Promoted to Wife (Destiny Bay) (5 page)

“And you’re going to live here in the meantime?” she’d asked him.
 

He’d shrugged. “For the summer, at any rate. Then, who knows?”

That all seemed a little vague to her, but it wasn’t her grandfather, and it wasn’t her mansion. Her own father was the only one she was concerned about. This was all for him and she was glad to do it.
 

“How many footmen do you have working for you?” her father demanded later, and was horrified to hear there weren't any at all. “How can you possibly run a house that size without footmen? Who will take care of the deliveries? Who will wait at table?”

The calls didn't annoy her. Terry knew he was just trying to keep in touch. She also knew her father had no doubt that she was going to be a great butler. She only hoped she could live up to his expectations—and her own goals.

She raced around the house, putting bedrooms in order for the two children, dusting the furniture, making sure the house was presentable.

Rick went out for an hour. He came back carrying books and a heavy briefcase. On his way in, he stopped by the kitchen, where Terry was making up inventory lists.

“Got anything you want me to do?” he asked, and it seemed to her that he really meant it. “Any heavy stuff to be lifted or tall ladders to climb?”

She gave him a skeptical look, wondering what his angle might be. Was it just her, or was he being a little too nice to the help? She wasn’t used to getting this sort of consideration from the men she worked with.

She hesitated for a moment, tempted. There were some heavy logs that needed to come in for the fireplaces. She would have loved to ask for his help there. But she quickly stifled the impulse, knowing that his offer was just another sign that he really didn't think she could do this job. Nope, she had to do things on her own. That was the only way she would ever be able to prove herself.

“No thanks,” she said, keeping her eyes on her lists. “I
can manage.”

He disappeared into the den. She saw him going over papers when she peeked in. It seemed that Rick Carrington
wasn't quite the playboy she'd pictured him to be. He was actually turning out to be something of a workaholic.

He glanced up and nodded, as though he was thinking about something else and hardly recognized her. And that, she thought to herself as she went on down the hall, was probably a good thing.
 

She slipped out shortly after lunch and drove down into the shopping district. Destiny Bay was a typical California beach town, with its little pastel houses, a fully operational marina, beachfront shops, a downtown section with two department stores and several wealthy enclaves.
 

Terry had spent most of the summers of her teenaged years here, when her father was working for the elder Carrington and the place hadn’t changed much. She smiled as she recognized stores from the old days, and especially as she passed by Mickey’s on the Bay, a simple seaside café that was run by a second cousin of hers. She didn’t have time to stop in now, but she made a note to do so soon. She hadn’t seen her in years, but Mickey had always been one of her favorite relatives.
 

She found a quick-print shop easily and had business cards made. “Terry Yardley, Professional Butler, White Glove Service Guaranteed” , with her cell phone number. She smiled, looking them over. That ought to do it.
 

She raced back to the Carrington estate and began hunting down her boss. The car was still in the driveway, but she couldn’t find him anywhere. That was odd. She went upstairs and looked out from the music room, a round space that was all windows and looked out over the entire estate. There was someone outlined in black against the blue sky, standing on the cliffs that jutted out over the surf below.
 

Something about the way he was standing there, slightly leaning out, as though against the wind, made her heart skip a beat. He wouldn’t jump, would he?
 

She bit her lower lip. What a dumb thing to think. The man had it all——money and a place in society that pretty much let him do whatever he wanted to do. That was the way it looked from here at any rate.
 

“Don’t be silly,” she muttered to herself.
 

And yet—a memory of the way his eyes had glazed over with sadness swam back into her mind. There was something putting a damper on his happiness. That must have been what had given her the idea he might be contemplating a leap into the sea.
 

“Fat chance,” she muttered as she began to make her way down the stairs. And just to prove it, she decided to go out onto the cliffs herself and see if he needed anything. Just to be safe.
 

“Hey there,” she called as she came within hailing distance. “I’ve got something for you.”

He spun and stared at her, almost as though she’d awakened him from a dream. “No kidding,” he said, but he looked puzzled, as though he wasn’t sure why she had come out such a way from the house and wished she hadn’t. Now she really felt foolish, because all she’d brought him was the card she’d had printed up.

Then he shook his head, shaking the mood away, and smiled at her. “You came back. I thought you’d gone.”

“Gone? Why would I go?”

He shrugged. “I saw you drive off. I thought maybe you’d had second thoughts about this whole butler thing.”

“Au contraire,” she told him with a flip look. “In fact, I went to get these made. Look.” She handed one to him.
 

He stared at the card for a moment, then looked at her and laughed. “So that makes it official, does it? Now that you have cards.”

“Exactly.” Her smile was definitely impertinent and she meant it to be. “And who are you to say otherwise?”

He shook his head, bemused. “I wish all careers were that easy to establish,” he said. “Just print up a card and off you go.”

“Why not?”

His gaze met hers and he frowned, searching her eyes. “Why not?” he whispered. “Why the hell not?”
 

There was something in his intensity that disturbed her. She knew she ought to head back toward the house. But she couldn’t go yet. She couldn’t just leave him here.
 

“So what are you doing out here on the cliff?” she asked.
 

That was not a question a servant ought to ask and he was obviously not going to give her a real answer.
 

“Thinking,” he said, as though that covered all bases. He gazed out over the sea with a distant look, seeing things he wasn’t going to explain. “Just thinking.” He shaded his eyes, looking further.
 

“You know what I used to do when I was a kid and I got upset?” he said softly, almost to himself. “When troubles got too heavy? When I didn’t think I could cope?” He snapped his fingers in the wind. “I used to grab a board and go surfing at the point.”
 

He turned and looked at her, his eyes bright with sudden anticipation. “In fact, I think I’ll do that right now,” he said.

“What? But…aren’t your kids going to arrive soon?”

“I’ll be back long before that.” He gave her a grin and started off. “Surfing! Why didn’t I think of that before?” he called back. He flashed her business card at her. “Now that I’ve got a professional butler taking care of things, I’m free as a bird.” And he laughed as he began to sprint toward the garage where she assumed his surfboard was stored.
 

She followed more slowly, and by the time she got back to the house, his car was gone.
 

He was back two hours later. When he came in, he
found her arranging
flowers for the entryway table. He started to walk by, then hesitated and turned back.
 

“Has anyone tried to sneak a naked girl in here
yet?” he asked hopefully.

She turned to look at him. His hair had been wet and was drying unevenly, spiking out around his head in a way that made her want to laugh. His face reminded her of a little boy wondering when
his party was going to start. She bit back a smile, but it took effort.
 

“No,” she said. “Sorry to disappoint you, sir.”

“Too bad.” He shook his head sadly. “Oh well, last
year with the naked centerfold was probably a high
point.” His sigh was heartrending. “It was just a little too good to be true, wasn’t it?”

She told herself not to respond, but she just couldn’t hold it back. “That’s a matter of taste, I would say,” she murmured, then frowned as though completely concentrated on arranging flowers.
 

“Taste. Ah yes.” He grinned. “This year Johnny will probably spell out 'Happy Birthday' on the front lawn with flattened
hedgehogs or something equally repulsive.” He grimaced.
“It hasn't been a good year all around.”

She nodded, trying not to smile. “How were the waves?” she asked.
 

“Not so good,” he answered. “But it felt great to get in the water and paddle around. And I ran into my cousin Tag at the marina, who I hadn’t seen in a long time. So all in all, it was a success.” He stretched. “It had really been too long. I just hope I get some more opportunities after the kids get here.”

The kids. The children. They were both on tenterhooks waiting for the big arrival.
 

He went back into the den and she heard papers rus
tling. She wondered what it was he actually did. She
knew his family owned numerous business concerns and
were on the boards of many others. Whatever it was,
Rick had plenty of work to do.

But Terry didn't have any more time to think about that. She raced around for the next two hours, putting
everything into proper order. When the time came for the
children to arrive, she was ready to crawl into bed and
sleep the night away.

“You've changed your clothes,” Rick remarked as he
watched her emerge from the kitchen side of the house a
while later.

“My gosh, you're right,” she said sarcastically without thinking.
She bit her lip. One couldn't talk that way to the master
of the house!
 

“What I meant to say,” she hurriedly
added, “was-- of course, sir. I felt it was appropriate to put
on more formal attire for the arrival of the children.”

She wasn't about to put on tails, but she had brought along a supply of navy-blue skirts and white blouses to
wear on the job. She'd agonized over what to wear.
Should she wear pants and tie and try to be as much like
a man as possible? She'd decided against that. Who really
wanted to see a woman dressed like a man? No, she
would dress with feminine dignity. At least, she would
try.

But Rick didn't seem to approve. He shook his head.

“You've changed your tone too. I like you better the way I found you in my closet this morning.” He frowned, his gaze skimming across her face and down toward the opening of her crisp shirt. “Can't we forget about this
butler business for a while?”

She looked into his eyes and remembered, suddenly, why she'd been avoiding his gaze. There was too much in those eyes. She got the impression he could see things in her she didn’t want seen, and that he found them infinitely amusing. But it didn’t annoy her at all. Instead, she found it tugged at her, tried to pull her closer. And she didn’t want that.
 

“I think I hear the car,” she said unevenly, dragging
her gaze from his. She was going to have to remember a new rule—never look into the eyes of a man you don't
want to fall in love with.

Her hand flew to her mouth. Had she really thought
those words? What was the matter with her? She was letting the excitement of this first day on the job get to
her.

“You okay?” he asked, right behind her.

She nodded. Outside, a car door slammed. She went to
the massive front door and flung it open.

A long black limousine was parked at the end of the front walk. The middle-aged chauffeur was opening the car door for the two occupants.
 

The girl slid out first.
Terry knew she was twelve, but she looked at least three
years older than that, and more like a model for a slick magazine than a little girl. Her blond hair was cut in a
modern wedge style, the top layer falling over the shorter
hair at the sides. Long silver earrings swung from her ears, and she was dressed in a fashionable black and
white suit.
 

Terry couldn't help but remember how she'd dressed at that age. No one could pry her out of blue jeans
and T-shirts.

“This is Erica,” her father said, introducing Terry to
her. “And this is Jeremy.”

Jeremy looked like the five-year-old boy he was. He
was dressed in a little blue suit, but he carried a huge
stuffed koala bear held tightly in his arms. With his wide
brown eyes and button nose, he looked a bit like a koala
himself.

The children seemed to take her in stride. They barely wasted a nod on her. They were looking at their father warily, as though unsure of what to expect from him.
 

Terry had a sudden picture of her own homecoming
after camp one year, how she'd flung herself into her father's arms and they'd laughed together.