the hours on Thursday.
“If you want me to.”
“Oh, goody!”
“I’ll bring a little surprise to cheer you up.”
“Please bring something for Greta, too, or she’ll carry on.”
Lydia smiled at her wise granddaughter. “Of course I will. Now let me speak to Mommy again.”
When Meredith got on the phone, Lydia made it clear she’d leave work at three and could stay no longer than two hours. “There’s an open board meeting tonight, and I don’t want to miss it.”
“Of course, Mom. Thanks so much!”
Lydia turned on the shower in her spacious bathroom and wondered about her daughter. Meredith hadn’t mentioned where she was going and Lydia didn’t ask. Could it have something to do with her returning to work before her extended maternity leave was up? So far, Merry hadn’t mentioned the subject to Lydia, though she was quick to complain that Jeff would be working late again.
Lydia felt a twinge of unease as she stepped into her bathing suit. Meredith struck her as more tense and restless than usual. Jeff was working long hours. Was he working hard to get ahead and provide for his family, or was work his way of distancing himself from a disapproving Merry? Or was he having an affair?
She burst out laughing as she realized lately she’d been wondering whether many people were having affairs: Meredith, Jeff, Marshall, Peg. Were there really that many people driven by love and lust these days, or was she beginning to feel deprived of male company herself? Which made her aware of just how many days had passed since her last chat with Detective Molina.
Lydia shortened her swim time so she could buy Brittany a book at Barnes & Noble on the way to work. She had a little cloth doll for Greta, which she’d bought weeks ago, one of many toys and small gifts she now kept on hand. As she stopped for a red light, she realized she should have put the doll in the car. No matter, she’d pick it up on her way to Meredith’s later.
A change in Saturday’s wedding menu and the death of a ninety-year-old man scheduled to celebrate his birthday in the Linton Room on Sunday afternoon kept Lydia on the phone for most of the morning. Then her immediate boss—a pretty young woman named Jessica Holland who, age-wise, could have been Lydia’s middle child—required her assistance. At two forty-five, Lydia was clearing her desk when Len appeared and asked her to confirm arrangements with all outside vendors for that evening’s business conference.
Lydia frowned. “Len, you said there’d be no problem if I left early today.”
“You will leave early, Lydia. I promise. Make these calls and you needn’t make up the two hours tomorrow. It won’t take you more than half an hour at most.”
Her glance swept past Jessica frantically riffling through papers to Len’s outer office where his secretary and the clerk worked. “Can’t Ginny or Mabel take care of this?”
“Sorry, they’re busy with other things. Please, Lydia.”
She gave an exasperated sigh. She was annoyed with Len for not keeping his word, with Meredith for being so demanding, and with herself for agreeing to babysit on a day when she was working. It wouldn’t happen again.
“Okay, Len. Give me the phone numbers, etcetera.”
He handed her a sheet of paper with everything neatly printed out. “This is a time-sensitive business. Problems crop up when we least expect them.”
“So I see.”
It was three-twenty when Lydia finished all she’d been asked to do. She raced to her car then took a minute to call Meredith on her cell phone to say she was on her way. Her daughter wasn’t at all happy with the delay.
Meredith flung open the door before Lydia had a chance to ring the bell. She was wearing her new leather coat and had put on plum-colored eye shadow and liner that accentuated her lovely eyes.
“Don’t you look lovely!” Lydia exclaimed. “Where are you off to?”
Meredith offered a tight smile. When she spoke, her words sounded
“If you want me to.”
“Oh, goody!”
“I’ll bring a little surprise to cheer you up.”
“Please bring something for Greta, too, or she’ll carry on.”
Lydia smiled at her wise granddaughter. “Of course I will. Now let me speak to Mommy again.”
When Meredith got on the phone, Lydia made it clear she’d leave work at three and could stay no longer than two hours. “There’s an open board meeting tonight, and I don’t want to miss it.”
“Of course, Mom. Thanks so much!”
Lydia turned on the shower in her spacious bathroom and wondered about her daughter. Meredith hadn’t mentioned where she was going and Lydia didn’t ask. Could it have something to do with her returning to work before her extended maternity leave was up? So far, Merry hadn’t mentioned the subject to Lydia, though she was quick to complain that Jeff would be working late again.
Lydia felt a twinge of unease as she stepped into her bathing suit. Meredith struck her as more tense and restless than usual. Jeff was working long hours. Was he working hard to get ahead and provide for his family, or was work his way of distancing himself from a disapproving Merry? Or was he having an affair?
She burst out laughing as she realized lately she’d been wondering whether many people were having affairs: Meredith, Jeff, Marshall, Peg. Were there really that many people driven by love and lust these days, or was she beginning to feel deprived of male company herself? Which made her aware of just how many days had passed since her last chat with Detective Molina.
Lydia shortened her swim time so she could buy Brittany a book at Barnes & Noble on the way to work. She had a little cloth doll for Greta, which she’d bought weeks ago, one of many toys and small gifts she now kept on hand. As she stopped for a red light, she realized she should have put the doll in the car. No matter, she’d pick it up on her way to Meredith’s later.
A change in Saturday’s wedding menu and the death of a ninety-year-old man scheduled to celebrate his birthday in the Linton Room on Sunday afternoon kept Lydia on the phone for most of the morning. Then her immediate boss—a pretty young woman named Jessica Holland who, age-wise, could have been Lydia’s middle child—required her assistance. At two forty-five, Lydia was clearing her desk when Len appeared and asked her to confirm arrangements with all outside vendors for that evening’s business conference.
Lydia frowned. “Len, you said there’d be no problem if I left early today.”
“You will leave early, Lydia. I promise. Make these calls and you needn’t make up the two hours tomorrow. It won’t take you more than half an hour at most.”
Her glance swept past Jessica frantically riffling through papers to Len’s outer office where his secretary and the clerk worked. “Can’t Ginny or Mabel take care of this?”
“Sorry, they’re busy with other things. Please, Lydia.”
She gave an exasperated sigh. She was annoyed with Len for not keeping his word, with Meredith for being so demanding, and with herself for agreeing to babysit on a day when she was working. It wouldn’t happen again.
“Okay, Len. Give me the phone numbers, etcetera.”
He handed her a sheet of paper with everything neatly printed out. “This is a time-sensitive business. Problems crop up when we least expect them.”
“So I see.”
It was three-twenty when Lydia finished all she’d been asked to do. She raced to her car then took a minute to call Meredith on her cell phone to say she was on her way. Her daughter wasn’t at all happy with the delay.
Meredith flung open the door before Lydia had a chance to ring the bell. She was wearing her new leather coat and had put on plum-colored eye shadow and liner that accentuated her lovely eyes.
“Don’t you look lovely!” Lydia exclaimed. “Where are you off to?”
Meredith offered a tight smile. When she spoke, her words sounded
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