Sam lifted the napkin in his hands. “I’m not sure whether to put it across my lap, or set it free.”
Elisa took hers, shook it loose, then set it across her lap, appreciating their teasing and compliments. It was like being home, even if she was so far away.
“Sam,” Margaret said, “why don’t you pray. You’ve always had a talent for saying what needs to be said.”
With a nod, he reached for Margaret and Elisa’s hands. In turn, Margaret reached for Duncan’s and he gently took hers. His touch was warm, yet firm, and she found his fingers were slightly calloused. Not what she expected from someone like him.
Her heart went out to Duncan, wondering what it would be like to have so many people probing into his private business. No wonder he’d not wanted her to wander around and get too close to him.
“Dear Heavenly Father,” Sam began, as he went into saying thanks for the day and the wonderful meal everyone had a hand in preparing. “We’re so grateful to have our Dunc sitting at the table with us, and we wish to thank you for keeping our new friend, Elisa, safe from harm when her Jeep went off the road. We are honored to have her here with us. Thank you, Father, for your care and your provision. And for taking care of our needs.”
Around the table, everyone said, “Amen.”
Duncan’s hold on her hand lingered for a moment more, before he snapped out of whatever trance he’d fallen into. Realizing what he was doing, he jerked his hand away and tucked them into his lap. “Thank you, Sam. And Margaret, everything looks wonderful. Thank you for including Elisa and me.”
She smiled and nodded in agreement, unsure about how her heart did a strange little flip over how he put their names together. Oh boy, Elisa, you really need to get a grip on yourself. If you’re not careful, Belinda’s craziness will become infectious and you’ll end up making a total buffoon of yourself.
Chapter Seven
Duncan stood from the table and began gathering everyone’s plates. Margaret placed her hand on his arm with a shake of her head. “You’ll let Sam and I take care of the dishes, young man. I’d rather you entertain our guest while we clean up.”
“You spent two days cooking, Margaret. The least I can do is—”
“Duncan Marcus Grimwood, you’ll do as your elders say.” She narrowed her eyes on him, but her lips began tilting upward as her grin belied her determination to have her way. “Even if you are my boss. You’ll not win this argument.”
Duncan’s heart swelled for the woman who was much more than one of the Manor’s employees. He set the plates down and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. Resting his cheek on the softness of her white hair, he said, “You know you’ll always be family to me, Margaret, you dear woman. What would I do without you and Sam in my life? Huh?” He looked at the old man, hoping Sam knew that he meant every word.
Sam winked. “You’re a good boy, Dunc. Now, do as Margaret says and be a good host while we clean up. That’s our special time together, so don’t interfere by trying to go all noble on us.”
Duncan gave in and turned to Elisa, extending his hand. “Why don’t I give you a proper tour of the house? Then we’ll return for dessert once we’ve walked off our meal.”
Her eyes widened a moment, but then she nodded. He was grateful that she’d kept her word about not letting Sam know that she’d got past his blockades. Elisa Lucken was a good-hearted woman, with a sweet kindness that was rare in his circles. Maybe he could get her to talk more about her family. He was curious about her upbringing, where she came from, what her dreams were…and so much more. If Margaret knew what he was thinking, she’d go into high-alert matchmaking mode He’d need to be careful.
Elisa would leave soon as the snows melted.
Maybe another storm would come through.
He made sure to grab his cane, knowing they’d end up having to take the stairs eventually. He took her to the library first, then to the gallery where they kept some of their finer pieces of art. Marble statues were situated around the room, along with paintings and busts of family members long passed. He tried to tell her some of the stories that he remembered. She peppered him with questions about his own life but didn’t come off as if she were digging for information. Simply curious.
As he led her along the back of the house, past a wall of windows, they stopped to admire the sinking sun on the snow-covered backyard. “There’s a pool out there somewhere,” he chuckled.
Elisa joined in his light laughter. “We get this kind of snow at our family cabin on Lake Michigan. When it’s nice and deep like this, we’ll go sledding. Or if the snowmobiles are working, then we’ll race around the yard, and along the lake. And there’s ice fishing, but I get too cold, even inside the shelter.”
“Your family sounds like a lot of fun,” He leaned against the glass window, and drew shapes in the foggy glass. “I wish…well, my brothers and sister are spread out now.” He sighed. “Still. I’m beginning to wonder about the reasons to keep this old place when nobody wants to be here anymore. They all say there are too many memories and being here makes them sad.”
Elisa shrugged. “Maybe it’s time to make new memories. Maybe you can hire a decorator to come in and do some updates. It’s such a beautiful old house.”
Duncan grinned and leaned in closer to her. “Do you have anyone in mind who’d take on such a large project?”
She smirked and tapped her chin as if in thought. “Oh, maybe…. Though, Stewart Decor does more business type of decorating. But I wish Kelly would let me loose on a home like this. I’d be in heaven.”
“Have you considered going out on your own?” he asked, but something else had captured her attention.
“Oh wow, look at that.” Elisa grabbed his hand and pulled him along with her as she went to a portion of the window where the golden sunlight was hitting the frosted glass windows, illuminating the intricate frost patterns. She shook her head in amazement. “You know, I can try all day to make something beautiful. But when it comes down to it, somehow God shows up and reminds me that He is still the Master Designer. Look at these patterns and how it catches the gold and blue. And if you move,” she tucked her hand around his arm and pulled him slightly to the right, “it changes.”
Duncan blinked a couple of times, amazed at what he was seeing. “You’re right. I work with precious gems and try so hard to turn them into beautiful jewelry, but…I’m not sure if I’ll ever be able to create anything like this.”
“Seriously? You make—”
“Indeed, I do. Many of my pieces have been displayed on the red carpet, too.” He winked and hoped he wasn’t coming off as too much of a braggart.
“Your sister is a famous clothes designer, and you’ve made jewelry that stars have worn to awards? That’s some serious talent in your family.”
He shrugged and ducked his head. “Well, making fancy baubles doesn’t keep the Grimwood Jeweler stores open. What I wish I had was more of a business mind. Talent only gets you so far.”
Elisa’s hand was still wrapped around his upper arm and Duncan found he didn’t mind in the least. As if she realized the same thing he did, she took a quick step back, dropping her hands to her sides. For a moment, she seemed flustered. He found her simply adorable. If he wasn’t careful, he could fall for someone like Elisa.
Would that be so bad? Duncan wondered.
Elisa reached for the door and tried the handle. “Would it be okay to go outside? Just for a few minutes before the sun completely sets. His handiwork only lasts for a short while. I hate to miss it when He’s showing off like this.”
With a nod, Duncan went over to the wall security system and typed in the code to unlock the back doors leading to the patio. Elisa rushed outside. The snow had piled up in drifts that were almost as high as their thighs in some places. Duncan held back, not wanting to slip again. His leg had finally stopped aching.
Elisa walked over to one of the bare trees and studied the icy branches. Duncan glanced upward at the long ici
cles hanging from the upper balcony. She was right, the way the light hit the ice was beautiful. Diamonds could catch the light in a similar manner, with the right cut. She called him over to examine a thin branch covered in ice.
“Wouldn’t that make a lovely necklace?” She rolled her eyes, “You probably think I’m being silly. Especially if you work with real gems.”
“You’d be surprised to know what I’m thinking.” Had he really said that? His breath caught. She started to smile but quickly looked away.
Suddenly, he wanted her to see his work. Maybe a set of fresh eyes would help stir up a few ideas. He broke off the twig and held it up to her neck. “Everyone would call you the ice princess. But actually… you might be onto something.” He turned back toward the house. Ideas were beginning to go off in his mind like a roll of firecrackers. Waving her to follow him, he entered the house and made his way back to the foyer where the giant tree stood.
He really did hate the gaudy colors but didn’t want to hurt Elisa’s feelings more than he already had.
When she saw him staring up at the tree, her shoulders hung dejectedly. “I wish I could fix this for you, but I have nothing to replace the ornaments with. Maybe if I take some of them down? I’ve always said simpler is more sophisticated.”
“I tend to agree.” He turned her so she faced him. “I know you worked hard on this.”
She shook her head. “I did what I was told to do.”
He leaned down slightly so they were more at eye level. “Are you pleased with this tree?”
Elisa rolled her dazzling green eyes. “As if that matters. What’s important is if you are pleased, right?”
“No. As an artist, you need to please yourself, first. You need to take pride in your work. Do your best. You’ll never please everybody and I don’t think we’re meant to. God made us all so different with various tastes and likes, you know?”
He still had a hold of her shoulders. She smelled like honey and a spicy kind of citrus. Her rich brown hair was tied back in a braid that hung over her left shoulder so soft and sleek. Wisps fell into her face. Did she know what an angel she truly was? Inside and out.
“That makes sense,” she still sounded a little doubtful. “But I don’t really consider myself an artist. I mean, I love art, but I decorate houses—”
“That’s the beauty of it. There is no one kind of art. So, I’m going to repeat my question, are you pleased with this tree?”
She slowly shook her head.
“Good. I have an idea. I’d like to do a winter wonderland theme for my gala. I think it’ll go well with the pieces I’m attempting to create. Or will create now that you’ve inspired me. I don’t want to ask you to do extra work, but I’m wondering if you’d mind if we changed things up a little?”
“I’ve inspired you?” Her mouth dropped open.
“Yes.” He gave her shoulders a gentle squeeze. “Very much so.”
His admission seemed to please her. The worry pinching her brows eased. “Then, I don’t mind at all. We aim to please our customers.” She gave him a salute which made him laugh. “Seriously, I have nothing else to do, and I keep sneaking down here trying to figure out ways to make things better.” Her cheeks blushed at her admission of disobeying his rules. Duncan found he didn’t mind so much.
“Still,” she continued, looking around with growing enthusiasm. “We have no other decorations, so I’m limited in what I can do.”
She was such a delight. Oh, he could most definitely fall for someone like her.
“What if I told you there was an attic full of decorations at our disposal? And I know for a fact we’ll be able to find exactly what I want.”
A slow smile pulled at her dark pink lips. Her green eyes lit up, like the lights on the Christmas tree. “Really? But, will you be okay with me going up there? How heavy are the boxes? Duncan, you can’t possibly intend to climb all those steps!”
He’d not thought about that. Asking Elisa to carry heavy boxes down by herself was asking way too much. He also couldn’t ask her to stay until more help arrived.
“No,” Sam said from behind them. “Dunc will not be climbing all those steps. But I can help. Tell me what you need.”
Margaret was beside him, removing her apron. “We were just coming to get you two and see if you were ready for some cheesecake. But if you’re talking about adding more decorations, I’m in. It’ll be like old times helping the Missus when she was alive.” Margaret clapped her hands. “Oh, but Lucille dearly loved making the holidays festive,” she reminisced, speaking of his mother. “Every table was set for a king and every window and hearth was adorned with as many trinkets as she could make fit.”
Duncan’s chest ached at the memories, but Elisa was right. Perhaps it was time to make new memories. “Yes, she did. There will be more up there than we can possibly use. I was thinking winter colors.”
Elisa nodded, turning in a slow circle as she took in the foyer and the rooms beyond. “Silver and blue, along with a bright accent color to make everything pop. I’m thinking, depending on what we find up there, perhaps an emerald green. Maybe we can bring in some pine boughs and other greenery if I can get outside.”
Margaret waved for them to follow her. “Wait until you see what all is up there, Kitten. You’ll think you’ve died and gone to the North Pole. But first, let’s have some desserts and make a plan. Dunc, you tell us what you want. I’ll know where to find the right boxes. Sam and Elisa will get them down. We’ll all work together. What a wonderful way to spend a weekend all snowed in.”
* * * *
Elisa’s head was swimming with ideas for fixing the tree. She couldn’t wait to get up in that attic for a look around. She pushed any fears over Kelly’s reaction from her mind. What was important was that Duncan Grimwood was pleased with his home. Kelly couldn’t argue with that.
For the rest of the evening, Elisa and Duncan played a couple of rounds of Bridge with Sam and Margaret.
Elisa was surprised to find out how competitive Mr. Grimwood could be. Belinda would like him, they were so much alike.
When the older couple said they were ready to turn in, Duncan put the finishing touches on straightening the kitchen.
Elisa rose from the table. “I should call it a night.” She’d promised her family that she would try to call them before she went to bed.
But soon as the back door closed behind the House Manager couple, Duncan motioned for her to follow him. “There’s something I want to show you, first. I promise it won’t take long. I’m sure you’re exhausted.”
He slipped his hand around hers as they made their way up the stairs. “Are you sure I’m not imposing on you concerning the tree? You’ve done fine work, please don’t take my sour attitude personally. I’ve been so out of sorts lately. I spoke out of line at our first meeting.”
“No, I’m not taking it personally. As I said, I did what I was told. And honestly, you didn’t give us much time to properly prepare. We were only told to decorate the house for the holidays and that we should keep in mind that you were hosting a party. Your assistant never said what kind of party.”
Duncan stopped on the upper landing. “Well, that’s why I’m bringing you up here.” He pulled her toward the hallway where she’d been forbidden to go before. Her heart was pounding, as she wondered what he was up to. She wasn’t frightened of him any longer. Today, he’d been absolutely charming and hospitable. This had to be the real Duncan Grimwood. If so, he’d been sorely misjudged.
Yet, how could she know for sure after only one day?
He stopped before a door at the end of the darkened hall. Elisa hoped he couldn’t hear her heart racing because it was pounding like a drummer in her own ears. She swallowed hard, finding her mouth and throat had gone dry. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. Maybe she’d been the one to misjudge him today. Maybe all the news reports about his daredevil tricks and bad boy ways were the real truth.
Except that the Duncan Grimwood she
’d witnessed today did not fit that bill at all.
He tapped on the wall, causing a smaller door to pop open. The wallpaper's pattern hid the secret panel very well. After punching in a code, as he’d done downstairs, he was able to enter the dark room. In a low voice, he said, “Lights,” and they came on upon his request.
Elisa’s breath caught. She blinked a few times before realization finally settled on her at what she was actually seeing. One wall was nothing but glassed in shelves filled with several pieces of jewelry accessories.
“Oh man, you weren’t lying. I remember that ruby set from the Oscars two years ago! Does this mean you really know Kylee Merchant? She’s one of my favorite actresses!”
Chapter Eight
“We’ve crossed paths a few times,” Duncan admitted. He moved around the room, turning on the glass case lights to reveal his past works. Some sets had actually sold, but there were a few that were probably too expensive for anyone to be interested in purchasing.
There were too many jewelry stores. More and more people ordered their accessories online. It was something he’d considered doing himself, but since his accident, he’d not had the determination needed to make any changes. The family stores, all seven of them, had suffered from his neglect, too.
That needed to change.
“Everything on this wall is old stuff. Nobody has been interested in them, although they don’t mind borrowing them for their parties and ceremonies.” He waved his hand at the glassed-in shelves lining the north wall, then motioned for her to follow him to a corner case where his most special items were kept. “I keep our family heirlooms in here, along with a few antique pieces I’ve collected over the past few years. These will never be for sale. They are much too valuable.”
Elisa moved toward the case, her hand over her mouth as she admired each one. She pointed to a bust wearing a three-strand diamond necklace that had been valued near eight million. “I can’t imagine what it would it feel like to wear something so lavish.”
My Beastly Billionaire (The Grimwood Legacy Series Book 1) Page 8