A Double Wedding

by Patricia Knoll

  Silvey met his gaze and shrugged to show she didn't know what it was about, either. She walked into the living room and sat down.

  Leila fluttered about nervously, touching objects here and there, then grabbing Lawrence's hand and clinging to it. Silvey watched all

  this in growing alarm. As Dan came down beside Silvey on the sofa, he flicked open the button of his jacket and spread his arms along the back of the sofa. Silvey could see that although his pose was casual, his fingers dug into the polished cotton fabric. "All right, Dad," he said. "Shoot."

  Lawrence looked suddenly tense as he eyed his son, but happiness still glowed from him. "Well, as you know, I've signed for a role in a miniseries. I got a call today saying production has been moved up due to cancelation of another project. I have to be on the set next week."

  Dan's face cleared. "That's great, Dad. I..."

  "I'm not finished," Lawrence said, holding up his hand. "We're going to be shooting in California and Mexico for several weeks. I don't want to be separated from Leila for that long, so I've asked her to accompany me."

  Silvey jerked as if she'd had the breath knocked from her. For a second, she couldn't get it back and darkness threatened to close in at the corners of her eyes. Finally she gasped, "Accompany you?

  Exactly what does that mean?"

  Leila broke in, "He's asked me to marry him."

  Silvey gasped. Her old fears about Lawrence came sweeping back.

  The man had been married five times! "Gr-grandma, I ...I ..."

  "You don't know what to say?" Leila asked, beaming up at Lawrence.

  "I didn't, either, when he asked me right in the middle of one of his movies. There he was on the screen, proposing to Bette Davis, and sitting on my sofa proposing to me." Her eyes grew misty. "It was very romantic."

  "I'll bet," Silvey choked.

  "Of course, when I got my breath back, I said yes before he changed his mind."

  Her grandmother seemed oblivious to her distress. Silvey tried to get it under control, but failed. Her hands began to shake and she realized it was from anger. What could Grandma be thinking? Dating a man like Lawrence was one thing, but marriage! It didn't bear thinking about.

  Through numb lips, Silvey asked, "When?"

  "When will we be married, you mean?"

  Lawrence interrupted. "Dan's worried that I might be rushing into things again, so we're going to make this a long engagement. That's why Leila's coming to California with me. Shooting my part in the miniseries will take five or six weeks and the studio has booked us a suite at the Beverly Hills Hotel for the duration."

  A lump had formed in Silvey's throat and it grew bigger and bigger as she stared first at Lawrence, then Leila. Her grandmother was going to California to cohabitate with Lawrence Wisdom, and then marry him in a few weeks.

  Unbelievable! How was she ever going to explain this to her dad?

  Her dazed eyes swung to Dan, who hadn't moved a muscle or even seemed to breathe in several minutes. His face was pale, his brows were drawn together and the look in his eyes was terrible. His jaw was clenched as if he would like to take a bite out of something. He seemed to get himself under control with great effort, turned to her and said, "Can I speak to you in the kitchen for a minute, please?"

  She shook her head. "I've got to talk to Grandma."

  "In the kitchen now, please," he insisted, standing and grabbing her hand.

  She resisted, pulling back from him, but he was having none of it. He tugged her to her feet and into the kitchen while Lawrence and Leila watched in surprise.

  Once there, he shut the door and dragged her across the room. "I hope you didn't encourage this." His voice was hard and level.

  Her brown eyes wide with shock, Silvey stared at him. "What?"

  He paced a few steps across the kitchen, then circled back to her. "I said, I hope you didn't encourage this."

  "Why on earth would you think that? I'm just as stunned as you are."

  Dan pointed an accusing finger at her. "Yesterday morning you were telling me there was a chance they might marry."

  Silvey threw her hands out. "I was joking! I didn't think they'd really do it, at least not this soon."

  "Well, I was hoping they wouldn't do it at all!" Turning, he began pacing from the sink to the back door. "And you've done nothing to encourage them ...?"

  "Weren't you listening?" she asked furiously. "I said that, haven't I?

  And I don't appreciate you accusing me." Turning, she began pacing, too, from the refrigerator to the table and back again.

  He was impossible, she thought, completely impossible. She had been entertaining such romantic thoughts about him and now he was throwing accusations at her. He hadn't been kidding when he said they didn't need to understand each other, but it hurt to realize how strongly he'd meant it.

  Meeting in the middle of the floor, they sidestepped each other pointedly and she gave him a furious look.

  He arched a brow at her. "You can't blame me for what I'm thinking."

  "I certainly can. You always think the worst of Grandma, and of me.

  I'd like to point out that it was your father who did the proposing-right in the middle of one of his old movies. She certainly didn't wrestle him to the ground and hold him prisoner until he promised to marry her!"

  His lips drew together and he spun away, resuming his pacing. After a few more circuits, he stopped by the sink and curled his fingers over the edge. He stood like that for several seconds before he

  loosened his hands, turned his back to the sink and stood with his arms crossed over his chest, and his hands tucked up under his arms. Scowling fiercely, he watched her continue her own pacing.

  When some of her anger and worry began to cool, her steps slowed.

  At last, Dan spoke, his voice was as low and rough as rusty barbed wire. "What are you thinking?"

  Still stung by his accusation, she gave him a frosty look. "Probably the same thing you are. That they're making a mistake."

  "Are you saying that all the good things you told me about Leila aren't true?"

  "Of course they're true, but ... but I was joking when I said you'd be my step uncle. I know they're attracted to each other... but marriage!"

  "Right now, they're only engaged," he conceded.

  "And on the verge of moving into a love nest at the Beverly Hills Hotel! Am I supposed to take comfort in that?"

  They fell into another troubled silence. Dan lifted his chin from where it had been resting on his chest and stared at her. "Do you think we can stop them?"

  "No," she answered on a great sigh, pulling out a chair and sinking into it. She rested her forehead on her palm.

  She watched Dan's troubled face and felt her own hurt and anger begin to dissipate. She shouldn't be so upset. She'd known from the moment they met that his first concern was his father. His accusation hurt because it showed how little he really knew about her, but it shouldn't surprise her.

  Dan lifted his hands and ran them wearily over his face. "They'll do it with or without our approval, but I wish I could stop him."

  "You said yesterday that you'd do your best to see they didn't marry. Does that still hold?"

  Dan only looked at her from beneath his scowling brows.

  She exhaled an exasperated breath. "And you say I'm stubborn!

  You'll only end up by being estranged from him. Is that what you want?"

  "No."

  "It's not what I want with Grandma, either."

  Dan's face was anguished. "You don't know what it was like. That last divorce nearly killed him."

  "You don't know what it was like. Five years ago, Grandma lost her husband and not long after that, she lost a job she'd held for almost fifty years. She was scared to death of not being needed, so she started her little group of activists. She has to have a cause to work for. I'm afraid she sees your father as someone to be rescued."

  They were both silent, Dan leaning up against the counter, his arms fold
ed and his thumb raking his chin, Silvey sitting across the room from him.

  When she thought about how close they'd been earlier and how far apart they were now, the distance across the beige tile seemed limitless.

  "Maybe that's not so bad," Dan ventured, catching her by surprise.

  "What"

  "Dad needs someone to take care of him. Leila needs to care for someone." He shuddered. "But... another wife!"

  Silvey drew in a deep breath. "At least he's not rushing into it this time."

  "True," Dan conceded, but he didn't sound comforted.

  "I realize you don't know her very well, but can you say, from what you've seen of her, that Grandma is anything like those other women?"

  "God, no," he answered in a fervent tone.

  "They'll probably get married in spite of our objections," Silvey said flatly. "So we might as well make it pleasant for them."

  "Dad did promise a long engagement," he said in a thoughtful tone that made Silvey shift uncomfortably. A long engagement would give him more time to interfere.

  "Yes, he did. They'll have more time to get to know each other.

  Believe me, if Lawrence gives Grandma any trouble, she'll hog-tie him and talk some sense into him," she said, forcing levity into her voice, even as it broke. She looked down at the floor and shook her head as tears formed. "I don't want him to hurt her, either."

  "Then this is your chance to stop them." Silvey shook her head. "I won't ... can't ... we can't tell them what to do."

  Dan was silent for a moment. When he spoke, his voice was cool.

  "We'd better go back in."

  She nodded, looking into his eyes, feeling despair at the momentary closeness that had slipped away from them.

  He took her elbow and they walked back into the living room. She went to Leila and gave her a hug as she watched Dan.

  "Congratulations, Dad," he said, reaching out to shake his father's hand.

  Lawrence breathed a great sigh of relief and exchanged sparkling glances with Leila. Only Silvey saw the cold determination that filled Dan's eyes.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  "AND please don't forget to water my roses. You know how they burn up in the summer heat if they're not well watered."

  Silvey nodded. "Yes, Grandma. I'll remember." She added a note to the growing list of things Leila wanted done while she was gone. Her grandmother could stay home and do all these things herself, Silvey thought grumpily, instead of cavorting off to California with Lawrence. In spite of the pep talk she and Dan had given each other two nights ago, she was still not reconciled to her grandmother's engagement.

  Just now, they were seated in the departure lounge at Tucson's airport.

  Lawrence and Leila had decided to fly to Los Angeles so they could get settled in their suite before he had to report to the studio. This meant that Silvey was left to take care of many business matters for Leila, who had very definite ideas about how she wanted things done.

  Silvey finished her notes and glanced up to see that Dan seemed to be receiving the same kinds of instructions from Lawrence.

  She and Dan had hardly spoken since Lawrence had made his big announcement, but she knew he wasn't any more thrilled about this than she was. She hoped he didn't think she was responsible for it.

  There was no reason he should, but she was still stung by his accusation that she had encouraged Lawrence and Leila to marry.

  Silvey couldn't help wondering what had made him the way he was.

  Lawrence's many marriages had surely affected him, even Dan admitted that. He seemed compelled to uncover hidden motives for everything. However, he probably hadn't achieved his success in the academic world or in the publishing world by being a pushover.

  His very depth and complexity was what drew her to him and warned her away. She had known him less than a week, but could barely remember what her life had been like before he'd consumed so much of her thoughts.

  Silvey was concentrating so hard on Dan that she looked up and blinked in surprise when Leila said, "Don't forget, you promised to help the Warriors. Desert Haven Rest Home still hasn't been shut down despite the evidence we sent to the state licensing board about the dirty conditions there. Also, you'll have to keep an eye on what's happening on Branaman Mountain."

  Silvey's gaze flew to Dan, who had paused in his conversation with his father and glanced around sharply. His eyes narrowed on her and Leila.

  "Did you hear me, honey?" Leila asked, looking up. "It may mean filing a petition to keep people out of there. I didn't have time to look into it as closely as I wanted, but I know at least one group is trying to get permission to excavate there. It seems to me they could find out if anyone objects to having their ancestors exhumed before they start something like this. You might be able to block them with an environmental impact study."

  Silvey knew who wanted to excavate, but she couldn't spoil Leila's happiness by revealing it. She felt as if something was twisting inside her, but she answered in a flat voice, "Yes, Grandma. I heard you. I'll take care of it."

  Dan straightened and with one sweeping, cool glance, turned back to his father.

  Silvey dragged her attention back to Leila, telling herself she couldn't give up her principles because his touch had singed her all the way through to her bones. She couldn't.

  "...And don't forget to let me know if you get that promotion," she heard Lawrence saying.

  Silvey looked up. "What promotion is that?"

  The older man turned with a smile full of pride. "They're about to make Dan head of archaeology at his college. He's got lots of great ideas. Wants to start a museum of Southwestern Indian artifacts there."

  "I don't know yet if I'll get it, Dad. The board is considering other people," Dan said mildly, but Silvey saw a sharp gleam in his eye.

  Beside her she heard a faint gasp and looked over to see that Leila had caught on to the implications of what Lawrence had just said.

  "I thought you were an anthropologist," Leila whispered in a faint voice.

  Dan inclined his head. "I am, but I also have expertise in archaeology."

  She turned a stricken face to Silvey, who gazed back and gave a small shrug. A moment of resentment flared in her. Silvey didn't know how the truth of Dan's occupation had escaped Leila, but now she was left to pick up the pieces.

  The two of them spoke very little as they walked through the terminal and into the warm summer night after seeing Lawrence and Leila off.

  Dan stood beside hiss car as she unlocked hers, regarding her with brooding eyes.

  It was late. The parking lot lights cast a pool of brightness over them. A fresh breeze, cooler than anything they had felt all day, was blowing from the east.

  "I want to know what you intend to do," he said, jingling his keys impatiently in his hand.

  She looked up in surprise. "About what?"

  "Branaman Mountain," he snapped, coming to stand directly in front of her.

  She shook her head. "I don't know yet."

  His lips pulled together and his lean face took on a pinched look.

  "You seemed pretty adamant about your ideas the other day in my office."

  That was true. But she hadn't known him quite so well then. It was easy to condemn the work or beliefs of someone she didn't know, but quite different when she had spent a little time with him, danced with him, spent hours thinking about him, not to mention having seen her grandmother become engaged to his father.

  When she didn't answer, he went on. "The best thing you can do is

  stay out of my way."

  Silvey stared at him. "Excuse me?"

  "Keep your half-baked ideals to yourself. Despite what you and your grandmother think, I'm interested in preserving history, not destroying it."

  "And interested in being head of your department," she shot back, incensed. "You want to make yourself look good. It's all political nonsense."

  Anger flared into his eyes, but he kept his voice under tight control.


  "I don't have to answer to you or defend myself. You've already got your mind made up." He jerked his chin up arrogantly. "Keep in mind, though, that there's another reason for you to do as I ask."

  Silvey clapped her hands onto her hips. "Oh, really? And what could that possibly be?"

  "You want that loan, don't you?"

  The hot words she'd been about to say trembled on her tongue, but she forced them back. She had done as Dan had told her, withdrawing the money Lawrence had given her and returning it to him. "Oh," she said, with a sigh. "I forgot."

  "I thought maybe you had." His look was mocking. "It's time for the two of us to come to an understanding."

  "What kind of understanding?"

  "I'll give you what you want if you'll give me what I want."

  Her fists clenched at her sides, but Silvey managed to keep her voice steady. "In other words, I get the loan if I drop my opposition to this Branaman Mountain excavation you're planning."

  "That about sums it up."

  "That's blackmail."

  "It's business."

  He looked so sure of himself that she wanted to wrap her hands around him and shake him until his teeth rattled. He had her trapped and they both knew it.

  "As I see it, what we have here is a failure to communicate."

  "No," she said evenly. "What we have here is a control freak gone wild."

  He ignored that stinging remark. "My father thinks it's a great idea for me to loan you what you need to buy the yogurt shop. If Lawrence is happy, Leila is happy, are you beginning to get my drift?"

  "That isn't fair. You're using my love for my grandmother...."

  "Just as you used my love for my father when you came to my office the other day."

  Darn him! He had an answer for everything. To keep herself from saying something she would regret, Silvey took a deep breath and expelled it slowly.

  "All right, what exactly is it you want me to do?"

  "First of all, you're going to get me that report I asked for."

  "Of course. I already agreed to that, didn't I?"