Page 23 of Irish Thoroughbred (Irish Hearts #1)
When Trish arrived, she greeted Paddy with an affectionate kiss and told him firmly that anyone could see he was faking and enjoying being the center of attention. After a brief visit, she hurried Adelia out into the corridor and hugged her with enthusiasm.
“I’m so happy about you and Travis.” Her eyes shone with affection.
Adelia began to feel the first weight of guilt.
“Now I have the little sister I always wanted.” Adelia was treated to yet another hug.
“Jerry sends his best.” She referred to her husband, her face wreathed in smiles.
“The twins went wild when I told them that Dee was now their aunt. They claim that makes them Irish and soon they’ll be fey, too. ”
Adelia responded with smiles and agreeable murmurs, hating herself for the deception and wishing with all her heart that she could confide in the woman whom she felt was a true friend. But she had given Travis her word and she would keep it.
Hooking her arm through Adelia’s, Trish began to stroll toward the elevator.
“Travis has given me firm instructions to see that you buy a complete wardrobe.” She grinned with obvious pleasure as the elevator began its slow descent to the ground floor.
“Of course I told him that I would be more than happy to follow orders and spend his money with abandon.”
“He said you should hold this for me.” Dee handed Trish the wad of bills, which she accepted and placed absently in her tan leather bag.
“This is going to be fun.”
Adelia smiled faintly.
If Adelia was under the impression that this shopping expedition would follow along the lines of her first, she was soon enlightened to the contrary.
Trish ignored department stores for the more exclusive shops.
Adelia began to feel as if she were caught in the backlash of a tropical storm.
She was whirled through shops while Trish made selections, dismissed or accepted articles with a nod or murmur to the sales clerks.
Purchases mounted into an alarming mountain, leaving Adelia dizzy and confused.
Evening dresses that shimmered and flowed, sportswear Adelia considered suitable for royalty, soft, cobwebby lingerie that seemed too fragile to be real; all were tried on, inspected thoroughly by Trish’s critical eye, then approved or rejected.
Italian shoes and handbags, French scarves and negligees were included with a nod for foreign craftsmanship.
“Trish, surely Travis didn’t mean for me to buy all this,” Adelia objected, looking uneasily at the stacks of boxes and bags. “One person couldn’t live long enough to wear all those clothes.”
“You’d be surprised,” Trish murmured absently as she surveyed a long, sweeping evening gown in brilliant green silk.
“You’ll be doing a lot of traveling, and there are parties and official functions…
” Her voice trailed off as she held the gown in front of Adelia and narrowed her eyes in consternation.
“Travis was very specific. He told me to see to it that you have everything necessary and to ignore the arguments you were sure to give me. That is precisely what I’m doing.
Here.” She thrust the gown into Adelia’s hands. “Go try this on. Green is your color.”
“We can’t buy anything else,” Adelia stated flatly, attempting to hold her ground. “There’ll be no room in the car for us when the packages are put in.”
“Then, little sister, we’ll hire a van.” Giving her a shove into the dressing room, Trish gave her attention to a white linen blouse.
Late that afternoon, Adelia stared at the packages that lay piled high on her bed. With a weary sigh, she turned and left the room. Hannah greeted her as she stood in the downstairs hall, unsure whether she should stay in the house or seek out Travis at the stables.
“Mrs. Grant, how’s Paddy?”
“He’s looking just wonderful. I left him only an hour ago.”
“You poor thing, you look all in.”
“I’ve been shopping. I think cleaning out the entire stable would be less of a chore.”
Hannah chuckled. “A cup of tea is what you need. Just sit down and I’ll bring you one.”
“Hannah.” She stopped the plump woman before she could bustle away. “Could I… would you mind if I came into the kitchen and had one with you?” She made a small, helpless gesture with her hands. “I’m not used to being waited on.”
The round face brightened, and a motherly arm slipped around Adelia’s waist. “Just you come with me, missy. We’ll have a nice cup of tea and a little chat.”
It was there Travis found them together an hour later. He stood in the doorway watching in amused amazement as Adelia and Hannah worked on dinner preparations, chattering like lifelong partners.
“Well, well, well, a miracle in this day and age.” Two heads turned toward him as he gave his brief, charming grin.
“I never thought I’d live to see the day when you’d let anyone work in your kitchen, Hannah.
” He glanced from his housekeeper to the small woman at her side.
“What kind of Irish charm did you use on her, Dee?”
“Just her charming self, you young rascal,” Hannah stated with great dignity. “Now, missy”—she removed the vegetable parer from Adelia’s hand—“you just run along now and keep that man out from under my feet. He’s always been a nuisance in the kitchen.”
Travis grinned again, serenely unperturbed. “Come out on the terrace, Dee,” he invited and captured her hand. “It’s too nice to stay indoors.”
He led her out through wide French doors and onto the smooth stone surface of the terrace. The sweet scent of plants and flowers filled the June evening. The sun still cast a warm golden light, scattering shadows on the stone.
“So, Dee,” he began, seating her in a striped cushioned chair and dropping down in an identical one across from her, “did you get everything you needed?”
“Everything?” she repeated. She closed her eyes and shuddered.
“Never in my life have I ever seen so many clothes, much less put them on. Trying on this, taking off that.” Opening her eyes again, she met his wide smile with a look of disdain.
“You won’t be smiling when you have to build another room to hold them all.
Your sister is a stubborn woman, Travis Grant.
She just kept toss ing things at me and shoving me into dressing rooms. I couldn’t make her listen to reason. ”
“I thought Trish might be helpful.”
“Helpful?” She gave a long-suffering sigh. “I felt like I was being blown about by a whirlwind. Packages growing like a great mountain, and Trish smiling and finding something else. She had a fine time,” she added, mystified.
“Yes, I imagine she did. I don’t see her having much trouble filling out your wardrobe.” He smiled at the picture and leaned back in his chair.
“Travis,” she began after a small pause, “whatever will I do with all those things?”
“You might try wearing them,” he suggested. “It’s the usual procedure.”
“That’s fine for a time. I understand I can’t go about in my old clothes with things as they are now. But after, when…” She stumbled and searched for the right words. “When things are back as they were before, I—”
“The clothes are yours, Adelia,” he interrupted with a quick gesture of his hand. “You’ll keep them whatever happens. I certainly have no use for them.” Rising, he paced the length of the terrace and stared out over the smooth expanse of lawn.
Adelia sat silently, concerned by his anger and bewildered over how she had caused it.
She stood and approached him, laying a tentative hand on his arm.
“I’m sorry, Travis. That sounded ungrateful; I didn’t mean it to.
Everything’s happening so fast. I don’t want to take advantage of what you’re doing for me. ”
“One can hardly call it taking advantage when it’s like pulling teeth to get you to accept anything.” His shoulders moved and he turned to face her. “Adelia,” he said with a sigh somewhere between impatience and amusement, “you are so artless.”
She did not question the ambiguity of his words, so relieved was she that his anger had faded and he was smiling at her again.
“I have something for you.” Reaching into his pocket, he drew out a small box. “My signet ring was fine in an emergency, but it looks big enough to fit on your wrist.”
“Oh.” She found nothing else to say as she opened the box and found a small band studded with winking diamonds and glowing emeralds.
He removed the large, masculine ring from her finger and replaced it with the jeweled wedding band. “I’d say that suits a bit better.”
“It fits,” she murmured inadequately, overcome with the longing to throw her arms around him and cry out her love.
“I’ve studied those hands enough to make an educated guess as to your ring size.” He spoke lightly and, dropping her hand, moved back to his chair.
Swallowing the obstruction in her throat, she followed him. “Travis.” She stood in front of his chair, feeling the strangeness of looking down at him. “Travis, you’re doing all the giving, and I have nothing for you. I want to… Is there nothing I can do for you? Is there nothing you want from me?”
He met her eyes with a long, unfathomable stare until she thought he would not speak at all. “For now, Dee,” he said at length, “the best thing you can do for me is to accept what’s given and not question it.”
She sighed at his answer. “All right, Travis, if it pleasures you.”
He stood and took her hand, a finger running over her wedding band. “Yes, it pleasures me. Come inside and we’ll eat, and I’ll tell you how Majesty sulked for you today.”