Withdrawal, but not completely, no, there was more uncertainty there, and he waited. “What happened, Lindsay? What brought you to me?”
He wondered if she had any idea, and said aloud, “The final show of dislike from your father? The understanding that you didn’t want him to dominate you anymore? A sort of liberation?” Jesus, he thought, idiot words out of his mouth. He wasn’t a shrink and he shouldn’t be playing with the words. But he knew she was the girl Dr. Gruska had spoken about. The whole father thing—but seduction? He didn’t know, and he was terrified to speculate.
“Perhaps. I thought about you, and only you, focused on you, I guess, because I didn’t want all the horrible scenes at the mansion to eat away at me. I wanted you even before I saw you. All I could think about was you. And when I saw you standing there, looking so sane, so reasonable, and warm, and you wanted me and didn’t hate me, I guess—I don’t know.”
“Lindsay?”
“Yes?”
“Don’t leave me. Don’t run away from me again. Whatever disturbs you, whatever frightens you, just don’t leave me. Talk to me, or just sit and stare at me. Even turn your back on me. Just don’t run. I love you and together we can work it out. Could you try to believe that?”
Silence.
“I’ll even let you buy me a hot dog down at the museum to celebrate your new wealth.”
She pulled back in the circle of his arm. She looked at him, saying nothing, and then she smiled. “Okay, I won’t run out on you. It’s time to stop that, isn’t it? I’m not a stupid kid anymore, something I’ve told myself a lot lately. No, not a kid who can be kicked around and carved to the bone with cruel words. No, I’m an adult now, and adults are supposed to think calmly and to exercise power over themselves.”
“Amen,” he said, not quite certain what she meant.
But that Saturday afternoon, after they’d come back from running in the park, Taylor was to learn that life had a way of always serving up new and varied and perverse dishes on one’s plate.
18
Taylor was in the shower, having beaten Lindsay in the coin toss over who’d be first. The other bathroom in this magnificent, very old-fashioned apartment held an old claw-foot tub and as yet they hadn’t hung a shower curtain around it. Neither of them wanted to sit in his own running sweat.
He was happy, and whistling and scrubbing, feeling better than he’d felt in his life. Unfortunately, he had his father’s voice, but who cared? He soaped up and grinned, feeling real hope for the first time. Lindsay was engaged to him and she’d opened up and given herself to him. He’d had the greatest sex in his life, and that had been the biggest surprise of all.
In truth, Taylor had doubted his sex life would ever be the same again. He’d pictured, in grimmer moments, a willing but terrified Lindsay in bed, trembling when he touched her, lying stiff and cold, suffering him, enduring. It had chilled his blood. But last night—
He came out of their bedroom still whistling, dressed in tight jeans and a dark blue turtleneck sweater. He walked toward the living room because he heard a woman’s voice. He thought it was probably Gayle Werth.
He was on the point of coming into the room when he saw, not Gayle, but a stunning woman dressed in black leather that fitted her perfect body perfectly. She was standing in front of Lindsay, who was seated, looking for the world like a disobedient schoolchild being berated by the mistress. He couldn’t help himself. He stopped and he listened.
“ . . . oh, yes, Lindsay,” the woman was saying in a sweet voice that made his blood curdle, “Father still wants your head. He thought—as he made perfectly clear—that you were a malicious, evil little slut. But you heard him. He rather lost it, unfortunately. However, I think he’s willing to reconsider his opinion of you if you do what you should, if you do what is right, and that is, of course, to reverse the inheritance. The money should have gone to him and you know it. He’s not sure you’ll ever understand, which is why I’m here speaking for him. I told him you would come about when you’d had time to think about it. I told him you were very upset by Grandmother’s death, and your mother’s, of course, and it was clouding your judgment. I told him not to underestimate you, Lindsay. You aren’t stupid, I told him. You aren’t selfish and greedy. You would do what is right, what is just.”
There was complete silence for several moments. Taylor knew he should come into the living room, knew he should end this, but he didn’t move, not yet. He heard Lindsay say, vague puzzlement in her voice, “But you didn’t say much, Sydney, just something about deep waters. And now you’re here as Father’s emissary. You’re here as his lawyer.”
“Yes, to put it baldly. More than that, I’m here as his daughter and your sister. I’m here to try to mend fences and make you see reason. You know how proud Father is. It’s difficult for him to bend, to modify his beliefs.” She paused a moment and laughed. “You should have stayed just awhile longer. Delmartin phoned after he left you at the airport and told Holly that she wasn’t to touch the house or else there would be swift legal action. The silly bitch was howling with rage. It was very diverting. I enjoyed watching her drink herself into a whining stupor. Father is already talking about sending her on her way. She’s a drag on him now. He can’t count on her at social functions because of her drinking. And all the weight she’s gained—she looks like a blimp. No, it won’t be long now before Holly is gone. But our father, Lindsay, that’s different now. He’s what’s important. It’s his money and he must have it. As I said, he doesn’t think you’ll be reasonable, but I told him I know you better and you would be. You love him and you won’t want to hurt him, not like Grandmother did.”
“You want me to sign all my inheritance over to him?”
“Oh, keep some of it, certainly, but the bulk should go to Father. Don’t you agree? He was next in line, after all. Moreover, you will still have your mother’s money. What is that? About five million or so?”
“Am I to keep a million dollars of Grandmother’s money?”
“Why not? It’s not really an insult to you, just to Father.”
“Won’t Father believe I’m a selfish slut if I do?”
“I’ll speak to him. I’ll make him understand.”
“Do you really think I could buy his love by giving him all Grandmother’s money?”
“Don’t be a fool, Lindsay. He loves you. It’s just that he came to despise your mother, and unfortunately, that spilled over onto you. But now, why, yes, I think he would certainly come to look at you differently were you to do what is right now.”
“It seems strange to think of him behaving any differently toward me now.”
“He would. I promise you that. Will you sign the papers? I brought them with me.”
“Shouldn’t Grandmother’s wishes count in this? Don’t you believe she should have the right to do whatever she pleased with her money? It wasn’t Father’s, it was hers.”
“He is—was—her only son. Her money is his, by right, by blood, by what is ethical and just. Now, here are the papers. They’re very straightforward. I worked with the lawyer myself so that you could understand them. Will you sign the papers now, Lindsay?”
Taylor wanted to rush in, but again he stopped himself. This was Lindsay’s problem, her decision. She sounded perfectly calm, so calm in fact that it worried him a bit. He waited, nearly holding his breath.
And she said then, in that same very calm voice, “I don’t think so, Sydney.”
“Now, you listen to me, Lindsay, I won’t put up with any of your—” But Sydney didn’t finish. She turned as she spoke, to see a gorgeous man standing in the living-room doorway. A man she’d never seen before. She saw that he was fresh from the shower. He looked tough and lean and hard, just the sort of man she enjoyed. Dark and rugged. She realized with a shock that he lived here, lived with her sister, and it astounded her, made her feel like she was in the wrong apartment. Sydney couldn’t accept it. There had to be a mistake, the man had to be the electrician or something. Lindsay wouldn’t let a man within six feet of her, particularly not a man like this one. This man was dangerous. He’d take what he wanted. Jesus, this man would make mincemeat out of Lindsay. It was then that Sydney noticed for the first time the brilliant diamond on Lindsay’s finger. An engagement ring. An incredibly beautiful engagement ring. She couldn’t take it in. There had to be some mistake. There had to be another explanation.
“My God! Who is this, Lindsay?”
Lindsay whipped about to see Taylor, smiling at her, looking questioningly toward Sydney. She tried to smile.
