Tina Dean." Her mother withdrew a little, her blue
eyes confused and a little curious. "Is something wrong?"
"King
is my neighbor in Jamaica," Elissa said. "He was kind enough to offer
me a lift from the airport. We flew over with his brother and sister-in- law."
She could see that Tina Dean was quietly sizing him up, taking in
his tailored suit, his hand-stitched shoes, his silk tie and expensive
accessories. She could almost hear her mother's mind clicking, sorting through
what Elissa had told her of her friendship with King and trying to put two and
two together about what this obviously wealthy man was doing with her
daughter.
"I
have some iced tea in the kitchen," she re marked. "Would
you like some, Mr. Roper?"
"King
has to get back to Miami," Elissa said firmly, staring up at him. "Don't
you?" she empha sized.
"Not at all," he
replied with a maddening smile. "I'm in
no hurry."
"Delightful," Mrs. Dean said with a grin. Her
eyes
720
Diana
Palmer
Fit for a
King
121
twinkled. "How
do you feel about reptiles, Mr. Roper?"
"Well,
I used to have a pet horned toad," he be gan.
"Oh,
Mother, no," Elissa moaned, putting her face in her hands.
King gave
her a curious glance before Mrs. Dean took his hand and led him into the
house.
Elias Dean
was in his study, where he kept his collection of exotic lizards. He looked up,
his thick silver hair slightly receding from his broad forehead, his eyes
covered by thick spectacles with wire rims. At the sight of his daughter he beamed and
greeted her warmly. Then he turned his
attention to their new visitor.
"Well,
hello, who's this?" he asked pleasantly, rising from a terrarium with a
big frilled green lizard in one hand.
King
offered a hand, apparently unruffled by the "crawlies."
"Kingston Roper." He grinned. "You must be Elissa's
father."
"That
I am. Do you like lizards, Mr. Roper? This is my hobby." He
sighed, looking around him con tentedly at terrarium after terrarium. "I
can't ever seem to
get enough, you know. It's up to ten curly- tails
now, several spring lizards, newts, salamanders... But this is my pride and
joy." He reached for a door and opened it. Inside was an enormous
pool with potted tropical plants all around
it. On a rock in
the pool under a
fluorescent lamp was Ludwig, a four- foot iguana who looked like a
dinosaur. He stared at them with total boredom and closed his eyes.
"Iguana?" King asked, clearly interested.
"Yes.
Isn't he beautiful?" her father asked. "He was only a baby when
I got him. I had to force-feed him the first week with a big syringe, until he took fruits and vegetables on his own. I like frogs,
too. I want one of those huge African
frogs—they weigh ten pounds. She doesn't like frogs," he added with
a miserable glance at Tina.
Tina laughed. "You're just
lucky I don't mind liz ards, Elias.
Although I did draw the line at that ball python you were ogling. Snakes disturb me." She shuddered. "Lizards are bad enough."
"I
have to have a hobby, my dear," he reminded her. "It could
be worse. Do you remember that witch doctor we met down the Amazon, the
one who col lected heads?"
"I
withdraw every objection," Tina promised, hand over her heart.
"Would you like tea, darling? I'm going to pour some for Elissa and her...and Mr. Roper."
"I'll
be out directly," Elias promised. "I have to feed poor old
Ludwig."
"Poor old Ludwig,"
Tina chuckled as they made their way back
down the hall to the kitchen, where sliding doors opened onto a deck
facing the ocean. "He takes him walking
down the beach on a leash.
722
Diana
Palmer
Fit for a
King
123
It's a good thing we
have such a loyal congregation." She shook her head.
"Father
is eccentric," Elissa said quietly, glancing worriedly at King.
He cocked
an eyebrow. "My father collected rocks," he remarked. "And I
had a great-uncle who could forecast the weather with jars of bear grease. Compared
to that, keeping lizards seems pretty sane."
Elissa
leaned back in her chair. "Go ahead, Mother, tell
eyes confused and a little curious. "Is something wrong?"
"King
is my neighbor in Jamaica," Elissa said. "He was kind enough to offer
me a lift from the airport. We flew over with his brother and sister-in- law."
She could see that Tina Dean was quietly sizing him up, taking in
his tailored suit, his hand-stitched shoes, his silk tie and expensive
accessories. She could almost hear her mother's mind clicking, sorting through
what Elissa had told her of her friendship with King and trying to put two and
two together about what this obviously wealthy man was doing with her
daughter.
"I
have some iced tea in the kitchen," she re marked. "Would
you like some, Mr. Roper?"
"King
has to get back to Miami," Elissa said firmly, staring up at him. "Don't
you?" she empha sized.
"Not at all," he
replied with a maddening smile. "I'm in
no hurry."
"Delightful," Mrs. Dean said with a grin. Her
eyes
720
Diana
Palmer
Fit for a
King
121
twinkled. "How
do you feel about reptiles, Mr. Roper?"
"Well,
I used to have a pet horned toad," he be gan.
"Oh,
Mother, no," Elissa moaned, putting her face in her hands.
King gave
her a curious glance before Mrs. Dean took his hand and led him into the
house.
Elias Dean
was in his study, where he kept his collection of exotic lizards. He looked up,
his thick silver hair slightly receding from his broad forehead, his eyes
covered by thick spectacles with wire rims. At the sight of his daughter he beamed and
greeted her warmly. Then he turned his
attention to their new visitor.
"Well,
hello, who's this?" he asked pleasantly, rising from a terrarium with a
big frilled green lizard in one hand.
King
offered a hand, apparently unruffled by the "crawlies."
"Kingston Roper." He grinned. "You must be Elissa's
father."
"That
I am. Do you like lizards, Mr. Roper? This is my hobby." He
sighed, looking around him con tentedly at terrarium after terrarium. "I
can't ever seem to
get enough, you know. It's up to ten curly- tails
now, several spring lizards, newts, salamanders... But this is my pride and
joy." He reached for a door and opened it. Inside was an enormous
pool with potted tropical plants all around
it. On a rock in
the pool under a
fluorescent lamp was Ludwig, a four- foot iguana who looked like a
dinosaur. He stared at them with total boredom and closed his eyes.
"Iguana?" King asked, clearly interested.
"Yes.
Isn't he beautiful?" her father asked. "He was only a baby when
I got him. I had to force-feed him the first week with a big syringe, until he took fruits and vegetables on his own. I like frogs,
too. I want one of those huge African
frogs—they weigh ten pounds. She doesn't like frogs," he added with
a miserable glance at Tina.
Tina laughed. "You're just
lucky I don't mind liz ards, Elias.
Although I did draw the line at that ball python you were ogling. Snakes disturb me." She shuddered. "Lizards are bad enough."
"I
have to have a hobby, my dear," he reminded her. "It could
be worse. Do you remember that witch doctor we met down the Amazon, the
one who col lected heads?"
"I
withdraw every objection," Tina promised, hand over her heart.
"Would you like tea, darling? I'm going to pour some for Elissa and her...and Mr. Roper."
"I'll
be out directly," Elias promised. "I have to feed poor old
Ludwig."
"Poor old Ludwig,"
Tina chuckled as they made their way back
down the hall to the kitchen, where sliding doors opened onto a deck
facing the ocean. "He takes him walking
down the beach on a leash.
722
Diana
Palmer
Fit for a
King
123
It's a good thing we
have such a loyal congregation." She shook her head.
"Father
is eccentric," Elissa said quietly, glancing worriedly at King.
He cocked
an eyebrow. "My father collected rocks," he remarked. "And I
had a great-uncle who could forecast the weather with jars of bear grease. Compared
to that, keeping lizards seems pretty sane."
Elissa
leaned back in her chair. "Go ahead, Mother, tell
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