Foolish Deceiver

by Sandra K Rhoades

'I'm fine. My arm's healing well.'

  The other woman's gaze lingered on Allie's bandaged wrist. 'I can see that must be. From the way Linc spoke, I'd imagined you swathed in bandages from head to toe. I'm glad to see it wasn't all that serious.'

  Was Elaine implying that Allie was purposely using her injury as an excuse to stay with Linc? she asked herself, immediately on the defensive.

  'I just saw the doctor today. He put on a smaller bandage and told me I didn't have to wear a sling any more,' Allie explained sharply.

  'I'm sure it must have been very painful when it first happened,' Elaine offered quickly, looking slightly cowed by Allie's tone. 'I'll bet you're relieved it's healed so quickly and you'll be able to get back to your own place quite soon.'

  There was no mistaking the hopeful inflection in Elaine's voice. Allie met the other woman's spaniel eyes and read the unhappiness in them. She suddenly felt sorry for her, and a little guilty because she knew she was the source of that unhappiness. She'd wasted a lot of time being jealous of Elaine, resenting her relationship with Linc, but she had a great deal of empathy for the woman's feelings at this moment. Elaine suspected something was going on between Linc and herself, and it was tearing her apart.

  'And how are you, Jason?' Elaine asked suddenly, avoiding Allie's gaze by turning her attention to the little boy. 'I guess you're looking forward to school breaking up for the summer. You'll have to come and spend a day with me then.'

  Jason glowered back at her. 'Don't want to,' he muttered. With the agility of a tadpole evading a predator, he slid past the two women on the porch and through the door into the house.

  Elaine shot his retreating back an embarrassed look. 'Linc is really going to have to do something about that child. He's unbearably rude,' she muttered.

  Allie wished that she could get away with being as rude as Jason, and scoot off into the house as well. Instead, politeness demanded that she spend a few more uncomfortable minutes with Elaine's unwelcome company.

  'Well, I must be running along,' Elaine said finally, her face still faintly flushed from Linc's son's rebuff. 'I stopped in to have a word with Linc, but I guess he isn't going to be home until much later. I'll call him ... we're very good friends, you know,' she added in a rush of bravado.

  'I'm sure you are,' Allie said gently. Poor Elaine, she thought, pensively watching the other woman as she walked to her car. There was something faintly pathetic about her boast of friendship with Linc. Linc had once mentioned that Elaine had a hard time making friends. It was easy to believe. She wasn't a very likeable woman.

  And Elaine had talked of Linc's soft-heartedness. He seemed to be the older woman's only friend. Maybe pity played a large role in that friendship.

  Linc arrived home around eight o'clock in a mood that Allie had never seen him in before. Over the last few days, she'd come to learn he had a fairly equable disposition, albeit occasionally moody, so seeing him in a good mood was nothing new. However, the description 'good mood' hardly did justice to his high spirits that evening.

  He came bounding up the outside stairs from the float-plane dock and swept into the house like a hurricane. A grin was splitting his face when he strode into the living-room demanding to know where everyone was.

  'Frances went into Nanaimo to see a movie with one of her friends, and Jason's in bed,' Allie explained, eyeing Linc curiously. Although he couldn't know the housekeeper was gone, the woman usually kept to herself in the evenings after dinner was finished. As for his son, Linc knew very well that Jason's bedtime was seven o'clock.

  'Jason's asleep?' Linc asked, looking slightly deflated.

  She nodded, hoping he wasn't planning to wake the boy. At the best of times, Jason wasn't the easiest lad to persuade to sleep, and without his father or Mrs Dorcus to back her up Allie had had quite a tussle getting him into bed on time. He'd only stopped asking for drinks of water, toilet visits and all the other little procrastinating tricks he knew about fifteen minutes ago. It would be a crime to wake him and start it all up again.

  Linc didn't, though. Instead, his grin reappearing with a flavour of mischief, he walked over to her. Catching her around the waist, he swung her off her feet in a wide circle. When he set her back down, he planted a hard kiss on her astonished lips, then laughed down into her face. 'I guess it all falls on your shoulders to help me celebrate, then!'

  'Celebrate?' Allie asked. His bubbling spirits were infectious and, although she didn't know their source, she couldn't help laughing with him. 'What are we celebrating?'

  'No, wait,' Linc ordered, ' raising his hand imperiously. He went over to the drinks cabinet and, rummaging around in the built-in fridge, finally came up with a half-bottle of chilled champagne. Holding it up for her to see, he said, 'We definitely need to drink a toast to this!' He turned around to retrieve glasses, asking, 'Did Mrs Dorcus leave me anything to eat? I didn't have a chance earlier and I'm starving.' Glasses in hand, he turned back giving her a self-mocking smile. 'I'd better have something with the champagne or I'll be too muddled to tell you my news.'

  'She left some cold meats and salads in the fridge,' Allie informed him. 'I can get you a meal.'

  'Will you join me?'

  Allie hesitated only a moment before nodding. She'd eaten earlier with Jason, but her appetite hadn't been up to much—probably because Linc had been absent. She could eat again now that he was here.

  Linc's arm about her waist, they walked together to the kitchen. As they entered the room, she asked 'Won't you tell me what's happened while I get dinner put together?'

  He halted, causing her to stop walking as well. His look was considering, then a gleam of devilry entered his eyes. 'Not yet. I'll tell you while we eat. You get the food out of the fridge and I'll go set the table in the dining-room.'

  She gave him a sour look that he only laughed at. In retaliation, she poked him in the ribs with her elbow and he winced in exaggerated pain. 'Just for that, I'll keep you dangling a little longer,' he said maliciously. 'I order you to go and put on your prettiest dress.' He treated her to a hauty sneer down the length of his nose, but his grin suddenly destroyed the pose. 'I need a shower, anyway.' Firmly turning her by the shoulders, he pointed her in the direction of her bedroom and gave her a little shove. 'Fifteen minutes.'

  It was closer to a half an hour before Allie left her bedroom to return to the kitchen wearing a floaty chiffon cocktail dress in delicate spring green. She'd taken extra care with her appearance; Linc's celebratory mood had been catching.

  Sharing a meal in the dining-room with Linc would make tonight special as well. They usually ate in the kitchen with Jason and Mrs Dorcus. Allie enjoyed the practice because it made her feel a part of Linc's family. However, dining alone with him definitely had its attractions.

  Linc was at the refrigerator taking out the bowls of salads and plate of cold cuts Mrs Dorcus had prepared earlier. He paused in his task when Allie entered the room. For several moments, they stared silently at one another. Linc's hair was still damp from the shower and it gleamed in the evening sunlight streaming through the window. He'd changed from his business suit into dark trousers with a matching navy turtle-neck sweater that clung to his torso like a second skin. He looked handsome and so virile that Allie felt slightly weak in the knees just looking at him.

  The bodice of Allie's dress fell in soft folds with a plunging V-neckline and, if it wasn't her prettiest dress, it was at any rate her sexiest. It certainly had more to recommend it than the jeans and top she'd been wearing when Linc came home. She didn't have to ruin the effect by wearing that awful sling, either.

  He whistled at her, giving his approval to her appearance, then frowned slightly. 'Shouldn't you be wearing your sling?'

  She had somewhat mixed feelings about her recovery. Naturally, she was glad that her arm was so much better, but, when it was, she had no real reason to continue staying in Linc's home. She didn't want that thought intruding on this evening, though. Perhaps it would be their last togeth
er.

  Smiling back at him, Allie shook her head. Making her tone purposely light, she said, 'You're not the only one with something to celebrate. I saw the doctor today and he said I didn't have to wear it any more. I can even start using my hand again if I'm careful.' She held up her right hand and wiggled the fingers for him to see.

  Linc closed the space between them in two long strides. Catching up her bandaged hand, he gently brushed the backs of her fingers with his lips. 'Then we have a doubly good reason for celebrating.' He looked deep into her eyes, suddenly serious. 'I really am glad you're better. I was worried about your arm. I was afraid I might have set things back, done some damage, that afternoon we made love.'

  Drowning in the midnight-blue of his eyes, Allie shook her head. Emotion choked her throat so her voice was a bare whisper, 'You didn't.' His words melted the doubts she'd harboured these past few days. They explained so much. She had worried when he hadn't made love to her again, had seemed to be rejecting her. She'd wondered if she'd failed him somehow, had been inadequate.

  He'd only been worrying about her injury, though! That first afternoon, passion had caught them both unawares. They'd been swept away by it and unable to give thought to anything but their all-consuming desire. That was probably why Linc seemed to withdraw from her whenever they were alone, as well. He didn't want to allow that need they had for one another to gain free rein and risk hurting her.

  His mouth came down to cover hers in a warm, gentle kiss, laced with a thread of promise. His lips stroked hers, then her cheeks and eyelids. He lifted his head and his arms briefly tightened around her. 'First things first, my love. Let's go and eat.'

  Together, they finished loading the food from the refrigerator on to the trolley to push it into the dining-room. Linc had been busy in that room while Allie had been changing. He'd drawn the curtains against the evening sunlight, casting the room into shadow, then illuminating it with candles. Their light danced over the gleaming china and silver, sparkling off the champagne glasses.

  While Linc opened the wine, Allie filled their plates from the trolley and took her place at his right hand. When their glasses were filled, Linc lifted his to her, saying, 'My first toast is to you. To your health and happiness.' He drank deeply of the wine, his eyes holding hers over the rim of his glass. There was promise in his gaze, an avowal.

  After a moment, he lowered his glass and reached out to top it up from the champagne bottle. 'And now, so as not to keep you in suspense any longer, I'll make my second toast.' He raised his glass, saying, 'To my son, Jason.'

  'Jason,' Allie echoed, taking a sip of her wine. When the glasses had been returned to the table, she asked, 'So what's happened with Jason?'

  Folding his arms on the table, Linc looked over her, the lines fanning out from the edges of his eyes crinkling with happiness. 'It seems that that little brat of mine has been hiding his light under a bushel, as they say. It's turned out that he is a certified genius!'

  Allie blinked at him. 'He's what?'

  'A genius! A little Einstein! I had a meeting with a psychologist this afternoon. He did some tests on Jason and has discovered he has an IQ of a hundred and seventy-four.'

  He was beaming at Allie, but she found it difficult to smile back at him. Linc was so obviously pleased, and yet, from her own experience, she wasn't that sure that he should be. Certainly, high intelligence was a gift, but it could also be a tremendous burden. Labels such as 'genius' especially could sometimes make it even harder to carry.

  'Is it such a shock?' Linc asked. Looking slightly deflated by her lukewarm reaction, he picked up his fork and started to eat.

  Realising her response wasn't exactly what he'd been hoping for, Allie said, 'Well, I'm stunned.' He slid her an offended look, so she amended hastily, 'I mean, I did realise that Jason's very bright, but... did you take him to the psychologist because you suspected something like this?'

  Linc shook his head, and he was smiling again when he looked up from his plate. 'Just the opposite, in fact. That's what makes this news such a relief! You see, Jason has been having a terrible time in school this year—disruptive in class, not doing his work, back-talking the teacher. I've been called in to see her so many times in the past few months, it's a wonder people don't think we're having an affair or something. Anyway, things came to a head a few weeks ago.'

  His smile vanished and a grim set replaced it on his mouth. 'Actually, I think it was that day you ran out of petrol. I'd been to see not only Jason's teacher, but his principal and counsellor as well. There seemed to be no doubt that he was going to fail grade one, and they felt that he might have some kind of learning disability. They were feeling me out about putting him in a special class next year for children who are mentally slow.'

  'I can't see where they came up with that,' Allie exclaimed. 'I mean ... just look at his favourite book, that one about dinosaurs! Even I have a hard time understanding it.'

  A shadow seemed to pass across Linc's eyes as she caught his gaze. Perhaps it was only a trick of the light, but it brought her up short as she realised what she had said. She would have to watch her words more carefully. Now wasn't the time for making revelations of her own. She knew parents loved basking in the reflected glory of their brilliant offspring—her own were prime examples—but most men didn't feel that same way about the women in their lives. Superior intelligence in women was too much of a threat to their egos.

  However, she was also vitally aware of how important it was that she discuss this with Linc. She knew exactly what Jason was saddled with if he indeed was as bright as his father had been led to believe. Linc would need to give the child a great deal of care and understanding if Jason was to exploit his gift to the fullest without its becoming a curse.

  Linc grew serious as he continued. 'I admit I didn't want to accept their assessment, either—that's why I took Jason to see a professional psychologist over in Vancouver. That was the basis of my disagreement with Alvin the other day,' he explained as a side-note, although Allie had already guessed that.

  'But I still don't understand how his teacher could have been so off-base.'

  'Partly, I think she isn't as good at her job as she could be, but Jason himself has to shoulder some of the blame. You know how he is—strong-willed, stubborn, but more than anything he loves to be the centre of attention. He misbehaved and disrupted the class because he's bored. Regular schoolwork just doesn't have any challenge for him. I also think he discovered somewhere along the line that by not doing it, by pretending he couldn't do it, he's got a lot of special attention and help from his teacher.'

  They lapsed into silence and gave their attention to the meal before them. Allie glanced over to Linc from time to time. A little smile played about his mouth, although he was pensive as well. She wished she could have been more enthusiastic about his news. Trying to make amends, she said eventually, 'It really is good news. I know how pleased you are.'

  'I am,' he agreed, returning his attention to her. 'It's kind of scary, too. It'll mean a lot of changes in our lives.'

  'Changes?'

  'Well, of course. The psychologist offered a few suggestions. He feels that Jason would really benefit from an enrichment programme. I'll have to arrange something.'

  'I see.' Allie's appetite had fled and she pushed an errant piece of lettuce around her plate with her fork. She felt disturbed and vaguely uneasy. Virtually her whole life had been an 'enrichment programme', and yet it had never made her particularly happy.

  'I suppose the school district will be able to advise you,' she offered when Linc didn't continue. 'They usually have special programmes for extraordinary cases.'

  In the candlelight, she saw Linc's jaw clench and his voice was harsh. 'I don't know if they do, but I don't think I want Jason to continue his education here. I think you can understand why I'm not too impressed by the local school, with all this happening. No, I'm, afraid Jason will have to go away to school.'

  'Go away?' Allie echoed. 'You
mean you'll be moving back to Vancouver?' It would be such a shame to take Jason back to the city after having lived in this lovely rural home. There was so much for a growing boy to do here: boating, fishing, beach-combing, tramping through the woods.

  'The school the psychologist recommends is in Montreal. I'm afraid Jason will have to board, since my business is here.' He caught her expression and misinterpreted it. 'Don't worry, I'm not going to sell this place. We can still use it for holidays, although I'll probably get a small apartment for myself over on the mainland.'

  'You can't send Jason half-way across the country to boarding-school!' Allie objected, appalled. 'He's just a little boy. What about the friends he has here? What about you and Frances? He'll be miserable.'

  'Of course he won't!' Linc denied, a tinge of anger colouring his tones. 'Naturally, it'll be something of an adjustment at first, but once he's established it will be the best thing for him. He'll be with other children like himself, kids he can relate to. More importantly, though, he'll find challenge and interest in learning and can direct his energies towards that instead of being the class hooligan. He'll be happier!' he concluded forcefully.

  Allie stared at him. 'Who are you trying to convince—me or yourself?'

  'You,' he retorted with only the briefest hesitation. 'But I don't know why I'm bothering. It is really none of your business what arrangements I make for my son's education.'

  That hurt, and Allie winced from the blow. Her face was pale as she regarded him, damming tears behind the smoke-grey of her eyes. 'Maybe that's true,' she admitted huskily. 'But I think you'll be making a mistake if you send Jason away from you.'

  With dismissive deliberation, Linc looked away from her and casually picked up his wineglass. He swallowed the last dregs of wine, then reached out for the champagne bottle to refill his glass.

  Anger getting the best of her, Allie caught his arm. Arrogantly, he looked down at her fingers gripping the sleeve of his sweater, then met her eyes. 'Listen to me, Linc!' she demanded. 'I know what I'm talking about. I was sent away to school, a "special" school so I would be with my intellectual peers. I hated it!'