Moonlight on the Millpond (24 page)

Eleven

Jace did not let Maddie out of his arms for a long time. He saw the closed door as private enough and wasted no time in kissing her.

“Well, now,” Maddie said, a bit breathless when contact was broken. “What was that about?”

“I just missed you,” Jace said.

Maddie laughed. “You've been here all evening.”

“But I didn't get to do that.”

Maddie smiled at him, and Jace kissed her again.

“I like you, Jace Randall,” she told him. “You're easy to have around.”

“I rather like you too,” Jace said, seeing the opportunity opening up to him. “In fact, I even thought about telling you that in a different way tonight.”

Maddie's brows rose. “A surprise?”

Jace reached into his pocket and pulled out the small chain.

“Will you wear my mother's bracelet?”

“Oh, Jace,” Maddie breathed, reaching for the delicate gold links. “It's so pretty.”

“Well, then the two of you will get along just fine.”

Maddie looked up at him. “I don't know what to say. What if I lose it or break it?”

“Just as long as you don't do that to my heart.”

Maddie's eyes closed and she whispered, “We're both so afraid, aren't we?”

“At times, yes. I think you're headed back to Boston with little or no notice, and you think I'm going to lie to you.”

Maddie looked up at him, truly believing for the first time that he would never lie to her. Wordlessly she handed him the bracelet and held out her wrist.

Jace found his hands suddenly shaking, but he still managed to secure the chain around her wrist, taking a moment to study it before looking into her eyes.

“I feel as though it's on loan,” Maddie admitted, “because it was your mother's.”

“I want you to enjoy it.”

“And not take it off?” she teased him a little.

Jace felt his heart thunder but knew the words had to be said.

“You can take this off when I no longer love you.”

Maddie put her arms around him and held on tight.

“I love you too,” she murmured close to his ear, and found herself crushed in his embrace.

In the kitchen, Doyle listened at the door but found only silence. When Cathy came from the buttery and found him lurking by the closed door, she shooed him away. What he didn't see was the way she took his place once he'd gone upstairs.

Things fell so swiftly into place for Eden that she barely managed to keep her calm composure. The Shephards welcomed Jace like a member of the family, and there was no missing the eye contact between Jace and Maddie. And that was all before spotting her mother's bracelet on Maddie's wrist.

Eden had all she could do to smile kindly and speak without gritting her teeth. And her anger was not confined to Jace. Conversation told her that Woody and Jace joined the Shephards often, and yet Woody had behaved as though he didn't know where Jace was or what he was doing.

Feeling that she'd been conspired against, Eden was quiet during dinner, although her face gave nothing away. The only person she didn't fool was Jace. He knew she was angry, but he hadn't known how else to go about it. He could have told Eden about Maddie and the Shephards, but that wouldn't have done them justice.

Seeing that she was barely holding her rage, Jace inwardly sighed. He should have known that no woman or her family would have been good enough for Eden. He should have known she was too desperate to be right; there would be no pleasing her.

What he didn't see was Eden's desire to be around Maddie. When she offered to help Maddie with the dishes, Jace let his guard down. Not for a long time would he see that he'd missed a tactical move on Eden's part.

“So tell me, Maddie,” Eden began, her voice as sweet as she could manage. “Have you always lived in Tucker Mills?”

“No, I've spent the last nine years in Boston.”

“Doing what?”

“I've been with a family, first as a nanny and then a companion.”

“You must miss it.”

“The family, yes.”

“No young men?”

Eden didn't miss the change in Maddie's eyes. They clouded for a moment.

“No,” the younger woman said quietly.

“How about here? Lots of young men have fallen for you, I expect.”

For some reason Maddie laughed a little. Eden's words brought to mind David Scales and how smitten he'd been at one time, only later to fall very much in love and marry another woman. Maddie couldn't have been happier for him.

“Tell me what made you laugh,” Eden invited, her voice like that of a fun-loving big sister.

“Oh, I was thinking of someone named David. He thought he was so in love with me.” Maddie stopped and shook her head.

“So Jace is just another conquest to you, isn't he?”

Maddie's hands stilled in the wash basin. She had heard it this time, the angry tone in Eden's voice. She turned her head slowly to look at the other woman but found only kindness in her face. Nevertheless, Maddie wanted to get away from her.

“I think we're all done here,” Maddie nervously observed, reaching for the towel.

“Good,” Eden said quietly, and again, Maddie felt she should read more into that word. “I'll just go join my brother.”

“Okay,” Maddie agreed. “I'll be out in a little bit.”

“Don't hurry,” Eden said this time, not bothering to cover the hatred in her eyes.

Eden turned away, her message very clear. Maddie took a chair next to the kitchen table when Eden had gone back to the parlor and shut the door in her wake.

The hand Maddie put to her face was shaking. She didn't understand what had just happened, but it frightened her. It scared her in a way she'd never experienced before.

She eventually did join the others in the parlor, but not until Cathy came looking for her.

“You're certainly in a good mood,” Jace commented to his sister as soon as they arrived back at the house; Woody had already gone indoors.

“Am I?”

“Yes. After pouting through dinner all you've done is talk. What changed?”

“I don't know what you mean.”

Jace's eyes rolled in his head. “You're obviously not going to tell me,” he said and moved off to settle the horses.

Eden didn't follow. She was completely pleased over the way the afternoon had ended. Maddie Shephard appeared to be strained and upset. And it was only a matter of time before Eden would turn that to her advantage. She had to leave in the morning, but that was all right. It would give her more time to plan.

“You look tired,” Cathy said on Monday morning.

“I didn't sleep that well.”

“Why is that?”

Maddie shrugged, not wanting to tell Cathy that she could still see Eden Randall's eyes, eyes that continued to frighten Maddie.

“Everything all right with you and Jace?” Cathy asked.

“Yes, but I'm not sure his sister likes me.”

“That's normal,” Cathy said, surprising Maddie into staring at her.

“What's ‘normal' exactly?”

“According to Jace, Eden all but raised him. She's bound to be overly attached. He's led me to believe that she's never approved of anyone he liked.”

Maddie desperately wished Cathy had mentioned this at bedtime. She might have slept. If that's all it was—nothing personal— then Maddie could relax. Jace loved her and she loved him. Eden could hate her all she wanted. She lived in Pine River, not Tucker Mills. And right now, Tucker Mills was where Maddie was planning to spend the rest of her life.

“What put your sister in such high spirits?” Woody asked of Jace when he arrived back from the train station. “She came home from Shephards in a good mood and just kept smiling. You two do a bunch of drinking?”

“No, nothing like that,” Jace said thoughtfully. “I'm not sure what she's thinking.”

Woody shook his head. “I feel terrible saying it about my own niece, but I don't trust your sister.”

“She has a mind of her own. I'll say that much for her.”

“Do you realize she's glad she isn't married so she can look after you? She told me you'll always be someone she needs to worry about and look after.”

Jace stared at him. “She told you this?”

“Yep. I thought she would rock that chair right out the door when you went to town without her on Saturday night. We talked a little, and she feels she's completely correct in her thinking.”

“That's no surprise,” Jace said tiredly. “The word
wrong
is not in Eden's vocabulary unless it's directed at me.”

“What will you do?” Woody asked, thinking he'd take some type of action.

“I won't
do
anything,” Jace informed him, “except be thankful she doesn't live here.”

“For now,” Woody said, causing Jace's eyes to widen. The older Randall's head went back as he laughed and clapped Jace on the back.