Lavender Morning (27 page)

driver as though he were at a drive-in movie theater.

“You nearly ran over a man on crutches, nearly hit a truck, nearly smashed into a car carrying four British

officers, and nearly caused two trucks full of soldiers to crash into one another,” she said, showing her anger.

“You sure use the word
nearly
a lot, don’t you? You do know, don’t you, that a miss is as good as a mile?

So you
are
from Virginia. I was right!”

“Where I come from is none of your business. Your job is to watch the road!”

“I’d sure rather look at you. You have a boyfriend?”

“Yes!” she snapped. “I’m married and have two children.”

“I may be a bit quick in my driving, but you don’t tell the truth. They told me about you when they said

General Austin wanted me. Want to know what they said?”

Edi held on to the jeep, looked straight ahead, and said nothing.

David leaned so far toward her that his face was inches from hers. Even so, he maneuvered the jeep

between two trucks and a motorcycle with a sidecar. “They said that a dozen roses and a big box of chocolates

would get anything a man wanted from you.”

Such rage ran though Edi that she drew back her hand to slap him.

David held on to the wheel with his left hand, grabbed her hand with his right, and kissed her palm.

She jerked her hand away and looked like she wanted to shoot him.

“Naw,” he said, “they didn’t say that. But it doesn’t feel good to be lied to, does it? Lies can hurt.”

Edi turned her head from him for a moment, then looked back at the road. “Yes, I’m from Virginia and I

have no boyfriend.”

“Thank you, ma’am,” he said, then glanced in the mirror at the general. He wasn’t sure, but David thought

maybe the old bulldog was smiling.

13

W
ELL,” JOCELYN SAID as she cut Luke’s sandwich diagonally, the way he liked it. She’d pulled the

last batch of lavender cookies out of the oven, it was one o’clock in the morning, and she was jittery with fatigue,

but she couldn’t sit down. She knew without being told that Luke was hungry, so she made him a ham and

cheese sandwich, put blue corn chips on the plate, and got him a beer.

He mumbled thanks as she put the plate in front of him. “So much for my grandfather being a monster. She

was in love with David Clare.”

“She couldn’t stand him.”

“Yeah, right,” Luke said, his mouth full. “You make a mean sandwich, you know that?”

“At this time of the morning, anything I do is mean.”

“Right,” Luke said as he picked up the rest of his sandwich and his beer. “I better go. You need some

sleep. Tomorrow’s the big day.”

When Jocelyn didn’t say anything, he looked at her. “Are you okay?”

“No. Not really. It’s all too much too fast.”

Luke put his food down, then put his hands on her shoulders and sat her in a chair. “So tell me what’s

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wrong.”

“I think people want me to be Miss Edi, to be the Grand Dame, the Lady of the Manor. I think they have a

future made up for me and I don’t think I can live up to it.”

“You’re probably right.”

She glared at him. “Shouldn’t you be telling me that it’s all my imagination? That no one expects anything of

me?”

“I’d rather tell you the truth. Tomorrow everyone in Edilean will be at Viv’s house, and they’ll be looking

you over, and comparing you, and—”

“You’re making me feel worse.”

“Would it make you less nervous if I tell you you’re doing a great job?”

“How does anyone know that?”

“Do you know how scared this town was when they heard that Miss Edi had left Edilean Manor to a

stranger? Left this big, old house to a single woman with no husband, no kids, just herself. We were afraid you’d

show up…” He waved his hand.

“With tattoos and piercings?”

“Worse than that, with ideas for ‘improvements.’”

“Like chrome and glass fountains?”

“Yeah,” he said with a one-sided grin, “like chrome and glass fountains. Listen.” He took her hands in his.

“You’ll do great. Wear one of your little Alice outfits with a headband and they’ll all think you’re wonderful.”

When Luke smiled at her that way, she could feel herself leaning toward him. She wished he’d take her in

his arms, but when she moved toward him, he leaned back, away from her. Immediately, Jocelyn straightened.

“To bed!” he said. “Get some sleep so you’ll be fresh tomorrow.”

“Yeah, sure,” she said hesitantly. “I’ll have to ice the cookies, but that’s all.”

“I’m sure Dad will be here early to help with that.”

As she got up, she yawned. “You’ll be there, won’t you?”

“Are you kidding? I have to drive into Williamsburg, pick up my grandparents, and drive them to the party.

They’re dying to meet you.”

“Why?”

“The woman who’s to fill Miss Edi’s shoes? Of course they’ll want to inspect you.”

Jocelyn groaned.

“You’ll do fine. Now go.”

“But I need to—” She looked around the kitchen.

“The kitchen is fine. I’ll close up the house. You just need to sleep.”

She didn’t realize how tired she was until she stepped onto the first stair step. When she got to the top, she

smiled down at Luke, gave a little wave, then went into her bedroom.

Even as exhausted as she was, she took a shower, washed her hair, and put on a clean nightgown. As she

climbed into bed, her mind seemed to be a kaleidoscope of thoughts and images. She could almost see Miss Edi

as a beautiful young woman, pursued by an entire military force. But her icy exterior seemed to have been

penetrated by only one man, a sergeant named David Clare. The David she’d come to love more than her own

soul.

Jocelyn heard a noise downstairs and thought that Luke was still down there, locking doors, maybe still

boxing cookies.

Two gorgeous men, she thought. There were two beautiful men in her life and neither of them had so much

as tried to kiss her. She’d kissed Ramsey, but
she
had initiated it. There was certainly no banner stretched across

a building declaring love for
her.

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14

R
AMSEY’S SISTER’S “BACKYARD” was about four acres of manicured garden, tended daily by four

gardeners, only one of whom spoke English. There were tables set up under the trees, all with snowy white

tablecloths and attended by uniformed staff. The guests were straight out of a Talbots catalog, the men in crisp

blazers and even crisper trousers. The woman had on linen blouses and skirts, with hats with turned-up brims,

and the children were as clean as their parents, with the girls wearing smocked cotton dresses. The place reeked

of money and Old World etiquette.

“Having fun?” Sara whispered to Jocelyn.

“As opposed to being shipwrecked? Falling into an ice crevasse?” she said out of the corner of her mouth.

“At least your cupcakes are giving me lots of work. Tomorrow I’ll be called to let out a dozen dresses.”

Smiling, Jocelyn handed a gray-haired man a cupcake with three nasturtium blossoms on top of it.

“Do you have any more of the lime cakes?” he asked.

“Sorry, they’re all gone.”

“Did you think no one would recognize the flavor of booze?” Sara whispered, making Jocelyn smile.

“Come on, let’s take a break. Have you seen Viv’s house?”

“I haven’t seen anything or been allowed to talk to anyone,” Joce said with a groan. “In fact, every time a

good-looking man approaches me, one of your thousands of cousins cuts me off from him. Ramsey’s so busy

talking to the Williamsburg big shots that I haven’t said a word to him, and Luke seems to be stealing plants from

the garden. Plus, the church women come up with something they just
have
to ask me whenever a man under

fifty gets within ten feet of me.”

“Come on inside, and let’s talk,” Sara said as she took Joce’s hand and led her away from the tables,

across the lawn, then the patio, and through French doors into a long, narrow garden room. It was furnished with

white wicker and several patterns of blue and white fabric.

“Beautiful,” Jocelyn said.

“This is what limitless taste and money can do. You know, don’t you, that you’ve put Viv in seventh heaven

today? Everyone is raving about the party.”

“I was introduced to her and about a hundred people. If she weren’t so pregnant, I’m not sure I’d

recognize her if I saw her again.”

“That’s all right. She knows you and your cupcakes, and those purple cookies have so impressed the ladies

who run the charities that they’re going to ask you to cater another party next week.”

“I do
not
want to become a caterer,” Joce said firmly.

“I know that, but they don’t. Come on, let’s go upstairs and see the bedrooms.”

“Shouldn’t we ask permission before we go snooping?”

Sara glanced out the windows. “There are four old people headed this way and I think they’re looking for

you.
”

“Let’s go!” Jocelyn said as she ran out of the room. She followed Sara up the back stairs, where they

hurried down the hallway.

“Kid, kid, kid,” Sara said as she passed bedrooms. “Master.” She opened a door. “Guest bedroom. Have

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a seat.”

Gratefully, Jocelyn sat down in a big club chair while Sara stretched out on the bed. “So what’s up with you

and Rams?” Sara asked.

“Did you bring me up here to get the latest gossip?”

“Of course. Did you think I wanted your recipe for bourbon cupcakes?”

“I used tequila.”

“Whatever. So? What about you and Ramsey?”

“I don’t know. I told you that I’ve seen him today, but we haven’t talked. He’s a bit like a politician, isn’t

he?”

“He knows everyone and they know him. It’s the way he gets business. So how late did Luke stay at your

house last night?”

“I don’t know. I went to bed,” Joce said, watching Sara to see what she’d say, but she was silent. “Tell

me, has this town already mated me to one of the men?”

“I think Rams has pretty much laid claim to you.”

“How interesting,” Joce said coldly.

“You don’t like the idea?”

“I’m curious if the twenty-first century has reached this town. Whatever happened to passion? To

courtship? To men who make an effort to win you? Gifts? Banners? Dangerous driving just to get your attention?

”

“I don’t know what you’ve been reading but I want to borrow it.”

“It’s nothing,” Jocelyn said, not wanting to tell what Luke had read to her. “So who’s Luke seeing?”

“No one,” Sara said tersely. “He lives alone and dates no one.”

Jocelyn waited for Sara to say more, but she didn’t. “That’s it? Why is it that every time I mention Luke

everyone clams up? Is he an escaped prisoner hiding from the law?”

“Sort of,” Sara said as she looked down at her hands.

“You have something to tell me, don’t you?”

“Nothing important, just…” Sara trailed off.

“You’ve met a man.”

“Yes!” Sara said. “Joanne Langley introduced us.”

“And she is?”

“The local Realtor. Sometime it’s hard to remember that you haven’t always lived here.”

“That may be the greatest compliment I’ve ever received,” Jocelyn said drily. “So tell me about him.”

“He’s tall, blond, and rich. Of course the rich doesn’t matter, but—”

“You’re not throwing him out because of it. So tell me everything.”

“Greg Anders—that’s his name—recently bought an old house just on the outskirts of town. Actually, the

oldest part of the house was the overseer’s cottage for Edilean Manor.”

“That’s not a good image—and don’t you dare call me a Yankee!”

“Okay,” Sara said, smiling.

“So what’s he like?”

“So far, we’ve only been on one date, but he was charming and intelligent, and…and I felt a kind of

loneliness coming from him that made me want to…”

“Adopt him?”

“Actually, to marry him, and have three kids. Yesterday I bought a copy of
Modern Bride.
”

“My goodness! That bad that fast?”

“Yeah, I think so. You know what? I think it was fate.”

“How so?”

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“You know Joanne…No, you don’t know her, but she’s the town matchmaker. If you’re single and look at

even an apartment through her she’ll start looking for a companion for you. Her sister-in-law is a wedding

planner, so it works out.”

“So how did fate work with you?”

“Greg chose me. Joanne and he had a long lunch, and she told him about all the many single women around

here, and—”

“Including me?”

“No,” Sara said, then seemed to catch herself. “Sure, she must have.”

Jocelyn decided to ignore that slip. “So Greg chose you from what? Photos? I can understand that.” Today

Sara had flowers in her long blonde hair, and her dress was of soft, cream-colored cotton with little rosebuds

embroidered on the bodice.

“No. Joanne didn’t have pictures. She just told him about some women. Since Greg is a businessman, she

first suggested Tess, but Greg said he didn’t think he’d like being around a woman who spent her life with

lawyers.”