Grace Anne (24 page)

Guinevere tried to shake her head
to clear it. When she did speak again it was only in her mind and not so the
lawyer, Peter March, she remembered his name, could hear her. It upset him for
some reason.

“Who’s aim? You are to tell me
what happened and right now, Guinnie. I demand that you share what you know.”
Guinevere knew she was in no place to demand anything and, apparently, so did
Guinnie.

“Demand? I don’t think so. Since
your…accident, things have been going very nicely. But as I choose to tell you
what happened, I will. Michael, my Gracie’s soon-to-be husband, shot you in the
head. I had hoped that I could have controlled Ginny just a bit longer, but she
took over at the last second and jerked from the bullet. As it is now, you’ve
had some extensive brain surgery. Just enough to get rid of Verrie and, of
course,
Ginny. Now, my dear, it’s just the two of us. And I’m not going
to leave you until you do what is necessary.”

“Necessary? I don’t…”
Guinevere
stiffened.
“You can’t mean for me to kill myself? Why what would my
children… No, I won’t do it. Not now, not ever. And if you think you can drive
me to it then—”

“Oh, I don’t think I can,
Guinevere dear, I will do just that. And starting today. You’re either going to
give me the peace that I want or I never give you any again.”

Guinevere was suddenly afraid.
“I’ll
just escape.
I’ll just walk out one day and
—”

The chilling laughter again and
then Guinnie spoke.
“Walk? I’m sorry. Did I forget to mention that you are
also paralyzed?”
She laughed again.
“Michael is now my favorite person.
And before you think you can talk any of your children into taking care of you
I’ve already spoken to Grace. She is going to make sure that none of them ever
come to see you again.”

Guinevere looked at Peter again. He
was staring at her. She had no idea what he’d been saying and, for the life of
her, she couldn’t drudge up enough concern to wonder if what he’d been saying
was of any importance. She simply stared.

By the time that he left her she
had not only discovered that she couldn’t move her feet, but she couldn’t even
twitch her fingers. She tried to will her body to move, to do anything, but all
she could do was hear Guinnie.

“Now, let us begin. I read
somewhere that reading is good for the mind. And there was a time when I read a
book to Grace. She loved the story so much that I read it to her nightly. Today
and everyday for the rest of our lives, I’m going to read the same story to
you.”

Guinevere was almost afraid to
ask.
“What story do you think you’re going to read to me?”

“Green Eggs and Ham, of course.”
Guinevere could hear her laughter again.
“‘
I am
Sam. I am Sam. Sam I am. That Sam I am. That Sam I am. I do not like that Sam I
am…’”

~~~

Grace had been home a week when
she got the call from the hospital. Her mother had committed suicide. It hadn’t
been something she was surprised about, but the timing. She would have thought
that Guinnie would have taken a lot longer to drive her mother to it. She hung
up the phone and sat in the chair in the kitchen, feeling nothing. She told
Cain when he came in to get a glass of tea.

“You said she would do it. I
just…I’m not even sure I care. How about you?”

She shook her head at his
question.

“I’ll call the rest of them later.
Oh, there’s a letter for you from some lawyer. I laid it on the table. I didn’t
know you were in here.”

Grace went to the dining room
table and picked up the light gray envelope. It had the return address of New
York. She almost threw it away, but opened it instead. It was from Matthew
Gray, a name she barely remembered.

It said she was to come to his
office in the morning. There would be a plane for her and a ride to and from
the airport. She felt the tears roll down her face as she read the reasons why.
She was to finalize the sale of the Washington building and other matters.

Michael’s lawyer had finally
contacted her. She’d been expecting it for over a week now. After he’d left her
the day after she’d talked to the FBI. She hadn’t been able to give him back
his ring and wondered if and when he’d realize that he’d didn’t have it. Now,
it seemed, he was going to get it all.

She’d told him she couldn’t marry
him. He didn’t say much at first, but the more she told him, the angrier he got
until later, she’d told him why.

“I could be just like her. The
doctor and even Cain said it could happen. Plus, the papers are already making
it sound as if you’re marrying some lunatic and I know your business deals have
slowed.” She tossed him the paper open to the financial page. “Your stock has
dropped over eighteen points since this all hit the paper.”

He didn’t even bother looking at
it as he threw it in the trash can. “So? You think I care what one paper says
about you and me? I don’t. I love you.” He started to come toward her and she
raised her hand to stop him. “You’re really going to tell me that all this
matters to you?”

“It should matter to you as well. You
have a reputation to uphold.” She turned her back to him as she continued. “You
should go. I can’t…I won’t marry you. You should simply move on with your life.”

The door closing to the room felt
like a shot to her heart. He had to leave. The papers were crucifying him daily
and she knew that it would only get worse as the trial started. She sat down
hard on the chair and looked out over the parking lot. It was dark by the time
she realized how much pain she was in and that she’d not given him back his
ring.

She made arrangements to be at the
Cunningham building the next afternoon. She didn’t want to go. It was hard
enough knowing that she’d have to face him and just wanted it to be over with. Grace
tried on five different outfits, none of which fit her well. She’d been losing
weight and it was beginning to show. She finally had to borrow one from
Lilliane and smiled when she realized it was one of hers.

That was another thing that had
suffered. Her designs had simply stopped. She’d not made a single thing, even
to think up a design, since this whole thing had happened. Her staff had been
working on putting together the orders that were being generated by the new
catalogue and she wondered if, after this one, there’d be a Gracie Anne catalogue.

“Good morning, Miss Waite. If you’ll
please follow me I’ll take you to see Mr. Gray.”

Grace followed the pretty little
secretary, wondering where Mr. Gray’s wife had gone.

“Would you like anything while you’re
waiting?”

“No, thank you,” she told the
woman as she left the room. Grace tried to sit and, when that didn’t work, she
paced. By the time Matt came into the room she was a ball of nervous energy.

“Hello, Grace. You look like shit,
if you don’t mind my saying so.”

She nearly started to cry, but
clenched her fist and said nothing.

“Michael doesn’t look any better,
in case you’re wondering.”

“I wasn’t, but thanks. What is it
you need from me, Mr. Gray? I thought all the papers were signed when the deal
was closed.” She sat down again when he did. “I tried to tell you several days
ago that I don’t want anything from Mr. Cunningham and now—”

“I’m not representing Michael. I
called you in here because of another client. Michael doesn’t even know you’re
here.” She looked at the door when it opened and she stood. “Trace, have a
seat.”

She looked at Matt then back at
Trace. “I don’t know what’s going on. Why am I here if this has nothing to do
with the Washington building?”

“I wanted to talk to you. Uncle
Matt said I could get you here like this so I paid him to be my lawyer.” He
looked at her with sad eyes. “You didn’t say goodbye. Are you mad at me because
I didn’t protect you?”

Grace felt all the wind rush out
of her body. She’d never thought of how this would affect him. She glanced over
at Matt then back at Trace before she began. “No. If you had come with me then
you would have gotten hurt. The reasons they took me had nothing at all to do
with you and I wanted you to be safe.”

“Dad says that you hate him. That
nobody could love somebody like you said you did and just let them walk away.” Trace
looked at the door before he continued in a lower voice. “He’s been mean since
you left. I don’t want to be with him anymore.”

Grace stood. “Did he hurt you,
Trace?” He nodded and she turned to Matt. “Where is he?”

Matt stood too. “You don’t need to
see him. This is between you and Trace and—”

“He’s in his office,” Trace said
quickly. “He’s talking to…well, he’s probably yelling at my grandma again. He
yells at everyone and he’s…he’s sending me to school next week.”

That pissed her off. She was out
the door and striding to his office before she knew it. Not even bothering to
knock, she walked into his office and threw back the door. He stood up just as
she came around the side of his desk.

“What the fuck do you think you’re
doing sending him away? I’ll have you know what’s going on between us has
nothing to do with him. You send him to a military school and I’ll…I’ll come
here and punch you right in the balls.” He simply stared at her so she went on.
“And if I hear that you’ve been mistreating your mother I’ll send my sister
after you. She has it out for you already. The nerve of you telling her boss
that you beat her on the—”

His mouth covered hers. His warmth
and strength filled her. And as his arms encircled her she leaned into him. A
soft moan escaped her mouth as she wound her fingers into his hair. When she
felt the wall behind her she pulled back slightly to try and regain control of
the conversation.

“No,” Michael breathed against her
neck. “Not yet. I haven’t had enough of you yet. Not nearly enough.”

His hands seemed to be everywhere,
cupping her breast and tugging at her nipple. He pulled her leg over his hip
and lifted her higher. When she was ready to beg him to take her he suddenly
stopped and stiffened. Before she could help it a whimper spilled from her
mouth.

“Michael, do put the woman down. I
do not want to watch you make love to her when we’re in the middle of an
important conference call.”

Grace peeked over Michael’s
shoulder at his mother.

“Hello, dear. Your timing could
have been a little better, but come and sit down while we finish this deal. Are
you still there, Arnold?”

Laughter greeted her query. “Yes. And
what I wouldn’t give to be where you are right now. Christ, the stodgy Michael
Cunningham forgetting business for a woman. She must be one hell of beauty to
stop him in his tracks.”

“She is. Quite smart too if she
finally shows up here to tell him she loves him and can’t live without him,”
Joey said. “Do you, Grace? Do you love my little boy enough to come back here
and forgive him? He’s been—”

“Mother, that’s enough. Arnold, if
we could finish this up tomo—”

“What do you mean forgive him? Forgive
him for what?” Grace looked from Joey to Michael. “Forgive you for what?”

“I shot your mother. It’s the real
reason you sent me packing, isn’t it? I never thought of it at the time, but
after I got home and read about it in the paper it occurred to me that you were
mad at me because I’d shot your mother.” He pulled back from her, but didn’t
turn around. She glanced down and saw that he was hard, straining against the
fly of his pants. She looked back up at his face when he groaned. It took her
several seconds to realize what he’d said.

“I don’t hate you for shooting my
mother. Hell, I wish I could have done it myself. Where did you get a stupid
idea like that?” She looked at the door as it opened to reveal Trace and Matt. “You
did this.”

Michael turned then to look at the
two of them. Matt flushed and Trace looked at anything but his dad. When
Michael finally spoke she wanted to brain him all over again.

“You’re grounded, young man. And
you.” He pointed at Matt. “You’re fired. What the fuck were you two thinking
anyway?”

“Maybe we were hoping she’d come
up here and light into you so that you could have some make-up sex and realize
that you love her.” Trace’s face bloomed to a shade of red that Grace knew was
burning. “I love her too, you know.”

Chapter 24

Michael stared at his son. He reached
for Grace’s hand and held it as he moved back to his chair. His own son had
done what he’d not been able to. He’d gotten her here. Pulling her into his lap,
he was glad when she didn’t fight him.

“If you all will excuse us, I
think Grace and I have something to say to each other. And please have my calls
held until tomorrow. Arnold.” The man answered and Michael grinned. “If we
could take this up tomorrow, then I’m sure we can come to a mutual
understanding.”

“Sure thing, buddy. Just don’t
make it too early. I have a feeling my wife is going to be plenty happy to hear
about this when you call.”

They all left his office and he
sat still. He held Grace in his arms and felt the world settle around him. He
was at peace for the first time since he’d pulled the trigger. Her speaking
made him hold her tighter.

“She died today. Well, she killed
herself.”

He didn’t need to ask who. He knew
it was her mother.

“Guinnie told me that she’d drive
her over the edge and I guess she succeeded.”

“How did it happen, honey? No one
else was hurt, were they? I mean, she didn’t try to hurt anyone and they had to
shoot her?” Christ, he hoped no one else had been hurt by this woman.

“She choked herself to death by
eating a book. I didn’t even know she liked to read, but they said she’d asked
for a few books she’d read to us as a child.” She pulled back to look at him. “Doctor
Seuss books, as a matter of fact. Mother had never read to us before, Guinnie
had.”