First Impressions (Edenton 1)

Eden had to laugh. “Sure. Just keep the sound down so I can edit.”

“Great! One jelly beanie and one straight whiskey coming up.”

An hour later, the manuscripts were on the floor and they were watching their third episode of Fawlty Towers and laughing hilariously. Jared sat on the chair by the bed and Eden lay propped up in bed on her four fat pillows. It was well into the wee hours of the morning before Jared said good night and left the room.

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sp; Chapter Sixteen

THE ringing of the telephone woke Eden. Groggily, she reached for it without opening her eyes.

“Mother!” came her daughter’s irate voice. “I haven’t heard from you in more than a week.”

“I’m sorry, dear, but I’ve been very busy.” Eden didn’t want to open her eyes, didn’t want to wake up. What in the world had McBride put in that drink last night? Some secret sedative that made people want to sleep for days? And what had been his motive? To put her out so he and his fellow agents could go through more of the house? They probably were embarrassed that they hadn’t taken apart all of Tyrrell Farrington’s paintings and looked inside them. Her eyes flew open. If they were now taking apart those paintings, so help her, she was going to—

“Mother, are you listening to me?”

“Sorry, sweetheart,” Eden said guiltily. “I’m still a little sleepy. What time is it anyway?”

There was a long silence on the phone before Melissa said, “It is ten minutes after eleven A.M. Mother, are you ill?”

Eden slowly sat up in the bed, turned on the lamp, glanced at the clock, and saw that it was indeed midmorning. She didn’t think she’d ever slept so late in her life. But then, single mothers didn’t have time to sleep, did they? There was no husband to take the kids out for pancakes so Mom could sleep. “No, I’m not ill, it’s just that it’s been rather hectic since I got here and I guess I was rather tired last night.”

“Hectic? In Arundel, North Carolina? Mother, I live in New York City. What could be more hectic than here?”

Being in the hospital, being investigated by the FBI, having a new job, meeting a couple of men, Eden wanted to say, but didn’t. If Melissa was saying “Mother” every other word, then she was upset about something. “I wasn’t comparing lives. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Melissa said. “I just called to see how you were. You ran off to take possession of some old house, and it’s only the second time we’ve ever been separated, but I didn’t hear from you. I was just worried, that’s all.”

“So what’s wrong?” Eden repeated. “And quit lying to me. I’m your mother, remember? I know you.”

At that, Melissa burst into tears and began pouring out a long list of complaints. It seemed that Stuart was working late and Melissa was by herself three nights a week. When he came home, he was too tired to even be interested in the baby’s kicking. And then there was the kitchen. Stuart had said that they couldn’t afford to eat out every night or even have delivery, so Melissa was supposed to cook dinner for them. “I have no idea how to cook,” Melissa said.

Not that I didn’t try to teach you, Eden wanted to say. “There are cookbooks in the cabinet over the refrig—”

“I know where the cookbooks are,” Melissa said tightly. “Mother, is this going to be one of those fix-it conversations? I need some help here, not a pep talk.”

Eden looked at the pile of manuscripts on the floor and knew she should have set her alarm for six. On the table was the sapphire necklace, and she picked it up. Was this why some man had swallowed her name? “I’m sorry,” Eden said. “I know that starting a new life alone with your husband is difficult, but—”

“I want to be with you.”

“Hmmm,” Eden said, holding the necklace up to the light.

“Mother, are you listening to me?”

“Yes, of course I am. It’s just that—” Frowning, Eden held the phone to her shoulder, got out of bed, and went to the window. She pulled back the curtain, then raised the blind. Sunlight threatened to pierce her eyesight. “Damn you, McBride!” she muttered.

“Bride?” Melissa said. “Yes, I know I’m Stuart’s bride, but I still have a mother and I want to be with you when the baby comes.”

Eden looked at the necklace in the sunlight, turning it over in her hand. She’d once worked in a jewelry store and she’d seen some nice jewels. There was something wrong with this necklace. Was it just the old setting, or was it something else?

“Mother, did you hear what I said? If I get there tomorrow will you meet me at the train station?”

“Train?” Eden said distractedly. “Honey, there’s no train here, except for freight trains, that is.” She put the necklace down on the windowsill, took a breath, and gave her attention to her daughter. “Listen, sweetheart, I know that being pregnant is difficult, but you have Stuart now, and I think—”

“You don’t have to tell me what you think,” Melissa said quickly. “I know that your pregnancy was hell and I know that you were alone. And I know that having me has ruined your life.”

“Melissa! What a thing to say! You’ve always been the best part of my life, and I’ve told you that often.”