Dangerous Pleasures (18 page)

The twins went off, and Nora checked on Wills. He was sleeping, but he was feverish. She hurried to get dressed and was ready when the sitter arrived. As the tall clock in the hall was striking eight o’clock the doorbell rang. Annie hurried to answer it. Standing before her was a cheerful-looking woman in a dark green cape and hat.

“Good morning, Mrs. Miller. I’m Nanny Violet, here to take care of your wee laddie,” the lady said in a crisp English accent.

“Come in,” Annie said gratefully, and she smiled back at the woman.

C
HAPTER
S
IX

“Y
ou poor thing, you look exhausted,” Nanny Violet said sympathetically. “What’s the wee laddie’s name, dear?” She stepped over the threshold.

“William, but we call him Wills,” Annie replied. “You can hang your belongings here in the hall closet.”

“Oh, just like the lovely prince,” Nanny Violet responded as she set her hat on the closet shelf and put her cape on a hanger.

“He woke me at four,” Annie volunteered. “One of my daughters informs me that there is something going around the kindergarten. Oh, the bus! Excuse me a moment.” She dashed back out the front door just as the school bus was pulling up. “Wills is sick,” she told the driver. “Is there a bug in the kindergarten?”

The school bus driver, an older woman, nodded. “I’m half empty this morning,” she said. “It’s a bit early for it, but what can you do? Tell Wills Mrs. Baxter says to get well real soon. His friend Mark is ill, too.” Then she closed the door and pulled away.

“Just as I thought,” Annie said, coming back into the house to join Nanny Violet. “It’s a bug. Half the kindergarten has it.”

“And the other half will have it next week,” Nanny Violet said. “Now show me the kitchen, dear, and then the wee laddie. You have to get to work.” She bustled after Annie. She was a woman of indeterminate years, with a kindly face and lively brown eyes. Dressed in what could only be called sensible shoes, a gray tweed skirt, a white blouse with a round collar, and a gray wool cardigan, she exuded a cheerful grandmotherly air of confidence.

Annie showed her about the kitchen, which she was relieved was neat this morning. Amy never ate breakfast, and the twins had put their dishes in the dishwasher. Annie suspected the nanny wouldn’t approve of a messy kitchen.

“You’ve five bairns, Ms. Buckley tells me,” Nanny Violet said.

“The eldest boy is in college,” Annie answered. “Tell me, how on earth did Nora find you so quickly? You really are a godsend.”

“Why, the Channel Corporation owns, among other companies, one that supplies professional and well-trained nannies to good families,” Nanny Violet told Annie. “I was available because my last charge has just gone off to boarding school, and the family won’t be needing me any longer. I was with them for twelve years, dear.”

“You must miss them,” Annie said.

“Yes and no,” the nanny responded. “I was ready for a change.”

“Mommy!” Wills came into the kitchen. “I’m hot, Mommy.” He looked curiously at Nanny Violet.

“This is Nanny Violet, Wills,” Annie said. “She’s going to take care of you today while Mommy is at work.”

“No!” His small face crumpled, and two large tears rolled down his cheeks. “I want you, Mommy! Don’t go!” He clutched at her khaki uniform skirt.

The nanny knelt down and smiled a kindly smile. “Now, now, laddie, Mummy loves you, but she does have to be off to work. Do you know about Peter Pan?”

Wills nodded.

“Well, laddie, I’ve brought a lovely DVD of his story. Would you like to watch it with me, dear? And we’ll have a bit of tea and toast while we watch. Do you know how to make toast, Wills?”

He nodded. “How do you know my name?”

“Your mummy told me,” Nanny Violet said.

“A mummy is a scary thing in bandages,” Wills told her. “My mommy isn’t scary at all. And she doesn’t wear bandages.”

Annie burst out laughing. “Wills, in England children call their mothers Mummy instead of Mommy. Nanny Violet is English.”

“Where’s England?” Wills wanted to know. “Is it near Egret Pointe?”

“My goodness, no, laddie,” Nanny Violet said. “But I can show you if you’d like.”

Wills nodded. “And then we’ll have tea and toast and watch
Peter Pan,
” he said.

“Why, the day will simply fly,” Nanny Violet replied. She turned to Annie. “He does have a temperature, dear. See how flushed he is? Where’s your thermometer?”

Annie reached into her kitchen catchall drawer and pulled it out. “It’s digital.”

“You run along now,” Nanny Violet said. “Wills and I will do swimmingly, won’t we, laddie? Did you know there is a prince with your name? And one day he’ll be a real king. What do you think about that?” She kept up a stream of lighthearted banter as they made their way to the door.

“Mind Nanny now,” Annie said, kissing her son’s tousled head.

“Okay,
Mummy,
” Wills said with a mischievous grin.

She laughed and ran for her car. She was going to either just make it or be late, depending on Tuesday-morning traffic in Egret Pointe, which, despite the area’s small-town status, could sometimes be dicey. There was no other car in her driveway or parked out in front of the house. How had Nanny Violet gotten there? Did she really care? The woman was a lifesaver. And straight out of central casting too. Annie chuckled to herself as she drove toward the Spa. She parked in her marked spot, glancing at her watch as she hurried into the building, heading directly for the gift shop. Devyn was waiting for her at its door.

“You made it,” he said with a smile. “Ms. Buckley said you might be late. What happened?” He held up something. “Your key to the shop. I thought you’d want to open the door yourself.”

“Thanks,” Annie replied, taking it from him. “My little boy woke up sick. I called Nora, and she sent a nanny. It seems the Channel Corp. has a nanny service among its various holdings. Is there nothing for which they aren’t prepared?” She fitted the key into the lock and opened the door.

“I don’t think so,” he answered as they went in, closing the door behind them.

On the floor were several large cartons.

Annie looked at the labels. “Looks like our day is already set. The stock is beginning to arrive. Overnight really means overnight, doesn’t it?”

They spent the day unpacking. Devyn showed Annie how to set up a program to log the stock in and out as it was sold. Once she got the hang of it she found it surprisingly easy to manage. By noon they had most of the cartons emptied. Annie called to check on Wills. He was sleeping now, Nanny Violet told her. His temperature was one hundred and two, but he had managed to keep his tea and toast down.

“I might be a few minutes late arriving home,” Annie said. “I have to stop in the village and speak with someone. Is that all right, or do you have to leave at two thirty? If you do I’ll come right home and go back after the girls get home.”

“No, no, dear,” Nanny Violet’s reassuring voice said. “Do what you must. I can stay until you get home.”

“But what about your ride?” Annie queried, frankly curious to know how the nanny had managed to get to her house.

“Oh, no problem, dear. Just tell Ms. Buckley you’ll be late, and she’ll arrange it all,” Nanny Violet said brightly.

Annie and Devyn took a quick lunch in the employee dining room. Nora was there.

“How’s your little boy?” she asked Annie.

“Running a fever, but I think okay other than that. Nanny Violet is a miracle. I can’t thank you enough. After a moment’s hesitation, Wills took to her. I’ve asked her to stay a bit past two thirty because I have to stop at Lacy Nothings. I want to speak to Ashley Mulcahy about letting us showcase some of her items for our gift shop.”

“Wonderful. When you get home just press three on your cell, and the car will come for her,” Nora said. “I’ve arranged for her to be with you until your little boy goes back to school. Probably the rest of the week.”

“I have died and gone to heaven,” Annie said. “I never knew working could be so wonderful. I love the Channel Corp.”

Nora smiled. “And Devyn is working out?”

“Yes, he’s a huge help. I couldn’t do this without him,” Annie replied.

Devyn grinned.

“Good,” Nora said.

Back in the shop’s stockroom after their brief lunch, Devyn said, “Did you mean it? I really am a help?” He was holding the ladder upon which she was standing while she set boxes of sea sponges, loofahs, and natural-bristle bath brushes on a top shelf. “And you can’t do without me?”

She turned. “I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t mean it, Devyn.” And then she lost her footing. “Oh!”

He caught her in his arms as she fell. They both looked startled at their close proximity. Then he put her down. “There you go,” Devyn said.

“Thanks,” Annie managed to gasp. “That was clumsy of me.” Her heart was hammering, but whether from fright or desire she wasn’t certain.

“That ladder can be tricky,” he replied. He could feel his cock tightening in his pants, and he hoped she hadn’t noticed.

“Well, I guess that should do it for the day then,” Annie said, recovering first. “I should get going into the village if I’m going to catch Ashley at Lacy Nothings.”

“Maybe I should go with you,” he suggested. “I mean, the guests are going to be buying these negligees and stuff to please their men. Wouldn’t a man’s opinion be of value? I can follow you in my car so you wouldn’t have to bring me back.”

Annie thought about it a long moment, and then she said, “Okay.”

As she pulled out of her space and down the road she saw him following her in a slightly vintage Toyota, and smiled. The rich man’s son drove a battered car in keeping with his impoverished status. In the village she pulled into a space in front of Lacy Nothings, and he parked a couple of spaces up. They entered the shop together.

Ashley Kimbrough Mulcahy came forward. “Hi, Mrs. Miller.” She eyed Devyn, and Annie felt a jolt of jealousy.

“This is Devyn Scott, my personal assistant,” Annie said, introducing him. “I’m working up at the Spa now. We’re opening a gift shop—spa robes, high-end bath goodies, all the lotions and oils we use in our treatments. Would you be willing to put some of your stock in the shop? They’re so beautiful and elegant. Just the kind of pretty things our guests can afford and would love.”

Ashley thought for a long moment, then turned to her assistant, Nina. “What do you think?” she asked her.

“A few things, maybe one or two from the Venetian source. And one of our catalogs has to be put in with each purchase,” Nina said.

“I’ll sell you a dozen garments, your choice, four times a year,” Ashley said. “You’ll purchase them from me at cost plus a forty percent markup. I will set the retail price. You’ll make a small profit, but my stuff is really a come-on to get your guests into your gift shop. And my label remains in each garment. If you can live with those terms then we have a deal, Mrs. Miller.”

“Take it,” Devyn murmured softly.

“Very well,” Annie said briskly in what she hoped was a no-nonsense voice.

“I’ll want our deal legalized before I let you have anything,” Ashley said.

“That’s fair,” Annie replied. “But I want something in the shop by the weekend. We have our official opening then.”

“I’ll call across the street to my lawyers,” Ashley told her. “Tomorrow afternoon, same time, same place?”

“I think Annie would appreciate it if the agreement could be faxed up to the Spa tomorrow morning,” Devyn put in. “Right, Annie?”

“Yes, of course. Ms. Buckley should really see anything before I sign it,” Annie agreed. “And if everything is okay we can sign in Joe’s office at two thirty tomorrow afternoon. He’s my lawyer, too.” She smiled. “I couldn’t have survived without him and Rick after Nat died.”

“Wonderful,” Ashley said. “I’ll see you tomorrow, then, at two thirty. And afterward you can come over and pick your stock, okay?”

“Perfect,” Annie agreed.

They left the shop.

“I hope you didn’t mind my chiming in like that,” Devyn said to her.

“No. You were a lifesaver. I wouldn’t have known whether it was a good deal or not,” Annie told him. “I thought you said you were bad at business.”

“It wasn’t that I was bad at it; it was just that it didn’t interest me at the time,” he replied. “But I know a good deal from a not so good deal.”

“Is this good?” she wondered.

“It’s fair, and it’s as good as you’re going to get. Lacy Nothings is a very successful small business. We need them,” he said.

“But if we could learn who some of their suppliers are…” Annie said thoughtfully as they walked to her car.

He laughed as he helped her into her van. “Why, Mrs. Miller, ma’am, I do believe there is a bit of the cutthroat in you. You might have a good future in business.” He shut the car door. “See you tomorrow.”

She could smell the faint aroma of his cologne. It was deliciously sexy, Annie thought as she headed home. Maybe she would program the B channel tonight. She had seen the most delicious little teddy in the window of Lacy Nothings when they had gone into the shop. It was a soft purple color, short, in practically transparent gossamer silk with lace inserts where the nipples would be, and with spaghetti straps. She couldn’t afford it, of course, but she could wear it in a fantasy. Now that she had practically tamed her Beast, that fantasy was becoming a bit old. She wasn’t quite ready to delete it, but she was ready for something new. A round bed with red silk sheets and lots of pillows. A mirrored ceiling. And Devyn Scott with a towel wrapped about him, entering the room where she would be lying in her purple teddy on the round bed waiting for him.

She almost missed the turn onto Parkway Drive, but caught herself in time. After pulling into the driveway she got out of the van and hurried into the house. There was the smell of baking brownies in the kitchen as she entered it. She heard voices from the den, and standing in the open doorway she saw Nanny Violet, Wills ensconced in her lap, both twins, and even the surly Amy seated on the floor as the nanny talked.