"No way you're going to take more than half of what you have left in cash and buy that place."
She smiled thinly at Margo. "Yes, I am. Oh, yes, I am. I'm still a Templeton. It's time I started to act like one." Before she could change her mind, she picked up the business card Margo had tossed on the table and dialed the phone. "Louisa, it's Laura Templeton. Yes, that's right. I want to make an offer on the building we looked at this afternoon."
When she hung up, she pulled off her wedding and engagement rings. Guilt and liberation twisted inside her. "You're the expert, Margo. How much can I expect to get for these?"
Margo eyed the five-carat round-cut and the band with sparkling channel-set diamonds. At least, she mused, there was some small justice in the world. "Kate, don't worry about liquidating anything. It looks like we got the down payment out of Peter after all."
Later that night Margo sat in her room scribbling figures, drawing rough sketches, making lists. She needed to think about paint and paper and plumbing. The shop space had to be remodeled to include a dressing room, and that meant carpenters.
She could move in on the top floor as it was, which would save her the drive down to Monterey every day to check on progress. In fact, she could cut corners if she painted it herself rather than hiring professionals.
How hard could it be to roll paint on a wall?
"Yes, come in," she called at the knock on her door and wondered if carpenters charged by the hour or the job.
"Margo?''
Distracted, she glanced up, blinked at her mother. "Oh. I thought it was one of the girls."
"It's nearly midnight. They're sleeping."
"I lost track of the time." She pushed at the papers scattered over the bed.
"You always did. Daydreaming." Ann skimmed her gaze over the papers, amused at the numbers her daughter had added and subtracted. It had taken bribes and threats and shouts to get Margo to do the simplest arithmetic homework when she was a child. "You forgot to carry the five," Ann said.
"Oh. Well." Margo shoved the paper aside. "I really need one of those little calculators Kate's always got in her pocket."
"I was talking to Miss Kate before she left. She said you're going into business."
"And that's laughable for someone who doesn't remember to carry the five." Margo pushed herself off the bed and picked up the wineglass she'd brought up with her. "Would you like a drink, Mum, or are you still on duty?"
Saying nothing, Ann moved into the adjoining bath and came out with a tumbler. She poured wine. "Miss Kate thinks you've thought it through fairly well, and though the odds are against you, it may work."
"Kate's always so blindly optimistic."
"She's a sensible woman, and she's given me fine financial advice over the years."
"Kate's your accountant?" With a little laugh, Margo sat again. "I should have known."
"You'd be wise to use her services if you go through with this business of yours."
"I'm going through with this business of mine." Prepared to see doubt and derision on her mother's face, Margo flicked her eyes up. "Number one, I don't have many options. Number two, selling things people don't need is what I do best. And number three, Laura's counting on me."
"Those are three good reasons." There was nothing on Ann's face but a small, enigmatic smile. "Miss Laura is footing the bill."
"I didn't ask her," Margo said, stung. "I didn't want her to. She got the idea in her head to buy the building, and there was no shaking it out." When Ann remained silent, Margo crumpled up a sheet of paper and heaved it. "Damn it, I'm putting everything I have into this. Everything I own, everything I worked for. It's not a lot of cash, but it's everything I have."
"Money's not so important as time and effort."
"It's pretty damn important right now. We don't have a lot to start with."
Nodding as she wandered about, looking for something to straighten, Ann considered. "Miss Kate told me what Mr. Ridgeway has done." Ann took a long, deep gulp of wine. "The cold, blackhearted bastard should rot in everlasting hell. Please God."
With a laugh, Margo lifted her glass. "Finally, something we can agree on. I'll drink to it."
"Miss Laura believes in you, and Miss Kate, too, in her fashion."
"But you don't," Margo countered.