know you miss Alice, but you won’t ever get to me by holding her up as an example—I’m in total agreement that she was one in a million. I know she meant the world to you, and I know how unhappy you’ve been since she died. And I’m guessing you’re stuck at the ‘anger’ stage of your grief. If it helps to use me as a whipping boy, feel free to continue.”
The patio doors behind her slid open and Felicity came out, with Jordan following.
As casually as if she and Dermid hadn’t been spatting, Lacey looked up at Felicity and said in a pleasant tone, “Did you get the baby settled?”
“Mmm, she’s out like a light. Wasn’t she sweet, in her christening gown?”
“She was adorable.” Lacey swung herself gracefully up from her chaise. “Now I’m going out to the car to fetch the presents I brought for the children. Will you come and give me a hand?”
“Of course. But you shouldn’t have—”
“I know, I spoil them…but since I have no children of my own, just indulge me!”
“By the way,” her brother said, “what happened with that English guy who chased you all over Europe? The one with the castle in Wiltshire.”
“Sir Harry? Oh, I ditched him when he told me he expected me to give up my career when we married, and start having babies—lots of ’em!—right away. Male chauvinism run riot! Besides, can you imagine yours truly coping with dirty diapers and bottles of formula and sleepless nights…not to mention having to lumber around like an elephant for the best part of nine months!” She gave an elegant shudder. “I think not!”
“Being pregnant is wonderful!” Felicity protested. “I adored it…and would have quite happily gone on and had another new baby every couple of years till I was too old to have anymore!”
“Which is why after Verity was born,” her husband reminded her with a warm chuckle, “we both agreed that four were enough!”
Dermid had remained quiet during the talk of babies, but after Lacey and Felicity left the patio, he said,
“Jordan, do you think we could discuss that matter now, the one I mentioned earlier?”
“Sure,” Jordan said. “Let’s go into my study, where we won’t be disturbed.”
Lacey had brought new swimsuits for the children, and a colorful beach ball for each of them.
“Can we go in the pool now, Mom?” Eight-year-old Mandy waved her new lemon-yellow bikini in the air.
“Can we, Mom?” echoed Todd, two, and Andrew, four, as they gleefully rolled their new blue-and-green striped balls across the carpet in the den, setting RJ, the cat, scurrying for cover.
“Please, Aunt Felicity?” Jack loved to swim with his Dad in the swimming hole on their property, but it was always a treat to swim in the blue-tiled pool at Deerhaven.
“Let’s all go for a swim!” Lacey said. “It’s so hot today, it’ll be fabulous to cool off. Do let’s,” she urged Felicity. “You can take the baby monitor with you.”
“I really should clean up first,” Felicity said.
“I’ll help,” Lacey offered, but Felicity shook her head.
“No you go ahead, I’ll come out when I’m finished.”
“My bikini’s still in the laundry room?”
“Mmm, where you left it last time. And could you bring up the beach towels?” Felicity turned to Mandy. “Honey, will you get the sunscreen and then all of you wait here till Aunt Lacey comes back, and she’ll take you outside to the cabana to get changed and put on the suntan lotion.”
Within minutes Lacey was herding them all outside. And soon they were all in the water.
Jack and Andrew, both strong swimmers, immediately struck out across the pool toward the deep end, punching their beach balls ahead of them, while Mandy and Lacey played in the shallow end with Todd.
Felicity turned up after about twenty minutes. She was carrying a tray, with a pitcher of lemonade, a stack of plastic glasses, and the baby monitor. Setting the tray and monitor on the picnic table by the pool, she stood for a moment, adjusting the straps of her amethyst one-piece swimsuit.
“You’re looking terrific,” Lacey called. “You’ve put on a few pounds with this last baby, but it suits you.”
“Thanks, Lacey! So…where did Jordan and Dermid disappear to?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t seen them since you and I went out to the car to get the presents.”
Just as Felicity made to jump into the water, Todd started to fuss.
“Want a drink! Want out!”
Mandy had been holding him; now she carried him to the steps and her mother reached down and hoisted him up.
“A woman’s work,” Felicity said with a laugh, “is never done!”
Mandy retrieved her beach ball which had drifted away, and shouted, “Catch, Aunt Lacey!”
For the next while, Lacey played with Mandy, until Felicity interrupted them.
“Lacey, can you come out? I need to talk to you.”
She sounded so serious, Lacey felt a jolt of surprise; surprise that changed to concern when she saw her sister-in-law’s unhappy expression.
“And Mandy—” Felicity took Todd’s empty glass from him “—will you come out, too, and take Todd over to the cabana and get him changed? I think he’s ready for a nap and I want to have a chat with Aunt Lacey.”
Lacey climbed up the steps, and wringing out her sodden hair, walked over to Felicity. She waited till Mandy had taken Todd to the cabana before saying anxiously,
“What’s wrong, Fliss?”
“Oh, Lacey, it’s so sad. When I tell you, I know you’ll be so upset—” She broke off as Jordan came out of the house. “Shh,” she whispered. “I can’t tell you just now, not till after Dermid’s gone. Please don’t say anything to Jordan. Not yet.”
The pool area was surrounded by chain link fencing, and as Jordan opened the gate, he called,
“Hey, Jack, come on out now. You and your dad have to leave in about ten minutes.”
“Are you going to drive him?” Felicity asked.
“No, I’m afraid I have to go back to the office…”
Jordan was manager of one of the North Shore’s top real estate firms, and Sunday, at this time of year, was always one of the agency’s busiest days.
“…but,” he added, “I said you’d drive him, Lace. Okay?”
Lacey bit her tongue. “Sure, no
