Ever After (Nantucket Brides 3)

“Of course.” She led the way past the dark living room. She was startled to see the big flatscreen TV that had been set up at the end of the room, with chairs facing it. How in the world had she and Jamie not heard this being put in? But then the thunder of the storm—the one that didn’t happen—must have covered the noise.

She waited for Jilly to finish in the bathroom, but then she heard what sounded like retching. She softly tapped on the door. “Are you all right?”

When Jilly opened the door, her face was without color.

Hallie took over. She sat Jilly on the side of the tub, got a washcloth, and soaked it in cold water. “How about we get you to the hospital?”

“No,” Jilly said. “It was like this the last time. I’ll be fine in a few minutes. Just let me sit here.”

Hallie filled a glass with water and handed it to her. Did this woman have something physically wrong with her? An illness? Maybe she…Hallie stepped back to wring out the cloth. It was like this the last time, she’d said. “When are you due?” Hallie asked.

Jilly gave a sigh. “About seven months from now. No one knows, not even my soon-to-be husband, Ken.”

Hallie frowned at that.

“No, it’s not like that. He’s in Lanconia right now. He’s known Graydon’s bride since she was a baby. I was going to go too, but their wedding was moved forward because Toby is pregnant—and only family knows that.”

“Toby is the bride?”

“Yes,” Jilly said. “She finally drove Graydon to the limit of what he could resist and…” Jilly waved her hand. “It’s a long story, but our wedding dates ended up very close together and I used that as my excuse not to go with Ken. If I’d told him that I was expecting, he wouldn’t have gone.”

“And he would have missed the wedding.” Bending, Hallie put her hands on Jilly’s neck and began massaging it.

“If even one person in my family suspects my condition, it will spread like a forest fire. And Ken will be hurt that he didn’t hear first.”

“We’ll just have to keep it a secret until he returns. It’ll be between you and me. And tomorrow I’ll put you on my massage table and get rid of the tension in your shoulders.” She looked Jilly in the eyes. “Everything will be all right. In fact, why don’t you stay here tonight? If you’re having morning sickness in the evening, it won’t take much for anyone to guess what the problem is.” She could feel the tension in Jilly loosening. “We’d better go back or the men will worry.” She rinsed out the cloth.

“What were you and Jamie arguing about—if I may ask?”

“I was talking to an old friend on the phone and Jamie got quite unpleasant.” She looked at Jilly. “Do you think he was jealous?”

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“Probably,” Jilly said, then caught Hallie’s hand. “Thank you. Thank you for this and especially for making Jamie display a normal emotion. For years now he hasn’t really been back with us. Does that make sense?”

“Perfect sense,” Hallie said, “but I’m still not going to put up with it.”

Jilly was frowning. “I don’t think you know about Jamie’s problems, about—”

“His seizures? His nightmares? His fears of ordinary daily occurrences? Oh, yes, I know all about that and I understand them. It’s just that I have some problems of my own. I’ve spent too much of my life being controlled by other people and I’m done with it.”

For a moment Jilly looked shocked, then she smiled. “Oh, my goodness! I think that whatever you’re doing, it’s working. Shall we return?”

When they got back to the tea room, Jilly turned down a cocktail and Hallie got her some orange juice. Jamie was still frowning and watching Hallie’s every movement.

Jilly went to stand by Kit. “If that boy loses her, it will be the worst thing he’s ever done in his life.”

“I agree completely,” Kit said.

“Why are you here?” Todd asked his brother.

It was the morning after the dinner party and Jamie was sitting by the swimming pool at the house of a man named Roger Plymouth. They had no idea who the guy was, but they’d been told that he was in the wedding in Lanconia and that’s why the house was empty.

The six bedrooms were all full of the Montgomery-Taggert bachelors who’d happily agreed to a vacation on Nantucket to attend Aunt Jilly’s wedding. But then the Montgomerys always agreed to go anywhere there was water, and the Taggerts had come because Jilly was theirs.

Right now all of them were either at Kingsley House or at Hallie’s getting ready to watch Graydon’s wedding on TV. Todd was dressed and holding car keys as he prepared to leave. But Jamie had on a big pair of swim trunks and was sitting in the sun. He knew his wounds benefited from the ultraviolet rays, but he didn’t show his scars around anyone except his brother. And Hallie, he thought.

“What?” he asked Todd.