Coveting Love (Jessica Crawford)

by Schwimley, Victoria

  Jessica was taken aback. This girl was even younger than she had imagined, and what about school?

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you. I was just wondering. When I was sixteen I was busy going to school, studying, and going to dances with my friends.”

  A shadow crossed her face, and Jessica realized that once again she had said something terribly wrong. Mandy fled from the room in tears.

  “Well, that’s just great,” Jessica said aloud. “I can tell this is going to be a terrific visit.”

  She had just finished changing when she heard another knock on the door. She hoped it wasn’t Mandy back for more insults. It was apparent she was going to have a difficult time adjusting to this place. She was relieved to find Brandon, instead of Mandy, on the other side of the door.

  “What’s wrong?” Brandon asked as soon as he saw the look of dismay on her face.

  “I’m afraid I just insulted one of your maids, who, I might add, was kind enough to bring water for me, which I don’t understand, since there’s a perfectly wonderful bathroom just through that door. I feel just awful. Why, I practically accused her of playing hooky from school. I came on like a truant officer. Her name was Mandy and she was just the sweetest thing, although her sense of fashion is sorely lacking. She looked like she belonged on the set of Little House on the Prairie or something.”

  Jessica stopped rambling and stared at Brandon as he threw himself across her bed in a fit of laughter.

  “What is wrong with you? I don’t see anything funny. That poor girl just ran from this room in tears. I feel sorry for her. Do you know she is just sixteen? Brandon, this is an outright crime. Why, when I was sixteen, I was out enjoying myself. Going to school, and dances, having fun with my friends, and going out on dates.”

  She was pacing now, stomping her feet and waving her arms in the air. She wheeled around. “Brandon, you should do something for her. You could help her, couldn’t you? I really upset her.”

  Brandon was laughing so hysterically he had to support himself to keep from falling over. This made Jessica even angrier. After several moments, he was able to bring his laughter down to a quiet chuckle. He pulled her into an embrace.

  “My sweet Jessie, I hope you never change.” He kissed her then. “You don’t need to worry about Mandy,” he tried to reassure her. She started to protest and tried to pull away. He silenced her with another kiss.

  “Amanda is well cared for. Her mother and father have been on our staff for many years. They had Mandy late in their lives, and as gratitude for their outstanding service and dedication to the family, we provide an excellent education for Amanda. She’s quite melodramatic, and like Matthew, she loves to play the nostalgic era.

  She’s studying performing arts at her high school. She’s on the cheer leading squad, takes dance classes, and is the editor of her school newspaper.”

  He gestured toward the washbasin. “I didn’t send that up to you. Sometimes, Amanda pretends we live back in the dark ages. I think the house does it to her. It’s a game, a way to practice her art. She was born in this house, and she is quite spoiled.

  “The maid business is a part of her game. She’s not even a part of the paid staff.” He sighed. “I’m afraid you’ve been duped. She got you.” He stroked her arm, chuckling slightly. “I’ll have a talk with her.”

  She felt foolish. How could she have been so narrow-minded as to think Brandon would allow such a thing to go on in his house? The mere thought of employing a child for service as a maid in a house this size had made Jessica’s blood boil. She was relieved to discover it was just a game.

  “It’s okay. Don’t make an issue out of it. I’m fine, really. I can laugh at it now that I know she was just pretending.”

  “Are you sure?”

  She nodded. “I’m sure, really.” She smiled. “She’s quite the little actress. Isn’t she?”

  Brandon agreed. “Are you ready to meet Mother? She’s waiting anxiously.”

  She took a deep breath. “Lead the way.”

  Virginia Phillips occupied a three-room suite on the third floor. The main room was a sitting room that had two large sofas, a chaise lounge, a bookcase, a small table and chairs, and a writing desk. Off one end of the sitting room, were her bedroom and an adjoining bathroom. They found her on the chaise lounge.

  To Jessica’s surprise, Mandy, juxtaposed to Virginia’s right, was reading to her. Brandon couldn’t help but chuckle a little at the blush that crept over both their faces.

  Mandy put down the book, stood, and bent over to kiss Virginia on the cheek. “I’ll see you later, Granny.”

  She brushed past Jessica, and their eyes met briefly. Mandy blushed and quickly looked away. A small smile played at the corners of her mouth, but she held her reserve.

  “Mother has taken Mandy under her wing, since she doesn’t have any grandparents of her own,” he explained. Jessica nodded. “She reads to her every afternoon.”

  He took her hand and led her to stand beside his mother. “Jessica, I would like you to meet my mother, Virginia Phillips.”

  Virginia squinted up at Jessica, having great difficulty focusing on her.

  “I can’t see well anymore, and I want to have a good look at you. Come closer please.” Jessica timidly inched her way forward, leaning over slightly. “Don’t be afraid; I won’t hurt you.”

  They all laughed. Jessica knelt down in front of her. Virginia reached her hand out and cupped Jessica’s face.

  “You’re very pretty. My son has excellent taste.”

  “Thank you,” she said. “I think he’s rather handsome.”

  “Of course, he is,” Virginia said with pride. “His father was incredibly handsome, as well. He has his eyes.”

  She sighed, and for a moment, her thoughts drifted to the past. Jessica figured she was envisioning herself with Brandon’s father, when their love was new and fresh. Abruptly, she pulled herself back to the present.

  “So, you’re the young lady who has made my son so happy.”

  Jessica smiled at her future mother-in-law. “I hope I have. That’s certainly my intention. He’s easy to love, as I’m sure you already know.”

  She cast a glance at her son and nodded. “He can also be stubborn.”

  Brandon came and lifted Jessica to her feet. “Come on, Jess, Mother needs her rest; she tires easily.”

  He cast a chastising look at his mother. “I’ll send someone up to help you into bed,” he said, as he bent and kissed her cheek.

  Jessica, braving boldness, also bent and kissed her cheek. “It was wonderful to meet you,” she said with genuine affection. “I look forward to spending more time with you.”

  “And I with you, as well,” she replied, and kissed Jessica’s cheek in return. “Come back later. We’ll talk.”

  “All right, I will,” Jessica agreed.

  After they left his mother’s room, Brandon took Jessica for a stroll in the gardens. “I think Mother likes you.”

  “I hope so. I know I like her. She’s quite a remarkable woman. She’s beautiful, as well.”

  Brandon nodded. “You should have seen her when she was young. Mother could turn heads, as they say.” A shadow crossed his face, but he shook if off. “She was the belle of the ball. My father was always awed over the fact that she chose him over all her other suitors. They used to joke that she married him for his money, and he married her for her looks, but everyone knew they were madly in love. She was crushed when he died.”

  They walked in silence for a while. Brandon was deep in thought, and Jessica didn’t want to intrude. She stopped and smelled a rose. Brandon stopped beside her.

  “My parents hosted many parties when they were younger. My father was an important businessman. Entertaining was an important part of his life. My mother was a wonderful hostess, and no matter how hard she tried, no woman could ever outshine her. Women used to come to the party just to see what Mother was wearing.”

  A tear formed in th
e corner of his eye and Jessica tenderly wiped at it.

  “Once, when I was a boy, a fight broke out at one of their parties. It was a special party that night, so there were many people here. They were honoring an important man, some foreign dignitary Father had met on a trip overseas. People came from all over the state to see him.

  “There was Mother all done up in her special gown she had commissioned for the occasion. With her hair all piled high on her head, and her best pearls around her neck, she looked like a princess. She was the envy of all the women, and the men couldn’t keep their eyes off her.

  “Mother didn’t know I saw the fight. I was hiding at the top of the stairs. I often did that during their parties. I couldn’t see much, but just the thought of knowing what was happening below thrilled me. I would lay on the top landing with my belly pressed flat to the ground. Isabelle, that’s Mandy’s mother, would often catch me hiding there and shoo me back to bed. But not that night, although I often wish she had caught me.

  “That night I saw one of the men from the party chasing my mother. I was frightened of the man, and I knew Mother was, too. I thought about running to find Father, but then they would know I had been spying, and I would ruin my chances of seeing future parties. Also, I was up way past my bedtime and didn’t want to be whipped.” He buried his head in his hands and added in barely a whisper, “So I kept quiet.”

  A stream of emotions crossed his face then, and she knew that what he witnessed that night had left him scarred. She wanted to reach out and touch him, pull his head against her breast, comfort him like a child. She wanted to soothe him and tell him everything would be okay. She didn’t, though. Her greed to know all that had happened that night kept her silent.

  As he continued the story, she watched the emotions play across his face like an emotional roller coaster, and when the anger surfaced, she was reminded of the first day she had met Jeffrey, at the summerhouse. Brandon wore the same angry look now that was on his face then. Whatever happened that night had left a permanent scar on his heart. It was time to exorcise his memories, and she wanted to help.

  “I heard Mother tell Mrs. Parkinson she wished the man hadn’t come that evening. Mrs. Parkinson said Mother should tell Father and he would make the man leave, but Mother said she didn’t want to make trouble and spoil everyone’s fun, especially Father’s, so she kept quiet. She decided she would just avoid him, but she couldn’t.”

  He stopped to gather his thoughts. He held her close, as if drawing strength from her presence.

  “The rest of the story I heard from someone, I don’t remember exactly who. Later that evening Mother wasn’t feeling well. It was hard work being a hostess. She was tired and hot, so she decided to break from her duties and step outside for some fresh air. Father was busy with his guests and didn’t notice her missing for a couple of hours. He looked all over for her, but he couldn’t find her anywhere. A search party assembled. They searched for hours, but there was no sign of her anywhere. It was as if she had just disappeared.

  “Several guests commented on seeing her with some man. Mrs. Parkinson finally broke down and admitted what my mother had confided to her. My father was angry and ran off blindly looking for her. Someone called the sheriff’s office, who took control. Many of the guests left, having grown bored with the search. Most people stayed out of curiosity and continued to enjoy the party, using the search as a catalyst for new conversation.

  “Some true friends stayed to help with the search. They were the ones who found her and my father, around midday.”

  Jessica watched Brandon break down in front of her. He started weeping, and this time she did throw her arms around him, offering comfort as best she could. They rocked back and forth until he regained control. He continued with his tale.

  “The man had been holding her in a shack on the outskirts of the ranch. The shack, used many years before by ranch hands when they went on overnight cattle drives, had been abandoned when it became unsafe to use. Unfortunately, no one had ever bothered to tear it down. Matthew and I used to sneak out there and play.

  “Father was shot trying to rescue Mother. The sheriff found them both in the shack. Father was barely alive, and Mother was badly beaten. A life-flight helicopter came and took them to the hospital.

  “The man escaped and was never caught. No one seemed to have any idea who he was. Rumors went around about a sour business deal, but no one knew for sure. My parents spent several weeks in the hospital. They eventually made a full recovery, at least physically, but their mental state took a beating.

  “There weren’t nearly as many parties after that. The ones I do remember consisted of close contacts only. I used to go up to Mother’s room and sit with her for hours. I felt bad about what happened. I somehow felt responsible. If I had told Father what I had witnessed, it wouldn’t have happened.”

  He stopped for a moment, not sure that he wanted to tell it all, and then decided she needed to know the truth. “Mother had been raped. Jeffrey is a result of the encounter. I suppose that’s why I have so much hatred toward him.”

  Jessica made a sharp intake of her breath, shocked, but not wanting to show it. She caressed his arm. “You were a child. You couldn’t have known any better. Nothing was your fault. Just as none of it’s Jeffrey’s fault, either.”

  “I know that now, but I carried the guilt for a long time. I swore if I ever got my hands on the man, I would kill him.” He grabbed her arm, pulling her roughly along behind him.

  “Come on, I want to show you something.”

  They ran to the stable, where Brandon quickly saddled two mounts. Practically throwing Jessica on her mare, he raced out of the stable. Her mare panted, trying to keep up with his stallion.

  She shouted behind him, “Brandon, wait. Stop!” But it was no use. He couldn’t hear her. She did her best to keep up, dodging tree branches as they flew into her face. Twice her horse stumbled, and she feared they were going down. Both she and the horse were sweating profusely when Brandon abruptly came to a halt and dismounted.

  He pulled her from her horse and ran through the field. They came to a stop in front of a large oak tree. Beside the tree was a broken down watering trough.

  “This is it; this is the place. This is where the attack happened.”

  Tears welled in the corners of his eyes, but he swiped at them, like a little kid trying to be brave in the face of friends after being injured or scared.

  “They tore the shack down, but they can’t tear away the memories, or the damage the man did that day.”

  He kicked the trough and wheeled on her. A storm raged in his eyes. She flinched— afraid he would strike her, as though his mother’s attack had been her fault. He was breathing hard, the tears flowing freely down his cheeks. This time, he let them flow. She tentatively put her hand out to him, and he pulled her roughly to him.

  “I’m so sorry,” he choked out, “I’m so very sorry.”

  She didn’t say a thing; words weren’t necessary. She knew he didn’t blame her. She also knew he was holding something back. She wouldn’t push him. He would come around in his own time, and she would be there for him.

  They mounted their horses, calmly this time, and rode side-by-side. Neither of them spoke.

  “Let’s stop here; the horses need some water.”

  They pulled up to a stream and he helped her dismount. Then he led both horses to the edge of the stream, where they eagerly waded in. He came and sat down on the grass beside her.

  She carefully watched the man she had promised to marry. He alarmed her with the ease in which he flew into a rage, and then amazed her at how quickly the storm would subside. Did she really know him well enough to marry him? Where had this doubt come from? She knew the answer; Jeffrey had put it there, Jeffrey and his persistent pursuit of her. She shivered.

  “Are you cold?”

  “Yes,” she lied, pulling her coat closer around her for effect.

  He pulled her close, gazing into he
r eyes, the mask of rage and hostility he had worn earlier replaced by the gentle softness that she knew so well. He took off his own jacket and wrapped it around her.

  “We can’t have you getting sick now, can we?”

  “It’s been a long day. If you think the horses have had enough rest, I would like to go back to the house now. I think I’d like a nap before dinner.”

  He nodded in agreement, whistled for the horses, and helped her mount. They rode back in guarded conversation, each of them being careful not to mention what had happened. Once they arrived at the stable, he turned the horses over to a groom. Then he escorted Jessica back to the house.

  “I can find my own way to my room.” She smiled as encouragingly as possible.

  “Very well, shall I come and escort you to dinner?”

  “That would be nice.”

  He watched her as she walked up the porch steps and disappeared into the house. She was right; it had been a long day. The time was growing late. He was sure Matthew would appreciate some help with the closing chores.

  Something had snapped in him that day. Feelings had surfaced that he hadn’t even known still existed. He must not let Jessica see that side of him again. He hoped he hadn’t already blown it with her. If only Jeffrey hadn’t stirred things up again, everything would have been all right. He was always stirring things up, damn his younger brother. Why did his mother even have to give birth to him? He was nothing but trouble, had been since the day she had conceived him.

  He sighed and waved to Matthew, hurrying on to help him. He intended to make it up to Jessica. The rest of her trip would be spectacular. He would make sure she returned home with only positive memories of her visit.

  **********

  CHAPTER 28

  Holidays were a major event in the Phillip’s household. They sought any excuse for a party and adorned the entire house in seasonal spirit. Thanksgiving was especially festive, and Jessica marveled at the sight of the exquisite china and fresh cut flowers that spread the entire length of the massive table.