Shannon's Daughter (32 page)

With
equal tenderness, she reached up to stroke his cheek.
 
“I’d like that.
 
But promise me something?”

“What’s
that?”

“You’ll
show me your bed, the one in the wall, sometime soon.”

He
threw back his head and laughed.
 
“Fine.
 
I’ll show you
my bed.
 
I won’t promise what might
happen after that, but I’ll at least give you a look at it.
 
How’s that?”

She
smiled, the sparkle in her eyes turning to blue fire.
 
“Wonderful.”

Chapter Thirty

“They’re
absolutely hideous!
 
Maeve must have been
drunk when she chose them!”
 

Kendall
winced at the wailing timbre of Agnes’s voice through the bedroom door as Peg
burst through, a startling vision in pink and white.
 
When she skidded to a halt before him, he
detected just a hint of a grin on her face.
 

“Oh,
good heavens!”
 
Adelaide McGill, seated beside him on the
couch, threw up her hands in dismay.
 
“Are they both like that?”
 
Her
question prompted a further howl from the bedroom.
 

“I’m
afraid so.
 
Agnes, you might as well come
out so your mother can get the full impact,” Peg called over her shoulder.
 
“Kendall, stop laughing!”

“I’m
not laughing.
 
But I must admit I’d like
to.
 
Are you sure you have it on right
way round?”

Peg
twisted to get a view of
herself
, brushing at the
spiral of ruffles circling the dress from shoulder to hem.
 
White with bright pink dots, featuring a
large bow at the waist and a short train at the back, the dress resembled
nothing so much as an inverted strawberry parfait.
 
“Really, Aunt Addie, do you think she meant
for us to look like this?
 
Maybe the
dress shop made a mistake?”

Agnes,
the fury in her eyes magnified by the thick lenses of her spectacles, shuffled
into the room and took her place next to Peg.
 
Unceremoniously, she flattened a large pink picture hat on her head.
 
“Mother, I refuse to be seen in public like
this.
 
Kendall, please close your
eyes.
 
Your vision may be permanently
damaged by the sight of us.
 
And if you
laugh, I swear I’ll box your ears.”

It was Adelaide
who burst into gales of laughter.
 
“Agnes,
take that hat off now!”
 
She took a
moment to wipe her eyes and catch her breath before going on, “I don’t know
what your sister was thinking, but I promise you girls will not be walking down
the aisle in those things.
 
I’ll just have
to call the shop and see what we can do.
 
Fortunately, Maeve is in Birmingham for the next two days meeting
Reggie’s grandparents, so whatever we work out, she’ll have to approve.”
 
Watching the girls march toward the bedroom,
she pulled on her gloves and straightened her hat, a warrior preparing for
battle.
 
“Take them off, girls, and pack
them back in the boxes carefully.
 
Agnes,
you and I will take them round to the shop right now.
 
Peg, if you’d like to come along, you’re
certainly welcome, but I’m sure you have better things to do this afternoon.
 
Don’t worry, dear.
 
I’ll make sure to find something
suitable.
 
It won’t do to have you two
looking like clowns on carnival day.”
 
Adelaide turned to Kendall with an innocent smile.
 
“I’m right, aren’t I, that you and Peg have
plans?
 
It’s not just a coincidence that
we find you here this morning?”

“I
promised to take her for a pub lunch.
 
And for some reason she wants to hear the quartet rehearse this
afternoon.
 
No accounting for taste, I
suppose.”
 
In spite of himself, he
grinned in response to the knowing gleam in Adelaide’s eyes.

“Have a
lovely afternoon, Kendall.
 
Peg is a rare
prize, in case you don’t know it.
 
But
then again, I’m pretty sure you do.”

He
carried the boxes downstairs and put the ladies in a cab, returning to Peg’s
suite to find her standing at the window overlooking the street.
 
“Poor Maeve may not survive to see her
wedding day if Agnes doesn’t calm down.
 
I had no idea she has such a temper.”
 

He
joined her, laying his hands lightly on her shoulders.
 
“Agnes has hidden depths.
 
And no patience with her
sister.”
 
When Peg turned to slide
her arms around his waist, he dropped a kiss on her forehead.
 
“You were a good sport about the whole thing.
 
Sure you still want a ploughman, or would you
like something a bit more elegant as a reward?”

“No, a
ploughman sounds fine.
 
I’ll just get my
things and we can go.
 
I told Hammonds
I’d be with you all afternoon, so he could take the day off.
 
I’m pretty sure he thinks we’re up to
something, but I really don’t care.
 
As
soon as Dad gets here next week, I intend to negotiate for a little more
freedom.”
 
With a gentle hand at the back
of his head, she urged him down for a kiss.
 
As she’d always done, Peg took kissing very seriously, calling forth
visions that led him far beyond the simple act.
 

“We
should go, brat.
 
I’m on a schedule,
remember.
 
The lads will not appreciate
standing on the landing waiting for me.”
 
He couldn’t resist resting his cheek against her hair, breathing in her
fragrance.

“Call
me that again, please.”

“What?
 
Brat?
 
I’d have thought you’d outgrown it by now.”

“Oh,
no.
 
I love it when you call me that.
 
Much more so than those lovely things like
‘darling’ or even ‘sweetheart’, which is a close second, for sure.
 
‘Brat’ brings back such nice memories of our
times together in the past.”

“Nice?
 
You mean like the delightful day you broke
your ankle, and that enchanted moment when you were ill all over both of us?”

She
laughed softly against his shoulder.
 
“Those have their place, but I was thinking more about our time in New
York, the walk in the park and that carpet picnic in your bedroom.
 
We made some very special memories, things
I’ll never outgrow.”

Kissing
her seemed the only suitable response.
 
While he’d managed to keep himself under commendable control, many
moments alone like this and he knew he’d abandon his noble intentions.
 
Had not the image of three irate string
players leaning in the hallway outside his door come to mind, he might have
thrown said intentions over and carried Peg into the bedroom now.
 
His reasons for putting her off were a fading
echo against the clamor of his need for her and her obvious willingness.
 

“Peg,
we really must go unless you want to pass on lunch, which I wouldn’t advise,
since these sessions tend to go on for hours.”
 
Reluctantly, he drew away, firmly removing her hands from around his
neck.

“They
don’t go on all night, do they?”
 
Her
smile was so transparently suggestive, he laughed.

“No.
 
And I’m not going to take the bait on that
one, brat.
 
Now get your things and let’s
dash.
 
The pub’s not far, but it will
take us a few minutes to walk.
 
If you’re
going to hang around me, you’re going to have to learn to forego luxuries like
cabs.
 
Besides, the fresh air and
exercise will do us both good.”

Ignoring
his instructions, she spent a few provocative moments running her hands under
his jacket, exploring his shoulders with a look of studious concentration.
 
“You take that very seriously, don’t you?”

Lost
beneath her touch, he shook his head slightly.
 
“That?”

“Fresh
air and exercise.
 
I thought you were fit before, but now you
feel even more so.”
 
Tilting her head
from side to side curiously, she intensified her probing.
 
“I think you’ve probably gone from yummy to
magnificent, but I won’t know for sure until I can get a closer look.”

He
lowered his head with a groan.
 
“You have
twenty seconds to get your things and start out that door, or I’m leaving
without you.
 
Really, Peg, every moment
we’re alone is not an opportunity for seduction!’

She
slowly dropped her hands, an innocently quizzical smile in her eyes.
 
“Isn’t it?
 
I’m pretty sure, given enough of
them,
I’ll be
able to change your mind.”
 
Turning on
her heel, she paused just long enough for him to swat the sweet curve of her
bottom as she scurried toward the door with a giggle.
 

Chapter
Thirty-one

“I’ve
learned more about you today than in all the time we’ve known each other.”
 
Leaning on the counter, Peg nibbled a slice of
carrot and eyed him seriously.

“Is
that so?
 
And we’ve known each other for
so long, after all.”
 
Glancing up from
the cutting board, he arched his brow.

“Well,
we have.
 
Years and
years if you think about it.”

“With
years and years of separation in between.
 
By my
calculations, we’ve been together all of five weeks now.
 
And for two of those, you were practically a
child.
 
Not what I’d call a lengthy
relationship.”

She
grinned suggestively.
 
“But we got to know
each other very, very well in New York three years ago.”

He
cleared his throat, deciding not to encourage her along that path just
now.
 
“So what is it you think you
learned about me today?”

“Well,
for one thing, I learned how well known you are.”

“I hardly
think being greeted by name at the local pub and running into a couple of my
students constitutes celebrity.”

“Don’t
forget the man at the fish market.
 
He
even knew the kind of fish you wanted.
 
And that girl in the pub, she remembered what you ate the last time you
had lunch there.”

“Only
because she botched my order and I was nice enough not to complain.
 
So thus far you’ve seen the pub where I
occasionally grab a meal and learned that I like trout.
 
Hardly enough to begin
writing my biography.”

“Oh,
but there’s more.
 
I learned a lot from being around your friends.
 
Harvey said you never, ever let anything
interfere with your rehearsals, particularly not your social life, which tells
me you
do
have a social life.
 
Geoff asked how we knew each other, which
means you’ve never discussed me with them, suggesting you’re very private, even
with your closest friends.
 
Chad asked
you about your promotion with the orchestra, which you hadn’t mentioned,
revealing your modesty.
 
And just
watching you play reminded me what a gifted musician you are.”

“I
see.
 
And did you also read my tea leaves
to glean further purely speculative knowledge?”

“No
need.
 
I went through your medicine
cabinet.
 
Everyone knows that’s the best
place to learn about a person.”

“Really?
 
And what secrets did you unearth between the aspirin bottle and the
iodine?”

“Oh,
let’s just say I now know your brand of hair
tonic, that
you have a mug and brush instead of a can of shaving cream, and you don’t have
any condoms on hand.
 
I even checked your
sock drawer while you were helping Chad downstairs with his cello.
 
Not a one in sight.”

“Peg!”
he managed to sputter.
 

“What?
 
I was just curious.
 
You kept them in your wallet when you were in
New York, but I already checked there, too.
 
It’s all right you know, I came prepared this time.”

“You
what?”
 
More sputtering and he drew a glass of water
from the tap, drinking deeply.

“Well,
I didn’t really like the condoms.
 
Not
that I didn’t appreciate your protecting me.
 
Anyway, it turned out Connie knows a nurse who’ll give out diaphragms
without a girl having to see the doctor.
 
So I got one.”

“Good
lord!
 
Exactly how did Connie come by
this information?”

“She
had a pretty serious fling with a Harvard man last year.
 
They went away together for the weekend a
couple of times.
 
Connie likes to be
extra careful about things, and she said condoms aren’t always reliable.
 
Just out of curiosity, I asked her for the
name of this nurse.
 
Not that I told
Connie I was involved with anyone, but I said I knew someone who was.
 
It was easy, really.
 
I have it in my purse, in case you’re
wondering.”

“I
wasn’t wondering anything expect why a couple of good Catholic girls would want
to know anything about contraceptive devices.
 
Good heavens, Peg, you never cease to shock and amaze me.”
 
He told himself the sudden stickiness beneath
his collar had to do with the oven rather than the images she’d brought to
mind.
 

“I’d
rather be guilty of avoiding the greater sin of getting myself pregnant.
 
Just having sex isn’t hurting anyone, the way
I see it.
 
But ruining three lives by
being irresponsible is something I wouldn’t want on my conscience.”
 
Her expression was so sincere, he found himself
nodding in agreement.
 

“And
have you had many occasions to use this device?”

The flash
of horrified disbelief in her eyes stunned him speechless.
 
They stared at one another for a good minute
before Peg drew a deep breath and ground out, “If you have to ask that, then I
take back everything I said earlier.
 
I
don’t know you at all, Kendall Gregg, and you obviously don’t know me!”
 
With a whirl of skirts, she grabbed up her
purse and started for the door.
 

“Peg,
wait!
 
I didn’t mean it like
that.
. .well, I suppose I did, but I wasn’t thinking.”
 
Hastily wiping his hands on a towel, he
lunged for the knob before she could pull open the door.
 
“I’m sorry!
 
Of course whatever you’ve done is none of my business.”

She
turned back, her eyes now dark and brimming with tears.
 
“How could you think for one minute I’ve been
with anyone else?
 
Always and forever,
remember?
 
Or maybe you don’t.
 
Maybe that’s not what it meant to you.”
 
Lower lip trembling, she dropped her head.

He took
her gently by the shoulders.
 
“I’m
sorry.
 
Here now, please don’t cry.
 
Come sit down.
 
Dinner’s almost ready and we need to
talk.”
 
When she offered no resistance,
he steered her toward the table.
 
“Still angry?”

“No.
 
Just a little disappointed, I guess.
 
Why are things so confusing this time?
 
One minute I think we’re fine and the next, I
wonder if we ever had anything going for us at all.”

Pulling
out a chair, he waited until she was seated before kneeling next to her.
 
“Listen to me, Peg.
 
Never doubt that we
had.
. .have something between us.
 
But life
can be confusing enough without trying to maintain a relationship over several years
and thousands of miles.
 
For all that we
know about each other, there are too many things we don’t know yet.
 
That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you,
that we should take the time to get to know each other,
really
know each other, this time around.”

“I
suppose you’re right.”
 
She sniffed,
rummaging in her purse for a tissue.

“Good.
 
That’s a start.
 
Now let’s eat.
 
It would be a shame to overcook that
fish.”
 
Standing, he shook off the effect
of Peg’s tears and headed for the kitchen.
 

“That’s
another thing I learned today.
 
I had no
idea you could cook.”

“Had
to learn.
 
I can’t afford to eat out every meal.
 
Not to mention the nutritional benefits of pub
grub are dubious at best.
 
I find I quite
enjoy it.
 
They say cooking is a form of
creativity often masked as drudgery.
 
I
haven’t hit the drudgery point yet, thank goodness.”

“I
think there’s something very attractive about a man in the kitchen.
 
Not that I know a thing about cooking, but it
seems so masterful.
 
Ooh, this looks
lovely!
 
What is this vegetable,
spinach?”

“No,
chard.
 
Practically no calories, loaded with vitamins
and relatively cheap.
 
Meets
all my requirements for a perfect food.”
 
He watched her poke at the limp green leaves on her plate.
 
“Go ahead.
 
I promise it’s quite flavorful.
 
I sauté in it butter with a bit of onion and garlic.”

She
tasted cautiously, rolling her eyes when the flavor registered.
 
“Um!
 
This is good!”

“I told
you.
 
You see, when a man has to prepare
his own meals, he keeps to things he really enjoys.
 
No one else to please.
 
Now try the fish.
 
It’s a bit of a luxury, but as I don’t eat
much meat, it all balances out.”

Peg
sampled the fish and laid down her fork, dabbing at her lips with her
napkin.
 
“Delicious.
 
Tell me, when did you become so interested in
all of this, the cooking and calories and vitamins, I mean?
 
Is that what Chad meant when he said they
were going out for some real food tonight, and leave you to your sprouts?”

He
grinned.
 
“They can make all the fun they
like, but when they’re fat and winded, I’ll still be running up those
stairs.
 
And to answer your first
question,” he rested his chin on his fist and caught her gaze, “about the same
time I tossed out all my condoms and decided I’d have to learn to live like a
monk.
 
Shortly after
‘always and forever,’ as a matter of fact.”

She
didn’t respond at first, not even blinking.
 
Her lips parted, as if she might answer, but turned up in a slow sweet
smile instead.

“So you
see, love, I did mean it.
 
Fool that I am
I’ve tried to change myself into the kind of man you deserve, the kind of man
you
should
fall in love with
someday.”

She
frowned slightly.
 
“But I already have
fallen in love, Kendall.
 
You didn’t have
to change.”

“You
only say that because you don’t really know me, Peg.
 
You said yourself you’re only now learning.”

Reaching
across to lay her hand over his, she nodded solemnly.
 
“And I love you more with everything I
learn.
 
Just think how much I’ll love you
by the end of the summer.”

“Now
stand back.
 
It tends to come down
quickly.
 
I’m sure Mr. Kemper knows the
precise moment I go to bed each night.”

“Mr.
Kemper?
 
Is he the nice old man who asked
what you were playing today?”

“Yes.”
 
He strained against the weight of the bed as
it lowered to the floor.
 
“He considers
our rehearsals his personal entertainment.
 
There, now you see it.”

She
stared down at the narrow bed with its Spartan blanket and sheets.
 
“It’s not very big, is it?”

“Big
enough.
 
I sleep alone, remember.”
 
He watched her curiously, wondering if she
was put off.
 
“It’s actually quite
comfortable.”

In
another moment, he was relieved when she smiled up at him.
 
“I’ll have to decide that for myself, won’t I?”
 
Rounding the bed, she came into his
arms.
 
Her kiss was almost hesitant,
chaste and inquisitive.
 
“Kendall?”

“Yes,
brat?”

“You’re
not going to make love to me tonight, are you?”

“No.
 
Not tonight.
 
It’s time to get you back to the hotel.”

She
stepped away with a resigned sigh.
 
“I
was afraid you were going to say that.”