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girls and Gil again, of having Gil hate her. Tears stung her eyes,
and she dashed at them impatiently with a tissue.
As she passed Pauline's room, she hesitated. She wanted to say
goodbye to little Jenny. But on second thought, she went
ahead to the elevator, deciding that it would only make matters
worse. Besides, Pauline was probably still at the hospital with
Gil. She wished she knew what had really happened by the pool.
She should never have left the girls with Pauline, despite the
other woman's assurances that she'd look after them. Gil had said
often enough that she was responsible for them, not Pauline. She
should have listened.
Downstairs, Zeke was waiting for her. He put her small bag into
the little car he'd rented at the airport and drove her to the airport
to catch her flight.
At the hospital, Bess was demanding ice cream. Gil hugged her
close, more frightened than he wanted to admit about how easily
he could have lost her forever.
"I'm okay, Daddy," she assured him with a grin.
"Does your head hurt?" he asked, touching the bandage the doc-
tor had placed over the cut, which had been stitched.
"Only a little. But ice cream would make it feel better," she added
hopefully.
"I'll see what I can do," he promised with a strained smile.
The nurse came in, motioning Pauline and Jenny in behind her. "I
thought it might help to let her sister see her," she told Gil confi-
dentially.
"Hi, Bess," Jenny said, sidling up to the bed. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Bess assured her. "But it was real scary." She glared at
Pauline. "It was your fault. You tripped me."
"Bess!" Gil warned his daughter while wondering at Pauline's odd
expression.
"I did not trip you!" Pauline shot back.
"You did so," Bess argued. "I wouldn't dive in, and you tripped me
so I'd fall in."
"She's obviously delirious," Pauline said tautly.
"You told Kasie you'd stay right with us," she continued angrily.
"And she told us not to go swimming, but you showed me how to
dive and you told me to dive into the pool. And when I didn't, you
tripped me!"
Pauline was flushed. Gil was looking vaguely murderous. "She
did hit her head, you know," she stammered. "I was telling her
how to dive, I didn't tell her to actually do it!"
"You tripped me and I hurt myself!" Bess kept on.
Pauline backed away from Gil. "What do I know about kids?" she
asked impatiently. "She said she wanted to learn how to swim. I
showed her a diving position. Then I slipped on the wet tiles and
fell against her. It was an accident. I never meant to hurt her. You
must know that I wouldn't deliberately hurt a child!" she added
fiercely.
He was still silent, as the fear for Bess began to fade and his rea-
son came back to him.
Pauline grabbed up her purse. "I was just trying to do Kasie a fa-
vor," she muttered. "That reporter wanted to take her to lunch and
I told her to go ahead, that I'd watch the kids. Besides, she was
just in the restaurant next to the pool!"
Gil felt his stomach do a nosedive. So Kasie hadn't deserted the
kids. Pauline had told her to go, and she'd been right inside. He'd
fired Kasie, thinking she was at fault!
"I imagine that reporter went home with her," Pauline continued
deliberately. "They were all over each other when he came to pick
her up. Besides, governesses are thick on the ground. It won't be
hard to replace her."
"Or you," he said coldly.
She looked shocked. "You can't mean you're firing me?"
"I'm firing you, Pauline," he said, feeling like a prize idiot. Kasie
was gone, and it was as much Pauline's fault as it was his own.
He knew she didn't like Kasie. "I need a full-time secretary. We've
discussed this before."
She started to argue, but it was obvious that there was no use in
it. She might still be able to salvage something of their relation-
ship, just the same, if she didn't make a scene. "All right," she
said heavily. "But we might as well enjoy the vacation, since we're
here."
His face became hard. He thought of Kasie going back to Mon-
tana, packing, leaving. For an instant he panicked, thinking that
she might go so far away that he'd never find her.
Then he remembered her aunt in Billings. Surely she wouldn't be
that hard to locate. He'd give it a few days, let Kasie get over the
anger she must be feeling right now. Maybe she'd miss the girls
and he could persuade her to come back. God knew, she wouldn't
miss him, he thought bitterly. He'd probably done more damage
than he could ever make up to her. But when they got back, he
was going to try. Misjudging Kasie seemed to be his favorite
hobby these days, he thought miserably.
"Yes," he told Pauline slowly. "I suppose we might as well stay."
Pauline had hardly dared hope for so much time with him. She
was going to try, really try, to take care of the girls and make them
like her.
"Bess, shall I go and ask if they have chocolate ice cream?" she
asked, trying to make friends. "I'm really sorry about accidentally
knocking you into the pool."
"I want Kasie," Bess muttered.
"Kasie's gone home," Gil said abruptly, not adding that he'd fired
her.
"Gone home?" Bess's face crumpled. "But why?"
"Because I told her to," he said shortly. "And that's enough about
Kasie. We're going to have a good time... Oh, for God's sake,
don't start bawling!"
Now it wasn't just Bess crying, it was Jenny, too. Pauline sighed
heavily. "Well, we're going to have a very good time, aren't we?"
she said to nobody in particular.
Mama Luke never pried or asked awkward questions. She held
Kasie while she cried, sent her to unpack and made hot choco-
late and chicken soup. That had always been Kasie's favorite
meal when she was upset.
Kasie sat down across from her at the small kitchen table that had
a gaily patterned tablecloth decorated with pink roses and sipped
her soup with a spoon.
"You don't have to say a word," Mama Luke told her gently, and
smiled. She had eyes like her sister, Kasie's mother, dark brown
and soft. She had dark hair, too, which she kept short. Her hands,
around the mug, were thin and wrinkled now, and twisted with ar-
thritis, but they were loving, helping hands. Kasie had always en-
vied her aunt her ability to give love unconditionally.
"I've been a real idiot," Kasie remarked as she worked through
her soup. "I should never have let Pauline look after the girls. She
isn't really malicious, but she's hopelessly irresponsible."
"You haven't had a man friend in my recent memory," Mama Luke
remarked. "I'm sure you were flattered to have a handsome young
man want to take you out to lunch."
"I was. But that doesn't mean that I should have let Pauline talk
me into leaving the girls with her. Bess could very easily have
drowned, and it would have been my fault," she added miserably.
"Give it time," the older woman said gently. "First, let's get you
settled in. Then you can help me with the garden," she added with
a grin.
Despite her misery, Kasie laughed. "I see. You're happy to have
me back because I'm free labor."
Mama Luke laughed, too. It was a standing joke, the way she
press-ganged even casual visitors into taking a turn at weeding
the garden. She prescribed it as the best cure for depression,
misery and anxiety. She was right. It did a lot to restore a good
mood.
In the days that followed, Kasie worked in the garden a lot. She
thought about Gil, and the hungry way he'd kissed her. She
thought about the girls and missed them terribly. She'd really ex-
pected Gil to phone her. He knew she had an aunt in Billings, and
it wouldn't have taken much effort for him to track her down. In
fact, she'd put Mama Luke's telephone number down on her job
application in case of emergency.
The thought depressed her even more. He knew where she'd be,
but apparently he was still angry at her. God knew what Pauline
had said at the hospital about how the accident happened. She'd
probably blamed the whole thing on Kasie. Maybe the girls
blamed her, too, for leaving them with Pauline, whom they dis- [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl wyciskamy.pev.pl
girls and Gil again, of having Gil hate her. Tears stung her eyes,
and she dashed at them impatiently with a tissue.
As she passed Pauline's room, she hesitated. She wanted to say
goodbye to little Jenny. But on second thought, she went
ahead to the elevator, deciding that it would only make matters
worse. Besides, Pauline was probably still at the hospital with
Gil. She wished she knew what had really happened by the pool.
She should never have left the girls with Pauline, despite the
other woman's assurances that she'd look after them. Gil had said
often enough that she was responsible for them, not Pauline. She
should have listened.
Downstairs, Zeke was waiting for her. He put her small bag into
the little car he'd rented at the airport and drove her to the airport
to catch her flight.
At the hospital, Bess was demanding ice cream. Gil hugged her
close, more frightened than he wanted to admit about how easily
he could have lost her forever.
"I'm okay, Daddy," she assured him with a grin.
"Does your head hurt?" he asked, touching the bandage the doc-
tor had placed over the cut, which had been stitched.
"Only a little. But ice cream would make it feel better," she added
hopefully.
"I'll see what I can do," he promised with a strained smile.
The nurse came in, motioning Pauline and Jenny in behind her. "I
thought it might help to let her sister see her," she told Gil confi-
dentially.
"Hi, Bess," Jenny said, sidling up to the bed. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Bess assured her. "But it was real scary." She glared at
Pauline. "It was your fault. You tripped me."
"Bess!" Gil warned his daughter while wondering at Pauline's odd
expression.
"I did not trip you!" Pauline shot back.
"You did so," Bess argued. "I wouldn't dive in, and you tripped me
so I'd fall in."
"She's obviously delirious," Pauline said tautly.
"You told Kasie you'd stay right with us," she continued angrily.
"And she told us not to go swimming, but you showed me how to
dive and you told me to dive into the pool. And when I didn't, you
tripped me!"
Pauline was flushed. Gil was looking vaguely murderous. "She
did hit her head, you know," she stammered. "I was telling her
how to dive, I didn't tell her to actually do it!"
"You tripped me and I hurt myself!" Bess kept on.
Pauline backed away from Gil. "What do I know about kids?" she
asked impatiently. "She said she wanted to learn how to swim. I
showed her a diving position. Then I slipped on the wet tiles and
fell against her. It was an accident. I never meant to hurt her. You
must know that I wouldn't deliberately hurt a child!" she added
fiercely.
He was still silent, as the fear for Bess began to fade and his rea-
son came back to him.
Pauline grabbed up her purse. "I was just trying to do Kasie a fa-
vor," she muttered. "That reporter wanted to take her to lunch and
I told her to go ahead, that I'd watch the kids. Besides, she was
just in the restaurant next to the pool!"
Gil felt his stomach do a nosedive. So Kasie hadn't deserted the
kids. Pauline had told her to go, and she'd been right inside. He'd
fired Kasie, thinking she was at fault!
"I imagine that reporter went home with her," Pauline continued
deliberately. "They were all over each other when he came to pick
her up. Besides, governesses are thick on the ground. It won't be
hard to replace her."
"Or you," he said coldly.
She looked shocked. "You can't mean you're firing me?"
"I'm firing you, Pauline," he said, feeling like a prize idiot. Kasie
was gone, and it was as much Pauline's fault as it was his own.
He knew she didn't like Kasie. "I need a full-time secretary. We've
discussed this before."
She started to argue, but it was obvious that there was no use in
it. She might still be able to salvage something of their relation-
ship, just the same, if she didn't make a scene. "All right," she
said heavily. "But we might as well enjoy the vacation, since we're
here."
His face became hard. He thought of Kasie going back to Mon-
tana, packing, leaving. For an instant he panicked, thinking that
she might go so far away that he'd never find her.
Then he remembered her aunt in Billings. Surely she wouldn't be
that hard to locate. He'd give it a few days, let Kasie get over the
anger she must be feeling right now. Maybe she'd miss the girls
and he could persuade her to come back. God knew, she wouldn't
miss him, he thought bitterly. He'd probably done more damage
than he could ever make up to her. But when they got back, he
was going to try. Misjudging Kasie seemed to be his favorite
hobby these days, he thought miserably.
"Yes," he told Pauline slowly. "I suppose we might as well stay."
Pauline had hardly dared hope for so much time with him. She
was going to try, really try, to take care of the girls and make them
like her.
"Bess, shall I go and ask if they have chocolate ice cream?" she
asked, trying to make friends. "I'm really sorry about accidentally
knocking you into the pool."
"I want Kasie," Bess muttered.
"Kasie's gone home," Gil said abruptly, not adding that he'd fired
her.
"Gone home?" Bess's face crumpled. "But why?"
"Because I told her to," he said shortly. "And that's enough about
Kasie. We're going to have a good time... Oh, for God's sake,
don't start bawling!"
Now it wasn't just Bess crying, it was Jenny, too. Pauline sighed
heavily. "Well, we're going to have a very good time, aren't we?"
she said to nobody in particular.
Mama Luke never pried or asked awkward questions. She held
Kasie while she cried, sent her to unpack and made hot choco-
late and chicken soup. That had always been Kasie's favorite
meal when she was upset.
Kasie sat down across from her at the small kitchen table that had
a gaily patterned tablecloth decorated with pink roses and sipped
her soup with a spoon.
"You don't have to say a word," Mama Luke told her gently, and
smiled. She had eyes like her sister, Kasie's mother, dark brown
and soft. She had dark hair, too, which she kept short. Her hands,
around the mug, were thin and wrinkled now, and twisted with ar-
thritis, but they were loving, helping hands. Kasie had always en-
vied her aunt her ability to give love unconditionally.
"I've been a real idiot," Kasie remarked as she worked through
her soup. "I should never have let Pauline look after the girls. She
isn't really malicious, but she's hopelessly irresponsible."
"You haven't had a man friend in my recent memory," Mama Luke
remarked. "I'm sure you were flattered to have a handsome young
man want to take you out to lunch."
"I was. But that doesn't mean that I should have let Pauline talk
me into leaving the girls with her. Bess could very easily have
drowned, and it would have been my fault," she added miserably.
"Give it time," the older woman said gently. "First, let's get you
settled in. Then you can help me with the garden," she added with
a grin.
Despite her misery, Kasie laughed. "I see. You're happy to have
me back because I'm free labor."
Mama Luke laughed, too. It was a standing joke, the way she
press-ganged even casual visitors into taking a turn at weeding
the garden. She prescribed it as the best cure for depression,
misery and anxiety. She was right. It did a lot to restore a good
mood.
In the days that followed, Kasie worked in the garden a lot. She
thought about Gil, and the hungry way he'd kissed her. She
thought about the girls and missed them terribly. She'd really ex-
pected Gil to phone her. He knew she had an aunt in Billings, and
it wouldn't have taken much effort for him to track her down. In
fact, she'd put Mama Luke's telephone number down on her job
application in case of emergency.
The thought depressed her even more. He knew where she'd be,
but apparently he was still angry at her. God knew what Pauline
had said at the hospital about how the accident happened. She'd
probably blamed the whole thing on Kasie. Maybe the girls
blamed her, too, for leaving them with Pauline, whom they dis- [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]