by Judith Gould
"Gotcha," Tami said, hanging up.
Valerie punched Ducci's line. "Mr. Ducci," she said.
"Yes," he replied somewhat gruffly.
"I'll be there at three-thirty."
"Thanks," he said, his voice all politeness now, "that's great."
"How many dogs did you say there are?" she asked.
"Four," he replied, "and a cat."
"Okay," she said.
"By the way, Dr. Rochelle," Ducci said, "you never did get back to us about taking care of our animals."
Valerie felt a pang of guilt for not having returned his call, but she'd been putting it off. She'd dreaded discussing it with Charles.
"I assume you still haven't discussed it with the owner," Ducci continued, "since you said somebody else might be coming out here. You know, we've been waiting to hear from you. We have a lot of animals, and their health is very important to us."
"I understand, and I'm sorry about that," she replied. "I promise you that I'll discuss it with my colleagues as soon as possible."
"I'd think that the clinic would be glad for the business you'd be bringing in," Ducci said with unerring logic.
"I suppose you're right," Valerie said, "but I'll still have to discuss this with them. I'll try to speak to them today and get back to you, either this afternoon when I see you at Stonelair or sometime tomorrow."
"Good," Ducci said. "We'd appreciate that."
"Okay, then," Valerie said. "I'll see you at three- thirty. Good-bye."
Santo Ducci didn't respond because he'd already hung up. "Thanks to you, too," Valerie said, replacing the receiver in its cradle.
She glanced at her watch. It was noon already. Where had the time gone? It seemed as if she'd just gotten there. Well, she thought, looking back over her morning, I guess it's no wonder. First, there'd been a slightly premature birth at Breezy Hills Farm very early this morning. A beautiful foal. Then there'd been a llama with a leg injury at Maplecrest. She'd also seen a horse with parasites at Silver Fox, and a horse with gastric ulcers at Streamside. Two dogs and one cat here at the clinic. Fairly routine stuff. Then Colette with Hayden.
And now I'm supposed to be perfection itself and meet Teddy for lunch at his place, she thought wearily.
She sat there for a moment, reflecting. It'd been nearly a month since he'd given her the ring and gone back to New York City, and he hadn't been up here on the weekends. He'd had important dinner parties with big-shot clients in the Hamptons the previous weekend, but he'd called her frequently. Now he had come up for part of the week to relax—just when she was at her busiest.
Funny enough, she thought, I really didn't miss Teddy the last month, and I really would just as soon not see him for lunch today. But she'd promised him, and she wasn't one to go back on a promise.
She rose to her feet and stretched, then took off her lab coat and hung it up. Elvis immediately roused himself from his bed and yawned, knowing that it was lunchtime. "Give me a minute, Elvis," she said, reaching down and giving him a few strokes.
She grabbed her shoulder bag and went into the bathroom and flipped on the light. Looking into the mirror, she applied fresh pale pink lipstick, then a little blusher. She was so tanned from being out in the sun working in her garden that she hardly needed any makeup. Her hair, in its single long plait, was rolled into a knot at the nape of her neck.
Take it down or leave it? she asked her reflection. She knew that Teddy didn't like her practical work look, especially her hair, but she decided to leave it exactly as it was. She had to return to work, after all, and Teddy would simply have to learn to like it. That or quit complaining about it. She flipped off the light and went back into her office. "Let's go, Elvis," she said, and stooped down and put his leash on.
Daphne Collins was in the reception area, tapping a chart against the desk. "Hi, Val," she said with a smile on her face. "I hear that Colette was here."
"Yes," Valerie replied. "Her African pygmy hedgehog."
"Oh, really!" Daphne replied. "I wish I'd seen her and the hedgehog. She's so wonderful. I bet it was as adorable as she is. What will she think of next?"
"There's no telling," Valerie replied. "By the way, have you got a minute?" she asked. "I need to have a quick word with you and Charles."
"I'm getting ready to go to lunch," Daphne replied, "but I can give you a minute, if Charles isn't busy." She turned to Annie. "Does Charles have a patient?" she asked.
"No," Annie replied. "He's in his office."
"Let's go," Daphne said, already heading down the hallway to Charles's office.
Valerie followed her with Elvis, and when they reached the door to his office, Daphne knocked and went on in without waiting for a response.
Charles looked up from the desk. In his gray eyes there was an expectant expression.
"Val needs a word with both of us," Daphne said.
"What is it?" Charles asked.
"The people at Stonelair want me to take care of their animals," Valerie replied.
"You mean you exclusively?" Daphne asked.
Valerie nodded.
The news did not sit well with Daphne. She turned to try to hide the disgruntled expression on her face, but Valerie didn't miss it.
Charles took off his glasses and looked at Valerie. "You know we don't generally operate that way," he said. "Except under special circumstances."
"Of course," Valerie said, "but they're pressuring me to ask about it, so—"
"This has happened time and again," Daphne said abruptly, her voice tinged with anger. "I don't know why you don't recommend one of us so that the workload is more spread out."
"I made it clear that we have a share-and-share-alike policy," Valerie said, "but they don't like that. They want to see one vet consistently, and since they've met me . . . well, they want me to handle it. There are a lot of animals out there, and it would generate a lot of income for the clinic."
Daphne stared at her, her brows knit crossly, but Charles barked a laugh. "You must've made quite an impression on the Mafia guys out there," he said. "What did you do for them, Val?"
She decided to ignore his remark, but could feel her face blushing heatedly. Well, I am not going to stand here and be insulted, she thought.
"Yes or no?" she finally said, her voice steely with determination.
"What do you think, Daphne?" Charles asked.
"I don't like it," Daphne replied. "She knows—"
"If I don't agree to do it," Valerie interjected, "Stonelair will take its business elsewhere. They won't use this clinic at all."
Daphne's mouth opened in a silent gasp, then snapped shut. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked at Charles. "Well, it would generate a lot of income," she said. "Like Val said, there're a lot of animals out there. Think about it, Charles."
As if taking a cue from her, Charles looked thoughtful for a moment. "I suppose so," he finally said. Then he smiled. "It's not a bad idea at all, come to think of it. Valerie here would be taking care of their animals, and we wouldn't have to deal with the slimy people." Charles nodded. "I think you're right, Daphne," he said. "But there'd have to be a couple of conditions."
"What?" Valerie asked, keeping strictly to business.
"We'd have to triage emergency situations," he said. "You wouldn't be able to drop everyone else for those people, you understand. You'd still have your usual duties."
"Of course," Val said.
"So if more than one emergency arises at a time," he went on, "you'll have to make a decision about which is more urgent and see to it first. And it may not be theirs."
"Yes," Valerie said, becoming impatient since he was stating the obvious.
"And don't forget," Daphne added, "if you're away for some reason, on vacation or whatever, then they'll have to agree to use one of us. Isn't that right, Charles?"
He nodded. "Absolutely."
"I understand," Valerie said. "Is that all?" she asked.
Charles looked at Daphne, and a s
ilent signal seemed to pass between them.
"I believe so," Charles said.
"Thanks," Valerie said. "Let's go, Elvis." She turned on her heel and left the office quickly, then heard the door slam with a loud bang when she got farther down the hall.
Jeez, she thought, the sooner I get my own practice the better. I can't take this crap much longer. They are jealous, plain and simple, and want to put me through hell.
In the reception area, Tami called to her.
"What is it, Tami?" she asked.
"If we're not too busy here this afternoon," Tami said, "I wondered if I could go with you out to Stonelair and help."
"I don't mind at all," Valerie said with a smile, "if Daphne and Charles agree to it."
"It would be sort of special to me," Tami said.
"Why's that, Tami?" Valerie asked.
"Well, you know, when I was little we lived out in the woods near there," Tami said, "so my brother and I used to play there a lot."
"At Stonelair?" Valerie asked, surprised.
Tami nodded. "There wasn't anybody but a caretaker, and Jimmy and I knew how to get in and out of the place through the fences in the backwoods. We even got in and out of the house without anybody ever knowing it."
Valerie laughed. "Then you're the only person I know who's ever been there," she said. "Talk to Daphne and Charles and see what they say. I'll be glad for you to come along, even though it wouldn't be much of a learning experience for you. It's just vaccinations and stuff like that."
"That's okay," Tami said. "I'd just like to see the place again."
"Well, if you can't come this time," Valerie said, "there'll be others, because I'm going to be taking care of all the animals out there."
"Great!" Tami said.
"I'd better run," Valerie said. "I've got a lunch appointment."
"Teddy?" Tami asked, smiling.
"Yes," Valerie replied, already heading to the door.
"Have fun," Tami called after her.
"I'll try," Valerie said.
She hurried out to her car, and began to wonder what she'd gotten herself into with this Stonelair deal. Stonelair, she thought. A truly forbidding place. And why did this Conrad guy insist on her? She didn't think she'd ever actually felt so pressured into handling a person's animals before. And certainly not for a person she'd yet to meet or see. I guess the mysterious Mr. Conrad thinks he's too important to take care of mundane affairs himself.
Suddenly she began to wonder about all the rumors that swirled around Conrad and the goings-on at Stonelair and if there was any truth to them. But so what if they are true? she thought. I'm only the vet. How could they hurt me?
Chapter Nine
At Apple Hill Farm, Valerie and Teddy sat under the protection of a large market umbrella out by the sun-drenched pool. Hattie had set the big weathered teak table for lunch, which she was serving. No fool, Elvis was stationed between Valerie and Teddy, ideally positioned to beg. At his most charming, his eyes shone with gleeful greed, and his tongue was stuck out, making his mouth look as if it were spread in a giant smile. His blue-black tail swept the stone terrace at regular intervals, anticipation in every swipe.
"Thanks, Hattie," Valerie said, "this looks delicious."
"You're welcome," Hattie replied. "Do you want me to take Elvis inside with me?" she asked tentatively. "I can give him a little something in the kitchen."
"Well. . . ," Valerie stalled, reluctant to say yes, for she knew that Hattie would let him have anything he wanted—and a lot of it. "I think he'll be all right out here, Hattie."
"Oh, come on, Val," Teddy prodded. "Let him live a little. It's not often he gets to eat really good food."
Valerie laughed. "Is that a reflection on my culinary abilities, Mr. de Mornay?"
Teddy smiled. "I know how you feed him at home," he said. "Yourself, too. Shall we just call it exceedingly healthy?"
"Oh, okay," Valerie conceded with a growl. "Elvis," she said, looking down at her attentive treasure, "you go with Hattie. Have a party."
"Let's go, Elvis," Hattie said, beckoning to him as she started toward the house.
He immediately sprang to her side, knowing what was in store for him.
Valerie watched them leave, convinced that Hattie and Teddy prearranged these little trysts to get Elvis out of the way. It worried her, because Teddy didn't seem to really like having Elvis around. Oh, he did a good job of pretending, she supposed, extending his generosity to Elvis as he did almost anyone around, but she sometimes wondered if Teddy actually liked animals—any animals—at all. He didn't have any pets, and poor Kaiser, his horse, went largely ignored.
Teddy picked up the chilled bottle of Pouilly Fuisse that was sweating in its silver wine coaster and was about to pour some into Valerie's wineglass, but she quickly put her hand over it. "Unh-unh. Not for me, Teddy," she said. "I've got a long day ahead of me yet."
"Christ, Val," he groused. "Just a glass?"
"No," she said firmly. "I'll stick with the mineral water."
"What? You afraid you'll butcher a poodle or something?" he joked.
"Not funny, Teddy," she replied. "What if your doctor had a couple of drinks before . . . say ..."
"Okay!" He laughed. "Let's don't go there."
"Thought you might see it my way," she said.
"Well, cheers, anyway," he said amiably, lifting his glass.
"Cheers," she echoed, lifting her glass of water and clinking it against his wineglass. "This looks yummy," she said, gazing down at her plate.
"Hattie loves to cook for you," Teddy said, forking up a large bite of lobster salad.
Valerie buttered a cheddar-scallion biscuit, one of Hattie's specialties. "I'd forgotten about these scrumptious little goodies," she said before taking a bite.
Teddy smiled, taking pleasure in her delight. "I'll have to live on rabbit food when I get back to the city," he said. "Between the food here and the food out in the Hamptons the last few weekends, it's going to be time for lettuce, lettuce, and more lettuce."
"Maybe so," Valerie said, "but you're really lucky to have Hattie. She's not only a treasure around the house, but she clearly adores you like a favorite son."
"She could be your treasure, too," Teddy said.
Valerie's fork paused midway to her mouth, but then she continued eating, deciding not to respond to that remark.
Teddy continued to watch her as he took a sip of wine. "Just think, Val," he continued. "Hattie would do all the cooking and cleaning. Lydia would run the office, pay all the bills, hire all the workmen and everything. You wouldn't have to do a thing because it would all be done for you. You'd just have to show up." He took another sip of wine. "You'd be the queen of Apple Hill."
Valerie felt her stomach lurch. The queen of Apple Hill? she thought. That is so ridiculous. I'm a veterinarian, for God's sake.
"The queen of Apple Hill, huh?" she said with amusement. "I don't think I'd look too good in a crown."
With that, Teddy launched into the joys that her future life at Apple Hill would entail, reiterating what he'd just said, but embellishing with great detail the host of benefits she would enjoy being the mistress of such a perfect estate.
She tuned him out almost entirely, picking at her food. She knew exactly where this conversation—or monologue, she corrected—was headed, and she didn't like it. She didn't need this pressure from Teddy. Not now.
She expelled a silent sigh, pretending to listen to him, while at the same time she began to feel an unpleasant sensation of guilt. I swear, she thought, he learned his techniques at my mother's knee.
She realized that, in effect, she'd been leading Teddy on for a long time now, unwilling to discuss her feelings with him, letting their relationship just coast along as if there were nothing wrong.
When they'd first started dating in college, she was so thrilled with his pursuit of her that she'd genuinely confused her feelings for him with true love. As they gradually became an item, their relat
ionship was prodded along by their families and friends, who viewed them as an appropriate match. Later on, while he'd worked on his MBA and she'd gone to veterinary school, their relationship had continued long-distance.
There'd been the occasional boozy weekend and holiday parties that had been exciting and fun for her, opening up a whole new world of sophisticated acquaintances. Teddy was extremely popular and good-looking, and her acceptance by his friends had helped give her more confidence in herself. She had also blossomed physically, that gangly, gawky body maturing into an enviable tall and elegant beauty. She had gradually begun to see that there were myriad possibilities for her out there. Possibilities other than Teddy de Mornay.
She took a sip of her mineral water, then dabbed at her lips with a napkin, catching pieces of his monologue, all of it a familiar rehash of conversations past. She looked over at him with a fixed smile on her face, but her mind ranged elsewhere, analyzing their fractured relationship, even as he talked of permanently sealing it, cementing them into a marriage that everyone seemed to think was inevitable.
Since college, she thought, this sense of inevitability had only increased. For the last four years while building up her practice, they'd spent most every weekend together—always at his place, even though she now had hers—and everyone assumed that marriage was the next step.
She'd thought the same thing for a period of time, but she had become increasingly disenchanted with the idea as her love for Teddy—whatever kind of love it might be called—had diminished with time. She couldn't place the blame—at least not entirely—on Teddy himself. He hadn't really changed all that much. Over the years she definitely had begun to recognize behavioral patterns that she hadn't detected at first but that had always been there. Teddy, she'd come to realize, was a great charmer, a great actor.
Finally, she put her fork down and looked across at him, waiting for a pause. When it came, she quickly took advantage. "Teddy," she said in an even voice, "we've been over this, time and again. And I still feel the same way. I can't help it." She shrugged. "I want to wait a while."
He attempted a smile, but his eyes weren't smiling. As he poured more wine into his glass, she continued. "You know that I appreciate everything that you've offered me. I really do. But I've also explained to you repeatedly that what I have to concentrate on now is building up my clientele and starting a practice of my own. Plus I want to get out of debt. I've still got huge student loans to pay off, and now I've got a mortgage. I just—"