Coveting Love (Jessica Crawford) (30 page)

Feeling much better for having composed the letter, she stripped off her clothing and changed into her nightgown. She took out the diary and climbed into bed with it. She opened it to the place where she had left off and began to read in earnest, quickening her pace as she went along, actually beginning to skim the pages as her excitement mounted.

Most of the entries contained information about Adelaide’s neglect. She went deeply into her unhappiness. Abandoned by both her husband, and her children, she had shut herself away in her room. It was becoming evident that her sanity was wavering. The years rolled by and the entries became less frequent. Jessica assumed she must have lost interest. Finally, she came to the part in which she was most interested—Phillip’s birth.

There were five years between the last two entries. Jessica could see the differences from the first entries to the last few. It was evident how much she doted on Phillip. He obviously returned the love. She read on.

The entries stopped here and Jessica felt a stab of pain for the woman who had lost her sanity because of a heartless man. The entries had become sporadic and full of ramble. She even had stopped dating the diary. She probably lost track of the dates.

She closed the book and, hugging it against her, wept softly for the woman whose body and soul had wasted away in this very room.

She glanced at the clock on the bedside table and realized how late it was. She would never be able to sleep unless she had something warm to drink. Flinging back the covers, she wrapped her robe tightly around her and stepped into her slippers. She tiptoed out of the room, and then laughed at herself for doing so. She was the only one in this part of the house.

As she passed the door she had seen earlier, that same coldness washed over her. This time she reached out, grasped the knob, and gave it a hard turn.

“
Locked,” she sputtered, jiggling the knob. “Why is it everyone seems compelled to lock all these doors?” She slapped the door gently and continued down to the kitchen. She was surprised to see Phillip there. He looked up. Pleasure lit up his face upon seeing her.

“
Well, isn’t this a pleasant surprise. What are you doing up at this late hour?”

“
I couldn’t sleep. I could ask you the same question,” she replied raising the kettle from the sink where she had filled it with hot water. “I’m used to having a cup of hot tea before bedtime.”

“
I know exactly what you mean. There is nothing quite like some hot liquid before retiring.”

He held up his own mug, and then crossed to a cupboard. He took out a bottle of brandy and poured some into his cup. He held the bottle out to her, offering, but she shook her head.

She studied him intently for a moment. She longed to ask him about his Aunt Elizabeth, but then he would know she had read the diary.

The whistle went off on the teakettle. She poured the boiling water into her cup, refilled Phillip’s mug, and sat beside him at the table.

She blurted out, “What’s in the room across from mine?” For a moment, Phillip was startled. “Don’t act surprised. You know of which one I’m talking—the one with the locked door.”

“
Oh, that room. There is nothing in that room but old magazine articles. I keep it locked because I don’t want anyone getting hurt. The floor boards are old and unstable.”

“
I gather then it’s part of the original house.”

He nodded. “We really don’t want to talk about rickety old houses, do we? Let’s talk about something a little more interesting, like you,” he said picking up her hand and kissing it.

She jerked her hand back. “Okay, I’m sorry. I really don’t mean to be intrusive.”

“
No, no, you’re not. I can see that you’re interested in the house. I would just rather talk about you,” he said picking up her hand again and tenderly kissing it.

She pulled it away again. “Really, Mr. Stewart, we don’t know each other that well for such intimacies. Besides, I am an engaged woman. Please stop being so flirtatious.”

“
Back to the formal name again, is it?” He chuckled softly, causing her to blush fiercely. This was just another one of his games. He was trying to catch her off guard, and she was playing into it.

She laughed along with him, reluctant to let him know that he had gotten to her. His eyes roamed over her, making her suddenly aware of her vulnerable state of dress. She pulled her robe tightly against her, cursing herself for being so thoughtless about her attire. How was she to know she would encounter anyone at such a late hour?

She rose from the chair. “I’m sorry, but you’ll have to excuse me now. I’m suddenly very tired, and we have such a busy day tomorrow.” She hurried from the room, leaving him laughing behind her.

She paused at John’s door, raising her hand to knock on it. She halted, catching her breath. What a stupid and selfish thing to do. He didn’t do anything to her but have a little fun at her expense. Why should she wake John at this hour? Surely, he would think her a fool.

Willing herself to remain calm, she hurried on to her own room, bolting the door behind her. She leaned breathlessly against it. She thought about another time, not too long ago, when he had the same effect on her. In fact, it was the first time they had met, in Clair’s office. His intentions were dishonorable then. Did he have the same intentions now?

She ran to her bed, climbed quickly into it, and lay silent. Her heart thundered rapidly, every sound magnified. She heard footsteps outside her door. A terrifying thought struck her. Did he have a key? Of course, he would, this was his house. In fact, he probably had a master key that opened every door in the entire house.

She took a deep breath. Her heart stopped beating. She lay still, waiting for a key to be inserted into the lock, but nothing happened. Just as quickly as they had appeared, the footsteps departed.

She relaxed somewhat, but her mind was still alert. A door creaked somewhere in the distance, heavy footsteps could be heard overhead. That was odd; she thought this was the top floor. But then she acknowledged the fact that she didn’t really know everything about the house. She had no idea where Phillip’s room was. Perhaps there was another floor.

Reluctantly, she closed her eyes. She let sleep overcome her, always on the brink of waking.

**********

CHAPTER 15

“
Who would ever have thought the ocean could be this beautiful. The water’s so blue it hardly looks real!” Jessica exclaimed, as she ran in and out of the water, like a giddy child drunk on happiness.

She collapsed on the shore, laughing at her inability to stand. “Oh, John, you should try it!”

“
Thanks, but I’ll pass.”

Phillip watched as she lay down on the blanket. Her chest rose and fell as she gulped for air, trying to control her laughter. Her breast protruded, pushing against her tight swimsuit. She was so beautiful with the sun streaming down on her. Her hair sparkled with specks of light as the golden rays reflected off it.

John eyed Phillip uncomfortably. He could not mistake the look of lust he saw displayed upon his face. Had he been too rash in his judgment? Perhaps he should have supported Jessica more in her quest to leave early.

“
Come on, Jess. Let’s get going on this project. Suddenly, I’m feeling homesick.”

“
No,” she whined. “Not yet. Come and sit beside me, John. I finally realized everyone was right; I need a vacation.” She opened her arms to welcome in the world. “And you couldn’t ask for a better place to vacation than the sandy beaches of Australia.” She giggled and patted the blanket.

“
Please, John. Just for a while. Then I promise we can go.”

“
Not until we’ve been sailing,” Phillip chimed in.

“
There’s a sailboat? John, did you hear that? There’s a sailboat. We can’t leave until we’ve been on the sailboat.” She pouted at John’s lack of enthusiasm. “Come on,” she teased. “You know you want to go on the sailboat. You love boats.”

It was true. John did love to sail. He was in fact a master sailor. “Okay, we take one trip around the bay and then it’s back to work.”

She frowned. “Okay, deal.”

She grabbed the blanket and took off toward the marina. Phillip started after her. John grabbed his arm.

“
I know what you’re up to. Knock it off.”

Phillip shook loose of John’s grasp. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“
I see the way you watch her. She’s engaged. And even if she wasn’t, you’re not her type.”

“
I suppose you are,” Phillip retorted and walked off, leaving John standing there.

He ran to catch up. “We’re going to finish this up today, and then we’re leaving. I don’t care if I have to charter a private plane.”

Phillip laughed. “Relax, boy. We’re just having a little fun here. Jessica’s perfectly safe.”

He walked off again. John let him go, but took out his cell phone and dialed Brandon’s number. An operator came on.

“
I’m afraid all circuits are busy. Would you like us to ring you back when one becomes available?”

“
Yes, please,” John said and closed the phone.

Jessica was just boarding the sailboat when John finally caught up with her. She was laughing and jumping up and down. Her chest jumped with her. Phillip definitely noticed. “Look at this boat, John.”

John also was quite impressed. “It’s not a sailboat, it’s a yacht. She’s beautiful, Phillip. Is she yours?”

He nodded, grinning with pride. “I see you’re impressed.”

“
How long is she?”

“
One hundred seventy-four feet.”

John whistled. “Wow. How fast can she move?”

“
Fourteen knots.”

“
Spectacular.”

“
Are you a sailor, John?”

John smiled sheepishly. “Just a bit of a weekend sailor.”

“
You want to take the sails?”

“
Really!”

“
Sure, why not?”

“
Are you sure you can handle this?” Jessica asked with concern. “You’ve never sailed anything this size before.”

Irritated, John said, “What, you don’t trust me?”

“
No, it’s not that. This is a big boat. I was just curious.”

“
Relax. It’s okay. I’ll help John if he gets into trouble.”

“
Hello there.”

Jessica turned to see several people in swimsuits boarding the yacht. They looked like models. Their long blonde hair, boys and girls alike, shimmered like silk in the sun. Their tanned bodies glistened with oil.