The Mysterious Twin. Leona KarrЧитать онлайн книгу.
to be finished with as soon as possible.
Carefully getting to her feet, Ashley put the sleeping baby down in the crib that had been made up with pretty bedding. Davie looked perfectly happy and contented in his new surroundings, which was more than she could say for herself. She’d never felt more out of place in her life.
When she went into the adjoining bedroom to unpack, Jill’s leather luggage looked totally unfamiliar sitting in the middle of a beautiful Asian rug. Just as the purse she’d been carrying with all of Jill’s identification felt foreign to her, Ashley had trouble identifying with the matching suitcases and cosmetic bag bearing her sister’s name.
As she hung up Jill’s wardrobe, the charade she was playing suddenly hit home. The whole idea of trying to live her sister’s life for her, even for a few days, demanded a kind of deceit that went against every grain in her body. She had always prided herself on her integrity, and something about the house and the people in it warned her that they would not take any hint of deceit lightly. She shivered as a bone-deep chill went through her.
“I could have hung those clothes up for you.”
Ashley swung around, startled to see a young woman standing only a couple of feet behind her, watching.
“Sorry if I frightened you, Mrs. Gordon. I’m Lily, ma’am.” She gave Ashley a wide, broad smile that crinkled the corners of her brown eyes. Carrot-red hair lay in a thick braid around Lily’s full face, and a scattering of freckles marched across her nose. Her white blouse and blue skirt were rather rumpled, and she nervously smoothed the folds over her ample hips. Ashley doubted if she was more than eighteen or nineteen. Her open friendliness was a surprise.
“Nice to meet you, Lily. I’m Jill.” Using her sister’s name didn’t come easily, but Ashley knew that she’d have to get used to answering to it during the next few days. “I have a feeling you’re going to be a godsend.”
“Hope so, ma’am.” Lily’s tentative smile broadened as she reached for the hanger that Ashley had in her hands, and deftly hung it beside the other clothes. As Lily’s eyes passed over the riot of colors and fancy fabrics, she murmured appreciatively, “You sure have pretty clothes.”
Ashley smothered a smile. A good sign. Jill and Lily would get along fine. Suddenly, she felt much better about the whole situation.
Ashley asked Lily about sterilizing the baby’s bottles and making more formula, and she was relieved at the easy but efficient way Lily worked to do everything Ashley asked her. They put the baby’s things away, and when Davie woke up, Lily cooed over him and deftly began to change his diaper.
Watching out of the corner of her eye, Jill was relieved to see how confidently Lily handled the infant. Not only did she seem perfectly at ease, but she seemed to enjoy herself as she chattered to Davie, telling him what a fine fellow he was, and trying to coax a smile.
“You’re very good with him, Lily,” Ashley said, wondering if she had babies of her own even though there was no sign of a wedding ring.
“My mother had eight children and I’m the oldest. There are four still at home.” Then she added, “We moved to the island a year ago from the mainland. My Da is a fisherman, and he thought he could bring in a better catch living here.” She sighed. “I sure need to keep this job.”
“I’m sure you will. A big place like this must need lots of help.”
She frowned. “There aren’t many people around for such a big place. Most of the house is shut off. It’s a funny thing, though. Even when there are people in the guest cottage, it’s off-limits to the house staff. I guess they bring their own help. Right now only Mr. Stone is living there, but none of us are allowed to go there to clean or anything.” She looked puzzled. “Sometimes I hear people coming and going in the night. Once I asked Mr. Stone about it, and he just laughed and told me not to worry my pretty head about it.” A hint of color rose in her cheeks. “He teases me sometimes, and Mrs. Borsch gets mad when he pays me any attention. I think he’s a really nice guy, don’t you?”
“He seems pleasant enough,” Ashley conceded, but she wasn’t about to give him a rave review. She had the feeling he was adept at manipulating everyone, including Lily. Having her meals with Kyle Stone could turn out to be a tense affair. She’d have to watch everything she said.
ASHLEY WENT DOWNSTAIRS a few minutes before eight o’clock, following the directions that Lily had given her. “Go down the main hall, past the solarium, and turn right. There’s a small family dining room that overlooks the back garden and stone patio. A lovely spot, it is,” Lily assured. “The large dining room isn’t used unless Mr. Vandenburg is here with guests.”
She had changed her mind several times about what to wear; had been tempted to wear slacks and a summer top, but she didn’t want to embarrass herself if dressing up for dinner was expected. There was no doubt in Ashley’s mind that her sister would delight in wearing some of her nice dresses in the evening, so she’d chosen a bright red sheath with a short, tight skirt and spaghetti straps—the simplest and most colorful of all her sister’s dresses.
Even though dangling earrings were anathema to Ashley, Jill wore jewelry with everything, so she had put on a silver pair that swung easily with the turn of her head. In some ways she felt as if she were dressed for a costume party, but the excitement churning her stomach was not from joy.
Maybe Kyle Stone won’t be here for dinner. Maybe I’ll have a nice quiet dinner by myself, and I won’t have to face his inquisitive eyes.
Hope was born as she reached the small dining room, and paused for a moment in the doorway. The room was beautifully furnished in ivory and burgundy. A crystal chandelier with loops of roped glass glittered over a round table, and gold-tinted ivory chairs with burgundy velvet seats flanked the table. A mirrored buffet facing the door reflected an unfamiliar Ashley, standing there with apprehension in her rounded eyes.
When the slender man wearing a white coat and dark trousers turned around from a small bar at the end of the room, she knew her hopes were only wishful thinking.
“Good evening, Mrs. Gordon. You look lovely tonight.”
Chapter Three
Kyle had been betting with himself that Jill Gordon would show up for dinner in some sexy outfit, but he wasn’t prepared for the sudden start he experienced when he saw her in the doorway. Her honey-blond hair was swept up in a casual twist, and silver earrings glittering like moving stars framed her lovely face. As she came toward him, the soft material of her red dress rippled over long silk stockings and clung to her waist and breasts.
“Lovely,” he repeated, and tightened the hold on his glass as he greeted her. She was one sexy female.
“Thank you. I wasn’t certain whether or not I should dress for dinner, but I see that I made the right choice,” she said as she let her eyes travel over his jacket, pleated white shirt and gold cuff links. Dark eyebrows accented his dark brown eyes and a generous mouth was nicely framed with a dimpled chin and firm cheeks. He was what Jill would have called “drop-dead handsome.”
“I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to make this an occasion,” he answered smoothly. “Your first night here should be treated as something special. Putting our best foot forward, so to speak.”
“Do you do that for all the new help?”
He mentally stiffened. There was a depth to her eyes that was disconcerting. The usual bland flattery wasn’t working the way he expected. Above everything else, he didn’t want to alert her to the fact that her presence here was anything beyond her duties as a nanny.
“Hugo gave instructions to make you welcome,” he said smoothly. “May I offer you a drink? I don’t want to brag but my skills as a bartender are equal to any challenge.”
For some perverse reason, Ashley remembered a popular drink the college students had touted for a while. Before she had time to