplay, which they don’t.”

  Cass loaded the two plates as she pointed out, “Either there has to be something strange that caught their eye or they’re just snooping out of curiosity. They certainly could use lessons in manners. I should tell you, Peter, they annoyed me to the level of being rude in return.”

  “I know; Inez told me; she could hear you yelling at them from the kitchen. She said you were a nervous wreck after they left and that’s why you took those tranquilizers.”

  Cass felt her cheeks flush. “I’m really embarrassed about how I behaved. My parents taught me good manners and respect for elders and authority. I’ve never been hot-tempered like that before, but they made me so angry with their crude insinuations and near accusations. Maybe it was a result of delayed shock or something. Whatever happened to me after they dropped their bombshells, I know I made a terrible impression on them. If they come back again, I guess I owe them an apology.”

  “You’re wrong, Cass; they owe you the apology. Don’t talk to them alone again; insist on me or Simon Johnson being present.”

  She dried and put away the skillet as she asked, “Why do I need a lawyer? I don’t have anything to hide, and I want this matter resolved fast.”

  Peter draped the dishcloth over the double-sink partition and leaned his left hip against the counter, “Don’t be naive, Cass. Men like that can have a cunning way of twisting innocent answers and causing you trouble. We don’t want them digging into our lives and exposing family dirt.”

  Cass finished her work and faced him to query, “What kind of dirt, Peter?”

  “I didn’t say we have any, but everybody has things in their past or private
lives they don’t want the world to learn. Things can leak out during investigations, innocent things that might be twisted and become harmful to our family reputation. My father was a rich and well-known man, those scandal rags would delight in finding some innocent or forgotten angle they can exploit for money. I insist. If Beals and Killian call you or come around again, refuse to see them until you phone me and I get hold of Simon Johnson.”

  Cass was becoming more fidgety by the minute but tried to conceal her tension. “Won’t it look suspicious if I refuse to answer their questions and demand our lawyer be present? And the same applies to you.”

  Peter knew he had to rush their conversation before she got too antsy to finish their talk. It was obvious to him that the drug he had slipped into her coffee was working properly for him to carry out his plans. “What does that matter when neither of us has anything to hide?” he asked. “We just want to protect ourselves and our interests, and Dad’s reputation. For them to imply he was murdered and to start probing us for suspects before they finish examining his car for the cause of his accident tells me they’re looking for trouble and hoping to find it. At this early stage, they have no right or reason to be exploring that absurd possibility. Don’t you agree?”

  Cass nodded before she asked, “Tell me, Peter, do you know who Gretchen Lowrey is and why she came to Sea Island with Tom?”

  Peter knew those answers from keeping tabs on Tom, but he wasn’t going to reveal any of his father’s carefully concealed flaws and weaknesses to Cass. Learning the truth could cause her to become furious and quickly spiteful. He needed to get her under his control before his father’s will was read. Thomas Grantham, he knew from experience, was an unpredictable man, so Peter couldn’t imagine what that will would contain. For certain, he didn’t want Cass to walk away with things that rightfully belonged to him. He was glad Inez had phoned him and given him a report on the detectives’ visit, so he had been prepared for his confrontation with them. He repeated to Cass the same lies he had told Beals and Killian, “She’s a model, but I’ve never met her. Dad was planning an advertising campaign for Smooth Rider, Texas-G Beef, and Grantham Seafoods; maybe he wanted to see how she acted around crabs and lobsters before he hired her to do the ads and commercials. He might have been planning to shoot a test video or photos with her at the company or on one of the shrimp boats. She certainly couldn’t be a prospect for the job if she was scared around sea creatures or cattle,” he said with a grin. “I know Dad wanted to use a fresh approach. Since she’s a ‘new face’, she would be a good choice for those campaigns, if she had acting skills to match her good looks. When we spoke on Saturday, he said he was bringing home a surprise for me to check out, so I assume Gretchen was it.”