True Love (Nantucket Brides 1)

Alix was smiling broadly. It made her feel good that he’d taken her advice. “Were they glad to see you in New York?” She wanted to know how he was feeling about being back in his office, but she’d long ago learned to never directly ask a man about feelings.

“Tim and Stanley were ecstatic, but I ripped apart eight designs of the employees. They wanted me to go back to hell, where they think I live when I’m not in the office.”

Alix laughed. “Wouldn’t they be shocked to hear what a nice man you really are?” she said, then took a breath to get up her courage. “Miss me?”

“Ferociously. I showed three of your hand sketches to one of the morons Tim hired. The kid now hates you.”

“Really?!” Alix said with so much enthusiasm that Jared laughed.

“Yes, really. You know, you should invite Dr. Huntley of the NHS over and ask him to find out what he can about that guy Kendricks. Besides, Huntley probably misses Aunt Addy’s tea parties. And he’s great friends with your mother, so if you talk about her, no doubt he’ll do whatever you want him to. Just be sure you don’t let him near the attic. Those historians can be kleptos if you give them a chance. If it’s old, they want to put it under glass and charge admission to see it.”

“Gladly,” Alix said, laughing.

“I have to go. Think you can find me a name and address of who to see in Warbrooke?”

“Sure.”

“I have to go now but I’ll call you about nine and we can talk about sex.”

“Great idea!” she said with enthusiasm and they hung up.

Alix tossed her phone on the bed and went to stand in front of the portrait of Captain Caleb. “Did you hear that? The Great Jared Montgomery showed my sketches to an employee! I am in heaven!” She danced around a bit, then pulled out her sketchbook. She had an idea for the guesthouse and she wanted to get it down before it faded.

A few days later, the permits for the North Shore chapel came through so Alix’s father, with contractor Twig Perkins and his men, broke ground. From the first day Ken had forbidden Alix to help. “You have enough to do for Izzy,” he’d said. “Let me do this.”

She knew he meant to make the building as a gift, but still, she wanted to stay the day of the ground breaking. What would they find in the ruins of the old house? Bones?

There was nothing. Some charred timbers, but nothing else. She didn’t know whether to be relieved or disappointed. So far, they’d found out nothing that could be used in solving the mystery about Valentina.

Alix knew she should go to the attic and start her research, but something inside her said, Not yet. Besides, Jared kept discouraging her from delving into it. “Just stay on the Net and wait until I get back and we’ll go through all of it together,” he’d said. It was too enticing a suggestion for her to turn down.

When Ken heard from Alix that Jared was driving north into what he called “antiques country,” he immediately called him. Alix had to conceal her laughter when she heard her father tell Jared what he was to buy somewhere between Vermont and Maine. “A stained-glass window,” Ken said. “And I don’t want one of those cheap, modern ones with heavy lead and big sheets of glass. Get something old and well made. Nothing later than about 1910. After the war, all that craftsmanship and attention to detail fell apart.”

What was funny was that he was talking to a man considered to be one of the greatest … etc. But Ken treated Jared like a fourteen-year-old kid who knew more about hot-wiring cars than how to choose a stained-glass window.

“Did you write down the dimensions?” Ken asked. “Good! Just don’t lose your phone. When you get to Maine ask someone where you can get antiques of quality.” Ken listened. “Yeah, yeah, architectural salvage will be fine. What? Oh, yeah, she’s right here.” Ken handed the phone to his daughter. “He wants to talk to you.”

“Your father!” Jared said in exasperation and she understood. “Heard from your mom?”

“No. You thought she’d show up here right away.”

“The only reason she hasn’t is because I called her and said I was hot on the trail of Aunt Addy’s journals. But I added that if Victoria showed up on Nantucket she’d so dazzle my informant that I’d lose my contact.”

“And you made all that up on your own?”

“I did,” he said.

“Don’t tell Mom you’re so good at lying or she’ll want you to plot her next novel. I bet she loved hearing that she’d dazzle someone,” Alix said.

“I think she took it as her due. She certainly wasn’t surprised by the accolade,” Jared said. “By the way, if your dad doesn’t like what I buy he can damned well shove it.”

“I’ll give him your message.”

Jared lowered his voice. “You tell him I said that and I’ll tell your mother you have the journals.”

“You are cruel,” Alix said. “Really cruel.”

She invited Dr. Frederick Huntley to tea on Sunday afternoon. Alix was surprised at how much she remembered about Aunt Addy’s tea parties. She knew where the good set of Herend china was hidden. Getting on her hands and knees, she rummaged far back inside a cabinet to pull out the beautiful green and white teapot, the sugar and creamer, and two cups and saucers.