by Bobbi Smith
"Much better," Charles answered, and he wasn't lying. With Peri there to cheer him and now the pleasant surprise of Jordan, he was feeling better than he had in ages ... younger and more alive.
"I'm glad. I worried about you while I was gone."
"There was no need. I've been taking it slow and easy and doing only what had to be done."
"Good." He got up and went to the small bar to pour himself a tumbler of his father's best bourbon. "Well, tell me. I'm waiting to hear. What do you think of Jordan?" He had his back to his father as he spoke, and when there was no immediate answer he glanced at him over his shoulder, concerned about his silence.
"Son," Charles began in a very serious tone that matched his expression, "I think Jordan is just about the best thing that's ever happened to you."
"You do?" Nick was pleased. He'd felt they'd gotten along well, but he wanted to be sure.
"Yes. I'm so proud of you and the choice you've made. Jordan is a wonderful girl. She's warm and bright and intelligent, not to mention the best looking woman in the parish, with the exception of your cousin, of course. I'm glad you waited and took your time about this, and I can tell you right now that I'm going to be very glad to have her as my daughter-in-law."
Charles' endorsement was wholehearted. He held nothing back in his praise. He'd originally planned to tell Nick not to worry about the clause, to reveal that he'd had it eliminated from the will, but now it didn't matter. Nick was obviously very happy with Jordan, and he was very happy for Nick.
With each compliment his father paid him, Nick grew more and more uncomfortable. He was riding the double-edged blade of a desperate lie, and it was a cutting experience. On one hand, he felt good that he'd made his father happy. He loved his father. There was nothing in the world he wouldn't do for him. It was that love that had driven him to buy Jordan, but now that the deed was done and the charade set in motion, his conscience was bothering him.
"And," Charles was still saying, "since I approve so completely of your fiancee, I have something for you."
Nick looked puzzled. "What?"
His father unlocked and opened his center desk drawer. He took out a simple jewelry box and held it out for him to take.
"It was your mother's," was all he said as he waited for Nick to open it.
Nick stared down at the beautiful white gold ring with its large solitaire diamond set in a filigree design and remembered clearly that his mother had worn it often. "But Mother's ring ...I know it means so much to you..."
"It does, and that's precisely why I want Jordan to have it. She's special, Nick. Your mother would have approved of your choice, and she would have loved her, too. You'd honor us both if you gave it to her."
There was a terrible knot in Nick's throat that he couldn't seem to swallow, and when he looked up at his father, his eyes were misty. "I hadn't even thought about a ring yet..." He paused to swallow tightly. "But there's no other ring I'd rather give her than this one. Thank you."
It was a tender moment. They faced each other across the room, each nearly bursting with emotions that they fought to contain.
"You're more than welcome, my son, and congratulations."
Jordan lay awake in the middle of the wide four-poster bed in the spacious, beautifully furnished room the Kanes had given her. Though it was late, sleep would not come. Her thoughts were confused as she struggled with all the lies she was being forced to live.
Jordan had not intended to care for Nick's father. From Nick's description, she'd expected him to be a domineering old man. What she'd found had been just the opposite. In the space of just a few hours, Charles Kane had won her completely. He was one of the most intelligent men she'd ever met. He had a good sense of humor and a profound sense of family. She liked him.
She could tell that Nick's bringing her here had made Charles very happy, and so she was not about to let anything ruin their carefully laid plans. The wedding would take place, and she would, at least for a short time, really be the daughter-in-law Charles so wanted.
Letting her thoughts drift a bit, Jordan wondered how Philip was faring. He'd been seated as far away from her as possible at the formal dining room table, so she'd had no opportunity to speak with him at all outside of general conversation. She hoped he was comfortable wher ever he was, and she vowed to try to find the chance to talk with him soon.
Jordan had noticed that Philip and Peri seemed to have a lot to say to each other. She smiled a bit sadly at the thought. Peri was a very nice young woman. She had taken a liking to her right away, just as Philip obviously had, but it was essential that he guard his heart just as protectively as she had to guard hers. With a deep, weary sigh, she rolled over and closed her eyes, and eventually, sleep did claim her.
Peri had tried to fall asleep, but found she was just too excited to rest. Slipping from bed, she wrapped her robe around her and hurried from the room. She guessed that her uncle would still be in his study talking to Nick, and she was pleased to find she was right. She knocked once softly on the door, and Nick bid her to come in.
"How did you know it was me?" she asked as she entered.
"Who else would be so inquisitive that they'd come down here in the middle of the night to see what was going on?" Nick teased as he watched his favorite cousin cross the room, her feet bare, her ebony hair tumbling around her shoulders in disarray. Though she was nineteen, right now she barely looked old enough to be up this late. He'd always loved Peri, but there had been moments during his adolescent years when he'd been greatly tempted to run every time he'd seen her coming. She'd meant nothing but trouble to him in those days, always asking him questions a girl shouldn't ask and constantly following him around. As much as he'd railed against her attentions at the time, he'd secretly enjoyed her interest.
"I couldn't sleep, and I thought it would be nice just to talk with you and Uncle Charles for a while. You know, I only arrived a short time before you did," she said very primly, with the dignity of a woman full grown.
"Please, just ignore my uncouth son and join us," Charles welcomed her.
Peri longed to stick her tongue out at her cousin as she'd done often in the past, but she managed to control the impish urge. "Thank you." She curled up on the sofa, tucking her bare feet under her. "So, what are you talking about?"
"Actually, we were just getting ready to retire," Nick teased with a fake yawn.
"Oh, you...!"
"Dominic, be kind to Peri," his father scolded with a smile.
The banter between the two of them was practically a ritual, and it could go on for hours if not nipped in the bud. Nick fell obediently silent, but he cast her a wicked look.
"As I was about to tell you," Charles went on, "I just gave Nick your Aunt Andrea's engagement ring. I thought it would be perfect for Jordan."
"That's wonderful," Peri's eyes filled with tears, for she knew what the ring meant to her uncle. "When are you going to give it to her?"
"Oh, no," Nick balked at revealing any of his plans. "I'm not telling you a thing or you'll be hiding in the bushes behind us or sitting on a tree limb over our heads just to watch."
"I'm grown up now, in case you hadn't noticed, Dominic Kane," Peri said haughtily. "I was just thinking like a woman, that's all. I knew she'd be excited, so I thought you might want to give it to her as soon as possible."
"I will, don't worry."
"Have you talked about the wedding yet? How soon are you getting married?"
Nick didn't look at his father as he answered, "The sooner, the better. I feel like I've waited an eternity for her already."
Charles was thrilled at Nick's remark, for it wiped away any lingering doubts he might have had about the marriage. It was plain to him that his son was in love. "You'll need three weeks for the banns," he pointed out.
"Does she have a wedding dress?" Peri inquired. "If not, you'll have to get a seamstress out here right away. And what about a honeymoon?"
"This isn't going to be simple, is i
t?" Nick almost groaned.
"No, but just leave everything to me. I'll handle it," she offered. She'd planned her own fairy-tale wedding in her daydreams so many times that she knew exactly what had to be done.
"I don't know if that's such a good idea," he hesitated, fearing what his cousin might do to him.
"Please, Uncle Charles," Peri appealed to the higher authority. "Let me help. It'll be fun, and Jordan and I will be able to get to know each other then. Please? I know all the right shops and all the right people..."
"Peri's quite capable of helping you with this, Nick. I think you should accept her generous offer and be grateful for it."
He gave in gracefully, as he'd known he would from the beginning. "All right," he agreed. "What do we have to do first?"
"Set the date, of course," she announced.
"I'll talk it over with Jordan, but I'm sure she'll agree that the earliest day possible is fine with her."
"Since this is Thursday, we can start your banns this Sunday. Shall we plan for the Saturday following the last bann?"
"Fine."
"Good, that gives us just a little over four weeks to get everything set up. There are invitations to write, a recaption to plan..."
"Slow down for just a minute," Charles spoke up, then turned his attention to Nick. "Do you want a large ceremony or would you prefer a small, more intimate wedding?"
Though Charles seemed much like his old self, Nick could still see the effects of his illness on him. He might act as if he were feeling fine, but Nick knew better. He knew a private wedding would be much easier on him.
"Since Jordan won't have the opportunity to meet very many people before the wedding day, I think we ought to confine our guest list to family and our most intimate friends. What do you think?"
"That sounds sensible to me," Charles added.
"Good. I'll check with Jordan first thing in the morning, but I'm sure there will be no problem."
"Then everything's set. All I have to do tomorrow is send a message to New Orleans to my dressmaker. You do want Mademoiselle Marilynn, don't you? She is the absolute best."
"Yes, spare no expense," Charles directed before Nick could answer. "Order whatever she needs. I want nothing but the very best for our Jordan."
"Wonderful, Uncle Charles. You won't regret it. Jordan will be the most gorgeous bride, you'll see."
"I'm looking forward to it," he told them both. Then realizing how tired he actually was, he got slowly to his feet. "Now, if you two youngsters will excuse me, I think I'm going to call it a night."
They said their good nights, and he headed upstairs to the master bedroom. The stairs seemed terribly steep tonight, but he struggled on anyway. He was short of breath when he made it to the top, and his movements were slow and painful as he walked down the wide hall to his room.
As was her habit, the maid had already turned down his bed and left a lamp burning low on his dresser. Charles thought the bed looked particularly inviting tonight, and feeling suddenly too tired to undress, he stretched out across it fully clothed. His mood was mellow as he stared at the oil portrait of his long-dead wife where it hung opposite the foot of the bed.
"He's finally done it, my love," Charles whispered to Andrea's picture. "Your son has fallen in love."
He paused and sighed deeply. Contentment filled him. It was almost as if he could feel her presence there with him.
"Her name's Jordan, and she's a pretty girl. There's nothing spoiled or coy about her. She seems very straightforward, and that's not something you find very often in the girls of this younger generation."
His eyes closed as he sighed again and finally felt himself start to relax. He was so tired.. .so very tired.
"I like her, Andrea, and you would too."
Too exhausted to say any more, he slept, and for the first time in ages his dreams were sweet.
Jordan was up early the next morning. The maid had showed her where the bedpull was, and so shortly after dawn she summoned the servant to request a bath. She was amazed at the speed and efficiency of the servants here at Riverwood, and she intended to compliment Charles as soon as she saw him again.
"Can I get you anything else, ma'am?" the maid named Claire asked.
"No, this is perfect," Jordan replied.
"Then I'll come back in a little while to help you dress."
"That'll be fine. Is there a certain time for breakfast?"
"Yes, ma'am. Mr. Charles usually comes down to eat about 7:30."
"And Nick?"
"Whenever he's home, he joins him."
"Thank you, Claire. I'll plan on breakfasting with them this morning."
I'll tell the cook."
When the servant had gone, Jordan shed her wrapper and stepped into the tub of hot water. It was a rapturous experience and she loved every minute of it. She knew she couldn't dally too long, though, for she still had to do her hair and pick out a dress. If she was going to breakfast with Nick and his father she wanted to look her best.
By the time the maid returned, Jordan had already donned her chemise and was brushing out her hair before the large mirror at the dressing table. Because of the heat and humidity of the Louisiana summer, Claire suggested that they pin her hair up, and Jordan quickly agreed to the cool style. She chose a simple yet pretty yellow daygown, and when she started downstairs she felt fresh and well-rested. The nervousness she'd experienced the day before was gone. She had settled into her role with relative ease. Now, if she could just make it through the wedding, she'd be all right.
The dining room was deserted when Jordan entered, but the French doors that led to the gallery were open. It was still early enough that the temperature was cool, so she wandered outside to enjoy the breeze and to view the flowering garden that bordered the house on that side. Peri had pointed it out to her the day before when she'd taken her on a whirlwind tour of the house, but they hadn't paused to look for more than a minute then. Now, Jordan just wanted to enjoy the fragrant serenity.
As she left the gallery and strolled the narrow garden path, Jordan understood completely why Nick was so determined to keep his home. She had fallen in love with the house the day before, and now she was finding herself enchanted by the grounds, too. The heady scent of the flowers and the profusion of colorful blossoms made Riverwood seem like heaven on earth. She realized then that if their places had been reversed and it had been her home, she too would have done everything necessary to keep it... even marry someone she didn't love.
Nick had slept reasonably well. It felt good to be home, and the fact that things had gone so smoothly between Jordan and his father left him encouraged. He bathed, shaved, and dressed, then headed downstairs for his usual early morning breakfast with his father. He entered the dining room to find that his father hadn't come down yet and that an extra place had been set at the table.
"Is Peri joining us this morning?" Nick asked Weddington as he came into the room carrying a silver coffee service.
"No, sir. Miss Jordan is the one who's up, and she's already come down stairs. I expect she's out on the gallery somewhere."
Nick was pleased with the news. "Thanks. I'll go find her. Call us when my father comes down."
"Yes, sir."
Nick touched his pants pocket to make sure he had his mother's ring with him as he started for the French doors. He had hoped to find a moment alone with her sometime today so he could give the ring to her privately, and this looked to be the perfect time. As he stepped outside on the wide, shaded veranda, he caught sight of Jordan in the garden. Rather than call out to her and risk disturbing the still-sleeping Peri, whose room was directly above the dining room, he merely went into the garden after her.
Jordan was daydreaming as she wandered through the lush foliage. In her fantasy, she imagined that her trouble with Luther had never happened and that she wasn't wanted for murder. She pretended that Nick had fallen in love with her just as she had with him and that their marriage was really going to be a lo
ve match. She envisioned herself living here at Riverwood, loving Nick, and raising his children. She sighed dreamily at the thought and sat down on a small wrought iron bench near the splashing fountain she'd found near the center of the garden.
Nick found her sitting there, looking absolutely lovely as she gazed into the splashing waters. "Jordan?"
"Nick?" She was surprised to find that he'd come for her, and she had to fight down the urge to believe that her dream was coming true. "I didn't know you were up yet."
"Weddington told me you'd gone outside, so I thought I'd come look for you."
"I was just taking a walk through the garden. It's beautiful."
"Thank you. My mother started it years ago right after they'd completed the house, and my father's worked very hard to keep it up. It's his living tribute to her, I think."
"He's done a remarkable job."
"Tell him. I'm sure he'd be pleased to know that you like it."
"I will."
Nick paused to study the way the sun glinted off her pale, golden hair and the way her eyes held such a dreamy, faraway look this morning. He was tempted to touch her, but he didn't. "He's very taken with you, you know. You're doing a great job of winning him over."
Jordan stiffened, a bit offended by his words. "I like your father. He's a very nice man."
"Yes, well, that's good. I'm glad you like him. It makes it that much easier for you," Nick answered, a little uncomfortable with the subject.
"It's not very difficult pretending I'm happy here. Who wouldn't be? Riverwood is the most magnificent estate I've ever seen, and your father and cousin are two of the friendliest, most honest people I've ever met. They accepted me immediately and did everything they could to make me feel right at home."
"I'm glad it's going so well..." Nick wanted to change the subject. "I've got something here for you..." He dug into his pocket and pulled out the ring.
"A ring?" Jordan was startled. She didn't know why, but she hadn't really been expecting one.
"Yes, my father wanted you to have this. It belonged to my mother."