Mystique (26 page)

Luc's expression
was unreadable. "I don't have any doubts about you."

"Please,
Luc. It would make me feel better."

He regarded her
uncertainly. "All right," he said at last. "Tell me."

She gathered her
thoughts. "I want you to understand that I didn't get involved with them
out of love. I didn't know what love was. I thought it was an illusion, a fancy
name for need, desire, lust. When I got involved with first Richard and later
Leonard, I just wanted to be happy. I knew I didn't love them, and I didn't
think they loved me. I neither wanted nor expected such an emotion." She
lifted a palm to either side of Luc's face and didn't flinch at his intense
gaze. "Sex with them meant nothing to me. It wasn't even very
pleasurable."

Luc's taut
muscles seemed to relax. "It wasn't?"

Misty shook her
head and smiled. "If you want to know the truth, I felt more sensually
aware while taking a hot mineral bath than I did when I was in bed with either
man."

Luc chuckled.
They grinned at each other in a silent sharing of intimate secrets.

"I didn't
know anyone like you existed," Misty resumed. "Until you started
making such a pest of yourself at the Terrace Hotel. Thank goodness you're a
persistent man, Luc Harrison." She grew more serious. "At first I
thought that what I felt for you must be an illusion. But it grew stronger and
stronger every day, blowing apart all my preconceived notions about
commitments and relationships." She laughed. "I have to admit that,
in the beginning, I expected you at any moment to turn from Dr. Jekyll into Mr.
Hyde."

"I
noticed," he murmured.

"I didn't
want to love you."

"I
know."

"But you
wouldn't leave me alone." "I was fighting for my life," he said,
massaging her waist with strong fingers. "Am I your life?"
"Yes."

"But how can
you love me?" As soon as the words fell from her mouth, she bit her lips.
"I didn't mean to sound self-deprecating, but all the newspapers in New York said you would marry someone from your own social set. That made sense to
me." She clutched his shoulders. "Even though, now that I have you, I
won't let you go."

"Feel free
to chain me to you, love," Luc murmured against her cheek. "And as
for my set, as you call it, you are my set. You fit in perfectly with my
family, and they all love you."

"They
do?" Misty felt herself swell with pleasure. "Oh, Luc, I'm getting so
conceited being married to you."

"Not true.
You've just gained a sense of your own worth. You're beginning to realize how
much you mean to me, how important you are. That realization has given you confidence."

She rubbed her
cheek against his shirt. "I do feel better about myself."

"Good. And
are you beginning to believe that you and I will make good parents?"

She nodded
slowly. "I suppose I'll always have some doubts."

"No, you
won't, darling. After a time you'll begin to know what I know already—that
you'll be a fine mother."

Together they
finished packing, teasing and laughing, pausing frequently to share quick
kisses and brief caresses. Finally they left for Long Island, wrapped in their
own special aura of love.

The next day was
a hectic one for the Harrison family. Luc's sister Velma and her husband Ken
arrived, and Misty was able to renew her acquaintance with their daughter
Janie, who chatted excitedly at Misty's side.

"My mother
said Mark and Mary are coming with their parents and some of your other friends
will be coming."

"Yes. Morey
and Zena will be here, too, and—"

"I can't
wait," Janie cried, clapping her hands. Then she covered her mouth.
"I didn't mean to interrupt, Aunt Mystique."

"You
didn't." Misty put her arm around the girl, delighted at being called
Aunt Mystique. "Shall we go get Jennifer and take her for a walk?"

"Yes!"
Then Janie looked around her and whispered, "But we'll have to take James
and Gregory, too." Misty nodded.

"Well, Aunt
Mystique, we better watch out. The last time I took the boys for a walk, they
jumped into the fish pond, and I ruined my best jeans getting them out."

Misty laughed.
"Well, we'll have to keep a sharp eye on them, then. It's way too early to
go swimming in Long Island."

Misty and Janie
were both kept busy entertaining the boys as they pushed Jennifer in the
English buggy provided by the housekeeper.

"I wish
Uncle Luc didn't have to go with Grandpa and Daddy to help at the club,"
Janie said wistfully. "Then they could have walked with us. James and Greg
would have behaved better." She ran off to retrieve the two boys from a
thicket of bushes at the end of the curving driveway.

As they retraced
their steps, Misty heard a car behind them and quickly ushered the boys, Janie,
and the buggy to the side of the road. "Janie!" Mary shouted from the
car window as she sped past with the rest of her family and Morey and Zena.

Misty and her
troupe hurried back to the house, where they were greeted by a flurry of
activity. Everyone was talking and laughing, making the old structure seem to
echo with happy sounds and good feelings.

Since the very
young children would not be accompanying the adults to the dinner dance that
evening, they were indulged with an early dinner party of their own. Misty
played the piano and sang "The Rainbow Connection," which the Muppets
had made famous. The children crowded around her and sang boisterously.

"I think my
wife is enjoying herself," Luc said, coming up behind her.

Misty laughed, a
little out of breath. "I'm having a great time. Come and sing along with
us."

Without further
urging, Luc joined in, his lusty baritone standing out among the children's
high voices and Misty's clear mezzo-soprano.

When it was time
to go, Misty regretted having to leave the youngsters with the housekeeper.
"Any fool can see that you love children, darling," Luc said as they
left the room and climbed the stairs to their suite. "Soon you'll be able
to see that for yourself."

"I think
so," Misty said, squeezing his hand. "I think so."

Half an hour
later they were on their way to the country club, where Luc's family had been members
for generations. As soon as she stepped into the foyer, Misty could tell that
the evening would be an unqualified success. The rooms were already crowded
with beautifully dressed guests, and she was immediately caught up in the
glamour and excitement. Alice was beaming, and Althea's cheeks glowed pink
with the warmth of good feeling.

After chatting
over cocktails, everyone sat down to a sumptuous dinner. Misty could only taste
a bit of each of the many dishes. Afterward, she was standing with Morey, Zena,
David, and Aileen when her mother-in-law sailed up to the group, her eyes
sparkling. "Morey, I must take you with me." She turned to Misty.
"Wanda Gump is green with envy over the girls' dresses. She insisted on
meeting Morey, but I told her he's so exclusive that he'd have to interview her
before taking her on as a customer." Althea grinned impishly, Misty
laughed, and Morey went limp with nervousness. "Don't worry, dear, Alice and I will carry the ball," Althea assured him. She left with Morey in tow.

Zena and Aileen
laughed out loud. "Morey will be as limp as a rag when we see him
next," Zena predicted.

"A rich rag
if Mrs. Harrison has her say," David mused, smiling at Misty. "She's
quite a woman."

"She's
absolutely wonderful," Misty agreed.

"And I've
never seen you looking better, Misty," David added.

"You do look
wonderful, Mist," Aileen concurred.

"Thank you.
If I do, it's because I'm happy," she answered, knowing that she could
never begin to describe what she and Luc shared. How could she convey the
delirious feeling of freedom that love had given her? What words could she use
to draw a picture of the sweet ecstasy that was theirs alone?

Luc had led off
the dancing by escorting Celia onto the floor while John danced with Marcy and
Ted danced with Betsy. Now, as the three young women continued to dance with
fresh-faced college men, Luc came up to Misty and asked, "May I borrow my
wife for this dance?"

Misty slipped
eagerly into his arms, and they whirled onto the crowded floor. "I thought
I was never going to be able to dance with you," Luc complained, holding
her close.

"You looked
very good out there with my sisters," Misty said.

"And you
look gorgeous in that sea-green silk dress. But I can see your legs through
that slit every time you move, Mrs. Harrison." He shook his head in mock
reproof, making her laugh. "It's not funny," he chided.

She lifted both
hands and locked them behind his neck. "I love it when you act possessive,
Mr. Harrison."

"Watch it,
lady. See what I mean?" He pressed intimately against her.

"Darling,
you're aroused! Shall we excuse ourselves?" Misty teased.

"Damn. If we
only could," Luc muttered, glancing around.

"I was only
teasing, Luc," Misty protested, laughing. "We can't leave, so take
that mulish look off your face."

When the dance
ended, they found themselves standing next to Betsy, who turned to introduce
them to her escort.

"Luc, Misty,
this is Kevin Short. Kevin, this is my sister, Misty Harrison, and my
brother-in-law, Luc Harrison." Betsy's eyes shone with delight.
"Kevin is in my Irish literature class."

Kevin smiled.
"Hello."

"Misty is
going to have a baby," Betsy announced proudly. Although Misty's cheeks
flamed with embarrassment at the announcement, and Luc gave a muffled chuckle,
Kevin remained coolly poised.

"I know,
your Aunt Alice already told me, as did your grandmother. Your family seems to
be pretty excited about the news."

"Yes,"
Misty said shyly. She glared at Luc, who laughed out loud.

"Sorry,
darling. I guess I'm excited about the baby, too," he explained.

Kevin's puzzled
look cleared. "Yeah." Then he glanced at Betsy and the couples
gyrating on the floor to a fast rock beat. "Want to try it again?" he
asked.

Betsy grinned.
"Excuse us, please."

Misty took Luc's
hand and pulled him into the surging crowd, too. "Are you sure it's okay
for you to do this?" He frowned down at her as they moved to the wild
rhythms.

"Absolutely.
And stop treating me as if I were going to give birth to the first two-headed
donkey."

Luc laughed.
"I know I'm being difficult, but you'll just have to bear with me,
darling."

Misty was about
to answer when Ted and Deirdre swept up to them. "Misty, if it's a boy,
you could name him after me—Edward. That's a great name."

"Don't be
silly," Deirdre admonished. "She won't know the sex of the child for
months yet. But you know, Edward isn't a bad name. If it's a girl, you can call
her Edwina."

"Good
Lord!" Luc exclaimed.

"I had an
Aunt Edwina," Ted said defensively. A reluctant grin spread across his
face. "Of course she weighed one hundred and eighty pounds and was five
feet three inches."

"True."
Deirdre sighed. "Do you think you'll choose one of the family names,
Mystique?"

"We haven't
even had a chance to think about it yet," she said.

"Family
names," Luc mused, his arm still around Misty. "Didn't Mother have a
cousin Eufemia?" Deirdre closed her eyes. "Don't start."
"And she had a brother Eustace," Ted added with relish.

Misty began
shaking her head, looking from one to the other.

"And wasn't
there one named Tadpole?" Ted asked. Misty gasped.

"That was
Claypool," Deirdre corrected tartly as her husband burst into laughter.
"That's the southern branch of mother's family—the Carters," she
explained to Misty.

"Oh."

"I forgot to
mention Cousin Lipscomb," Luc continued. "We called him Lippy."