Shannon's Daughter

by Karen Welch

  “I’ll miss you. But Dad’s coming by before he leaves for Ireland. He’s going to Carlow for a few days and then he’s off to Edinburgh before he goes home.”

  “You know he spoke to me last night, about you?”

  “I expected he would after I asked him to have Hammonds back off. He wanted you to keep an eye on me, right?”

  “Something like that.”

  “Then we can just assume we have his blessing, too.” She tucked into her breakfast with a nonchalant shrug.

  “Peg, I hardly think. . .”

  “Kendall, if it comes down to it, I’ll explain things to Dad. I’ll just tell him that I’m the one who prefers this sort of arrangement and I have no doubt he’ll see things my way. As long as I don’t do anything to bring shame on the Shannon name, like getting pregnant or losing all our money, Dad will be fine with it.”

  He raised his hands in surrender. “I’m hardly in a position to argue. And I don’t intend to have this discussion every time we’re together.” Reaching for piece of toast, he nibbled a corner. “Are you feeling better? You certainly slept soundly.”

  “I’m fine. I do think I’ll stay in today, though. Will you have supper with me when you get back from Hertford?”

  “I will if you’ll allow me to order for you.”

  She raised a quizzical brow. “Why?”

  “Because I don’t think you’re eating properly. I intend to ask Reggie once he’s back, but my guess is you’re anemic and that’s why you almost fainted yesterday. If we’re going to be sharing meals while you’re here, I’d like to teach you a few things about nutrition.”

  Behind her napkin, Peg’s eyes filled with tears. He detected a suspicious quaking of her shoulders, as well.

  “Are you laughing?”

  Tossing down the napkin, she clasped her hands over her heart and laughed out loud. “Oh, Kendall, that’s priceless! No one’s ever tried to teach me how to eat, at least not since etiquette class, when they tried to teach us to wrap spaghetti around a fork.”

  “I don’t want to teach you how to eat, brat. I want to teach you what to eat. There’s a difference, you know.” Crossing his arms over his chest, he sat back and scowled at her.

  “That’s very sweet.” When she rounded the table and tried to sit on his lap, he pretended to resist. “Oh, don’t be mad! It just struck me as funny that you were thinking of teaching me something practical while I was thinking of something entirely different.”

  Giving in, he opened his arms and pulled her down across his knees. “And what was that?”

  “I thought after supper we might have a little refresher course. A few kisses, maybe some snuggling on the couch. Getting reacquainted, the way you said we should.” Arms draped around his neck, she laid her head on his shoulder and settled against him. “That’s what I’d really like to do tonight, if you don’t mind. Before we go to bed, I mean.”

  Trying to forget that in the next room, Alice was busily changing the sheets on that bed, he nuzzled her hair and chuckled. “On one condition, that you eat all your broccoli first.”

  Chapter Thirty-five

  There seemed to have been a change in the atmosphere at Brown’s. On his return, the doorman greeted him by name and the desk clerk turned to smile and nod as he crossed the lobby. Even the elevator boy, when he passed on his way to the stairs, shot him a grin. If he hadn’t known better, he’d have wondered whether everyone there knew something they oughtn’t.

  When Peg opened the door, dressed in blue jeans and a soft beige sweater which suggested little or nothing underneath, she nodded toward the telephone on the desk and put a finger to her lips. Never taking her gaze from his, she smiled as she went back to her conversation. “Yes, Uncle Patrick, I’d love that. Friday afternoon then. No, I don’t have anything else planned. Yes, I’m sure it will be. Thank you for calling. I’ll see you then.” Ringing off, she clapped her hands softly. “I’m coming to Glyndebourne on Friday to hear you play.”

  “With Patrick and Mother?” Intent on something more than conversation, he pulled her close. “It’s hardly a solo performance, love. I’ll be down in the pit while lots of singers on stage bellow at one another in Italian. Don Giovanni, or didn’t he tell you?” Without giving her an opportunity to respond, he dove in for a kiss, sliding his hands beneath the back of her sweater to confirm his suspicions. “You forgot something, didn’t you?”

  “No, I thought of something, actually.” She delicately nibbled his lower lip, while her hands made their own exploration inside his blazer.

  “You’re naughty, you know that?” He nibbled back, tasting something sour on her lips.

  “I didn’t think you’d mind. How was your trip, by the way?”

  “Good. What have you been eating, lemons?”

  “Yes. I had tea up here. I love lemons.” Drawing his hand from her back, she towed him toward the couch. “Tell me about your visit. Are they well?”

  “Fine. Of course, Granny didn’t remember your name, but she remembered the pretty American girl I brought to tea.”

  “And did you have a talk with your grandfather?”

  “I did. While he advised us to be discreet for your sake, he seemed pleased. Turns out he’d spoken with Jenny’s father this week. He was feeling a bit down about things.”

  “Why?”

  He took a deep breath, questioning the wisdom of telling her too much. “Jenny’s been undergoing ECT again. Electroconvulsive therapy. It seemed to help in the past so when her condition appeared to be worsening, they tried it again. The results were disappointing. She’s refusing to eat. There’s a surgical procedure, a feeding tube, they’re asking her father to consider.”

  “That’s so sad. How old is she now?”

  “Thirty-four.” He paused, recalling the last time he’d seen her. “Her hair is white now, but otherwise, she doesn’t look much older than when we first met. It’s as if her face is frozen in time.” When Peg laid a gentle hand on his cheek, he leaned into it for a moment before shaking free of the memory. “Anyway, whenever there’s a change in her treatment, her father tells Grandfather so that he can pass it on to me. We don’t speak directly, but he’s been very kind about keeping me informed.”

  “What’s he going to do?”

  “Agree to the feeding tube, I’m sure. He still has hope. How, I can’t imagine, but I don’t think he’ll ever give up on her.”

  Curling against him, Peg rested her head on his shoulder. “But you have?”

  “I suppose I gave up at the beginning. After that night, there was no hope of our ever going back, no matter what happened.” Idly taking her hand, he touched it to his lips. “We’re not going to talk about this anymore, all right? I want to spend this night with you. No past, no future, just the present.”

  When she turned his face to hers, he was struck with the depth of her gaze, as though she were examining his soul. “Just the present.”

  Hands in his hair, she kissed him with such tenderness his chest constricted with the threat of tears. “No one’s ever moved me the way you do, Peg. I can’t explain it. You seem to strip away all pretense and force your way to the heart of me. And I love you for it.”

  They sat together in silence until the room began to dim in the twilight. “Dad was here earlier.”

  “Yes?”

  “I told him we’re planning to spend a lot of time together this summer. He said he’d have a word with the hotel manager about giving you a key, so you could check on me in case something was wrong. I guess he thinks I’ll slip in the bathtub or contract a deadly virus or some such nonsense. He said to tell you he’s counting on you to take good care of me.” One fingertip traced circles across his chest with increasingly noticeable results. When it dipped to his belt, he laid her flat against the cushion and grabbed the offending hand.

  “Which is precisely what I mean to do.”

  “Are you hungry?” Blinking up at him, she grinned suggestively.

  “Ravenou
s.”

  “Then you should probably call room service.”

  “Have I ever told you what a tease you are?”

  “No, but I already knew. Now get off me. I have to call Agnes. I promised I would when you got back into town.”

  “Agnes? Don’t tell me we’re a threesome tonight?”

  “No, silly. She said she’d come over to keep me company, if you didn’t come back. I didn’t exactly tell her what we were planning.”

  “What exactly did you tell her?’ He sat up, lifting her with him.

  “That we talked last night and agreed to spend more time together. I thought that was enough. I trust Agnes, but for now I only want the two of us to know the details of our little arrangement.”

  “The two of us and Alice, you mean?”

  “Well, yes. Alice might die of fright if she came in one morning to find a man in my bed.” She twisted her fingers through his hair, studying his face from very close range. “Or she might be tempted to jump in with you. Alice likes you, I could tell.”

  His lips hovering over hers, he muttered, “What about you, do you like me?”

  “Feed me and I’ll show you how much.”

  Unceremoniously, he set her aside and leapt to his feet. “Supper for two coming right up! I trust budget is not an issue?” With a quick scan of the menu next to the phone, he dialed room service.

  “Of course not.”

  Grinning, he mouthed, “Good!” and then went on to the party at the other end, “Supper for Miss Shannon’s room. That’s right. Let’s see, cream of asparagus soup followed by filet mignon, medium rare, roasted red potatoes, buttered carrots, broccoli, steamed, not boiled, please. And for dessert, pot au crème with fresh raspberries on the side. And please make that for two.” Without bothering to cover the mouthpiece, he asked, “Peg, sweetheart, what would you like to drink?”

  Stifling a giggle, she answered loudly enough to be heard over the phone, “Whatever you want, darling.”

  “Bring us a pot of strong coffee and a chilled ginger ale, please. Oh, and would it be too much to ask for some fresh flowers and candles as well? This is something of a special occasion.”

  He found soft music on the radio, switched off all but one lamp and hung his blazer and tie over a chair. From the bedroom, he could hear Peg doing he wasn’t sure what. “Do you mind if I open the window?”

  “No, not at all. Make yourself at home.” She appeared in the doorway, still dressed in jeans and sweater, but with her hair now loose around her shoulders. “That’s nice, the music, I mean.” Holding out a hand, she waited for him to meet her in the middle of the floor. “Dance with me?”

  “My pleasure.” Swaying with Peg in his arms, savoring her softness arched against him, he let out a long, cleansing sigh. “Is this what you had in mind for our refresher course?”

  “It’ll do for starters. I’m sorry we can’t. . .well, you know, because. . .”

  “It doesn’t matter. Just being able to hold you this way is enough.” He lifted his head and smiled down at her. “Of course, if you wanted to kiss me, I wouldn’t object.”

  “No? I’ll think about it. And what if I wanted to touch you, would that be okay?”

  “Hmm. I’ll think about it.”

  Laughing softly, she settled her head on his chest. “Kendall?”

  “Yes, love?”

  “I want you to teach me how to please you.”

  “What do you mean?” Lifting her hand, he curled her fingers against his cheek.

  “When we made love in New York, you did everything for me, but I didn’t know what to do for you. I want you to teach me now.”

  “Ah. Well, for starters, you already please me. You have a gift for arousing me with the simplest touch of these beautiful fingers.”

  “But there has to be more. Will you teach me?”

  “In good time, love. We’re taking things slowly, remember?”

  “Not too slowly, I hope. I want to see you naked before the night’s over.”

  He threw back his head and laughed. “Oh, really?”

  “Really. It’s been too long.”

  “You never were one to be patient, were you? Well, I’ll tell you what. You can take my clothes off if I can take some of yours off too. Fair enough?”

  “Fair enough.”

  “Now why don’t you start by kissing me? Then, if we seem to have that mastered, we can move on to the next step. There’s no need to rush. We have all night. And tomorrow night. And the next night.”

  Chapter Thirty-six

  “Where do you stay when you’re at Glyndebourne?” Peg called over the sound of running water.

  “They put us up in a hotel in Lewes, modest of course, but not too bad.”

  “Could I stay with you some night?”

  “Not unless you want to sleep with another violinist. Two fellows to a room and a hall bath shared by eight of us.”

  “Ooh, how cozy!” Coming from the bathroom in nothing but bra and tap pants, Peg shot him a suggestive smirk. “I think I’ll have to pass on that.”

  “You’re right you will! Now put on some clothes. I thought you said Agnes was joining us for breakfast. And I’m still of the opinion that three’s a crowd.” With a final swipe of the comb, he dropped it in his shaving kit and closed the bag.

  “I couldn’t tell her not to come because you’re here. I’m sure she’s figured out by now that you’ve been here quite a lot the past few days.”

  “Figuring and seeing first hand are not the same thing. That said, I trust Agnes. I’m just not sure how comfortable I am knowing she knows what we do here.”

  Turning from the wardrobe, Peg tossed a dress on the bed. “We haven’t done anything here, unless you feel guilty about snoring. We’ve only slept together in case you hadn’t noticed.” Sliding her arms around his waist, she stood on tiptoe to nuzzle his collar.

  “Guilty as charged. We’ll remedy that tonight, I promise.”

  The nuzzle became a kiss, which developed rapidly into bold caresses on his part and a frustrated struggle with his shirttail on hers. “Why did you have to get completely dressed so early?”

  “I could hardly face Agnes in my boxers, love. Now step away with your hands in plain sight and get dressed! I’m starving, and I don’t mean for eggs and sausages.”

  “Two weeks on and five days off. Of course, once in a while I might make the last train back to London and pop in for a good night kiss. Come on, love, it won’t be so bad. I did warn you the summer would be busy.”

  Peg’s lower lip refused to give up its pout. In spite of Agnes across the table, she’d chosen this moment to prod him about his schedule and he was feeling every bit the brute beneath two pairs of disapproving blue eyes.

  “I guess I hadn’t put together just how much time you wouldn’t be in London. And those five days, you’re probably booked up with other things, aren’t you?”

  “A good part of them. But not every waking minute. I’ll make as much time as I can for you. Besides, you’ll have Agnes to run about with. It’s not as if you’ll be all alone in London.”

  Agnes snorted derisively. “Hardly the same thing, Kendall. Still, look on the bright side, Peg. You won’t have a chance to get bored with one another.”

  “We won’t have a chance to say hello to one another! I think the only solution is for me to find a nice little inn in Lewes, wherever it is, and come to visit you on weekends. You at least have the mornings free, don’t you?”

  “Well, yes, but. . ..” He cast a glance at the wall behind Agnes to avoid her owlishly amused stare.

  “Don’t worry, kids, I won’t tell on you. What you do in that nice little inn is no one’s business, anyway. Of course, if it’d make you feel any better, I could always come along to chaperone.”

  Turning to Peg when she let out an unwilling giggle, he gave in to his own relieved laughter. “We’ll work something out. For right now, I need to get home and finish packing.” On his feet, he leaned in to
kiss Peg’s slightly flushed cheek. “Keep her laughing, will you Aggie? And I’ll see you tonight at seven, brat. Don’t forget your toothbrush.” With a wink to Agnes, he made for the door as both girls dissolved into stifled giggles. “For two such worldly women, you certainly are silly this morning. I only meant to point out the importance of good dental hygiene, you know.”

  He had planned the evening down to the last detail, determined that their first time in the context of this new relationship be memorable. Denied a wedding night, he felt they still deserved some semblance of ceremony to mark the commitment they were making. With that in mind, he spent the afternoon preparing the flat, the meal and himself for Peg’s arrival.

  When she appeared at his door with a large shopping bag in hand, he decided she must have read his mind. “I thought I might need more than a toothbrush,” she explained almost shyly, “but I was afraid a suitcase would arouse suspicion.”

  “Right.” He stared down at her, caught off guard by her simple white dress and her hair, swept back at the crown and falling down her back. “You look beautiful.”

  “Aren’t you going to let me come in?” Blue eyes wide and expectant, she still hadn’t smiled. “I’m not too early, am I?”

  “What? No! Come in! I was just putting dinner in the oven.” Taking her bag, he set it down abruptly and reached for her. “I suppose it would be pointless to tell you how glad I am to see you?” Groaning, he held her close, momentarily overwhelmed by the significance of this night.

  “You can tell me. I won’t mind.”

  “I am glad to see you, ecstatic, in fact.” Peg initiated the kiss, but he sensed she was waiting for him to set the evening’s tone.

  “Please, have a seat over there while I get us something to drink. I hope you like tomato juice?” Bearing two chilled glasses, he joined her on the couch.

  “I like tomato juice.” She wrinkled her nose, dragging out the long a. “Ooh, and you have lemons.” She lifted the slice from the rim of her glass and sucked delicately.