by Regina Duke
“Excuse me, ma’am,” she said to the sweeper. “Did you happen to see which direction the skinny blond lady went?” She smiled hopefully.
“The pretty one just now? Or the other one?”
Madlyn grinned. “The other one.”
The maid covered her smile. “She went out toward the stables.” She pointed to a long hall. “You’ll see. It goes to the glass room, and from there through the French doors and past the garage.”
“Gee, thanks.”
“No problem. Any friend of Kirby’s….” She let it hang.
Madlyn was pleased. She bounced along the hallway, where she found the glass-walled room and the French doors. One had been left ajar. She went through it and headed toward the stables. Halfway down the row of cars, she spotted Vanessa sitting on a stone bench under a naked tree and approached hesitantly.
“Hey.”
Vanessa lifted her head like a fawn in a thicket. “Oh. It’s you. Hello.”
“I just wanted to apologize for making you look bad in there.” Madlyn scuffed the toe of her shoe on the bricks. “I mean, that’s not my usual style. Anyone could have confused Maria’s last names. You didn’t know I was practically family, what with her cousins being my best friends and all.” She knew she was stretching the point to include Jason, but hey, it was the price he had to pay for robbing her of her best friend’s company.
For a moment, Vanessa looked touched. “It was very big of you to come out and apologize. I accept.”
Madlyn felt sheepish. “Good. And if you go back inside, there’s some gift giving going on for the girls in the wedding. Which is you. Not me. I’m just a guest.” She could feel Vanessa’s eyes on her for several seconds.
Finally, Vanessa stood up, unfolding like a baby giraffe. Madlyn had to tilt her head back to look her in the eye.
Vanessa said civilly, “I may have judged you too hastily. You have a very decent streak in you. I can understand why Kirby finds you attractive.”
“Gee, thanks.” The words were out of her mouth too soon. She could already see the cold drawbridge lowering over Vanessa’s features, hiding any further glimpses of humanity.
“But you must realize that his station prevents him from considering you for a serious relationship.”
Madlyn frowned. “What are you talking about? He’s a chauffeur.”
Vanessa threw her head back and laughed. “Is that what he told you? Oh my, now I understand. Kirby will play his little games. It’s my turn to explain the wedding party to you. Kirby’s last name is Banks, but he is the groom’s stepbrother. He was raised a Forbes, and someday, like his brother, he will be rolling in Forbes money. And when that happens, I will be the woman at his side, not you.” She stepped around Madlyn as if she were horse droppings and pranced back toward the house, pausing at a wheelbarrow piled with manure to drop a crumpled piece of paper into it.
Madlyn didn’t move. She stared at Vanessa’s retreating back for several long moments. Finally, she felt wetness on her cheeks and wiped it away with one hand. Her heart was a cold stone in her chest. She wanted to run, but her feet were as heavy as her heart. She doubted she would ever move again. And if she did, she wondered if it were possible to walk back to the bed and breakfast without telling anyone she’d gone. Or maybe even clear back to Colorado.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Madlyn didn’t remember much of the rest of the day. She sat on one of the chairs left out for guests and stared at the empty parking space where Kirby’s BMW had been. Was it only an hour ago they were flirting and teasing and kissing? The memory of those kisses brought tears to her eyes. Had he really lied to her? Or had she misunderstood? He told her he had a stepbrother. He just hadn’t said who it was.
How could he just leave without saying anything to her? That hurt more than anything. She’d been certain, until this moment, that he was the most caring man she’d ever met. They had a spark. Oh heck, they had a flaming bonfire! Only their mutual belief in marriage had held them back. Something terrible must have happened. She would hold onto that hope. But his absence was like a stabbing pain in her heart.
Somehow she found her way back inside the house, but she had no desire to rejoin the party. Eventually Vicky came looking for her. A dark-haired, middle-aged woman in an impeccable orange and cream wool suit hovered near her friend. Madlyn realized she must be Maria’s mother, Elena, the one with very little English. Her thoughts came to her through a fog, as though her grip on reality had been dislodged. Everything seemed skewed. And every time she spied Vanessa, all she could see was a wicked witch cackling with glee at her misfortune.
Hour by hour, the afternoon dragged on. She made a lifelong friend by practicing her high school French on Elena. The woman’s English was very poor, but she spoke French quite well. It took Madlyn’s mind off the empty hole in her chest where her heart used to be, and it gave Vicky a much needed break. She even offered to sit next to Elena during the rehearsal dinner, and that was how she ended up sandwiched between Elena and Vicky. It kept her brain occupied, because while she was using her rusty French, Vicky and Elena were rattling away in Spanish. She even picked up a few words here and there.
But deep down she didn’t care much, except for the part of her that loved helping people. That part at least was happy, and both Elena and Vicky were enormously grateful. Because it was just the rehearsal, held the night before the wedding so the bride’s father could be there, dress was casual and Madlyn didn’t feel too out of place. The men were quite jovial after a day of horses and liquor. There was absolutely nothing formal about the dinner. In fact, the rehearsal for the wedding nearly got lost in the shuffle. Somehow the essentials were handled, and it seemed to Madlyn as if everyone was having a good time, except for her.
As dessert was being served, Vicky leaned closed to Madlyn’s ear. “The woman with bouffant gray hair is the grandmother of the groom. The man on her right is his father, the incredibly rich Mr. Forbes.”
Madlyn pretended to be surveying the room, giving her a chance to check out the couple Vicky was talking about. “They look well fed,” she said softly.
Vicky stifled a giggle. “Madz!”
Madlyn shrugged, unable to share in the laughter. “Anyone else I should know?”
Vicky nodded. “See that wiry looking man with the young fashion model?”
“Is that his daughter?”
Vicky humphed. “Try again.”
Madlyn’s eyes grew big as dessert plates. “She’s his wife?” She forced herself to avert her eyes as the man in question came perilously close to meeting her gaze. “Why is he looking at us?”
“Because he knows me.” Vicky smiled politely and wiggled her fingers in greeting.
“Why does he look familiar?”
“Because you know his brother.”
Madlyn’s brows drew together. “No way.”
“Way. That’s Lester Garrison. He’s Rudy Garrison’s older brother.”
“Oh my gosh. He’s Ulysses and Thor’s uncle?” Madlyn perked up a bit. These mega-rich snobs couldn’t all be so terrible if they rubbed elbows with the Garrison family, could they?
“Yep. And that handsome dark-haired fellow with the movie star looks is his oldest son, Axel.”
“Axle? Like a car?”
“No, it’s spelled A-x-e-l. It’s an old family name,” said Vicky. “Short for Axelrod.” She glanced demurely about the room. “I don’t see his brothers and sisters.”
Madlyn made a face. “The fashion model doesn’t look old enough to have kids.”
“She isn’t. Lester’s first wife died a few years ago. Very tragic. Her children are not thrilled with Daddy’s new bride.”
“Do all the rich families in Eagle’s Toe know all the other rich families in the country?”
Vicky gave a little shrug. “They know a lot of them. After all, it’s a fairly small club. In fact, Lester Garrison is supposed to give a toast at the reception tomorrow.”
Madlyn slumped i
n her chair at the reminder that she would have to spend another hideous day without Kirby. But maybe he’d only been called away for a short time. Maybe he’d be waiting for her at the B&B. That hope buoyed her. After all, it wasn’t like he could call. There was no cell coverage in Pawling, and she was stunned to realize they’d never exchanged phone numbers.
She thought the dinner would never end, but at last, of course, it did. “Vicky, how are we getting back to the B&B? Kirby and Brewster aren’t here.”
“That’s odd. I thought they just went off with the men’s group.”
Madlyn’s expression slipped close to tears.
Vicky took her arm gently. “Are you all right? What’s wrong?”
Madlyn’s chin trembled. She started to explain, but held off when she saw Vanessa approaching with the bridesmaids. They laughed and chatted as they passed by on their way back to the Manse.
Elena spoke to Vicky in Spanish, and Vicky took a few moments to reply. When she finished, Elena’s face lit up. She motioned for them to wait where they were, then scuttled off like a woman on a mission.
Madlyn said glumly, “At least I got to meet Elena. She seems so nice. I never met any other people from Spain before Maria and her mom.”
Vicky slipped her arm around Madlyn and gave her a friendly squeeze. “You really saved me today. It’s not that I don’t enjoy her company, but with all these people around, trying to work in two languages gave me the worst headache. You’ve been my salvation today. And don’t worry. Kirby and Brewster probably got called away on business. The bigger the pie, the more demanding the schedule. Oh, here comes Elena.”
Elena returned with Maria in tow, and amidst a flurry of conversation that Madlyn didn’t understand a word of, a set of car keys was transferred from Maria to Vicky. Goodbyes took nearly twenty minutes, but at last Madlyn and Vicky were able to gather their purses and head for the parking area near the stables.
“Which one is it?” asked Madlyn.
“I think it’s red. Aside from that, I have no idea.”
“Hit the remote.”
Vicky did so. Off to the right a brand new Lexus GX lit up, headlights flashing.
“That’s an SUV,” Madlyn said.
“Maria said she wanted a car she’d never drive in Spain. Something big so she could haul a horse trailer and her friends. She said it’s ours for the rest of our stay.”
“Great. We leave Sunday,” Madlyn said sarcastically. Then she gasped with alarm. “She doesn’t want us to drive this to La Guardia, does she?”
Vicky shook her head. “No. She has it all figured out. She’s sending two drivers Sunday morning. One will take us to La Guardia, and the other will drive her Lexus back here to the Manse.”
Madlyn nodded. “Okay. Can you find our way back to Pawling?”
“I think so. And if not, there’s a GPS.”
They got in and Vicky started the car.
“It smells so good,” said Madlyn. “Almost as good as the car you and Jason gave me for Christmas, remember?”
Vicky smiled warmly. “You were so surprised.”
“I love that car.”
Vicky reached out and squeezed her hand. “Let’s go see if Kirby and Brewster are waiting for us at the B&B.”
Once there, Madlyn took the lead, fumbling with the key to the front door. She ran up the stairs to Kirby’s room and knocked frantically. There was no answer. Not even the squawk of a spoiled bird.
Vicky caught up to her at last. “Nothing?”
Madlyn shook her head silently as a tear slipped down her cheek. “How could he not say goodbye?”
“He wouldn’t just leave, Madz. That man is crazy about you. We’ll figure this out. Don’t worry. Everything will be okay. He’ll show up at the wedding tomorrow with a perfectly good excuse. You’ll see.”
Madlyn twisted the doorknob in frustration. To her surprise it opened easily. Vicky reached in and switched on the light.
The room was bare. Pristine. Ready for new guests. There was no birdcage, no suitcases, nothing. It was as if Kirby had never been there.
Madlyn turned away and walked woodenly down the stairs.
The next day, Madlyn went to the wedding because she felt she owed it to Vicky. She was hoping that Kirby’s BMW would be parked near the stables and Brewster would be bragging to the guests about his silly bird.
But they weren’t there.
The wedding was a blur. Vicky was delighted when Jason arrived, and he did so with a splash, arriving in a long white limo that looked too big to navigate the Quaker Hill curves. Maria and her parents were thrilled that he made it, and it was clear that Jason adored them as well. Their happiness lifted Madlyn’s spirits. When she caught Vanessa staring at her haughtily, she straightened her spine and challenged herself to lift her nose as high in the air as the rest of them. She also witnessed Vanessa’s disbelief and outrage when Elena came to Madlyn, took her by the hand, and led her over to sit with the family during the ceremony. That was almost worth not having Kirby to keep her company. She stared into space throughout the ceremony, her thoughts a million miles away.
At the reception, she found herself once more with the family, thanks to Elena and Vicky, and she was deeply grateful. Her French was getting better by the hour, and she was even picking up some more Spanish. Sitting at the bride’s table, the next time she caught Vanessa’s eye, she lifted her glass of champagne in a salute before draining it dry. The look on Vanessa’s face revealed the woman’s jealousy. It was driving her crazy that Madlyn was in the bosom of the family and she was not. That made Madlyn smile.
At last it was over, and still no sign of Kirby or Brewster.
Vicky had no news for her as they met at the Lexus. “Ray says he has no idea where Kirby went, but he said they’d never been close and Kirby doesn’t confide in him.”
“Rats.” Madlyn glanced about. “Where’s Jason?”
“He’s already gone. The limo took off half an hour ago. He has a series of meetings in New York City tomorrow.”
“That’s awful! You hardly got to say hello.”
“We’ll get home tomorrow night, and he’ll get home Monday afternoon. Don’t worry, we’ll make up for lost time.” She grinned and waggled her eyebrows at Madlyn.
“It’s hard to believe that Ray is Kirby’s stepbrother and they aren’t close at all.”
“Well, Ray’s father has groomed him to inherit everything. So that’s probably a part of it.”
“Kirby gets nothing?” Madlyn said, horrified.
“I thought you wanted him to be poor,” teased Vicky.
“Yes, but…not left out completely.” Madlyn pouted. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me he was the groom’s brother.”
“It never occurred to me that you didn’t know.” Vicky gave her a quick hug. “Don’t worry. We’ll get this mess all figured out. But right now all I want to do is go to bed.”
Madlyn nodded. “Me, too.” She opened the passenger door.
Vanessa’s voice stopped her cold. “Madlyn, wait.”
Madlyn frowned and shot a questioning glance at Vicky, wondering what Vanessa could possibly want. Vicky made a face and shrugged, as if to say, “Heck if I know.”
Madlyn sighed and turned to face Vanessa.
“I just wanted to say that…well, I have a strange sense of humor. People have told me that all my life. And it occurs to me that I may have said one or two little things that didn’t come across well. I just wanted to be sure we were parting on friendly terms.”
Madlyn gaped. When she regained control of her mouth, she said sarcastically, “When I say we’re friends, I’m using that word in the most sardonic way possible. Yes, I used the word ‘sardonic.’ Look it up.” She tossed her glorious red mane, slipped into the Lexus, and slammed the door shut.
Once she was inside, Vicky said, “Brilliant retort.” She started the engine and pulled smoothly away from the stunned Vanessa.
Alone with her BFF, Madlyn crumpled.
She doubled forward until she could wrap her arms over the back of her head, then mumbled, “Home, please.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Tuesday, November 24th
Madlyn was happy to be back home in Colorado again, but she was still broken-hearted over Kirby. Mina told her she could take a couple of days to recover from her trip, but she couldn’t stand to stay home in the empty house alone with her doubts and her rejection. She used Monday to do laundry, but Tuesday, she went to work.
When she got to the shop, Mina was bubbling over with excitement. “I’ve talked to some more people,” she said, “and they all agree that purchasing the entire building is my safest option. Isn’t that exciting? The shop would have all the room we ever need, and extra to lease out.”
“That’s great.” But Madlyn found it impossible to match Mina’s excitement.
Mina eyed her carefully. “What’s wrong? Tell me quick, before I open the shop.”
Madlyn drooped against the counter. “I think I’m better off alone. If the only kind of man I can attract is the lying kind, maybe life will be easier if I stay single.”
Mina clicked her tongue gently at her. “Your policeman, John, he wasn’t a liar.”
“No, he was brutally honest about wanting to be a cop in Los Angeles and how marriage would only tie us down.” Madlyn sighed heavily. “I guess I wasn’t enough to keep him in Eagle’s Toe.”
Mina’s apple cheeks and loving eyes glowed with sympathy. “Don’t worry. Everything will work out. Isn’t that what you keep telling me about the shop?”
Madlyn forced a smile. “Yes, I do keep saying that, don’t I? I suppose this is a bad time to tell you that I’m beginning to have my doubts.”
“No doubts allowed,” said Mina, patting Madlyn’s arm. “How can we have doubts when our customer base is growing and we need room to expand?”