Moonlight in the Morning by Jude Deveraux Page A

and fastened with a nearly invisible stitch.
    Mrs. Wingate said the garments were called “heirloom” because they were based on age-old sewing techniques. Where once the lace had been inserted by hand, it was now done by machine. Jecca had done enough sewing to be in awe of the precision, as well as the art, of the clothing.
    She wanted to ask Mrs. Wingate questions about how it was done, but that would mean talking about Lucy. Jecca wanted to know more about Lucy’s reluctance to be around people before she started blabbing her name.
    “Shall we see you this afternoon?” Mrs. Wingate asked when the young women were about to leave.
    “I’m not sure.” Jecca looked at Kim in question. “Anything planned for today at three?”
    “Actually, I need to meet with some salesmen. You’re welcome to come if you want.”
    “Thanks but no,” Jecca said and smiled at Mrs. Wingate. “Looks like I’ll be there.”
    When they were outside, Kim asked what that was all about.
    “They want me to work out with them.”
    “‘They’? You mean Mrs. Wingate and the secretive Lucy?”
    “She’s not—” Jecca cut herself off. If she said too much, Kim would ask questions, and Jecca had no answers. “Are you hungry?”
    “Starved,” Kim said. “There’s a sandwich shop two stores down.”
    “Perfect,” Jecca said.
    Inside the cute little shop they placed their orders, then sat down at a marble-topped table.
    “Tell me more about your advertising campaign,” Jecca said as she put her big handbag on the floor by her chair.
    “The usual, love and romance. Since I tend to take designs from nature, I thought of the flowers. Think you can get some good watercolors from Tris’s orchids?”
    “Lots of them. I was wondering if you’d ever thought of using something like a story as the basis of your campaign.”
    “What do you mean? Like get my cousin Luke Adams to write something, then I fit the jewelry to it?”
    “Sort of.” She paused as a young waitress served them food. When they were alone again, Jecca said, “I was thinking of Cupid and Psyche.”
    “Oh yeah. I think I remember that story, but I’ll have to look it up.”
    “It was just a thought,” Jecca said. “If you run your ads in the same magazine, each month could be a continuation of the story.”
    “And a different design presente Ksigth could bd,” Kim said. “Not a bad idea. What made you think of it?”
    “Something someone said,” Jecca answered, then put food in her mouth.
    Kim was nodding. “Angels, bows and arrows, a garden full of flowers . . .”
    “Not to mention a beautiful man,” Jecca added.
    “He could be handing her a piece of jewelry,” Kim said. “I like it! You were always rather good at portraits. Think you could do this?”
    “If you can get me a model as beautiful as the son of Venus, sure,” she said, joking.
    Kim didn’t hesitate. “I’ll get Tris. He won’t like doing it, but I’ll nag him into it. Are you ready to go?”
    “I think I’ll make a quick trip to the restroom,” Jecca said, thinking about Kim instantly casting Tris as Cupid.
    “I’ll make some notes,” Kim said.
    A few minutes later, Jecca returned to the table to see Kim laughing. “What did I miss?”
    “Tristan.”
    “What about him?”
    “He was just here. He said he was sorry he couldn’t stay to meet you, but he had to help his dad with something. He said he’d stop by Mrs. Wingate’s this evening.”
    “I would like to see him,” Jecca said, “especially since he’s all I hear about from you, Mrs. Wingate, and Lucy.”
    “So you did talk to this Lucy!” Kim said.
    Jecca picked up her bag. “Is there someplace I can get some shampoo? I’m about out.”
    “Sure. It’s homemade around here and we put lye in it, but it won’t hurt your hair too much.”
    “Funny,” Jecca said. “I just need—”
    “Ma’am?”
    They turned to see their waitress holding out a large, colorful book to Jecca. “You left this