weird thing was that Caroline said nothing at all.
CHAPTER 8
P IANO MUSIC FLOATED FROM INSIDE THE HOUSE INTO THE COOL, damp air as Drew stood uncomfortably on the Colliers’ front porch. But this time it was a lively scherzo with none of the minor chords he’d heard Caroline play before that made him think of the deep end of the ocean.
Jewel slouched against the railing behind him, trying to look bored. She’d brushed her hair and pulled it back in a thick ponytail, showing off bright silver earrings in the shape of crescent moons. With a start, he realized that they had been Shelby’s.
The door opened and Margaret Collier smiled broadly as she stood there wearing a flowing silk caftan, something Elizabeth Taylor might have worn in her heyday. “I thought I heard someone knocking—I didn’t realize the music was on so loud.” She opened the door wider for her guests to come inside.
Drew motioned for Jewel to precede him into the house as they followed Mrs. Collier inside. He looked around for Caroline. “I didn’t realize it was the stereo. I thought it might have been Caroline on the piano.”
Margaret closed the door and began herding them into the great room. “Oh, no. Caroline doesn’t know how to play a note. Her brother was quite gifted, but I could never convince Caroline to give it a try.”
Jewel paused by a large framed picture on the far wall as Drew followed Margaret, feeling confused. “But I heard her play—and she was pretty good, if I recall correctly.”
He felt Caroline’s presence behind him before she spoke. “When I’m bored I sometimes sit at the piano and play random keys. I guess to the untrained ear it could sound like Chopin.”
Drew turned to look at Caroline to see if she was joking, but she met his gaze with a half smile that would have fooled him if he hadn’t seen the flash of desperation in her eyes.
Margaret indicated a spot on the sofa for him to sit before she turned her attention to her daughter. “We’re going to have a drink first so you’ll have time to change for dinner.”
“I did change.” She indicated her T-shirt and jeans.
Her mother’s perfectly lined eyebrows rose. “But you’re wearing jeans.”
Caroline’s expression matched her mother’s like a mirror image, and Drew suppressed a laugh.
“And you’re wearing a nightgown.”
Margaret’s lips tightened in a smile. “Why don’t you take drink orders, dear. I have a papaya-and-spinach smoothie in the refrigerator for you.”
Drew felt as if he should be keeping score, but the barbs were flying so fast he was afraid he’d lose track. Jewel came up to stand beside him and he realized she was also wearing jeans. He felt as if he’d made some huge social gaffe, but Margaret appeared not to have noticed. It seemed almost as if everyone was off her radar screen except her daughter.
Jewel tugged on Caroline’s arm. “Come on; I’ll help.”
Drew looked at the retreating form of his daughter, seeing Shelby in every step she took. It wasn’t just the red hair or the tilt of her head—it had more to do with the human awareness that had always appeared to guide Shelby’s actions. It had never bothered him that Jewel seemed not to have inherited a single thing from him. She had received the best from Shelby, and that was enough.
When they took their seats at the dining table, Caroline pulled her linen napkin out of its ring and looked pointedly at her mother, and Margaret answered with a matching expression. Caroline wordlessly put the napkin in her lap. Drew wasn’t exactly sure what that had been about, but he could at least see who’d won that round. Score one for Margaret. He smiled, then quickly coughed into his napkin.
Margaret looked up at her daughter. “Where’s your medicine?”
A slight flush appeared on Caroline’s pale cheeks. “I’ll take it later.”
Margaret folded her napkin and put it next to her plate as she stood. “You know your stomach tolerates the
CHAPTER 8
P IANO MUSIC FLOATED FROM INSIDE THE HOUSE INTO THE COOL, damp air as Drew stood uncomfortably on the Colliers’ front porch. But this time it was a lively scherzo with none of the minor chords he’d heard Caroline play before that made him think of the deep end of the ocean.
Jewel slouched against the railing behind him, trying to look bored. She’d brushed her hair and pulled it back in a thick ponytail, showing off bright silver earrings in the shape of crescent moons. With a start, he realized that they had been Shelby’s.
The door opened and Margaret Collier smiled broadly as she stood there wearing a flowing silk caftan, something Elizabeth Taylor might have worn in her heyday. “I thought I heard someone knocking—I didn’t realize the music was on so loud.” She opened the door wider for her guests to come inside.
Drew motioned for Jewel to precede him into the house as they followed Mrs. Collier inside. He looked around for Caroline. “I didn’t realize it was the stereo. I thought it might have been Caroline on the piano.”
Margaret closed the door and began herding them into the great room. “Oh, no. Caroline doesn’t know how to play a note. Her brother was quite gifted, but I could never convince Caroline to give it a try.”
Jewel paused by a large framed picture on the far wall as Drew followed Margaret, feeling confused. “But I heard her play—and she was pretty good, if I recall correctly.”
He felt Caroline’s presence behind him before she spoke. “When I’m bored I sometimes sit at the piano and play random keys. I guess to the untrained ear it could sound like Chopin.”
Drew turned to look at Caroline to see if she was joking, but she met his gaze with a half smile that would have fooled him if he hadn’t seen the flash of desperation in her eyes.
Margaret indicated a spot on the sofa for him to sit before she turned her attention to her daughter. “We’re going to have a drink first so you’ll have time to change for dinner.”
“I did change.” She indicated her T-shirt and jeans.
Her mother’s perfectly lined eyebrows rose. “But you’re wearing jeans.”
Caroline’s expression matched her mother’s like a mirror image, and Drew suppressed a laugh.
“And you’re wearing a nightgown.”
Margaret’s lips tightened in a smile. “Why don’t you take drink orders, dear. I have a papaya-and-spinach smoothie in the refrigerator for you.”
Drew felt as if he should be keeping score, but the barbs were flying so fast he was afraid he’d lose track. Jewel came up to stand beside him and he realized she was also wearing jeans. He felt as if he’d made some huge social gaffe, but Margaret appeared not to have noticed. It seemed almost as if everyone was off her radar screen except her daughter.
Jewel tugged on Caroline’s arm. “Come on; I’ll help.”
Drew looked at the retreating form of his daughter, seeing Shelby in every step she took. It wasn’t just the red hair or the tilt of her head—it had more to do with the human awareness that had always appeared to guide Shelby’s actions. It had never bothered him that Jewel seemed not to have inherited a single thing from him. She had received the best from Shelby, and that was enough.
When they took their seats at the dining table, Caroline pulled her linen napkin out of its ring and looked pointedly at her mother, and Margaret answered with a matching expression. Caroline wordlessly put the napkin in her lap. Drew wasn’t exactly sure what that had been about, but he could at least see who’d won that round. Score one for Margaret. He smiled, then quickly coughed into his napkin.
Margaret looked up at her daughter. “Where’s your medicine?”
A slight flush appeared on Caroline’s pale cheeks. “I’ll take it later.”
Margaret folded her napkin and put it next to her plate as she stood. “You know your stomach tolerates the
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