you?''
200
Beloved
"Certainly, dear. You just rest. I'll have some coffee and sand- wiches ready when you want them."
Would she ever want them? Tira wondered as she went slowly toward her bedroom. She was empty and
cold and sick at heart. But that seemed to
be her normal condition. At least for now.
Chapter 4
It was raining the day Tira began taking her
sculptures to Bob Henderson's "Illuminations" art gallery for her
showing. She was so gloomy she hardly felt the mist on
her face. Christmas was only two weeks
away and she was miserable and lonely. Only months before, she'd have phoned
Simon and asked him to meet her for lunch in
town, or she'd have shown up at some committee meeting or benefit conference at which he was present, just to feed her hungry heart on the sight of him. Now, she had
nothing. Only Charles and his infrequent, undemanding company. Charles was a sweetheart, but it was like having a brother over
for coffee.
She carried the last box carefully in the back door,
which Lillian Day, the gallery's manager was holding
open for her.
"That's the last of them, Lillian," Tira told her, smiling as she surveyed the cluttered storage room. She shook her head. "I can't believe I did all those myself."
"It's
a lot of work," Lillian agreed, smiling back. She bent to open one of the boxes and frowned slightly at
what was inside. "Did you mean to include this?" she asked,
indicating a bust of Simon that was painfully lifelike.
Tira's face closed up. "Yes, I meant to," she said curtly. "I
don't want it."
202
Beloved
Diana Palmer
203
Lillian wisely didn't say another word. “I’ll place it
with the others, then. The catalogs have been printed and
they're perfect, I checked them myself. Everything's ready, including the caterer,
for the snack buffet and the media
coverage. We're doing a Christ mas motif for the buffet."
Media coverage. Tira ground her teeth. The last
thing in the world she wanted to see now was a reporter.
Lillian, sensitive to moods, glanced at her reassuringly.
“Don't worry. These were handpicked, by me," she added. "They
won't ask any embarrassing questions, and
anything they write for print will be
about the show. Period."
Tira relaxed. "What would I do without you?" she asked, and meant it.
Lillian grinned. "Don't even think about trying.
We're very glad to have your exhibit here."
Tira had worried about Simon's reaction to
the showing, since he was a partner in Bob
Henderson's gallery. They hadn't spoken since before his close call in the courtroom and she half expected him to cancel her exhibit. But he hadn't. Perhaps
Mrs. Lester had been mistaken and he
hadn't been angry that Tira hadn't phoned to check on him. Just because she hadn't called, it
didn't mean that she hadn't worried.
She'd had a few sleepless nights thinking about what could have happened to him. Despite her best efforts, her
feelings for him hadn't changed. She was just as much in love with him now as she had been. She was only better
at concealing it.
The night of the exhibit arrived. She was all nerves, and
she was secretly glad that Charles would be by
her side. Not that she expected Simon to
show up, with the media present. He wouldn't want to give them any more ammunition to embarrass him with. But Charles would be a comfort to her.
Fate stepped in, however, to rob her of his presence.
Charles phoned at the last minute, audibly
upset, to tell her he couldn't go with her to the
show.
"I'm more sorry than I can tell you, but Gene's had
a heart attack," he said curtly.
"Oh, Charles, I'm so sorry!"
"No need to be. You know there's no love lost
between us. But he's my half brother, just the same, and there's no one else to look after him. Nessa is in
shock herself. I can't let her cope alone."
"How is he?"
"Stabilized,
for the moment. I'm on my way to the hospital. Nessa's with him
200
Beloved
"Certainly, dear. You just rest. I'll have some coffee and sand- wiches ready when you want them."
Would she ever want them? Tira wondered as she went slowly toward her bedroom. She was empty and
cold and sick at heart. But that seemed to
be her normal condition. At least for now.
Chapter 4
It was raining the day Tira began taking her
sculptures to Bob Henderson's "Illuminations" art gallery for her
showing. She was so gloomy she hardly felt the mist on
her face. Christmas was only two weeks
away and she was miserable and lonely. Only months before, she'd have phoned
Simon and asked him to meet her for lunch in
town, or she'd have shown up at some committee meeting or benefit conference at which he was present, just to feed her hungry heart on the sight of him. Now, she had
nothing. Only Charles and his infrequent, undemanding company. Charles was a sweetheart, but it was like having a brother over
for coffee.
She carried the last box carefully in the back door,
which Lillian Day, the gallery's manager was holding
open for her.
"That's the last of them, Lillian," Tira told her, smiling as she surveyed the cluttered storage room. She shook her head. "I can't believe I did all those myself."
"It's
a lot of work," Lillian agreed, smiling back. She bent to open one of the boxes and frowned slightly at
what was inside. "Did you mean to include this?" she asked,
indicating a bust of Simon that was painfully lifelike.
Tira's face closed up. "Yes, I meant to," she said curtly. "I
don't want it."
202
Beloved
Diana Palmer
203
Lillian wisely didn't say another word. “I’ll place it
with the others, then. The catalogs have been printed and
they're perfect, I checked them myself. Everything's ready, including the caterer,
for the snack buffet and the media
coverage. We're doing a Christ mas motif for the buffet."
Media coverage. Tira ground her teeth. The last
thing in the world she wanted to see now was a reporter.
Lillian, sensitive to moods, glanced at her reassuringly.
“Don't worry. These were handpicked, by me," she added. "They
won't ask any embarrassing questions, and
anything they write for print will be
about the show. Period."
Tira relaxed. "What would I do without you?" she asked, and meant it.
Lillian grinned. "Don't even think about trying.
We're very glad to have your exhibit here."
Tira had worried about Simon's reaction to
the showing, since he was a partner in Bob
Henderson's gallery. They hadn't spoken since before his close call in the courtroom and she half expected him to cancel her exhibit. But he hadn't. Perhaps
Mrs. Lester had been mistaken and he
hadn't been angry that Tira hadn't phoned to check on him. Just because she hadn't called, it
didn't mean that she hadn't worried.
She'd had a few sleepless nights thinking about what could have happened to him. Despite her best efforts, her
feelings for him hadn't changed. She was just as much in love with him now as she had been. She was only better
at concealing it.
The night of the exhibit arrived. She was all nerves, and
she was secretly glad that Charles would be by
her side. Not that she expected Simon to
show up, with the media present. He wouldn't want to give them any more ammunition to embarrass him with. But Charles would be a comfort to her.
Fate stepped in, however, to rob her of his presence.
Charles phoned at the last minute, audibly
upset, to tell her he couldn't go with her to the
show.
"I'm more sorry than I can tell you, but Gene's had
a heart attack," he said curtly.
"Oh, Charles, I'm so sorry!"
"No need to be. You know there's no love lost
between us. But he's my half brother, just the same, and there's no one else to look after him. Nessa is in
shock herself. I can't let her cope alone."
"How is he?"
"Stabilized,
for the moment. I'm on my way to the hospital. Nessa's with him
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