Boutique." Deciding that it had to be the shop operated by
Travis's friend, Kay Harte, she went inside.
At the back, a petite black-haired woman, wearing a cool,
white shirtwaist dress, was waiting on a customer. Susan browsed
through a rack of dresses until the customer had paid for her purchases
and left. As she walked over to the counter, the black-haired woman
looked up and smiled. She wasn't pretty, but she had an open, pleasant
face and was meticulously groomed with every smooth black hair in place.
"Hello. May I help you?"
"I'm looking for Kay Harte."
"You've found her." She was still smiling at Susan
expectantly.
Susan extended her hand. "I'm Susan Sennett, Travis's
wife."
Although she knew there hadn't been time for word to get
around about Travis's marriage, she wasn't quite prepared for Kay
Harte's extreme reaction. The blood left her face in a rush and her
brown eyes seemed about to pop from her head for a moment. When she
recovered she shook hands, her fingers clammy and cold.
"Forgive me, but you've really shocked me."
Susan laughed. "I can see that."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Susan."
"Thank you. Travis mentioned that he particularly wanted
me to get to know you. I hope we'll be close friends."
There was a pained look in Kay Harte's eyes as she said,
"So do I." It came to Susan in a flash that the woman was in love with
Travis.
"I'm not having many customers today," Kay was saying.
"Let me make us a cup of tea."
"That would be very nice." Susan followed her to a small
office in the back and took a chair while Kay put a pot of water on a
hotplate and readied tea bags in two cups. After she had made the tea
and handed Susan hers, she sat down behind the desk.
"Where are you from?"
"I was living in Miami until yesterday."
"I knew that Travis had gone to Miami to consult his
lawyer, but obviously the trip wasn't strictly for business." She set
her cup down and shook her head. "I don't mean to be rude, but I'm
still a little stunned by this. How long have you known Travis?"
Everybody she met here seemed to ask that question, Susan
thought. For some reason, she wanted to evade a direct answer with Kay
Harte. "Not extremely long. You know how it is. Sometimes you meet that
rare individual and, in a short period of time, you feel as though you
know him as well as you know yourself. Perhaps it has to do with wave
lengths."
"Uh-huh," Kay murmured, "I suppose."
"Anyway, I've never been so happy in my life, and I'm sure
I'm going to love Barbados." Then she added seriously, "I know that you
and Travis have always been close friends. I want you to know that I'm
going to be a good wife to him. He's happy, and I intend to keep him
that way."
"As Travis's friend, I only want what's best for him. I'm
glad that he's happy. Aside from having acquired a very lovely wife, he
must have had hopeful news from his attorney about having his
grandfather's will declared invalid."
Susan's lashes came down to veil the fact that Kay's
remark had left her completely at sea. "Yes," she murmured. "I don't
think there was anything definite, but you know how legal matters drag
on forever."
Kay was watching her intently. Then they heard the faint
sound of a bell tinkling and she made a face. "I have a customer.
Excuse me, please."
Susan set her tea aside and got to her feet. "I won't take
up any more of your time. I just wanted to stop and say hello."
"I'm awfully glad you did. I hope we'll be seeing each
other again soon."
Susan mumbled an agreement, followed the other woman out
of the office, said good-bye and left the shop. She walked toward the
car, her curiosity awakened. Both Kay and Violet had mentioned that
will. She had thought that Travis was well satisfied with inheriting
the plantation and his grandfather's interest in the bank. But if he
had seen his lawyer about breaking the will, he apparently wasn't.
Maybe that's what he and Curt had disagreed over last night, instead of
whether Curt and Violet would move
Travis's friend, Kay Harte, she went inside.
At the back, a petite black-haired woman, wearing a cool,
white shirtwaist dress, was waiting on a customer. Susan browsed
through a rack of dresses until the customer had paid for her purchases
and left. As she walked over to the counter, the black-haired woman
looked up and smiled. She wasn't pretty, but she had an open, pleasant
face and was meticulously groomed with every smooth black hair in place.
"Hello. May I help you?"
"I'm looking for Kay Harte."
"You've found her." She was still smiling at Susan
expectantly.
Susan extended her hand. "I'm Susan Sennett, Travis's
wife."
Although she knew there hadn't been time for word to get
around about Travis's marriage, she wasn't quite prepared for Kay
Harte's extreme reaction. The blood left her face in a rush and her
brown eyes seemed about to pop from her head for a moment. When she
recovered she shook hands, her fingers clammy and cold.
"Forgive me, but you've really shocked me."
Susan laughed. "I can see that."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Susan."
"Thank you. Travis mentioned that he particularly wanted
me to get to know you. I hope we'll be close friends."
There was a pained look in Kay Harte's eyes as she said,
"So do I." It came to Susan in a flash that the woman was in love with
Travis.
"I'm not having many customers today," Kay was saying.
"Let me make us a cup of tea."
"That would be very nice." Susan followed her to a small
office in the back and took a chair while Kay put a pot of water on a
hotplate and readied tea bags in two cups. After she had made the tea
and handed Susan hers, she sat down behind the desk.
"Where are you from?"
"I was living in Miami until yesterday."
"I knew that Travis had gone to Miami to consult his
lawyer, but obviously the trip wasn't strictly for business." She set
her cup down and shook her head. "I don't mean to be rude, but I'm
still a little stunned by this. How long have you known Travis?"
Everybody she met here seemed to ask that question, Susan
thought. For some reason, she wanted to evade a direct answer with Kay
Harte. "Not extremely long. You know how it is. Sometimes you meet that
rare individual and, in a short period of time, you feel as though you
know him as well as you know yourself. Perhaps it has to do with wave
lengths."
"Uh-huh," Kay murmured, "I suppose."
"Anyway, I've never been so happy in my life, and I'm sure
I'm going to love Barbados." Then she added seriously, "I know that you
and Travis have always been close friends. I want you to know that I'm
going to be a good wife to him. He's happy, and I intend to keep him
that way."
"As Travis's friend, I only want what's best for him. I'm
glad that he's happy. Aside from having acquired a very lovely wife, he
must have had hopeful news from his attorney about having his
grandfather's will declared invalid."
Susan's lashes came down to veil the fact that Kay's
remark had left her completely at sea. "Yes," she murmured. "I don't
think there was anything definite, but you know how legal matters drag
on forever."
Kay was watching her intently. Then they heard the faint
sound of a bell tinkling and she made a face. "I have a customer.
Excuse me, please."
Susan set her tea aside and got to her feet. "I won't take
up any more of your time. I just wanted to stop and say hello."
"I'm awfully glad you did. I hope we'll be seeing each
other again soon."
Susan mumbled an agreement, followed the other woman out
of the office, said good-bye and left the shop. She walked toward the
car, her curiosity awakened. Both Kay and Violet had mentioned that
will. She had thought that Travis was well satisfied with inheriting
the plantation and his grandfather's interest in the bank. But if he
had seen his lawyer about breaking the will, he apparently wasn't.
Maybe that's what he and Curt had disagreed over last night, instead of
whether Curt and Violet would move
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