and carry in the various packages. Amy was on the far side of the lawn under a large shade tree playing with her dolls. She waved, but didn't come over to greet her mother.
Balancing the precarious stack of packages in her arms, Elizabeth opened the front door of the house and walked in. Out of the corner of her eye, she spied her mother-in-law in the living room talking on the telephone. A pad was on the table beside her and a pencil in her hand. Rebecca glanced up and quickly, and vainly, removed the reading glasses from her nose.
Placing her hand over the receiver, she asked, "Did you get everything on the list?"
"Yes," Elizabeth nodded.
"You'd better take them right upstairs and hang them up before they get creased and need pressing," Rebecca instructed. Once the order was given, she resumed her conversation with the person on the telephone.
It was tricky negotiating the stairs when the packages didn't enable her to see her feet, but Elizabeth made it to the top without incident. Walking to the end of the hallway, she found the door to Jed's bedroom ajar and she pushed it open. She paused on the threshold, reluctant to step inside.
There had always been an impersonal air that had made it just another bedroom. Now, there was something strangely different about it. Glancing about, the only thing she saw in the room that belonged to Jed was the duffle bag sitting in one corner. The bed was expertly made without a wrinkle. Considering the washed dishes in the sink, Elizabeth was certain the hand that had made it belonged to Jed and not her mother-in-law.
Entering the room, she spread the packages on the bed. Curiosity turned away from them, directing her footsteps to the adjoining bathroom. There she found neat evidence of Jed's habitation with razor, toothbrush, comb, and aftershave lotion sitting on the counter next to the wash basin, unmistakably male.
The heady fragrance of the cologned lotion touched her nose. Elizabeth decided it was this faint masculine scent that she had detected when she had entered the bedroom. With a guilty start, she realized that she was snooping and backtracked swiftly.
The trembling of her fingers surprised her as she began untying the packages and removing the clothes from the folds of the protective tissue. There was a strange curling sensation in the pit of her stomach and a faintly embarrassed warmth in her face. It was silly, she scolded herself. She had hung up men's clothes before. Why was she self-conscious about it now, she asked herself as she straightened a suit on its hanger.
Turning to walk to the closet, Elizabeth found herself staring into Jed's lean face. He was leaning against the door jamb in much the same lazy, slouching position as she had seen him yesterday, his hands stuffed in his pockets. The expression on his leanly carved face was unreadable, but there was faint amusement in the topaz-brown eyes that were studying her intently.
Her fingers closed nervously over the sleeve of the suit jacket as his gaze swept from her to the packages on the bed and back. With a poise she didn't feel, Elizabeth turned away and walked to the closet, trying to make the movement appear natural.
"Your mother thought you needed some additions to your wardrobe," she explained off-handedly.
Chapter Four
"NO doubt she discovered that when she went through my things last night." His footsteps made no sound on the carpet, but Elizabeth could tell by the direction of his voice that he had moved to the bed. "You have excellent taste, Liza. I should have you pick out my clothes all the time."
"How did you know—" She spun around in surprise.
"That it was you?" Jed finished the question for her, plainly showing amusement in his expression now. "I couldn't imagine Mother running the town's gauntlet when she could send you in her place."
It had occurred to Elizabeth too that she had been used as a buffer for the town's curiosity, but she wasn't about to agree with Jed. She
Balancing the precarious stack of packages in her arms, Elizabeth opened the front door of the house and walked in. Out of the corner of her eye, she spied her mother-in-law in the living room talking on the telephone. A pad was on the table beside her and a pencil in her hand. Rebecca glanced up and quickly, and vainly, removed the reading glasses from her nose.
Placing her hand over the receiver, she asked, "Did you get everything on the list?"
"Yes," Elizabeth nodded.
"You'd better take them right upstairs and hang them up before they get creased and need pressing," Rebecca instructed. Once the order was given, she resumed her conversation with the person on the telephone.
It was tricky negotiating the stairs when the packages didn't enable her to see her feet, but Elizabeth made it to the top without incident. Walking to the end of the hallway, she found the door to Jed's bedroom ajar and she pushed it open. She paused on the threshold, reluctant to step inside.
There had always been an impersonal air that had made it just another bedroom. Now, there was something strangely different about it. Glancing about, the only thing she saw in the room that belonged to Jed was the duffle bag sitting in one corner. The bed was expertly made without a wrinkle. Considering the washed dishes in the sink, Elizabeth was certain the hand that had made it belonged to Jed and not her mother-in-law.
Entering the room, she spread the packages on the bed. Curiosity turned away from them, directing her footsteps to the adjoining bathroom. There she found neat evidence of Jed's habitation with razor, toothbrush, comb, and aftershave lotion sitting on the counter next to the wash basin, unmistakably male.
The heady fragrance of the cologned lotion touched her nose. Elizabeth decided it was this faint masculine scent that she had detected when she had entered the bedroom. With a guilty start, she realized that she was snooping and backtracked swiftly.
The trembling of her fingers surprised her as she began untying the packages and removing the clothes from the folds of the protective tissue. There was a strange curling sensation in the pit of her stomach and a faintly embarrassed warmth in her face. It was silly, she scolded herself. She had hung up men's clothes before. Why was she self-conscious about it now, she asked herself as she straightened a suit on its hanger.
Turning to walk to the closet, Elizabeth found herself staring into Jed's lean face. He was leaning against the door jamb in much the same lazy, slouching position as she had seen him yesterday, his hands stuffed in his pockets. The expression on his leanly carved face was unreadable, but there was faint amusement in the topaz-brown eyes that were studying her intently.
Her fingers closed nervously over the sleeve of the suit jacket as his gaze swept from her to the packages on the bed and back. With a poise she didn't feel, Elizabeth turned away and walked to the closet, trying to make the movement appear natural.
"Your mother thought you needed some additions to your wardrobe," she explained off-handedly.
Chapter Four
"NO doubt she discovered that when she went through my things last night." His footsteps made no sound on the carpet, but Elizabeth could tell by the direction of his voice that he had moved to the bed. "You have excellent taste, Liza. I should have you pick out my clothes all the time."
"How did you know—" She spun around in surprise.
"That it was you?" Jed finished the question for her, plainly showing amusement in his expression now. "I couldn't imagine Mother running the town's gauntlet when she could send you in her place."
It had occurred to Elizabeth too that she had been used as a buffer for the town's curiosity, but she wasn't about to agree with Jed. She
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