Claire Gulliver #02 - Washington Weirdos (8 page)

“You want to go with me?” That was a stupid question, she thought, watching his pointy tail twirl so hard his whole rear end shook.

Claire didn’t quite know how to treat a dog, especially this dog, who seemed to be a valued member of the Lickman family. She had never had a dog, or any pet for that matter, only Theroux, the cat, which came to live at the store. Theroux wasn’t a pet. She lived there at her choice; she allowed herself to be petted on occasion, but disdained any further attempt at intimacy. And she ruled over the bookstore as a queen did her empire.

“Well, come along,” she told him as she headed toward the water and the boat dock she had seen from her bedroom window. He trotted beside her, seemingly as happy as she was to be out on such a nice morning before the promised heat of the day arrived. The dock was sizeable, stretching out into deep water in the little cove. It was much bigger than needed for the three boats tied there invitingly. There was a small rowboat, a snazzy looking ski boat and a small catamaran which seemed to provide a little something for everyone. The cove itself had a sandy beach stretching out from the dock on one side, while the other side was rocky, perfect for searching for sea creatures.

Tuffy tore off barking sharply. Claire jumped, startled, but then had to laugh when she saw he was only guarding his turf from a seagull trying to rest on the dock. She turned and walked along the rocky side of the cove to the formal garden she could see ahead, laid out from the rocks to the house and the trees along the far edge of the property.

Tuffy caught up with her, then scampered ahead to enter a gravel path leading into the gardens, disappearing once more.

The path meandered past a pond, some statues and a nook with a bench inviting her to sit. She didn’t succumb to the temptation forging on in her quest to explore but promising she would return later to enjoy that spot. The summer blooms were dying back at the same time fall flowers were starting to bloom. While she was not a gardener she recognized a great deal of planning and work had gone into making this garden so delightful. When she followed the path behind a high hedge she found Tuffy again. The dog was wiggling at the feet of a man stooped over to fondle his ears.

“Good morning,” she said taking in the vegetable garden, planted attractively just outside a door leading into the house. She guessed it must lead into the kitchen area.

“Hello.” He straightened. “Is Tuffy taking you for a walk?”

She laughed. “How did you know?” She walked forward her hand held out. “I’m Claire Gulliver and I’m staying with the Lickmans for a few days.”

He pulled the gardening glove off his hand before grasping hers. “I’m Percy Imamura. I take care of the grounds. We’re getting a head start for Saturday. This place takes a lot of work.”

“I believe that. But it’s beautiful. Do you do all this?”

He was a short, stocky man of Japanese ancestry, not fat, but a sturdy square shape. His face gave no hint of his age but his manners were that of a mature man. “No, I have several sons and nephews who do the work.” His eyes twinkled with good humor. “But I usually come to the Lickmans’ at least once a week. I like to make sure it remains a showplace.” Then he smiled somewhat sheepishly. “And, I admit, I like to get my hands in the dirt a bit.”

“I was admiring the flowers as I came through but frankly these vegetables take my breath away.”

He was pleased and took a few minutes to show her the herbs as well as to point to the back end of the garden where fruit trees grew. “They use all this for the house. Cook likes her produce fresh. She picks what she wants herself. I’ve been fortunate enough to taste her work and can attest to the fact she is a master chef.”

Claire nodded. “I sampled her work last night.” Then she smiled, remembering. “Of course, little Amy says her grandmother is the best cook. Apparently she makes great fish sticks.”

Percy’s grin matched hers. “That little Amy is something, isn’t she? I’m surprised I haven’t seen her this morning. She usually likes to work with me while I’m here. She has her own row of carrots over there but she has to keep pulling one up to see if it’s grown. I came back and planted some more for her a couple of times while she wasn’t looking, but I can’t keep ahead of her. She has a few left that may get big enough for her to have at dinner.”

They chatted about the gardens for a few more minutes and then Claire was off again. Tuffy led, confidently heading into the thick woods surrounding the estate, anxious to explore the delights waiting in the trees.

The thick woods muted all sounds but the birds and scolding squirrels. It was like another world, yet Claire knew she was only a short distance from the house. She assumed this was originally a bridle trail because Percy had told her the garages had been converted from extensive stables after the Lickmans’ daughter had grown. The sunlight forced its way through the thick foliage to pleasantly dapple the path. Tuffy emerged from the brush, panting with enthusiasm, his nose covered with dirt. He had twigs and grass caught in his hair.

“Well, where have you been?” She scolded lightly, “Up to no good I’d bet.” He barked and turned around to jauntily lead the way. When the path branched he took the right fork which led them out by the tennis courts.

“Claire, Tuffy! There you are. Gramimi said I could come and see if you wanted to have breakfast with me.” Amy was full of bounce even so early in the day.

“What a good idea. Have you been up long?”

“Forever. But JoJo just didn’t want to get up, so I finally came down without her.” She bent over to hug Tuffy. “How are you this morning, Tuffy? Did you sleep well?” She sounded just like her grandmother.

“Come on and I’ll race you to the house,” she challenged already running toward the house. The dog quickly took the lead and Claire, with a laugh, followed. She had forgotten the joy of racing all out across the lawn on a beautiful morning.

MiMi laid down the paper when they arrived in the solarium. “Well, you all look as if you had a nice walk.”

At first Claire tried to hide her gasps, but finally gave it up; she was much older than Amy, who wasn’t even breathing hard. She collapsed in a chair and breathed deeply until she could answer. “It’s beautiful out and the garden is wonderful. Are you the gardener?”

MiMi smiled. “It’s a joint effort really. David and I both have our favorites. Then cook has her requirements.” She laughed. “And, of course, Percy has the final say.”

“I met him. He says he’s getting a head start on the preparations for Saturday.”

MiMi nodded, reaching out to help Amy pour milk into the bowl of oatmeal, which had just been put in front of her.

“Careful, dear, not too full.” Disaster averted, she looked back at Claire. “We’re so lucky to have him. He doesn’t do much gardening anymore. But we were his first clients, so he takes a personal interest in our grounds. All his workers are as committed as he is and they do wonderful work. You’ll see his boys Saturday. They will be here to park the cars for all the guests. It was our lucky day when he came to work for us.”

Claire’s breathing had completely recovered, so she stood and helped herself to some toast and fruit.

“Don’t you want something more substantial?” MiMi suggested. “Just push the button for the kitchen.”

“No, if we’re going to lunch, this will be plenty until then. Thanks anyway.” She glanced at her watch. “What time will we be going out?”

JoJo, came into the solarium, still looking bleary-eyed.“Good morning, pumpkin. Still a little sleepy?” her grandmother inquired.

She nodded, helped herself to a glass of orange juice, pressed the button and asked for oatmeal and then sat down at the table.

“Amy, you made too much noise this morning,” she accused in a grouchy tone.

“Did not!”

“Did so! I wanted to sleep longer.”

“Girls, girls. Be nice. Claire and I were just talking about going out today. We’re going to Annapolis and we’ll have lunch there. Do you want to go with us?”

They both nodded enthusiastically.

“Then be ready by eleven, all right? We’re having company this evening, so you’ll be having dinner upstairs tonight.” She smiled at their disappointed faces. “But we’ll get a movie for you to watch after you eat. You can pick it while we’re in town.”

Claire didn’t think she had fallen asleep but when the shadow came between her and the sun, it disturbed her and she was suddenly aware the girls had gone.

“Be careful you don’t get too much sun.”

She struggled to sit up, certain her mouth had been gaping, wondering with horror if she had been drooling. “Jack. When did you get here?”

“About an hour ago. When I saw you were still out here, I thought I’d better warn you.”

She poked her finger on her arm and seeing the white spot it left, she pulled on her shirt. “Thanks, I think I’m almost cooked. I didn’t realize how tired I was. Those little girls wore me out today. First Amy had to race me back to breakfast, then they had to look in every store in Annapolis for just the right present for one of their friends, and finally I had to swim laps with them this afternoon.”

“I guess you don’t know the secret word?” He laughed at her puzzled expression. “You know the word? No!”

She laughed. “Well, why didn’t I think of that? At the time it didn’t seem to be one of the choices.” She started gathering up her belongings. “I’d better go in and get cleaned up.”

He walked beside her as she headed for the house. “I thought maybe we could meet tomorrow afternoon and do the Vietnam Memorial, the Korean Memorial and then have dinner. How does that sound?”

“Good. It sounds good.” She glanced at him thoughtfully. “You know, I really didn’t expect to see you again. I guess I’m still a little surprised.”

“What? You didn’t get my postcards?”

“Ah. I thought they were from you. But you didn’t sign them.”

“Well, I’m used to being secretive. I figured you’d know who sent them.”

She nodded, “I did.”

“Well, I just wanted to keep in touch. I’m not very good at that, but you know it’s because of my job... well, it’s hard to have a relationship. Anyway, that’s why when I found out we were both going to be here, I thought it was destiny intervening. I was hoping we could get to know each other a little better.”

“Starting with your name?”

He grinned. “You have the right one, but I can’t guarantee I’ll be using it the next time you see me.”

She looked at him seeing the serious expression in his eyes, despite the grin on his face. “I see.” Just then they reached the house. “I need to get cleaned up for dinner. Can we discuss the details about tomorrow later?”

She headed for the back stairs and her room thinking about what he had said. So Jack had sent those postcards. When the first one arrived, the innocuous message gave no clue as to who sent it, only saying the person was thinking of her. That one had been mailed from Paris. The second and third had been mailed from other towns, Dover and Amsterdam. Claire hadn’t given the first one much thought, as many of her customers sent postcards and some even forgot to sign them. When the second and third arrived with the same unique scroll, she had a strange feeling they might be from Jack. But she had scolded herself for being a romantic; telling herself a relationship wasn’t going to happen. And it wasn’t. But she was glad to see him again and she would enjoy his company tomorrow.

Claire thought the parlor was empty when Neil spoke. “Good evening, Ms. Gulliver. How was your day?” He was standing in a shadow near one of the French windows opening onto the terrace.

She smiled. “Please call me Claire. And thank you for asking. I had a very pleasant day. I think it was a good choice to come out here. I’m enjoying the Lickmans and especially their granddaughters.”

“Can I get you a drink?”

She nodded. “White wine, please.” Then accepting a glass from him she asked, “Where is everyone?”

He shrugged. “David went up to see the girls and get changed, and the others are around. Probably they haven’t finished their inspection yet. Would you care to sit?” He indicated a seating group behind her.

“Actually, I’m glad to have a little time with you alone, Claire. I wanted to talk to you a bit. You know? Get to know you better. I see you’re wearing the watch. I hope you like it. We decided it was something you could wear as a reminder of our appreciation, without calling undue attention to you.”

She nodded, holding her wrist out to admire it once again. “I love it. It’s far more than I would ever have anticipated. This trip was more than I anticipated. Vantage is a very special company. I’m sure there aren’t many companies in this day which take a personal interest in situations like this.”

He agreed. “I believe Vantage is truly a unique organization. That’s why I was thrilled to be invited to join them. And, of course, that is one of the reasons I’m dedicated to managing them. I want to ensure they maintain those same qualities even after David retires.”

“Oh, will he be retiring soon?”

“Too soon, if you ask me.” His smile was tight. “Actually, he had planned to retire at the beginning of last year but then had second thoughts. Can’t say as I blame him. He’s in great shape; the company is going strong, and he loves his job. So why not work a few more years?”

“Especially when I have Neil doing the hard work for me, hey Neil?” David Lickman headed directly for the bar set out on a cart in the corner.

Neil lifted his glass in a salute. “Glad to be some use to you. It’s a privilege to work with a genius like David. Hopefully, we’ll be working together for many more years.”

“Well, not too many. After all MiMi and I want to do a few things while we’re still young enough. And I know Neil well enough to know he won’t be willing to wait forever, right?” He winked at Claire. “Neil’s ambitious, of course. That’s one of the reasons we wanted him. It won’t do to keep him in second place too long, or he’s liable to get antsy.”

Neil nodded his agreement.

“But things will come, when the time is right.” David turned to Claire. “And how did your day go?”