Only one thing would have brought his grandmother, and his parents, too, he quickly noted, into the French Quarter during Mardi Gras--his involvement with the gallery opening. And he didn't need to see his grandmother's scowl to know she wasn't happy about making the trip."Our invitation to this...event seems to have gotten lost in the mail," his grandmother informed them haughtily.
"Mom, Dad, Grandmother..." He ground out the civilities between clenched teeth. "You know as well as I do there wasn't an invitation, so what brings you here tonight?"
His father extended a hand and issued a gruff greeting, while his mother reached up to press a kiss to his cheek. She tugged lightly on his ponytail, clearly amused by his new style. Then he noticed both his parents were costumed in some European fashion he vaguely remembered seeing in school history books.
He tugged off his mask. "You came to attend the masque?"
Before either could reply, his grandmother speared Lennon with a lethal stare. "Are you naked, young lady?"
"Ah, not exactly, ma'am."
Josh didn't miss the flash of embarrassment behind Lennon's mask before she hid it with a light laugh.
"Not exactly?" his grandmother demanded, as if there could possibly be some doubt.
Pulling Lennon closer Josh gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile, and assumed control of the situation. "Lennon, these are my parents, Joshua and Davinia Eastman, and this is my grandmother, Regina. Folks," he said, spearing them with his own warning stare, "I don't believe you've ever been formally introduced to Lennon McDarby."
"No, we haven't." Following his cue, his father extended his hand. Josh didn't miss his look of surprise, though, when he noticed that her unusual costume extended right down to her fingertips. "A pleasure, Ms. McDarby."
"Lennon, please." She smiled pleasantly, impressing Josh with her rapid recovery. She took a step away, subtly putting distance between them.
"If you're not exactly naked, what are you supposed to be?"
Lennon met her gaze and said evenly, "Lady Godiva."
The dowager swung a scowl at Josh. "And you are?"
"The Marquis de Sade," Lennon said.
His father shot him an amused look, but his mom winced.
"Not the Marquis de Sade," he assured them. "I'm the hero from Lennon's latest book."
His mom smiled uncertainly, then motioned to her own costume. "We thought we might need to dress up to get inside the masque to find you."
His grandmother frowned, and he observed that she wasn't wearing a costume, but had dressed in one of her usual neutral silk suits.
"No need. I'm here now," he said. "So what's up?"
"There is a need, young man." His grandmother leveled an imposing glare at him. "Since you've taken it upon yourself to endorse this event on our family's behalf."
"Joshua," his dad said, motioning for them to move away from the bouncers. "What possessed you--"
But Regina interrupted him. "If the family is going to endorse this--this..." She floundered, obviously searching for an appropriate definition.
"Memorial art gallery," Lennon supplied.
"Sexual shrine," the older woman corrected, "shouldn't you have sent invitations to us all?"
"I'm not endorsing the gallery on the family's behalf." Josh struggled to keep his tone level, knowing that getting defensive would only put his grandmother into attack mode. He wanted this misunderstanding resolved quickly, without any unpleasant repercussions, so he could get back to the ball to dance with Lennon.
But Lennon didn't give him a chance to finish the thought. She swept her gaze between his parents and grandmother, any embarrassment she may have felt for her outrageous costume well hidden beneath her proud stance and welcoming smile. "Please accept my apology for the oversight. Of course you're all welcome. I'm sure Great-uncle Joshua would be delighted that we're all together to celebrate his memorial."
From where Josh was standing, her use of "great-uncle" had a remarkable effect as his family witnessed firsthand how his grandfather had made himself a part of Lennon's family. All three of the elder Eastmans stared, Lennon's invitation clearly taking everyone aback. But like it or not, their families were connected, and Lennon spoke of that connection easily and with a great deal of pride. She'd obviously cared for his grandfather and wasn't shy about letting everyone know it.
The effect was twofold. Her invitation forced his family to reevaluate their position. Whatever they had meant to accomplish by coming here tonight, Josh could tell they hadn't expected to be warmly welcomed into the fold. It threw them. Especially his grandmother, who stared at Lennon as if she was a visitor from another galaxy.
And his family's surprise also served to pitch the balance of control into Lennon's favor. She ran with it. She apparently didn't want him running interference for her with his family, so he stood back and let her take control.
"You're dressed perfectly for the masque." Lennon touched his mom's burgundy sleeve. "What fabulous costumes. Dutch?"
"Yes. Seventeenth century." His mom beamed, pleased Lennon had recognized the style. "Jan and Margaretha Steen."
"An exceptional choice. You'll fit right in tonight, and I do believe you'll be the only Steens. We have quite a number of Cupids, I'm afraid." She shot Josh a smile that made his blood flow increase its pace, before she rushed on. "I adore the subtle sensuality of Jan Steen's paintings. I had the pleasure of admiring his Dancing Couple when I was in D.C. at a conference recently. Have you had a chance to see it?"
"Joshua and I..." She gazed lovingly up at the man by her side. "My husband Joshua and I visited the exhibition there just before Christmas."
"Are you of the school that interprets the painting as a wedding feast of a rich girl and a country boy? Or do think it's an everyday life scene like so many of Steen's others?"
Lennon was obviously trying to defuse the situation, and had wisely zeroed in on his mother as the prime candidate to accomplish the task. Josh was pleased to see his mother lend her efforts to the cause.
"The wedding feast, absolutely." Her face lit up with her enthusiasm. "Just look at the symbolism. The caged birds stand for virginity and the broken eggshells refer to losing it."
"The cut flowers and soap bubbles, too. Both fragile and short-lived. I think they suggest fleeting time or love, which would be especially poignant, given the obvious differences in the couple's social classes."
One thing became obvious as Josh listened to their chatter--their families were connected in their love of art. The Eastman empire may have been built around more conventional antiquities, while the McDarbys favored the more outrageous, but there was definitely a connection here that couldn't be ignored.
Given his grandmother's frown, he guessed she'd noticed.
"Josh, would you please ask one of the ushers to go find Auntie Q? She'll want to greet your family personally." Lennon glanced at him, whiskey eyes twinkling. "Tell them to look for the giant in the powdered wig. Olaf shouldn't be hard to spot."
"My grandmother's not wearing a costume," he pointed out.
"Technically, she gave us Great-uncle Joshua," Lennon said. "As far as I'm concerned, that's the best contribution of all."
Her generous and respectful acknowledgment of his grandmother's connection to the gallery sealed the deal. There was no graceful way of declining this invitation, and Regina Penn-Eastman was nothing if not socially graceful. His grandmother was soundly caught, and her deepening scowl meant she knew it. Josh would bet money she'd gotten more than she'd bargained for with Lennon McDarby tonight. A courteous, caring person, Lennon had met vinegar with honey and won this round.
"I'll handle it," Josh said.
"So Olaf's working for your great-aunt now?" Josh heard his father ask as he headed toward the bouncers. "He's been sorely missed at Eastman Antiquities, I can tell you...."
Before Josh made it to the entrance, though, the door swung wide and the couple in question burst from the ballroom.
"What's goin
g on, dear?" Miss Q asked, catching sight of Josh. "Olaf said he saw you and Lennon leaving--"
She obviously recognized his family, because she stopped short, a smile curving her mouth below the pearl-studded mask.
"Well, well, well, Regina," she said. "What brings you here tonight?"
"To find out why you've involved my grandson in this--this..."
"Memorial art gallery," Lennon supplied helpfully.
"Sexual shrine to my late husband," his grandmother corrected.
On immediate alert, Josh motioned the bouncer to shut the door. "Don't let anyone out until I give the word," he murmured.
"Sexual shrine?" Miss Q laughed as she swept by, glancing askance at him and whispering in a voice only he could hear, "Regina rhymes with vagina. It's no wonder she has issues."
Josh blinked, too surprised to react before he was staring at the back of her elaborately coiffed head. He wouldn't stand by and allow Lennon or Miss Q to be insulted, especially not by his grandmother, but there was another part of him--a morbidly curious part--that made him want to hang back to watch the show.
If he'd learned anything about the McDarby women these past few days, he'd learned they could hold their own.
"I'm not memorializing your late husband with a sexual shrine, Regina. I'm immortalizing my late lover by sharing his life's dream with the world."
Miss Q came to a halt in front of his grandmother, satin swishing and coiffed head high. Seeing them brought to mind a brightly colored butterfly taking on a brooding bird of prey.
"Josh Three isn't here to endorse the gallery," Miss Q added. "He's here at my request to protect Lennon."
"Protect her?" His dad glanced askance at Lennon, as though her provocative costume might have something to do with her need for protection. "From what?"
Josh went back to Lennon's side. "Miss Q has been receiving threatening letters, and there have been a few incidents that made us feel it was best to take precautions."
"Josh Three has been simply wonderful. You would be so proud of him," Miss Q said rapturously. "He's been coordinating security between the museum and the hotel. You should have seen him today. He was so heroic the way he protected us during the shootout."
"Shootout?" Davinia squeaked, staring at him as though searching for gunshot wounds.
"The police couldn't determine if it was actually gunfire," Josh said. "Nevertheless, there has been some protest about the opening, so to be on the safe side--"
"I'm not surprised there's protest." His grandmother eyed Miss Q's elaborate costume haughtily. "Schoolchildren visit this art museum."
Miss Q rolled her eyes at Josh as if to say, "I told you she had issues." Then she smiled in exaggerated reassurance. "I promise you, Regina, we won't be touring any elementary schools through the Eastman Gallery."
"Of course not," Lennon interjected. "I've put together the public resources. The Eastman Gallery will be working with colleges and universities all over Louisiana, and we've had some national interest, too."
Josh could tell by his father's sharpening expression that Lennon had caught his attention. "National interest? Impressive. Perhaps you'd be gracious enough to tell me more about the sort of programs you're running here. Involving Eastman Antiquities in the art education arena has long been an interest of mine."
An interest Josh knew his father hadn't been able to indulge much. His grandmother's focus on markets that yielded more lucrative financial gains had curtailed many of her son's interests, and Josh's father had never been as strong as Josh's grandfather in dealing with their formidable matriarch.
"I'll be happy to." Lennon gifted him with a smile Josh could tell went a long way toward winning his father over. "We'll make time to talk. If not tonight, perhaps tomorrow." Then she turned to her great-aunt and said, "I've invited the Eastmans to attend the opening."
"Wonderful." Miss Q didn't miss a beat. She smiled amiably and patted Olaf's huge brown hand. "Please attend to the details, dear. Put the Eastmans down on the guest list and arrange for a schedule to be sent to them." She glanced back at Regina. "Where are you staying?"
"I have the remaining room in your block."
Score one for the Eastmans.
Miss Q didn't give his grandmother the satisfaction of a reaction. She turned to Lennon instead. "See, dear, there was a reason I wouldn't release that extra room to you and Josh Three. I thought I was accommodating Lisette, but apparently Joshua wanted to make sure I had a room for his family."
Josh's grandmother and parents all fixed wide-eyed stares on Miss Q, but Lennon didn't seem to think anything at all strange about her great-aunt's statement.
She simply smiled and said, "Well, he was right about the color of the decorative arts exhibition hall, too. Shall we?"
Turning on her see-through high heels, Lennon motioned them all toward the ballroom. Josh watched his grandmother's dark gaze take in the flashes of her glittery painted skin.
"Young lady!" Her voice rang out. "Is my grandson staying with you as a bodyguard or are you sleeping with him?"
The entire group stopped dead in their tracks, their temporary truce shattered. Josh took hold of his grandmother by the arm and steered her away from the group. They were about to have a serious discussion about what he would tolerate as acceptable behavior.
Before he managed to get far, Lennon said, "Mrs. Eastman."
They both turned back to her to find a slow smile curving her pouty lips, a smile that turned his blood into lava on the spot. "It wouldn't be very heroic of me to kiss and tell."
Miss Q exploded in laughter, clapping her hands in obvious delight. "What a pair!" Her smile widened when she saw his grandmother's arrested expression. "Your grandson told me exactly the same thing a while ago when I asked him that very question."
"Which I interpret to mean we should all stay out of Josh and Lennon's business," Davinia said.
Meeting his mother's amused gaze, Josh inclined his head in silent thanks. "Agreed."
LENNON'S STOMACH fluttered wildly when Auntie Q headed toward the stage, stopped the band in midmelody and commandeered the singer's microphone.
"Esteemed guests," she said, once the last strains of music had died away and all eyes were riveted on the stage. "Are you enjoying yourselves?"The roar that ripped through the crowd made Lennon smile. Never let it be said that Auntie Q couldn't throw a party.
"Wonderful, wonderful." She laughed, then waited for the tumult to die away. "Please forgive my interruption, but I simply must share the arrival of some very special guests, whose presence tonight signifies the goodwill and generous spirit with which the Joshua Eastman Gallery is embraced by the art community. Everyone please join me in welcoming our beloved Joshua's family." She motioned them onto the stage. "His late wife, Regina, his son, Joshua II, and his daughter-in-law, Davinia."
If the guests had been surprised by Josh's appearance at the welcome reception, it was nothing compared to their reactions now. There was a moment of total silence, during which, Lennon guessed, most every person in that ballroom was registering the incredible fact that Great-uncle Joshua's family was actually standing in the same room with Auntie Q.
But the guests didn't disappoint. The applause rang out, solid, welcoming, and Lennon heard Mr. Eastman hiss, "Just smile," as he and Davinia each grabbed one of Regina's arms and herded her onto the stage.
"Score one for the McDarbys," Josh whispered in her ear, his warm breath transforming her nervous flutters into tingly flutters of awareness. "My grandmother would never publicly humiliate herself by saying anything unkind about the gallery. She'll have to play along."
"I do hope she plans to stay until Tuesday. I don't think this crowd is going to let her go."
"Serves her right." Josh laughed, and Lennon gazed up into his handsome face with a smile.
"Shh. We've dealt with the immediate crisis. Let's get them all settled so we can dance again."
"Good idea."
As soon as Auntie Q relinquished t
he stage to the band, she and Olaf hustled Mr. and Mrs. Eastman off to mingle, while Lennon and Josh saw Regina firmly ensconced in a nook beside a fortune teller, where she sipped champagne and held court with the many people who wanted to hear her views on her late husband's collection.
Then Lennon followed Josh back onto the dance floor.
"She came to make trouble, you know." He was frowning, his expression dark and forbidding as he gazed at his grandmother.
"Hmm." All Lennon could manage was a murmur, preoccupied as she was with the feel of his hard thigh nudging its way between hers.
"You were gracious."
Apparently he wanted to talk. "They're your family," she answered.
"They're not easy to deal with."
"Families often aren't," she mused, thinking about her own mother. "But they're family. You deal with them. I like your mother."
"I'd venture to say my mother likes you."
For some reason Lennon didn't care to analyze too closely, earning Mrs. Eastman's approval was important to her. She only wished she'd worn the Elizabeth Bennet costume. Meeting Josh's parents in the buff wasn't exactly the first impression she'd have gone for, given advance warning of their arrival.
Good thing she wasn't hoping to have them as in-laws.
But she was pleased that Josh seemed reconciled to having them there. When he'd set eyes on his grandmother, Lennon had thought he was going to explode. She hadn't wanted to overstep her bounds and upset him, but no matter how difficult, they were his only family, and she didn't like the thought of him isolating himself from everyone who loved him.
And his family did love him. She needed only to see his parents' faces to know they were starved to see him, and the longing in his mother's eyes had been heartbreaking.
"Your parents seem to be enjoying themselves," Lennon said, spotting the Eastmans across the floor, wrapped around each other almost as tightly as she and Josh were.
Josh maneuvered her around gracefully, using the opportunity to slip his hand a little lower on her waist and pull her even more tightly against him.
"Good for them," he said, though Lennon couldn't be sure whether his smile meant he was happy for his parents or he was enjoying pressing his growing erection against her tummy. "They haven't pursued many of their own interests because they've spent so much time catering to my grandmother's fixation with social obligations and business. But I haven't been around them much for a long time. Maybe they've finally learned to please themselves and still keep my grandmother happy."
One-Night Man Page 17