think it says a lot that he’s giving you the marketing director position. Father was very pleased with your grades last term.”
For the first time in Juliet’s life, her father seemed proud of her. She’d worked hard to earn those As. And it was gratifying to know he’d noticed. “It stinks that he won’t be there to greet me on my first day at the company.”
Bianca sighed. “I know. I’m sorry for that.”
Juliet made a dismissing noise. “Not your fault.”
“But still…”
Juliet wished she could ease her sister’s grim expression. Dear Bianca took it upon herself to make sure Juliet was okay. Just as she had Juliet’s whole life.
Juliet gave her older sister another quick hug. “I love you, sis. And I thank God for you every day.”
“And I, you,” Bianca responded with a smile.
As they crossed the hall toward the dining room, Juliet linked her arm through Bianca’s. “So, tell me how you and Leo are doing.”
Bianca blushed. “Well. Very well.”
Happy for her sister, Juliet let her mind wander to a certain man whom she’d had a hard time forgetting. She wondered where Brandon De Witte was. And with whom.
She chided herself for such thoughts. Brandon didn’t matter. Couldn’t matter. He was a pleasant memory that would eventually fade.
Juliet had more important concerns, such as her first day at the company looming ahead and finding some way to help in the search for their mother.
THREE
Monday morning arrived, with an overcast sky left behind by the weekend’s storm. A chill hung in the manor house as Juliet made her way downstairs for some coffee before heading to Blanchard Fabrics. She wished Bianca and the twins hadn’t had to leave yesterday not long after church. Miranda had spent most of the afternoon in her rooms, which left Juliet rambling around with nothing to do. So she’d spent most of the day rummaging through their father’s home office. Unfortunately, she didn’t find anything of interest.
To help keep her nervousness about her new job from overwhelming her, she contemplated how she’d grab a moment when she could sneak into her father’s office and see what she could learn that might help her sisters in their quest to locate their mother.
“Miss Juliet,” Marco said as Juliet entered the kitchen. As always, his white uniform was pressed and clean. His dark Latin eyes twinkled with good humor. “Fresh coffee and some pecan sticky buns.”
“Yum,” Juliet replied with a grin and accepted the travel mug of hot liquid and a wrapped pastry. “Thank you. What a wonderful way to start the day.”
“I’ll be making apple crisp for tonight.” Marco hurried forward to help her slip on the heavy parka over her pink chenille sweater and long, flowered, ruffled skirt.
“I’m going to gain weight living here,” Juliet complained with a smile and wave goodbye.
The drive to Blanchard Fabrics took all of ten minutes. In good weather, Juliet vowed she’d walk, if only to work off the sweets that she couldn’t resist. She parked in her father’s parking space since he wouldn’t be in. The big, imposing redbrick building with its many smokestacks loomed against the gray clouds.
Juliet entered the building through the glass double doors and shivered at the blast of warm air from the overhead heaters. She slipped off her parka and approached the reception desk.
The unfamiliar woman sitting behind the counter smiled politely at her. “Can I help you?”
Leaning on the counter, Juliet smiled back. “Juliet Blanchard. I’m supposed to report to Barbara Sanchez.”
“Ah, yes.” She nodded. “Ms. Sanchez is expecting you. Her office is on the fourth floor, just down the hall from your father’s.”
“Great, thanks,” Juliet replied and hurried to catch the elevator.
The fourth floor looked nothing like what Juliet remembered from her childhood. Her sister Miranda had mentioned that their father had remodeled the offices a few years ago. The linoleum and old-fashioned cubicle dividers that once made up the office spaces had been replaced with lush, sage-green carpet and real wood office walls.
As Juliet proceeded down the hall, she passed a conference room with a long table surrounded by over a dozen padded leather chairs.
She paused at her father’s office. The door was closed. She tried the handle. Locked.
“Juliet?”
Her heart jumping in her chest, Juliet spun around to face the woman who’d come up behind her. Her father’s longtime executive assistant, Barbara Sanchez, regarded her with interest. Barbara was tall and slightly overweight, but she dressed in very upscale corporate attire that accentuated her olive skin and shiny black hair. “Barbara, hi. I assume Father gave you the lowdown on what I’m to be doing here.”
“Yes, of course,” Barbara replied, giving her a quizzical look. “Did you need something in your father’s office?”
Juliet mentally scrambled. She did want in there to poke around and see if she could find anything about her mother, but telling Barbara as much probably wasn’t a good idea. Barbara was very loyal to Juliet’s father. Probably not someone she could rely on as an ally. “I was thinking maybe his itinerary would be on his desk. Do you know when my father is expected back from Europe?”
Barbara’s nostrils flared slightly as displeasure entered her ebony eyes. “No. Your father has not kept a very reliable schedule ever since he took up with that woman.”
Interesting. So, Barbara didn’t think very highly of Juliet’s father’s newest girlfriend. Juliet wondered if she’d liked any of the women who’d come parading through Ronald’s life. “I’ve only met Alannah twice. She seems a bit…flamboyant for Father.”
Barbara’s lip curled. “More like money hungry.”
Great. One more problem for her and her sisters to face. “Should we be worried?”
Barbara waved off the concern. “Oh, please. Ronald’s just indulging in a little midlife philandering. He’ll come around eventually.”
“I’ll pray that he does,” Juliet murmured, hating that her father was so cavalier with his soul. Didn’t he realize the mess he was making of everyone’s lives with his womanizing? She wondered if Barbara had a personal interest in Ronald Blanchard. And Juliet didn’t know what to feel about that.
“Come, let me show you where you’ll be working,” Barbara said and headed down the hall away from Ronald’s office.
Juliet followed along, peering in the other offices as she went. She waved when she recognized several of the long-term employees, mainly the ones in the sales department who had attended various functions over the years at Blanchard Manor.
Barbara stopped at a small office with a tiny, square window up high on the plain beige wall. There
