Dusky Rose (13 page)

Laura smiled once more as the elevator stopped and the operator stepped aside to let her enter. They went directly to the twelfth floor and the doors opened, delivering Laura into the thickly carpeted, glassy elegance of the expensively furnished executive offices. Miss Wentworth smiled and rose from her desk to greet Laura. She was dressed in a smartly tailored gray business suit and Laura felt strangely out of place in her brightly colored slacks.

"Mrs. Lattimer, how nice to see you again," she said with a forced, insincere smile. "Mr. Lattimer is in a meeting, but he said to bring you in as soon as you arrived." Miss Wentworth rapped lightly on the door before opening it.

About ten men were seated around a large rectangular table; David sat at the head. He rose as Laura entered. His appearance, as he stood in his charcoal worsted suit and white silk shirt, was so imposing that Laura felt a painful surge of pride blossoming in her chest when he smiled at her. He left his seat and came to her, placing his arm around her waist as Miss Wentworth turned and left the room. Laura felt her skin begin to tingle where his possessive fingers touched her body.

"Gentlemen, I have the pleasure of introducing my wife, Laura." Laura smiled pleasantly as each man greeted her in turn, gently shaking her hand. Then David suggested that they'd best adjourn the meeting until the following morning. When the men had gone, he guided Laura into his private office and moved her to the large brown leather couch.

"I'll be just a minute. There are a few things I'd like to take with me to work on at home. Then we can be going." He started to go through some papers on his desk, while Laura sat quietly on the couch, feeling strangely out of place in her casual outfit. "Did you enjoy your day with Midge?"

"Yes, very much. I hope you have no objection to me seeing Midge. I wouldn't want to do anything to anger the prominent Mr. Lattimer."

David looked up from the papers he was gathering. An amused lilt lifted the corners of his mouth and glinted from his dark eyes.

"Do I detect a note of sarcasm in your voice? Can it be that the bloom has left our marriage in so short a time?" He disregarded Laura's vocalized sneer and continued. "No matter. You'll have to make the best of it. You're my wife and will remain so until I tire of you. It's about time someone taught you a lesson and I intend to do it." His voice had turned harsh and cold. "As for you seeing Midge, I have no objection whatsoever. She's a fine young woman; it's too bad some of her high moral principles didn't rub off on you." He took his collection of papers from his desk and left the office, signaling for Laura to follow.

After saying goodnight to Miss Wentworth, who looked at him adoringly, he guided Laura toward the elevator. Dan was waiting by the car when they exited and took David's papers, then held the door open so Laura and David could enter the back seat. Laura sat close to her side of the vehicle and waited for Dan to take the roads leading to Pacific Heights, however, she soon realized that they were heading for the Bay Bridge.

She looked quizzically at David who had closed his eyes and was half-dozing beside her. "Where are we going? This isn't the way to Pacific Heights."

"Who said we were going to Pacific Heights? When will you learn to stop taking things for granted, Laura? We're going to Piedmont. My mother has invited us to dinner. She's leaving for Europe in two days and is anxious to meet you before she goes."

Laura sat bolt upright in her seat. "Your mother! You never mentioned your mother!"

"I never saw any reason to, until now. Anyway, I assumed you would be anxious to meet her, considering the way you were studying my family photographs, yesterday."

"I have no desire to meet anyone in your family. In fact, I wish I had never met anyone by the name of Lattimer. In addition, if you ever took the time to look at me, you would see that I'm not dressed for a dinner party. It's bad enough that I had to tolerate the condescending stares of the devoted Miss Wentworth but I'm in no mood to be degraded by your mother."

"Laura, I'm quite sure you're being unfair to Miss Wentworth. I know she treats you with the proper respect because she knows any other course of action would displease me. You are my wife and will be treated with all the dignity which that position demands. I trust that your own behavior will be in keeping with your marital status. As for my mother, I have explained all about you to her and she realizes you are most comfortable in casual attire. In any case, my mother is a very gracious lady and would never make any guest in her home feel uncomfortable."

Laura shifted uneasily in her seat. "I don't like the idea of you having to apologize for my clothing. In fact, it's really not even my own clothing. It's the clothing Miss Wentworth selected to help me fit the image you think your wife should have. An image, I might mention, which is not of my choosing."

David heaved a sigh as he closed his eyes again. "I'm tired, Laura… I've had a busy day… I don't need these arguments from you. You know the situation, you brought it upon yourself, so just make the best of it. There's nothing you can do about it until
I
have decided a course of action."

Laura watched as the car drove up a wide boulevard and turned into a long winding driveway. Huge oak trees guarded the house at the end of the driveway. Then, suddenly, the house loomed before them like a forbidding gray granite castle. Dan stopped the car and got out to open the door for them. Laura waited while David gave her his hand and helped her from the car. An elderly butler opened the door just as they reached the head of the steps.

"Ah, Master David, so good to see you, sir. And this must be young Mrs. Lattimer. She's pretty as a picture, if I may say so, sir. Madam is in the library. Please follow me."

They followed him through the richly brocaded halls until he motioned them into the darkly paneled library. A small gray haired woman was seated on a damask sofa. She rose as they came into the room.

"David, I'm so happy for you." Then, taking Laura's hands between her own, she said, "I've always wanted a daughter, and now at last I have one." She grasped Laura in an emotional embrace, while David stood by with a surprisingly sincere grin.

Laura was completely taken aback by this welcoming gesture. She had prepared herself for another Miss Wentworth and was greeted instead by this display of overflowing affection. Mrs. Lattimer offered them before dinner drinks; David made himself a gin and tonic and gave his mother a small glass of sherry. Laura shook her head negatively when he glanced in her direction, making David smile once again. When they had finished their drinks, they left the library and went into the dining room.

All through dinner, Mrs. Lattimer spoke with Laura, questioning her about Carmel, Midge and the plant shop. After dinner, David announced that they had to be leaving, because he still had work to complete at home. Mrs. Lattimer admonished him that he had better stop taking work home now that he was married, then she walked them to the door.

"I wish you had told me about your plans; your marriage caught everyone by surprise. I could have postponed my European trip and made you a suitable wedding reception, if I had just known about your plans. No matter, it will be just as suitable a reception when I give it on my return, two months from now." Turning to David, she said, "I can see why you were in such a rush to marry Laura. She's a rare girl indeed. She'll make a fine mother for my grandchildren. Mind you, treat her well and take care of her properly or you'll answer to me. Don't let him bully you, Laura, sometimes he takes his corporate image too seriously." She kissed them both and watched as they entered the car, waving to them as it started down the driveway.

"I like your mother," said Laura. "She's a very warm person."

"I'm glad you like her. She obviously liked you very much, too; you play the sweet young thing quite well. But we know the truth about you, don't we? But now you see why we can't be divorced; it would break Mother's heart and I won't allow that. So you'd better continue to play the part of the sweet young thing and I shall play at being your devoted husband."

Laura looked at David as he glowered at her. Now at least she knew why he wouldn't let her out of the marriage. She could understand his devotion to his mother, and she knew from this short meeting that the divorce of her only child would cause Mrs. Lattimer great distress, just as his marriage had brought her great happiness. And Laura knew already that she would never do anything to make Mrs. Lattimer unhappy if she could help it. But she wondered how she was going to live with the hatred of the man who now scowled at her from the opposite side of the car. On his side of the smoked glass partition, Dan was silent, his eyes kept strictly on the road.

No sooner had they entered the apartment than David excused himself and took his work into the library. Laura escaped to her room, grateful for the opportunity to flee his overpowering presence. She changed into a blue silk nightdress and lounged in bed, reading a magazine she had found in the room. For some reason, she was unable to fall asleep and decided to venture into the kitchen for a glass of warm milk. Since it was well past midnight, she was quite sure that she wouldn't meet anyone on the way. She slipped into the lacy robe that matched her nightdress and left the room. When passing the open door of the library, she noticed that the lights in the room were still burning and peeked in, wondering if David had forgotten to turn them off when he went to bed.

David was stretched out on the leather sofa, one hand still clasping the papers he had been reading before he had fallen asleep. Laura walked over to him and looked down at him as he slept. In repose, his face had the innocent look of the child in the photograph albums. Gone was the arrogant demeanor she had come to dread. Her heart filled with love and compassion for the man before her, whose cold hard features had been softened by the warmth of sleep. She took the papers from his hand and placed them on the nearby table. Then she walked across the room and gathered up a heavy woolen afghan that was draped across a chair by the fireplace. She smiled down longingly at the sleeping man before her. If only he would always be like this, she could be so happy. But she knew that once he awoke he would turn back into the man whose presence she had come to fear. Sighing softly, she gently placed the colorful afghan over him.

Suddenly he jumped up, his hands tightly grasping her wrists. Laura tried to move back, startled by the abrupt violence of his actions. Then, his eyes softening in recognition, he lay back on the sofa again. He loosened his grip on her wrists, sliding his hands down to hold her hands in his. His eyes, still drowsy with sleep, looked into hers, then traveled the length of her body, taking in every gentle curve revealed by her silky blue negligee. She was aware that the robe clung to her body with all the sinuous softness of silk. David's eyes lingered at the low vee of the neckline, outlined by several tiers of lace. His voice was low and husky when he spoke.

"What are you doing here, Laura? Isn't it past your bedtime? What time is it anyway?"

"It's twelve o'clock. I couldn't sleep, so I was going into the kitchen to make myself some warm milk. I saw you dozing in here and thought you might be more comfortable with something covering you. I'm sorry if I disturbed you."