Calder Promise by Janet Dailey Page B

clanked to a stop, and the doors clattered open, signaling Max’s arrival on the second floor as Laura entered her assigned bedroom.
    An ornately carved four-poster bed dominated the spacious room, one of several furniture pieces that looked to be from another century. On the opposite side of the room, chairs and a cushioned settee were grouped around the fireplace, flanked by bookshelves. Laura wandered over to idly peruse the titles.
    As promised, her luggage was delivered within minutes, accompanied by a motherly gray-haired maid named Maude who’d come to assist with the unpacking and press any items that required it. All was handled in short order, leaving Laura ample time to shower and change before dinner.
    Twenty minutes later she emerged from the private bath clad in a kimono-style silk robe and busily toweling the worst of the wetness from her hair. She noticed the tea service that now occupied a table in the sitting area and realized the maid must have brought it in while she was in the shower.
    As she crossed to it, she caught the sound of an arriving vehicle. Having already ascertained that her bedroom occupied the front side of the manor house, Laura indulged her curiosity and detoured to the nearest window. When she looked out, she saw a compact sedan park near the front entrance. A woman climbed out of the driver’s side. One look at her flaming red hair and Laura knew she was looking at Sebastian’s sister.
     
     
    The mantel clock in the library chimed. Sebastian glanced at it, noting the time was half past six o’clock, and splashed some tonic in the glass with his freshly poured gin. From the hallway came the sound of approaching footsteps. Recognizing that quick-striding walk, Sebastian poured a second drink. With one in each hand, he turned as his sister Helen swept into the library.
    “Is that for me? Jolly good.” She all but snatched the drink from his hand. “You have no idea how much I need this. I almost had Grizwold fetch one to my room.” She took a healthy sip of it. “Mmm, delicious,” she declared, then paused, her brown eyes opening wide. “Grizzy did tell you I arrived, didn’t he? I instructed him to inform you. I dashed straight to my room so I could tidy up before your guests caught a glimpse. They are here, aren’t they?”
    “They came about half past four or thereabouts,” Sebastian confirmed.
    “That’s good.” She sank into a leather armchair and reclined against its thickly cushioned back with a kind of graceful exhaustion. “I had the most bloody awful day. Two of my workers didn’t show up this morning, leaving me dreadfully shorthanded. And I had these two huge trees that absolutely had to be planted. It took all of us to do it. The instant the last one was in place, I dashed to my car and flew here, so you can imagine the state I was in when I arrived. My blouse, my trousers, I had smudges of dirt everywhere. I certainly wasn’t a fit sight to be seen by your guests.”
    Sebastian listened without interrupting. Helen, his junior by two years, always had a tendency to babble nonstop when she was nervous. And her day had obviously been a stressful one.
    “I noticed when I drove in that the grounds looked immaculately groomed,” she rattled on. “I must remember to compliment Leslie and his crew on a job well done. I had hoped to arrive early enough to inspect everything, but that simply wasn’t to be. Although I did notice there were no flowers in the front urns. That needs to be rectified. I hope your guests didn’t remark on it.”
    “I doubt they noticed.” Sebastian idly swirled the gin and tonic in his glass, then lifted the glass to her in an affectionate salute. “Thank you for the use of your crew in tidying up the grounds. I was remiss in not saying that before now.”
    “It’s important that the old place look prosperous even if it isn’t. If not for your guests, then for . . .” She paused, her glance flying to him, her eyes dark with