Dusky Rose (12 page)

"Please be sure to do that. She revels in your praise. I'm sure that a few kind words from you will make her day. In fact, everyone around here seems to worship at your feet. How I would love to tell them the truth about you."

David smiled condescendingly, "And just what would that truth be? What do you know about me that my employees of many years standing don't?"

Laura looked at him piercingly. "I know that you're a vicious man who will stop at nothing to satisfy his whims. You threaten to destroy my whole family if I won't remain a part of this loathsome marriage; you don't love me; you insist I stay with you for reasons I can't understand…"

David looked at her and his eyes darkened with anger. "No, I don't love you… I might have, once… Why else would I have married you? All these years I've been able to escape the clutches of designing females only to be entrapped by the greatest little schemer of them all. I have no intention of letting you walk off with my money so that you can marry Roger or some other poor fool who doesn't know you for what you are, while my hard earned cash pays the bills. No, you will remain my wife until I tire of you and decide what
I
want to do."

Laura was incensed; her eyes blazed as she threw the album to the floor and stalked from the room. She slammed the door of her bedroom and flung herself on the bed. Why was this happening to her? Wasn't there anything she could do to convince David she wasn't after his money, so he would let her go? Her situation seemed entirely hopeless, and once again she cried herself to sleep.

The next morning Laura awoke in a more cheerful frame of mind. She remembered her lunch date with Midge and was looking forward to it. After showering quickly, she walked to her closet in search of an outfit suitable for the day's activities. She frowned, remembering that all her clothing was new and she had nothing in the way of jeans. She could just imagine Miss Wentworth's shocked expression if she had suggested purchasing a pair of jeans. However, she didn't feel that one of her sophisticated new outfits would be appropriate attire for the plant shop. She looked through the closet until she found a pair of apricot linen slacks with a matching silk blouse and cashmere cardigan. Then, quickly applying her lip gloss and running a comb through her hair, she opened her bedroom door and walked into the kitchen.

"May I please have some coffee and toast?" she said to Mrs. Thompson, who was busy dicing some vegetables.

"Mrs. Lattimer, if you would just ring the bell we would bring your breakfast into the dining room, or your bedroom, if you prefer. I'm sure Mr. Lattimer would be very upset if he found that you were eating in the kitchen."

"Very well," Laura said contritely, "it won't do to disturb Mr. Lattimer, so I'll have my coffee in the dining room."

She proceeded to the huge dining room, which was elegantly furnished with ornately carved walnut pieces. Feeling totally dwarfed and alone, she sat at one end of the massive table, staring into the sparkling glare of an enormous silver candelabrum. Jeffry walked into the room bearing a tray with her toast and coffee.

"Mrs. Thompson asks if you would like eggs or sausage with your toast?"

"No, thank you, Jeffry, please tell her that toast and coffee are all I ever eat for breakfast."

Jeffry frowned. "Mr. Lattimer believes in having a hearty breakfast. He won't approve of you having just toast and coffee."

Laura looked into Jeffry's distressed eyes. "Mr. Lattimer may not approve of many things I do."

Jeffry was startled. "Mrs. Lattimer! Please don't say things like that. I have been in Mr. Lattimer's employ for many years and it makes me most uncomfortable to hear such talk. We are all very fond of Mr. Lattimer and always do our best to make him happy. Now, if you have no further need of me, I shall return to my duties."

Well
, thought Laura,
there goes my only friend. I suppose David can't be all bad if his employees can feel so strongly about him
. She gulped down her coffee and ran out the door, eager to exchange this hostile atmosphere for the warmth of the plant shop which she loved so well.

She had exited the elevator and was walking through the lobby, when she was confronted by Dan, her husband's chauffeur.

"Would you like me to drive you somewhere, Mrs. Lattimer?"

"No, thank you, Dan, I can take a taxi. I'm not going very far."

"That's quite all right," Dan said, following her out the door. "Mr. Lattimer said I was to drive you wherever you wanted to go," he said, as he opened the limousine door for her.

Laura knew better than to argue with David's orders by now. She entered the limousine and directed Dan to the plant shop. When the car stopped, Dan came around to open the door for Laura.

"What time shall I return for you, Mrs. Lattimer?"

"Oh, don't bother, Dan. I'm not sure when I'll be leaving. It will be very simple for me to get a taxi to take me home."

"It's no bother, Mrs. Lattimer. If it's all right with you, I'll get myself some lunch and check back with you later."

"That will be fine, Dan," Laura said, realizing that unless she agreed to return home with him, Dan would forego his lunch and remain parked in front of the plant shop all afternoon.

She opened the door and found Midge busily watering the plants, a chore which had previously been her own responsibility. At the sound of the bell, Midge turned and saw Laura. She dropped her watering can and ran to greet her with welcoming arms.

"Laura, I'm so happy to see you. I've missed you so much… Let me look at you. That's a beautiful outfit. No wonder Miss Wentworth called to say I was to give all your other clothing to charity. Don't you want any of it? No, I suppose not. I can see your taste has changed. Tell me, how does it feel to be married to one of the most powerful men in the world?"

Laura sat down on one of the small red velvet chairs and laughed for the first time in days. She had forgotten how much she enjoyed the closeness she and Midge had always shared. If only she could return to the happiness she had known in childhood. But she knew that was impossible; she was a grown woman now, married to a man who despised her. She turned to Midge, the wistful look fading from her face.

"Wait a minute, Midge. Give me a chance to catch my breath. For one thing, my taste in clothing has
not
changed. I dearly miss my jeans and T-shirts. My entire new wardrobe was chosen by Miss Wentworth, on orders of my husband. In answer to your second question, I hate being married to David and I'm waiting for him to decide to put an end to this farce. He hates me, Midge, so how can I stay married to him?"

"Laura, what a way to talk. You must love
him
or you wouldn't have married him. You couldn't have married him for his money, you're just not that type of person."

"
I
know that and
you
know that, but just try to convince David of it. I had an antihistamine and several glasses of wine the night I married him and you know the effect they have on me. I don't remember anything. As for David, I know he wants me physically. Maybe he was under the spell of the wine that night too. Otherwise, I can't understand why he would marry me. He's not the marrying kind and even if he were, I'm certainly not the sort of woman he'd choose for a wife. He can't even stand my clothes. The entire thing is as much a mystery to me as it is to you."

"I don't understand the situation, Laura. But David is old enough to know his own mind, and I know you wouldn't take your marriage vows lightly. I'm sure things will work out. Just relax and let time take its course."

Laura laughed. "It's quite impossible to relax around David. But I
did
come here to relax. So let's not spoil the afternoon by discussing my unpredictable husband. Where are we going to have lunch?"

"Laura, I hope you don't mind. I've been so busy that I was hoping we could send out for some sandwiches, so I could work while we eat."

"I'd love that, Midge. In fact, it will give me a chance to get my hands on these beautiful plants again. I miss them more than I can say."

"Aren't you going to be decorating the atrium at Lattimer Lodge?"

"I don't know what I'm going to be doing. I haven't heard from Janine Hartmann and I'm afraid to call her. She'll never believe that I didn't know David was Jonathan Lattimer. I just haven't got the courage to face her. Right now, I'm just trying to adjust to my new surroundings. Everybody keeps telling me how important it is to please my husband, but I know that there's nothing I could ever do that would please him."

Midge shook her head as she studied Laura's unhappy countenance. "My wedding's next week, and I hope you're still planning to come. I couldn't be happy if you weren't there. Besides, Aunt Estelle would know something was wrong if you didn't come."

"Don't worry. There's nothing David can do to stop me from attending your wedding. I believe even he knows that. And I made sure to purchase a dress that would be suitable for a beautiful Carmel wedding. Miss Wentworth had no idea why I was selecting that dress, but I think she approved of my choice." A young man delivered the sandwiches Midge had ordered and the sisters ate them at the small table at the back of the shop. After lunch, Laura helped Midge water the plants and rearrange the display cases. The time passed quickly until the girls finally placed the last plant around the softly cascading waterfall in the center of the shop.

They looked up at the sound of the bell and the room was darkened by the hulking frame of Dan Smithers.

"I hate to disturb you, Mrs. Lattimer. But I was wondering if it would be convenient for you to leave now?"

Laura looked at the time and saw that it was six o'clock.

"Yes, of course, Dan. I had no idea it was so late. You should be getting ready to close the shop, Midge. I'll phone you tomorrow. Perhaps we can get together again."

Laura waited while Midge locked up. Then she accompanied Dan to the waiting limousine. Instead of heading toward the highway, Dan drove to Lattimer Corporate Headquarters and stopped the car, coming around to open the door for Laura.

"Why are we stopping here?" Laura asked.

"Mr. Lattimer asked me to bring you here. He's waiting for you in his office."

Laura felt the tension begin to rise. How like her husband to ruin a perfectly beautiful day by seizing this opportunity to upset her. Apparently, Dan had kept him informed about every minute of her activities. Not only was she subject to his demands, she was also his prisoner. Laura sighed deeply, wondering what new mental torture awaited her upstairs. She walked through the door and was greeted by her old friend, Mr. Leonardi.

"Miss Canaday, how good to see you." Then he shook his head as he remembered. "It's Mrs. Lattimer now, isn't it? I thought I heard you two talking that Saturday when you were here together, but I had no idea you knew each other that well. I'm real happy for you. Mr. Lattimer is a fine gentleman."

Laura smiled blankly and walked toward the elevators. Mr. Leonardi came over to her and motioned her toward the one marked executive offices.

"This is the one you'll be wanting. It will take you directly to Mr. Lattimer's office."