Twilight's Child (Cutler 3)

When neither of us spoke, he added, "I've had a discussion with my attorney, and he was not happy about this. However, your locating us was surely inappropriate, if not out-and-out illegal. There are laws protecting the parents of adopted children and the children themselves, laws specifically against this sort of thing."

"We're not here to cause anyone any trouble, Mr. Osborne," I replied quickly, before Jimmy could speak. "I'm sure you can sympathize with our feelings and understand why we want to see Fern now."

"Kelly," he corrected. "Her name is Kelly," he repeated firmly. "You must not say Fern," he snapped.

"Kelly," I corrected. His eyes fell more heavily on me as he shifted the dog to his other arm. "Are you two husband and wife?"

"That's right," Jimmy said. A tremor of confusion passed through Clayton Osborne's face, but he quickly recovered.

"One other thing," he said. "Don't refer to me as Mr. Osborne. My name is Clayton, and my wife's name is Leslie. Kelly is a very perceptive and"—he turned to Jimmy—"precocious young girl, as I explained to you on the phone. She would pick up something like that immediately and become suspicious."

"Clayton?" a female voice called.

We all turned. Leslie Osborne had come into the hallway. She wore a jade-green blouse and jeans. I thought she had the figure of a dancer—small-breasted with a narrow waist and long, sleek legs. She had very light brown hair tied behind her head with a turquoise ribbon and wore no makeup, but she had the sort of face that didn't require much. Her lips were naturally bright red, her blue eyes crystalline and her complexion perfect, her skin as smooth and as clear as alabaster.

"Why are you staying in the entryway so long?" she asked.

"We were just greeting one another," he explained quickly. "This is my wife, Leslie," he said. She stepped toward us, extending her hand. I saw she wore two diamond stud earrings in her pierced ears.

"How do you do?" she said.

I took her hand in mine. Her fingers were long and thin, but her palms were puffy with muscle. Artist's hands, I thought. I felt she was a substantially warmer and less threatened person than her husband, and even though her eyes scanned me quickly, they were friendly eyes.

"Forgive me for staring," she said, smiling. "I often forget I'm doing it. It's an occupational hazard. You see, I'm an artist."

"I understand," I said. I had almost said, "I know," but I didn't, because I didn't want her to know how much spying we had done.

"Well, Clayton?" she said, turning to him.

"You take them into the living room, and I'll get Kelly," he instructed.

"Right this way," Leslie said, indicating the room to the right.

"Thank you," I said, and jimmy and I walked into their living room.

The Osbornes' townhouse appeared to be a large two-story building with thick carpets and elegant old furniture immaculately maintained. From what I could see, every room was a showcase filled with expensive and beautiful things. There were paintings everywhere, and because of the signature I spotted on them, I knew most were Leslie's. But here and there were rural scenes painted by other artists. Fern had been brought up in this world, a world of elegance and art, a world filled with rich and good things, I thought. I wondered how it had shaped her.

"Please have a seat," Leslie said, indicating the chestnut silk sofa. "And quickly tell me something about yourselves before they arrive. Where do you live?" she asked, sitting on the matching settee.

"We live in Cutler's Cove, Virginia, where I manage my family's resort, the Cutler's Cove Hotel."

"Oh, I've heard of it," Leslie said. "It must be beautiful there."

"It is."

"And how did you two . . ." She gest

ured.

"Get together?"

"Yes," she said, still smiling.

I looked at Jimmy. We both understood how difficult it would be to tell our story quickly.

"I guess we always realized we were in love.. After Jimmy joined the army we pledged ourselves to each other," I said, still looking at Jimmy. "When he was discharged we got married. By then I was living in Cutler's Cove."

"Oh, how nice," she said. Jimmy had yet to say a word to her. She stared at him, but before she could say anything to him or he could say anything to her, Clayton Osborne and Fern appeared in the doorway.