force, I thought he might endanger the pregnancy She was so fragilelooking.
"Well, let's get on with this homecoming," Garland said, moving forward. Malcolm stepped aside and I accompanied them into the house. "I see there have been some changes made," Garland said. He was referring to some of the things I had done to warm up the foyer--the addition of some new, brighter landscapes and pictures of other country-type scenes, and some colorful rugs. "All good things," he added for my benefit, winking as he said so.
I couldn't help but like him He was so bright and happy. There was a positive energy around him that was contagious. Alicia beamed.
"It's everything you promised it would be," she said, and she kissed him on the cheek, but the kiss was so much more affectionate than the kisses Malcolm gave me that I was envious. It was nearly passionate.
"Your suite is in the south wing, next to Olivia's," Malcolm said, sounding more like the manager of a hotel than a son welcoming his father and his father's new bride home. "It's the one you requested."
"Good. Well, let us get settled in and then I want to see my grandsons, eh, Alicia?"
"Oh, yes, I can't wait."
"And dinner. We're both absolutely famished. The food on these trains leaves much to be desired. Have you done much traveling, Olivia?" he asked me. "Or is Malcolm keeping you a prisoner in Foxworth Hall?"
"Well, I haven't really done much traveling, no, but we traveled on the train right after we were married."
"She's from New London, Connecticut," Malcolm said. "Her maiden name is Winfield. Her father was in the shipping industry--unfortunately he passed away recently--"
"Oh, a Yankee, eh?" Garland said. "Alicia's from Richmond, Virginia, so let's not have the war between the states," he added, and laughed
vigorously. Malcolm, standing behind me, scowled, but Alicia smiled at me.
"You'll find no fight in me," she said, squeezing my hand. I must say I was taken with her warmth and her gregarious ways. She was as uninhibited as a fouryear- old. Although I told myself it was just a lack of good breeding, I couldn't help being fascinated by her openness. True she was only nineteen, but she had traveled most of Europe and been with a very sophisticated man. She should have had a rapid maturing, yet she didn't seem affected by the traveling or by the realization that she was a very wealthy woman and the wife of a distinguished man.
"Ah, Mrs. Wilson and Mrs. Steiner," Garland said, seeing them standing to the side. Mary Stuart stood behind them shyly.
"Welcome home, Mr. Foxworth," Mrs. Wilson said warmly.
"Welcome home," Mrs. Steiner said. He took both their hands and kissed each. They were obviously embarrassed by such a greeting.
"I've become the Continental," he said, "traveling through Europe. You two degbetter be on the lookout for me." The two giggled like schoolgirls. I thought it was absolutely uncouth to behave like that with the servants, but I did see how much more they admired him than they admired Malcolm. He looked at Mary Stuart, the maid hired after he had left. "Hello there," he said.
She nodded and he looked about. "Are these all the servants?"
"Olsen is in the gardens, working," I said. "You may resume your duties," I told the maids, and they quickly left. Garland lowered his chin to his chest and peered at Malcolm.
"Are we pressed to economize?" he asked.
"Of course not," Malcolm said. "We're just practicing good economic behavior. What you do at home carries over to what you do in business."
"I see. Well, with the addition of another child and the two of us, we'll have to look into additional help, eh, Alicia?" he said.
"Whatever you say, my darling."
I saw Malcolm grimace as if in pain.
"Onward and upward," Garland announced, and led his bride up the dual staircase, pointing things out to her as she giggled and exclaimed her admiration. Malcolm and I remained below, looking up at them. I felt as if a wild but warm wind had come crashing through the front doors
"Well, let's get on with this homecoming," Garland said, moving forward. Malcolm stepped aside and I accompanied them into the house. "I see there have been some changes made," Garland said. He was referring to some of the things I had done to warm up the foyer--the addition of some new, brighter landscapes and pictures of other country-type scenes, and some colorful rugs. "All good things," he added for my benefit, winking as he said so.
I couldn't help but like him He was so bright and happy. There was a positive energy around him that was contagious. Alicia beamed.
"It's everything you promised it would be," she said, and she kissed him on the cheek, but the kiss was so much more affectionate than the kisses Malcolm gave me that I was envious. It was nearly passionate.
"Your suite is in the south wing, next to Olivia's," Malcolm said, sounding more like the manager of a hotel than a son welcoming his father and his father's new bride home. "It's the one you requested."
"Good. Well, let us get settled in and then I want to see my grandsons, eh, Alicia?"
"Oh, yes, I can't wait."
"And dinner. We're both absolutely famished. The food on these trains leaves much to be desired. Have you done much traveling, Olivia?" he asked me. "Or is Malcolm keeping you a prisoner in Foxworth Hall?"
"Well, I haven't really done much traveling, no, but we traveled on the train right after we were married."
"She's from New London, Connecticut," Malcolm said. "Her maiden name is Winfield. Her father was in the shipping industry--unfortunately he passed away recently--"
"Oh, a Yankee, eh?" Garland said. "Alicia's from Richmond, Virginia, so let's not have the war between the states," he added, and laughed
vigorously. Malcolm, standing behind me, scowled, but Alicia smiled at me.
"You'll find no fight in me," she said, squeezing my hand. I must say I was taken with her warmth and her gregarious ways. She was as uninhibited as a fouryear- old. Although I told myself it was just a lack of good breeding, I couldn't help being fascinated by her openness. True she was only nineteen, but she had traveled most of Europe and been with a very sophisticated man. She should have had a rapid maturing, yet she didn't seem affected by the traveling or by the realization that she was a very wealthy woman and the wife of a distinguished man.
"Ah, Mrs. Wilson and Mrs. Steiner," Garland said, seeing them standing to the side. Mary Stuart stood behind them shyly.
"Welcome home, Mr. Foxworth," Mrs. Wilson said warmly.
"Welcome home," Mrs. Steiner said. He took both their hands and kissed each. They were obviously embarrassed by such a greeting.
"I've become the Continental," he said, "traveling through Europe. You two degbetter be on the lookout for me." The two giggled like schoolgirls. I thought it was absolutely uncouth to behave like that with the servants, but I did see how much more they admired him than they admired Malcolm. He looked at Mary Stuart, the maid hired after he had left. "Hello there," he said.
She nodded and he looked about. "Are these all the servants?"
"Olsen is in the gardens, working," I said. "You may resume your duties," I told the maids, and they quickly left. Garland lowered his chin to his chest and peered at Malcolm.
"Are we pressed to economize?" he asked.
"Of course not," Malcolm said. "We're just practicing good economic behavior. What you do at home carries over to what you do in business."
"I see. Well, with the addition of another child and the two of us, we'll have to look into additional help, eh, Alicia?" he said.
"Whatever you say, my darling."
I saw Malcolm grimace as if in pain.
"Onward and upward," Garland announced, and led his bride up the dual staircase, pointing things out to her as she giggled and exclaimed her admiration. Malcolm and I remained below, looking up at them. I felt as if a wild but warm wind had come crashing through the front doors
Similar Books
