Legacy (40 page)

I saw her reflection in the glass as she came in. 'You're looking quite well,' I said. 'I should think we're likely to see a migration to the beaches once the ladies catch sight of what agreeable things the ocean climate does for one's appearance. Did you have a good day?'

She rested her hand lightly on my shoulder for a moment. 'It was good to be busy again. I must say the staff in the kitchen has kept on its toes since I left.' She fingered the white lace wrapper. 'I know there's going to be talk about my coming out of mourning after not even three months. But Sam wouldn't have wanted it tonight. He'd be happy with your choice. He wouldn't want anything to detract from the celebration.'

'I'm sure you're right, Mother. He would have approved.'

She crossed over to the blue velvet settee, where she could still see my reflection clearly. She was silent for a moment after she had sat down, one hand touching her brown hair lightly, absent-mindedly, as though she had forgotten something.

Then abruptly she asked, 'Is that why you're doing it, Catherine?'

'I beg your pardon?'

'Because your father would have approved? Is that why you're marrying this Justin McKay?'

'Why, no, of course not. Whatever would give you that idea?'

'A mother can see things. When I look at you, I don't see a woman in love. Of course, there are other reasons to be married . . . '

'Oh, nonsense, Mother. Of course I'm in love with Justin. I've just been working hard. That's why I don't look all starry-eyed. I'm tired, that's all.' I could see that easily enough for myself. After more than two months of working twelve or more hours every day but Sunday, my features had certainly lost some of their youthful softness.

'Then I think you ought to have a vacation. Take some time to rest before you make your . . .'

'I'm perfectly well, Mother. I've been making decisions every day, and we're making more profit now than we were before. Even with the new Eagles Mere lumber camp, we've got more orders than we have stock to fill them with, and I've already been able to reduce the principal on three of our loans.'

Mother raised her eyebrows and shook her head slightly, her green eyes steady. 'That's not the kind of decision I'm talking about, dear, even though you're doing very well, indeed.'

'I'm almost ready to get Legacy back from the Graybars! I can't stop now!'

'But are you happy?'

I spun around to face her. The rather severely cut brown jacket and dress that I was still wearing after the day's work suddenly seemed drab, almost unfeminine, and for a moment so did my success. What nonsense! How foolish even to waste a moment thinking that way! 'Of course I'm happy. I'm doing what I set out to do, and I'm succeeding.'

'I know that, dear. And I think it's just wonderful. Lord knows I'd not be able to manage things as well as you've done. But what I'm wondering is whether it's Justin McKay who's making you happy. Or would you be just as happy if it were someone else?'

I considered this for a moment, reminding myself at the same time that Mother really had my best interests at heart. It was not like her to meddle; whatever her reason was for questioning me about my engagement, it must have seemed important to her.

But it would not change my feelings for Justin. I chose my words carefully, trying to think it through for myself even as I told Mother. 'We get along well. Of course, we've both been busy, but that seems to help, really. I can see things that he could do with his investments, and he does the same for mine. The way he did so for Legacy would be a case in point. He knows I want it back for us, so he's helping me break the Graybars. In a few more weeks they're going to have to sell it to me or go bankrupt. And I couldn't have done it without Justin's help.'

Mother's eyes widened with interest. 'Do you want to tell me what you've done?'

'Well, it's quite simple, really. The Graybars are counting on a new charter for the Boom Company so that they can make a big profit selling their shares to the public. And the legislature has just passed a bill approving the charter they need.'

'Brad must be pleased with himself,' Mother said dryly. 'He always did like to think he had the knack of bribing those scalawags in Harrisburg. The way he used to talk, he was the one who single-handedly got the original charter approved.'

Something in Mother's tone of voice made me recall what Brad had said about her. It had seemed so true then, but was it? She certainly wasn't talking about Brad as though he was once her lover . . . but it was foolish to waste time speculating about the past. I would never ask her about it; I knew that. I knew she had loved Father very deeply, and I was not going to do anything that would spoil the way she remembered him now.

I brought my attention back to the present. 'Brad's going to have a surprise, though. That charter bill isn't law until Governor Hartranft signs it. And it so happens that the governor is an acquaintance of Justin's. We expect the governor will veto the bill.'

Mother nodded. 'So it won't be long until you've got the Graybars in a fix. I wouldn't look for Brad to give in without a fight, though. He's a treacherous old dog!'

'Don't worry, Mother, we're ahead of him. We've even worked out the details of the sheriffs auction, just in case he refuses to sell Legacy when we make him the offer. Justin worked it out, and I've seen to the details myself. Unless something unforeseen happens, I'll be the only bidder when Legacy comes up.'

'Justin seems to have thought of everything. Is that why you're marrying him? Surely he's more than just a good business partner.'

I blushed, indignant. 'Of course, we're attracted to one another, if that's what you mean. Even though we're both quite busy, we have our private moments.' And this was true, I told myself. Of course, our passion was not the same as that intense compulsion I had known with Steven Graybar. It was not even as intense as the initial way I had felt about Justin that early morning when the two of us stood beside the stream above the lumber camp. The times we had shared during the past months were more quiet, more comfortable, somehow. And that was good. I had suffered enough from passion, I told myself. I wanted never again to lose myself to Steven Graybar, or to anyone else like him.

But how could I explain that to Mother? Well, there was no reason to. I didn't have to justify myself. It was my choice to make, and I was making it. That was all.

She waited, smoothing the folds of her green silk skirt, as if she expected me to say more. But when I did not elaborate, she nodded as if she understood. 'Well, I'm glad for that,' she said, smiling. 'I just didn't want you to make the same mistake I almost did once, confusing admiration with love. I almost lost your father because of that mistake - and then it turned out that the man I thought was so all-fired admirable wasn't fit to clean your father's boots.'

She stood up, her smile more tight-lipped and her gaze far away, her eyes shining. 'Sam Rawlings made me cry enough after that - and before that, too, Lord knows! But I never was sorry. The love made up for the bad times.'

For a moment she seemed lost in reverie as she stood there. But then she drew the white lace wrapper around her more tightly, clearing her throat. 'Land sakes, it's only fifteen minutes till they'll be here! I'd better get downstairs and let you have time to get ready. Don't rush. You're the guest of honor; you come down when you want to.'

After giving me a friendly pat on my shoulder, she was gone before I could say anything more than 'thank you' in reply.

While I dressed, I thought about what Mother had said, congratulating myself that I had not allowed Brad Graybar's proposal to reach her. So it had been true! But it was certainly different from the way Brad had made it sound. What arrogance for him to think that she had been practically waiting for her freedom so that she could rejoin him at last! It was like the way Steven seemed to think of me, as though I were simply marking time until he chose to claim me again! Well, he would have his surprise. Both of them would. Just wait until the governor's office announced that their precious bill had been vetoed!

As I selected my gown, my thoughts also turned to what Mother had implied about Justin. Of course he was more than a business partner. The feelings we shared were simply quieter, that was all. And they would grow more intense. I knew they would. I could make him forget that I was in the slightest way connected with business; I was sure of that. I would make him recognize me as a woman.

I had chosen my gown carefully, a light blue silk with long sleeves and a snug-fitting waist, both of which accented the low cut and equally snug bodice. The soft curves of my breasts swelled against the smooth fabric, showing a décolletage that ought to take Justin's mind away from business matters in short order! I hummed as I applied a few drops of cologne, then put on a single strand of pearls, the one piece of real jewelry I had allowed myself since I had sold the rest in New York. After thinking for a moment, I decided to wear my hair at shoulder length rather than pin it up again. The way it shone, lustrous, in the last rays of the setting sun, it might look even more fascinating in the gaslight later this evening, or in the moonlight, if Justin and I chose to take some air in the garden . . .

Finally, with my stiff petticoats rustling, I descended the stairs, savoring the admiring glances and murmurs of our guests, who had gathered below. Reverend Scott began the applause, and soon the rest had joined in. I felt the color rising in my cheeks. By the time Justin stepped forward to take my hand, I was sure I was blushing furiously. 'Thank goodness we don't get engaged every week!' I whispered as he drew me to his side.

'You look just lovely tonight,' he said easily, giving my hand a squeeze, 'just lovely. And remind me to tell you, I've got some good news.'

During dinner, while the guests on either side of us were busy with their portions of pheasant cashmere, Justin told me the news. The governor's veto had come today, late this very afternoon. He had got the telegraph message just before he had left to come here tonight. Smiling faintly, Justin seemed quite satisfied with what we had done. 'Shouldn't wonder if Brad himself doesn't have the news by now. He won't even know what hit him.'

For some curious reason I felt sad, thinking about the disappointment and shock that the Graybars would feel at having their fortunes so suddenly lost, especially at the very time that their hopes were so high. Now they would have to face the same ordeal I had gone through, but from a much weaker position.

'It cost us eighty-five hundred,' Justin was saying casually, as though he had been talking about the weather. 'But I think it's worth it. Whatever we pick up at the auction is bound to be at least double that in value. Just that mountain alone, or even the mansion . . .'

' I think we ought to talk about this some other time,' I said, managing to keep my voice calm enough so that Judge Hawthorne, who had begun to listen from his seat across the table, had no idea that I was in any way upset.

After our guests had sampled their fill of the desserts - a giant-sized Charlotte Russe, coconut steeples, and apple meringue pie - and after the coffee had been sipped and the toasts were completed, the men remained at the table while Mother and I retired to the west parlor with the rest of the ladies. Now was the time for me to show my ring to those who had not already admired it and to make small talk with those who had until the men had finished their brandy and were ready to join us again. I was feeling impatient to talk with Justin again, for I had the uncomfortable feeling that he had misunderstood about Legacy. 'We,' he had said, but that was not the way it must be. The title to Legacy would be in the name of Catherine Rawlings, and no one else, not even Justin. This was a family matter; surely I would be able to make Justin see that.

My thoughts were only half-attending to the smiles and polite talk there in the parlor until Amanda Scott came forward to offer her congratulations. I noted that Amanda had put on weight and looked less animated now. I ought to be charitable now, I told myself. I knew how she had worshipped Justin, and how hurt she must have been, though she did not show it, when Justin had politely implied about a month ago that her volunteer services would be better appreciated at the Holt Clinic than at his own. The Holt Clinic was a small local institution where the wealthy with addictions to opium or liquor could go for mineral baths and heat treatments. Every effort was made to keep the names of the 'guests', as they were called, confidential. One of the well-guarded names was that of the former Mrs. McKay. As I understood the story, though scarcely lucid, she had insisted on remaining near Justin after the divorce. Rather than create scenes similar to the one he had endured the day he left us outside the lumber camp, Justin had decided to put her in the Holt Clinic. Perhaps that was the reason he had suggested the same place for Amanda, I had thought at the time. Perhaps her red hair reminded him of his wife's. I had teased Justin about that one night, about his not knowing what to do with all his women, and he had smiled a bit. 'Well, neither of them will bother us where they are now. So you don't have to be jealous!'