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The happy mood lasted and seemed to increase
when they reached the Victorian home of the sisters
Van Bloom. Maude was tall and thin and Katy was
short and dumpy, but they shared a love of people
that went beyond their physical attributes.
Dana was amazed at the garden she saw when
she walked through the black wrought-iron gate.
The courtyard was floored with brick, and its size
was about that of a medium-size living room. It was
filled with flowers and potted shrubs and trees, and
there was black wrought-iron furniture set near a
small fountain positioned in front of a vine-covered
wall. Dana could understand why Lorraine felt like
redoing the beach house every time she came to the
Van Blooms’. It made the most infrequent
gardener’s fingers itch to recreate it.
“Lovely, isn’t it?” Gannon said from behind her.
“I remember it very well.”
“You may have appreciated it, my dear,” Maude
said shortly, “but that woman you brought with you
last time most certainly did not. Did you hear her,
muttering about putting in a bar and a hot tub…!”
Dana turned, frowning, and Gannon looked dis-
tinctly uncomfortable.
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Blind Promises
“Layn likes modern surroundings, Aunt,”
Gannon said curtly. “What kinds of flowers do you
have in here?”
Maude hesitated before she let the subject of
Gannon’s former girlfriend drop. “Azaleas, my
dear,” she said. “Roses and sultanas and geraniums
in shades of pink and red. I particularly like the red.
How about you, Miss Steele?”
Dana sighed. “Oh, I just love them all,” she said
with quiet enthusiasm. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen
anything so lovely.”
“You might try one of your own. It isn’t so dif-
ficult,” Maude encouraged.
“The nurse’s home isn’t the best place, I’m
afraid,” Dana said wryly.
“You’re a nurse?” Maude burst out. “Why, so am
I. I practiced as an R.N. for over fifteen years
before I retired. Come, my dear, let’s sit and discuss
the changes over a pot of hot tea.”
It was a long time before the two women
finished, and then suddenly the others had joined
them and it was time to leave. Dana climbed into
the front seat with Dirk, while Gannon sat alone
and quiet in the backseat and turned his head in
the direction of the charming old home with a
feeling of loss.
Diana Palmer
105
“Isn’t it grand?” Dana sighed. “Are there many
of those courtyards in Savannah?”
“More than you’d imagine,” Dirk replied.
“There’s an active historical foundation here, with
conscientious members who have a love of history
and a sense of continuity. They’ve accomplished a
lot, as you’ll notice when we go through the
downtown area. General Oglethorpe planned for
gardens when he laid out the grid pattern of the first
streets in the city, you see. He even established a
sort of public nursery. Savannah is famous for its
public squares as well.”
“It’s a beautiful city. I wish we had more time
to see it,” Dana said.
“We’ll come back again,” Dirk promised with a
grin. “You’re the kind of girl I like to take sight-
seeing, Dana: you have such a natural enthusiasm
for new things.”
“I love beauty, that’s all,” she replied. “Thank
you for today, Dirk.”
“Today will be the first of many,” the younger
man promised. “We’ll do this again.”
In the backseat, Gannon’s face grew darker and
harder, and neither of the occupants of the front
seat noticed that he wasn’t taking part in the con-
versation. Dana was lost in the memory of what
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Blind Promises
she’d seen, and Dirk was capitalizing on her
interest to freeze his brother out of the running. He
liked what he saw in this soft-voiced wildflower,
and he wasn’t planning to lose her to his freebooter
of a brother. He was going to stake a claim while
there was still time.
Dana, blissfully unaware of her companion’s
dark thoughts, was chattering away about the garden
without a care in the world. The gaiety lasted until
they were back at the beach house and inside, until
Gannon called sharply for her to join him in the
study. And when the door closed, the beauty of the
day went into a total eclipse with his harsh outburst.
“Your job,” he said without preamble, standing
rigidly in the middle of the floor, “is to look after
me, not to flirt with my brother.”
She froze at the door, staggered by the attack. “I
beg your pardon?”
“You heard me,” he growled. “From now on
there’ll be no more of that. While you work for me,
you do it exclusively. I will not have my routine in-
terrupted by these charming little outings with Dirk.”
“You came too,” she burst out. “And I’ll remind
you that you only pay for my services, not my soul!”
“That,” he said, “is debatable. Keep away from
Dirk.”
Diana Palmer
107
She drew herself up to her full height. “I will not,”
she said shortly. “As long as he’s here I will show
him the same politeness and courtesy that I show
your mother. And if you don’t like that, fire me.”
“With pleasure. Pack your things and get out.”
She hadn’t been prepared for that. Wild
thoughts whirled through her mind, the foremost
among them being that she’d have to leave him,
just when she was getting…used to him. But his
face was as dark as thunder, and he had a look of
a man who wouldn’t back down half an inch to
save his life.
“If that’s what you want, Mr. van der Vere, I’ll
be pleased to leave you alone with your bad
temper.” She watched his rigid face twitch, as if her
ready reply had come as a surprise. She could
hardly resist a faint smile as she opened the door
and went out. She’d had the last word, at least. But
what would become of him now?
She started up the staircase when Lorraine
appeared at the top of it.
“There you are,” the older woman said with a
smile. “What would you like for dinner? I’ve had
the cook thaw some steaks—”
“I don’t think I’ll have time,” Dana said quietly.
“I’m going up to pack.”
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Blind Promises
Lorraine paled. “But, my dear, you’re doing so
well with him. Won’t you reconsider?”
“It’s not me,” Dana replied with a quiet smile.
“I’d have stuck it out, but he just fired me.”
The other woman blinked. “Fired you? Why?”
“I was flirting outrageously with his brother,”
was the amused reply. “Or so he said. I didn’t know
I had it in me.”
Lorraine laughed softly. “Oh, my. It’s not funny
in the least, and I’m not laughing at you. But con-
sidering the length of time you’ve known my other
son… Poor Gannon.”
“Poor me,” Dirk said from behind Dana. “I
gather that something’s afoot. Dana’s been fired,
and I’m the culprit?”
“I was flirting with you,” Dana told him.
His eyebrows arched. “Were you? You might
have told me about it; I didn’t even notice.”
“Dirk, do something,” Lorraine pleaded.
“Gannon simply can’t fire Dana just when he’s
gotten used to her!”
“I’ll see what I can do,” Dirk sighed, giving the
study door a long, hesitant glance. “But don’t
expect miracles.”
“I, for one, will not. I’m packing.” Dana started
up the stairs. “Don’t worry, Mrs. van der Vere, I’ll
Diana Palmer
109
find you someone tough to replace me—perhaps
Mrs. Pibbs…?”
“I was thinking more along the lines of that big
man on that adventure show I like on television—” [ Pobierz caÅ‚ość w formacie PDF ]

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