For the Love of Sami (17 page)

"He’s perfect. You can see for yourself in a minute or two."

"But have you counted his toes and his fingers and everything?"

"He has the right number of everything." The gold flecks in his eyes laughed at her. "I told you, he’s perfect."

Sami coiled her arms around his neck again, and Jason’s strong arms lifted her off the floor in an embrace of elation. She laughed. "I’m so happy for you. And Morgan? Are you sure she’s all right? Can I see her?"

"Of course you can. She should be back in her room by now. Come on."

"Wait! Eugene, may I have the jewelry, please? I want Morgan to get the full effect of how I’m going to look tonight."

The waiting room swelled to its capacity, with the overflow of nurses and attendants spilling out into the hall. Everyone appeared fascinated by what was going on in the small room and jockeyed for the best position from which to see.

In the waiting room, Sami tried to stand more or less stationary while Jason fastened the heavy necklace around her throat and she clipped the earrings on her ears. Jerome stood in front of her and held up the mirror while Coretta put the finishing touches on her hair, and Henry fussed around the dress until he finished the hem, and it was hanging to his satisfaction.

"Okay, I think I’m ready," Sami finally pronounced. "Oh, wait! My shoes! Henry?"

"They’re right here." Henry sounded more than a little dazed. "If everything is to your satisfaction, I think I’ll take a cab back to the warehouse, get the dresses, and fly home tonight."

"That’s fine. I appreciate all you’ve done." Sami balanced her weight against Eugene’s bulk as she put on the gold satin shoes. "I’ll give you a call the next time I need a dress for a special occasion."

"If you don’t mind, Mademoiselle, I’d rather you didn’t. I think it will be a long time before I leave New York again."

#

Jason had been right. Morgan seemed fine, even though she appeared a little pale and somewhat tired. Sami bent down to kiss her, and Jerome did the same from the other side of the bed. Jason stood at the foot, looking on proudly.

"I don’t understand how you could have told Jason not to call me," Sami complained.

"I knew how important this party was to you, Sami. I didn’t want you to get upset."

"Don’t worry about me. I’m fine." Sami cast a worried gaze at her friend. "The question is, how are you? Did you remember to take cleansing breaths when you should and concentrate on one object and not push until they told you to and all that stuff?"

"Yes." Morgan laughed a little hoarsely. "It couldn’t have gone better. Have you seen him?"

"Well, of course we have. We went by the nursery before we came here. He’s a tiny version of Jason. They were teaching him to talk when we left."

"Sami, you look perfectly beautiful." Morgan’s tone had turned serious, and Sami felt the first tug of worry at the thought of the evening before her. Morgan saw it and grabbed Sami’s hand. "You’re going to be just fine. You not only owe this night to Daniel, but you owe it to yourself. It’s been a long time coming, but you’re finally taking your rightful place and claiming the special heritage that belongs to you. You can’t know how happy I am for you. My only regret is that I won’t be there to see it."

Jason spoke up. "She’s right, Sami. You’ve got nothing to worry about. St. James is going to support you one hundred percent, and don’t forget about us. All of our love and thoughts will be with you tonight."

She glanced over at Jerome. "I guess we’d better go. We’re already a little late." She leaned down to kiss Morgan’s forehead. "You get some rest tonight, and I’ll be by tomorrow to report."

From the outside, it looked to Sami as if every room in Daniel’s house were lit up. She could hear the music and the gaiety of the party from the front steps, and her stomach tightened with a pang of fear. She gave Jerome a tremulous smile.

He put a reassuring hand on her arm. "I know how hard this is for you, but just remember how many people love you. I’ll be right there, if you need me, but everything is going to be all right, you’ll see."

"I don’t know why I ever thought this was a good idea."

"Because it is."

She glanced at the door, then back at him. "Do I look okay?"

"Honey, you’re positively incandescent."

She straightened her spine and squared her shoulders. "Then, I guess I’m as ready as I’m going to be."

The door opened immediately in response to Jerome’s ringing the bell. "Miss Adkins, Mr. St. James has been worried about you! He expected you somewhat earlier."

"Yes, well, it’s a long story, Mrs. Abbott, but I’m here now. Everything going all right?" she inquired as Jerome helped her off with her luxurious coat.

"Just fine." The housekeeper gave a gasp. "Miss Adkins, you look so . . . so . . . so elegant!"

"Thank you, Mrs. Abbott."

Sami knew she had achieved the effect she wanted. The diamond-and-emerald necklace blazed against the dull gold satin of her dress and cast a radiant luminescence onto her skin. The diamonds in her hair and the emeralds that dangled from each of her ears refracted their brilliance every time she moved her head. She would be able to move with complete confidence among the sophisticated, soignee women of Daniel’s set. At least she hoped she would.

"Sami!"

She swung around and found Daniel coming toward her. "Sweetheart, I’m so glad you’re here. I was getting worried."

Regardless of the fact that Mrs. Abbott and Jerome were standing there, he took her into his arms and kissed her with a soft urgency. Sami responded with everything that was in her. Tonight, she needed to feel the warmth and reassurance of Daniel’s arms more than she ever had before. Even though she had the distinct impression that he didn’t want to, he at last released her, and stood back to look at her.

Sami held her breath, but remarkably, his face registered no shock at her changed appearance. He didn’t so much as flicker an eyelid. Instead, he said very quietly and very seriously, "You’re beautiful, Sami."

Inside of Sami, a cold apprehension wound its way through her and ended up in a big knotted ball in her stomach. This wasn’t going as she had expected. Why didn’t he comment on the way she was dressed? Why didn’t he ask her about the fortune in jewels she was wearing? Through the roaring in her head, she heard him speaking to Jerome.

"And you must be Jerome. I’m glad to meet you. Sami assures me you’re nothing less than brilliant."

"I don’t know about that, sir, but it’s awfully good to meet you. I’m a great admirer of yours."

"Thank you. I’m sure we’ll get a chance to talk later. For now, why don’t you give Sami’s and your coats to Mrs. Abbott, and we’ll join the rest of the party. Sami? Are you ready?"

Her sable. It’s richness was unmistakeable, yet he didn’t say a word about it. Wasn’t that a little odd?

She looked over at Jerome, who gave her a reassuring smile.

"Sami?" asked Daniel.

Afraid to speak, she took a deep breath and nodded. This was it. This would be the test—facing all of Daniel’s friends and acquaintances, the people who had been at the art-gallery opening, who had met her as Sami Adkins and had made her feel so uncomfortable, either unconsciously or by design. They would definitely realize that there was a distinct difference about her. Daniel hadn’t, but he was a man—a man, moreover, who was very much in love with her. They, however, cream of society that they were, would suffer no such blindness.

As Daniel and Sami entered the big double doors to the drawing room, with Jerome a few steps behind them, a silence that could almost be touched fell over the assemblage. It was as if all the air had been sucked out of the room and its occupants had been left in a soundless vacuum.

Daniel took her hand in his and gave her a long, steady look. Then he turned to address his guests. "My friends, I would like you to meet Miss Samuelina Adkinson."

The silence lasted for a horrendously long moment and then broke. All the air rushed back into the room, and jagged fragments of conversation assaulted her.

"My God, she’s that Sami!"

"Look. She’s wearing the Adkinson emeralds. Aren’t they fabulous?"

"Can you believe it? She could buy and sell us all ten times over."

"It’s hard to believe. The elusive Adkinson heiress right here in our midst all along."

"Well, I mean, how could we have known? Who could have connected the two?"

"I understood they only called her Samuelina."

"They say her parents—"

Ice, Sami thought. That was what she felt like. Her whole body felt as though it were encased in a solid piece of ice.

She heard Daniel’s voice close to her ear. "I’ve known for a long time." He was still holding her hand, only now he was rubbing it between his own, trying to instill warmth in it. "Ever since Eugene came to the house that night. I knew who he was and who he was connected to. I got to worrying about you, so I started checking. I found the warehouse, and searched the records until I discovered who owned it. I’ve just been waiting for you to trust me enough—"

Marian and Hardin Qushman rushed up, interrupting Daniel. "My dear, now I realize who you reminded me of when I saw you at the art-gallery function and you were wearing that marvelous dress. It was your grandmother. Did you ever know her?"

"N-no." Sami could only just get the word out between her frozen lips.

"She was a great beauty, your grandmother." Hardin’s blue eyes twinkled at her. "She was also an exceptional woman. I must say, I was half in love with her myself. All the men were, but she loved only your grandfather. Wonderful people, those two were. It was such a shame how their son and his wife turned out."

"Hardin! You’re speaking of Sami’s parents, you know."

"Oh, I am sorry, Sami."

"That’s quite all right." Sami glanced around wildly, and found Jerome’s concerned gaze upon her. She gave him a little nod. "Daniel, would you excuse me for a moment?" She took her hand from his.

"Of course, but where are you going?"

"Just to the powder room to freshen up." She tried to smile, but she didn’t think she fooled Daniel. Fortunately, however, right at that moment, someone came up and claimed his attention.

"You had better hurry back," Marian recommended dryly. "Everyone will be dying to speak with you."

She heard Daniel telling someone, "She’ll be back in just a minute."

Grasping Jerome’s hand, she pulled him into the empty foyer. "I’ve got to get out of here. Give me your car keys."

"Sami, I know you must be shocked to realize that Daniel knew who you were, but you can’t just run out into the night like this."

"Watch me."

"Sami, think what you’re doing."

"That’s just it, Jerome, I can’t think. My brain can’t seem to assimilate the information that Daniel actually knows who I am, and has known for months. I need time to sort through my feelings!"

"But where are you going? It’s dark out there."

"I know. I know." She paused to think, then shook her head. "I think I’ll be all right. I may have just discovered there are worse things than the darkness. And there’s something I’ve got to do, one final conflict I have to resolve."

"But where are you going? How long will you be gone? Sami you will come back, won’t you?"

"I can’t tell you the answer to any of those questions. But if I can get these things resolved inside of me, I’ll be able to come back to Daniel whole—if he still wants me by then." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Stall him for me. I’ll leave your car at the warehouse."

Eugene was waiting for her at the car. In her nervousness, she had forgotten he would be there. They had sent Coretta home from the hospital in a cab. "Come on, Eugene, I’ve got one more thing I need you to do for me."

Once back at the warehouse, she stripped the diamonds out of her hair and gave them to the big, silent man. "And take this and"—she unclasped the necklace and the earrings—"these, put them with the others, and take them to Mr. Thorsson. Tell him I’m going to be gone for a while and please keep them safe for me."

Behind her dressing screen, she quickly stripped out of the gold dress and, in its stead, donned blue jeans, boots, and one of her sequined T-shirts. She spared a very quick moment to humorously imagine her lawyer’s horror if he knew she had just turned over all of the Adkinson jewels to— if one were to give credence to the rumors—one of the nation’s leading crime figures.

Cramming a few necessities and a couple of changes of clothes in her carpetbag, she scooped up Jerome’s chocolate-brown World War II pilot’s jacket he had left at the loft and took one last look around. "I believe that’s everything. Eugene, I really appreciate all you’ve done for me in the past few days."

"Miss Adkinson, I think I should come with you."

"No, Eugene." Sami shook her head a little sadly. "Where I’m going, I have to go alone."

"Miss Adkinson, people care about you, people you don’t even realize. But we all know the good you do, and if something were to happen to you, something I could have prevented, I would never forgive myself."

Sami looked at the giant of a man, mildly amazed. That was the longest speech she had ever heard him make. Standing on tiptoes, she pulled his head down so that she could place a light kiss on his cheek. A dark red flush stained his face.

"Thank you, but nothing is going to happen to me. I’ll see you when I get back." She didn’t add, "Keep an eye on the warehouse for me." because she knew he would.

Sami had told Jerome she couldn’t answer the question about where she was going. The truth was, she just hadn’t wanted him to be in the position of knowing where she was and having to deny it.

But she had known exactly where she was going. She was going to Boston, to the house in which she had grown up. After years of avoiding it, she was now going to actively seek it out.

Something in her was telling her that she had to confront her past before she could face her future.