understand you didn’t know anything about all this.”
Ruby put her eyes on Brian and saw the same hardness in his gaze that Key had sensed. “I guess I’m more of a surprise to you, ain’t I?”
Paige Winslow winced as Ruby began chewing her gum and surveying the room. “Hey, these are some digs. I ain’t seen nothin’ this classy in a while.”
Key was accustomed to Ruby’s rough grammar and rather shrill voice. Her voice wasn’t always shrill, for she usually spoke in a perfectly well modulated tone—it was rather deep, as a matter of fact. Somehow he knew she had learned to be shrill in order to make herself heard, but the combination of her voice and her dress, the cheap jewelry, and her attitude were clearly having a negative impact on Brian and Paige.
“You’ll want to see the rest of the house,” Cara said, “but I know you’d like to have time to freshen up. Come along, and I’ll show you your room.”
“Wait a minute, Mom,” Brian said quickly. “I thought we might talk a bit.”
Cara gave Brian a warning look. “Not now, Brian. We’ll have plenty of time to talk later, but I’m sure Grace is tired.”
At the use of the name Grace, Key picked up a slight change in the young woman’s eyes. She laughed harshly and said, “Grace! That’ll take a little gettin’ used to. I ain’t never been called nothin’ but Ruby.”
“If you like Ruby better,” Phil said, “that’s what it’ll be.”
The young woman was clearly surprised, and Key saw a fleeting softening in her features before her lips grew tight again. “Naw, if I’m gonna be a part of this bunch, I can get used to that name. If I don’t pay no attention when you call me by it, you just tell me to watch what I’m doin’.”
“Come on, dear.”
Francis watched as the girl gave Brian a hard look and then shifted her level gaze to Paige. She smiled and laughed. “I guess we’ll probably never get used to each other. Right?”
Kevin approached Ruby, and she couldn’t hide the shock in her eyes when she saw his terrible scars up close. Kevin was accustomed to such reactions, however, and he smiled and said, “Welcome home, sis.”
“Uh, th-thanks,” she stammered. “It’s ... nice to be here.”
As soon as the two women had disappeared, Brian said, “Dad, we’ve got to talk about this.”
“Not now, Brian. I need to talk with Francis. Come along into my study.”
The two men left, and Brian said, “I don’t believe she’s who she says she is for a minute, Paige. She doesn’t look like any of us. There’s no family resemblance at all.”
“You’re right. She doesn’t look like Mother or like me. But there’s no way to prove it, is there, one way or another?”
“There’s got to be a way. Maybe I’ll talk to that private detective. I want to know how he found her.” The two fell silent, and finally Paige whispered, “She is just awful! I can’t imagine introducing her to John or his parents—or any of our friends.”
“She doesn’t fit,” Brian agreed, “but I think there’s more to it than you’ve considered. If she’s who she claims to be, or even if Mom and Dad assume she is without proof, have you thought what it will mean?”
“What are you talking about?”
“I mean she’ll become an equal heir. Sooner or later this estate will have to be divided up. I always thought it wouldgo three ways. Now it’ll be four. In effect, she’s taking money away from my kids.”
“Maybe she won’t stay,” Paige said hopefully. “She’s so ... so different! She may feel so uncomfortable she’ll leave. Maybe Dad will pay her off and she’ll go away and be satisfied with that.”
“Not likely, sis. She’s a hard cookie. Women like that will squeeze a man dry, and I bet that’s what she’s planning to do to us.” He reached out and took her arm. “This is a real mess, Paige. We’ve got to do something about it!”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Grace’s Night Out
The midmorning sun sent
Ruby put her eyes on Brian and saw the same hardness in his gaze that Key had sensed. “I guess I’m more of a surprise to you, ain’t I?”
Paige Winslow winced as Ruby began chewing her gum and surveying the room. “Hey, these are some digs. I ain’t seen nothin’ this classy in a while.”
Key was accustomed to Ruby’s rough grammar and rather shrill voice. Her voice wasn’t always shrill, for she usually spoke in a perfectly well modulated tone—it was rather deep, as a matter of fact. Somehow he knew she had learned to be shrill in order to make herself heard, but the combination of her voice and her dress, the cheap jewelry, and her attitude were clearly having a negative impact on Brian and Paige.
“You’ll want to see the rest of the house,” Cara said, “but I know you’d like to have time to freshen up. Come along, and I’ll show you your room.”
“Wait a minute, Mom,” Brian said quickly. “I thought we might talk a bit.”
Cara gave Brian a warning look. “Not now, Brian. We’ll have plenty of time to talk later, but I’m sure Grace is tired.”
At the use of the name Grace, Key picked up a slight change in the young woman’s eyes. She laughed harshly and said, “Grace! That’ll take a little gettin’ used to. I ain’t never been called nothin’ but Ruby.”
“If you like Ruby better,” Phil said, “that’s what it’ll be.”
The young woman was clearly surprised, and Key saw a fleeting softening in her features before her lips grew tight again. “Naw, if I’m gonna be a part of this bunch, I can get used to that name. If I don’t pay no attention when you call me by it, you just tell me to watch what I’m doin’.”
“Come on, dear.”
Francis watched as the girl gave Brian a hard look and then shifted her level gaze to Paige. She smiled and laughed. “I guess we’ll probably never get used to each other. Right?”
Kevin approached Ruby, and she couldn’t hide the shock in her eyes when she saw his terrible scars up close. Kevin was accustomed to such reactions, however, and he smiled and said, “Welcome home, sis.”
“Uh, th-thanks,” she stammered. “It’s ... nice to be here.”
As soon as the two women had disappeared, Brian said, “Dad, we’ve got to talk about this.”
“Not now, Brian. I need to talk with Francis. Come along into my study.”
The two men left, and Brian said, “I don’t believe she’s who she says she is for a minute, Paige. She doesn’t look like any of us. There’s no family resemblance at all.”
“You’re right. She doesn’t look like Mother or like me. But there’s no way to prove it, is there, one way or another?”
“There’s got to be a way. Maybe I’ll talk to that private detective. I want to know how he found her.” The two fell silent, and finally Paige whispered, “She is just awful! I can’t imagine introducing her to John or his parents—or any of our friends.”
“She doesn’t fit,” Brian agreed, “but I think there’s more to it than you’ve considered. If she’s who she claims to be, or even if Mom and Dad assume she is without proof, have you thought what it will mean?”
“What are you talking about?”
“I mean she’ll become an equal heir. Sooner or later this estate will have to be divided up. I always thought it wouldgo three ways. Now it’ll be four. In effect, she’s taking money away from my kids.”
“Maybe she won’t stay,” Paige said hopefully. “She’s so ... so different! She may feel so uncomfortable she’ll leave. Maybe Dad will pay her off and she’ll go away and be satisfied with that.”
“Not likely, sis. She’s a hard cookie. Women like that will squeeze a man dry, and I bet that’s what she’s planning to do to us.” He reached out and took her arm. “This is a real mess, Paige. We’ve got to do something about it!”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Grace’s Night Out
The midmorning sun sent
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