Coveting Love (Jessica Crawford) (43 page)

“
It’s my favorite time of year,” she commented, more to herself than to Brandon. “I absolutely love it, Brandon. I feel like I’ve stepped back in time.”

He chuckled. “Well, if you get tired of playing dress up and want to come back to the present, just open this door.” He walked across the room and opened the door to a spacious bathroom. Unlike its neighbor, this room was completely modern, with chrome faucets, and black and green tiled walls. There was no shower stall, only a double showerhead suspended from the ceiling. A toilet stall stood discreetly hidden behind a louvered door along one wall, a double sink stretched the length of the other wall. Directly across from Jessica’s door was another door. Brandon walked to it and opened it.

“
Just in case you get lonely,” he said with a grin.

She coyly advanced to the door and looked in. “Your room, I presume?”

“
Of course, it is.”

The room was handsomely furnished in dark mahogany with a combination of green stripes and blue plaids. An overstuffed chair sat in one corner, the polar opposite to the Victorian settee that stood in her room. She wanted to run and jump in it and curl up with one of the books from the small bookcase that stood next to it.

He read her mind. “I spend many hours in that chair.” Then he frowned. “I’m afraid it’s not big enough for the two of us.”

“
That’s okay; I guess you’ll just have to come court me in my room. I have a settee,” she announced with an aristocratic air. “Now, if you don’t mind, I really must get showered and dressed.”

She returned to the bathroom and locked the door against him. She grinned as she imagined the disappointment that most likely had spread across his face. She wondered briefly if she would get any late night visits. It wasn’t likely since they were in his mother’s home.

She showered quickly, and was just entering the bedroom when she heard a knock on the door. Expecting to see Brandon, she was surprised when a young maid entered the room, carrying a large basin of warm water.

“
I thought you might need this to wash up,” she said, setting the basin down.

Jessica looked at her, puzzled. Didn’t this young woman know there was a shower in the next room? Fearful of embarrassing her, she just smiled and thanked her. The girl emptied the basin into the porcelain pitcher and snatched a bar of lilac scented soap and a towel from the top bureau drawer. Jessica watched her with curiosity. She noted the girl’s attire. She was wearing a floor length, plain brown gown, with a white apron and black work boots. She couldn’t be more that seventeen.

“
What’s your name?” Jessica asked.

“
Mandy. It’s short for Amanda.”

“
That’s a nice name. I like it. You appear to be awfully young,” she blurted out. “What are you doing working here at such a young age?”

Mandy suddenly became defensive. “I am not too young; I’m sixteen years old. My mother says sixteen is old enough to make my way in the world,” she said in defiance.

Jessica was taken aback. This girl was even younger than she had imagined, and what about school?

“
I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you. I was just wondering. When I was sixteen I was busy going to school, studying, and going to dances with my friends.”

A shadow crossed her face, and Jessica realized that once again she had said something terribly wrong. Mandy fled from the room in tears.

“
Well, that’s just great,” Jessica said aloud. “I can tell this is going to be a terrific visit.”

She had just finished changing when she heard another knock on the door. She hoped it wasn’t Mandy back for more insults. It was apparent she was going to have a difficult time adjusting to this place. She was relieved to find Brandon, instead of Mandy, on the other side of the door.

“
What’s wrong?” Brandon asked as soon as he saw the look of dismay on her face.

“
I’m afraid I just insulted one of your maids, who, I might add, was kind enough to bring water for me, which I don’t understand, since there’s a perfectly wonderful bathroom just through that door. I feel just awful. Why, I practically accused her of playing hooky from school. I came on like a truant officer. Her name was Mandy and she was just the sweetest thing, although her sense of fashion is sorely lacking. She looked like she belonged on the set of Little House on the Prairie or something.”

Jessica stopped rambling and stared at Brandon as he threw himself across her bed in a fit of laughter.

“
What is wrong with you? I don’t see anything funny. That poor girl just ran from this room in tears. I feel sorry for her. Do you know she is just sixteen? Brandon, this is an outright crime. Why, when I was sixteen, I was out enjoying myself. Going to school, and dances, having fun with my friends, and going out on dates.”

She was pacing now, stomping her feet and waving her arms in the air. She wheeled around. “Brandon, you should do something for her. You could help her, couldn’t you? I really upset her.”

Brandon was laughing so hysterically he had to support himself to keep from falling over. This made Jessica even angrier. After several moments, he was able to bring his laughter down to a quiet chuckle. He pulled her into an embrace.

“
My sweet Jessie, I hope you never change.” He kissed her then. “You don’t need to worry about Mandy,” he tried to reassure her. She started to protest and tried to pull away. He silenced her with another kiss.

“
Amanda is well cared for. Her mother and father have been on our staff for many years. They had Mandy late in their lives, and as gratitude for their outstanding service and dedication to the family, we provide an excellent education for Amanda. She’s quite melodramatic, and like Matthew, she loves to play the nostalgic era.

She’s studying performing arts at her high school. She’s on the cheer leading squad, takes dance classes, and is the editor of her school newspaper.”

He gestured toward the washbasin. “I didn’t send that up to you. Sometimes, Amanda pretends we live back in the dark ages. I think the house does it to her. It’s a game, a way to practice her art. She was born in this house, and she is quite spoiled.

“
The maid business is a part of her game. She’s not even a part of the paid staff.” He sighed. “I’m afraid you’ve been duped. She got you.” He stroked her arm, chuckling slightly. “I’ll have a talk with her.”

She felt foolish. How could she have been so narrow-minded as to think Brandon would allow such a thing to go on in his house? The mere thought of employing a child for service as a maid in a house this size had made Jessica’s blood boil. She was relieved to discover it was just a game.

“
It’s okay. Don’t make an issue out of it. I’m fine, really. I can laugh at it now that I know she was just pretending.”

“
Are you sure?”

She nodded. “I’m sure, really.” She smiled. “She’s quite the little actress. Isn’t she?”

Brandon agreed. “Are you ready to meet Mother? She’s waiting anxiously.”

She took a deep breath. “Lead the way.”

Virginia Phillips occupied a three-room suite on the third floor. The main room was a sitting room that had two large sofas, a chaise lounge, a bookcase, a small table and chairs, and a writing desk. Off one end of the sitting room, were her bedroom and an adjoining bathroom. They found her on the chaise lounge.

To Jessica’s surprise, Mandy, juxtaposed to Virginia’s right, was reading to her. Brandon couldn’t help but chuckle a little at the blush that crept over both their faces.

Mandy put down the book, stood, and bent over to kiss Virginia on the cheek. “I’ll see you later, Granny.”

She brushed past Jessica, and their eyes met briefly. Mandy blushed and quickly looked away. A small smile played at the corners of her mouth, but she held her reserve.

“
Mother has taken Mandy under her wing, since she doesn’t have any grandparents of her own,” he explained. Jessica nodded. “She reads to her every afternoon.”

He took her hand and led her to stand beside his mother. “Jessica, I would like you to meet my mother, Virginia Phillips.”

Virginia squinted up at Jessica, having great difficulty focusing on her.

“
I can’t see well anymore, and I want to have a good look at you. Come closer please.” Jessica timidly inched her way forward, leaning over slightly. “Don’t be afraid; I won’t hurt you.”

They all laughed. Jessica knelt down in front of her. Virginia reached her hand out and cupped Jessica’s face.

“
You’re very pretty. My son has excellent taste.”

“
Thank you,” she said. “I think he’s rather handsome.”

“
Of course, he is,” Virginia said with pride. “His father was incredibly handsome, as well. He has his eyes.”

She sighed, and for a moment, her thoughts drifted to the past. Jessica figured she was envisioning herself with Brandon’s father, when their love was new and fresh. Abruptly, she pulled herself back to the present.

“
So, you’re the young lady who has made my son so happy.”

Jessica smiled at her future mother-in-law. “I hope I have. That’s certainly my intention. He’s easy to love, as I’m sure you already know.”

She cast a glance at her son and nodded. “He can also be stubborn.”

Brandon came and lifted Jessica to her feet. “Come on, Jess, Mother needs her rest; she tires easily.”

He cast a chastising look at his mother. “I’ll send someone up to help you into bed,” he said, as he bent and kissed her cheek.

Jessica, braving boldness, also bent and kissed her cheek. “It was wonderful to meet you,” she said with genuine affection. “I look forward to spending more time with you.”

“
And I with you, as well,” she replied, and kissed Jessica’s cheek in return. “Come back later. We’ll talk.”

“
All right, I will,” Jessica agreed.

After they left his mother’s room, Brandon took Jessica for a stroll in the gardens. “I think Mother likes you.”

“
I hope so. I know I like her. She’s quite a remarkable woman. She’s beautiful, as well.”

Brandon nodded. “You should have seen her when she was young. Mother could turn heads, as they say.” A shadow crossed his face, but he shook if off. “She was the belle of the ball. My father was always awed over the fact that she chose him over all her other suitors. They used to joke that she married him for his money, and he married her for her looks, but everyone knew they were madly in love. She was crushed when he died.”

They walked in silence for a while. Brandon was deep in thought, and Jessica didn’t want to intrude. She stopped and smelled a rose. Brandon stopped beside her.

“
My parents hosted many parties when they were younger. My father was an important businessman. Entertaining was an important part of his life. My mother was a wonderful hostess, and no matter how hard she tried, no woman could ever outshine her. Women used to come to the party just to see what Mother was wearing.”

A tear formed in the corner of his eye and Jessica tenderly wiped at it.

“
Once, when I was a boy, a fight broke out at one of their parties. It was a special party that night, so there were many people here. They were honoring an important man, some foreign dignitary Father had met on a trip overseas. People came from all over the state to see him.

“
There was Mother all done up in her special gown she had commissioned for the occasion. With her hair all piled high on her head, and her best pearls around her neck, she looked like a princess. She was the envy of all the women, and the men couldn’t keep their eyes off her.

“
Mother didn’t know I saw the fight. I was hiding at the top of the stairs. I often did that during their parties. I couldn’t see much, but just the thought of knowing what was happening below thrilled me. I would lay on the top landing with my belly pressed flat to the ground. Isabelle, that’s Mandy’s mother, would often catch me hiding there and shoo me back to bed. But not that night, although I often wish she had caught me.

“
That night I saw one of the men from the party chasing my mother. I was frightened of the man, and I knew Mother was, too. I thought about running to find Father, but then they would know I had been spying, and I would ruin my chances of seeing future parties. Also, I was up way past my bedtime and didn’t want to be whipped.” He buried his head in his hands and added in barely a whisper, “So I kept quiet.”

A stream of emotions crossed his face then, and she knew that what he witnessed that night had left him scarred. She wanted to reach out and touch him, pull his head against her breast, comfort him like a child. She wanted to soothe him and tell him everything would be okay. She didn’t, though. Her greed to know all that had happened that night kept her silent.

As he continued the story, she watched the emotions play across his face like an emotional roller coaster, and when the anger surfaced, she was reminded of the first day she had met Jeffrey, at the summerhouse. Brandon wore the same angry look now that was on his face then. Whatever happened that night had left a permanent scar on his heart. It was time to exorcise his memories, and she wanted to help.

“
I heard Mother tell Mrs. Parkinson she wished the man hadn’t come that evening. Mrs. Parkinson said Mother should tell Father and he would make the man leave, but Mother said she didn’t want to make trouble and spoil everyone’s fun, especially Father’s, so she kept quiet. She decided she would just avoid him, but she couldn’t.”