hung the suit in the closet and carried another wire hanger back to the bed.
"I opened our old account with Shaw's," she told him. "If there's anything I've overlooked, you can get it there."
"I'm certain Mother's list was as thorough as her search," Jed responded dryly.
"What makes you so certain that I wasn't the one, who went through your things?" Elizabeth asked, driven by a surprising impulse to defend Rebecca.
"I guess there's just something about you that makes it difficult for me to visualize you pawing through a man's personal clothing," he answered.
Bending over the jacket lying on the bed, she made a pretence of straightening the lapel to conceal the color that had swept into her cheeks.
"You did have your lunch, didn't you?" she asked in an effort to direct the conversation away from herself.
"Yes, at the Reisners."
"You were gone so early this morning that I thought you might have gone there." Elizabeth kept moving, occupying her hands with the clothes and walking back and forth to the closet to avoid any more than a brief glance at Jed.
"Freda, Kurt's sister, seems to like you," Jed commented idly. "As she puts it, you're not a snob like my mother."
"I like Freda too. She's very nice."
"It's strange that with you two living so close, you don't see each other that much. Freda said that mostly you just bump into each other in town."
"Well, you know how it is." She gave a stiff, smiling shrug. "I'm usually busy with a meeting of one kind or another. The free time that I do have, I like to spend with Amy."
"That's commendable, but I'm sure Freda wouldn't object if you brought Amy along. She seems fond of children. As a matter of fact," he continued with a complacent smile, "I was invited to dinner on Sunday and Fred asked me to extend the invitation to you and your daughter. I'm to let her know if you're going."
"That's impossible," Elizabeth refused immediately.
"Why?" For all its softness, there was a knife-sharp thrust to his question.
"Because I've already made other plans," she answered, suddenly glad that she hadn't refused Allan's invitation. It was a perfect excuse to avoid Jed's company.
"Really?" he mocked.
"Yes, really." Irritation flashed in her green eyes that he should doubt she was speaking the truth. "Amy and I have been invited to go on a picnic this Sunday."
"Since you have a prior invitation, I'll give your apologies to Freda," mocking skepticism was still in his tone.
"I am not making it up!" Elizabeth defended angrily. "Allan Marsden did ask us out this Sunday. As a matter of fact, he's phoning tonight to confirm it. I thought your mother might plan something extra for your first Sunday home or I would have accepted immediately." It was a small white lie, but one that she thought was justified under the circumstances. "Since you aren't going to be home, there isn't any reason not to accept."
"Allan Marsden?" Jed repeated. "He must be new in town."
"He's the hospital administrator."
"Did the hospital ever raise the funds for that new clinic they were wanting?" he asked.
"No." Suspicion loomed suddenly. "Why?" she frowned.
"Curiosity, I suppose," Jed shrugged disinterestedly, "You mentioned the hospital and I wondered if they'd ever accomplished that proposed expansion."
"If you're implying," Elizabeth didn't believe his question had been prompted by casual curiosity, "that Allan is seeing me in the hopes that, through me, your mother would be persuaded to make a sizeable donation, then you're wrong."
"I'm sure I am," he agreed smoothly.
"Allan leaves all that to his fund-raising committee."
"Of course."
Her lips tightened mutinously, the faint smile of mockery around his hard mouth goading her into losing her temper. His complacent tawny gold gaze studied the flashing fire of her green eyes.
"I doubt if Allan will even mention the hospital while we're on the picnic," Elizabeth defended again, her fingers tugging impatiently at the suit jacket on the hanger.
"He
"I opened our old account with Shaw's," she told him. "If there's anything I've overlooked, you can get it there."
"I'm certain Mother's list was as thorough as her search," Jed responded dryly.
"What makes you so certain that I wasn't the one, who went through your things?" Elizabeth asked, driven by a surprising impulse to defend Rebecca.
"I guess there's just something about you that makes it difficult for me to visualize you pawing through a man's personal clothing," he answered.
Bending over the jacket lying on the bed, she made a pretence of straightening the lapel to conceal the color that had swept into her cheeks.
"You did have your lunch, didn't you?" she asked in an effort to direct the conversation away from herself.
"Yes, at the Reisners."
"You were gone so early this morning that I thought you might have gone there." Elizabeth kept moving, occupying her hands with the clothes and walking back and forth to the closet to avoid any more than a brief glance at Jed.
"Freda, Kurt's sister, seems to like you," Jed commented idly. "As she puts it, you're not a snob like my mother."
"I like Freda too. She's very nice."
"It's strange that with you two living so close, you don't see each other that much. Freda said that mostly you just bump into each other in town."
"Well, you know how it is." She gave a stiff, smiling shrug. "I'm usually busy with a meeting of one kind or another. The free time that I do have, I like to spend with Amy."
"That's commendable, but I'm sure Freda wouldn't object if you brought Amy along. She seems fond of children. As a matter of fact," he continued with a complacent smile, "I was invited to dinner on Sunday and Fred asked me to extend the invitation to you and your daughter. I'm to let her know if you're going."
"That's impossible," Elizabeth refused immediately.
"Why?" For all its softness, there was a knife-sharp thrust to his question.
"Because I've already made other plans," she answered, suddenly glad that she hadn't refused Allan's invitation. It was a perfect excuse to avoid Jed's company.
"Really?" he mocked.
"Yes, really." Irritation flashed in her green eyes that he should doubt she was speaking the truth. "Amy and I have been invited to go on a picnic this Sunday."
"Since you have a prior invitation, I'll give your apologies to Freda," mocking skepticism was still in his tone.
"I am not making it up!" Elizabeth defended angrily. "Allan Marsden did ask us out this Sunday. As a matter of fact, he's phoning tonight to confirm it. I thought your mother might plan something extra for your first Sunday home or I would have accepted immediately." It was a small white lie, but one that she thought was justified under the circumstances. "Since you aren't going to be home, there isn't any reason not to accept."
"Allan Marsden?" Jed repeated. "He must be new in town."
"He's the hospital administrator."
"Did the hospital ever raise the funds for that new clinic they were wanting?" he asked.
"No." Suspicion loomed suddenly. "Why?" she frowned.
"Curiosity, I suppose," Jed shrugged disinterestedly, "You mentioned the hospital and I wondered if they'd ever accomplished that proposed expansion."
"If you're implying," Elizabeth didn't believe his question had been prompted by casual curiosity, "that Allan is seeing me in the hopes that, through me, your mother would be persuaded to make a sizeable donation, then you're wrong."
"I'm sure I am," he agreed smoothly.
"Allan leaves all that to his fund-raising committee."
"Of course."
Her lips tightened mutinously, the faint smile of mockery around his hard mouth goading her into losing her temper. His complacent tawny gold gaze studied the flashing fire of her green eyes.
"I doubt if Allan will even mention the hospital while we're on the picnic," Elizabeth defended again, her fingers tugging impatiently at the suit jacket on the hanger.
"He
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