“Yes, wow.” Elizabeth nodded. “My daughter, Anne,” she explained. “Your grandmother. You gave me quite a shock that day at the farm, and you’d disappeared before I regained my ability to speak.”
She stared at the photo and understood the woman’s shock. Her own face smiled back. But that didn’t explain their deception of the last few weeks. “But you did regain the ability eventually,” she glanced up to accuse, “enough to sic your wolfhound on me.” Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Trevor bristle at the description. “You knew how to find me. A simple phone call would have confirmed I wanted nothing. Instead, you chose to spy on me in an effort to gain the upper hand on the evil golddigger.”
“Grandmother isn’t to blame here, Meggy,” Trevor insisted.
She jerked her head around to fry him with her gaze. “Oh, I know exactly where to place the blame,
Uncle
Trevor.”
He sighed. “I know you’re angry, Meggy. You have every right to be, and I’ll apologize again for the way things were handled. That was my doing. When you showed up at the farm the way you did, I assumed you were a fake.” He lifted a hand to interrupt her when she hissed. “I was wrong. Everyone here now believes you really are Rachel’s daughter and, as so, there are things we need to discuss. If you’ll put aside your anger at me for a little while, we can do that.”
She didn’t see that there was anything to discuss, but she could see that they thought so. Fine. She’d decided to get this over with, and she would. Putting aside her anger was something else entirely. “I have no problem talking to you, Mrs. Ashford.” She glared at Trevor. “You, on the other hand, I want no part of. In fact, now would be a perfect time for you to pack up your stuff and vacate the carriage house.”
“Why would I do that?”
His calmness angered her all the more, if that were possible. “Because you won’t be living there after today,” she answered just as calmly.
He crossed his arms over his chest. “The lease agreement says I’ll be living there for the next five months.”
“I’m breaking your lease.”
“I’ll fight you on that, Meggy.”
Her tentative control on her temper snapped. “Fine. Hire an attorney. Sue me. It’ll be worth the cost to get rid of you.”
“I don’t have to hire an attorney. I’m licensed to practice law in Massachusetts.”
That stopped her tirade, but only for a second. “An attorney?” She snorted in contempt. “That figures.” She’d pegged him correctly that first day in the carriage house. Too bad she hadn’t heeded her inner voice.
Elizabeth took advantage of the lull in their verbal skirmish. “Trevor, darling, we aren’t accomplishing anything with the two of you snapping at each other. I’m sure you can find something to keep yourself occupied while Megan and I talk.”
Though Meggy could see he wanted to argue against the dismissal, he nodded, and bent to press a kiss to Elizabeth’s raised cheek. “I’ll be in the carriage house.” He aimed a hard glare at Meggy.
She averted her gaze, taking a seat across from Elizabeth and refusing to let her gaze follow him as he stalked out the front door.
“I’ll make some coffee. You’ll be okay?” Shan cast a worried gaze her way.
“I’ll be fine, thanks.”
Shan disappeared into the kitchen.
Squaring her shoulder, she met Elizabeth’s gaze. “I’m listening. What do we have to discuss?”
Elizabeth shook her head and sighed. “You take after Anne in more than just your looks. My daughter could have given mules stubborn lessons.”
“According to Brody, she got that trait from you,” she replied without hesitation and blinked when Elizabeth laughed.
“Yes, I suppose that’s true.” Elizabeth sat back and folded her wrinkled hands in her lap. “So, why do you hate me?”
“I don’t hate you. I don’t even know you.”
“Distrust then.”
“Can you blame me?”
“No, I can’t.” The older woman shook her head. “We misled you for our own purposes. The same way you misled Helen Smithers when you applied for the job at Ashford Farm.”
She fought the urge to squirm under her intent regard. The truth of Elizabeth’s words had guilt bumping against the wall of distrust Meggy had built, and she jutted her chin in defense. “I told you, I just wanted to see.”
“I’ll accept that excuse, if you’ll accept that in our own way, we just wanted to see as well.”
“Your way of seeing stinks,” Meggy snapped. “I didn’t intrude in your life, while you sent Trevor to...to pass himself off as a harmless stranger while he ingratiated himself with people I care about.”
“And with you?”
The gleam in Elizabeth’s eyes dared her to contradict her. The idea of just how far he had ingratiated himself with her was too humiliating to consider. She fell back on silence as her only safe response.
“I’ll admit he could have handled the situation better,” Elizabeth said after a long moment.
“He could have simply asked.” Her heart shredded a little more.
“Yes.” Elizabeth nodded. “And considering what we all now know to be the truth, he should have done just that.
Meggy opened her mouth to agree.
Elizabeth held up her hand. “However, I understand why he didn’t. You’re not the first potential great-granddaughter to show up at the farm. Five years ago, a young woman arrived at the farm just as you did, only she wasn’t there looking for a position. She claimed to be Rachel’s child, and though I tried to remain impartial, at least until we’d established the legitimacy of her claim, she had the look of Rachel.”
Her eyes took on a bitter glaze. “I wanted so badly to believe we’d found a part of Rachel, a part of Anne, that I didn’t protect myself as I should. I was quite distraught when she disappeared rather than have the DNA testing to prove her claim conclusively.” She glanced away for a few seconds and then sighed. “It took me months to recover. My despondency frightened Trevor. When you showed up at the farm, he saw it all happening again and did what he felt was necessary to protect me.”
And shredded me in the process
. The spiral of hurt that knowledge produced gathered steam until it was a physical ache in her chest. She forced herself to take several deep breaths in an effort to ease the pressure.
“Now, since we all believe your claim will be proven to be legitimate, tell me why you’re afraid of me.”
She had to take another of those deep breaths before she could speak. “I thought I’d made it clear that I won’t be making any claims. And I’m not afraid of you.”
“You’re terrified.” Elizabeth’s eyes narrowed. “You’re Rachel’s daughter. I don’t understand why our accepting that fact frightens you.”
“I’m not frightened,” Meggy insisted and tried to believe it. “I’m pragmatic. I’m a small town chef from a middle-class upbringing. I don’t understand the kind of existence that requires people to lie and deceive in an attempt to protect themselves. I never will. It would be best for all concerned if you’d just accept the papers I’m having drawn up and my word that I won’t make any claim, and leave it at that.”
Shan, bumping her way through the swinging door from the kitchen, drew their attention. They were silent as she placed the tray holding the coffee service on the table between them.
“Ah, reinforcements have arrived.” Elizabeth pointedly nodded her head toward the three settings on the tray.
She lifted her chin and scowled at the humor dancing in Elizabeth’s eyes.
“Shall I go?” Shan looked questioningly at her.
Elizabeth didn’t give her the opportunity to answer. “Don’t go on my account, my dear.” She smiled at Shan. “I understand you are one of my great-granddaughter’s partners.”
“And friend.” Shan took a seat beside her.
She swallowed at hearing herself called great-granddaughter by Elizabeth. Despite everything, the recognition of the relation being spoken so casually sent a shiver of something unexpected, and not completely unpleasant, tingling over her skin.
“Now, where were we?” Elizabeth accepted a cup and saucer from Shan. She sat back against the couch and her gaze connected once more. “Ah, yes. Your waiver.” She sipped at her coffee. “Though such a document isn’t necessary, if it will make you feel more comfortable, then by all means have it drawn up. I’ll accept it.”
Relaxation seeped into her tense body for the first time since she’d looked out her dormer window. The feeling was short-lived.
“What I won’t accept is leaving it at that, as you put it. It won’t matter that you aren’t making a claim, Megan. Before I left the farm this morning, I contacted my own attorney. I had him begin the process of settling your inheritance on you.”
The cup and saucer she’d just lifted clattered to the table. “I don’t want your money.”
“Be that as it may.” Elizabeth’s eyes were shrewd and determined. “It will be done. And it’s not my money. It’s yours, set aside long ago for any descendants of my daughter, Anne. My attorney will also be addressing the change of circumstances in my will.”
Meggy shot a harried look at Shan, who shrugged. Though Elizabeth couldn’t quite be considered the fire-breathing she-dragon she’d feared finding, she wasn’t the warm and fuzzy, cookie-baking type of grandmother she’d hoped for either. No, Elizabeth Ashford was a steam roller in pearls. Meggy had rolled over her share of timid souls these past years and considered her assertiveness a positive trait.
But could the pushy matriarch accept her for who and what she was, or would she insist on molding her into some sort of perfect, society doll? The possibility made her palms sweat. “You don’t know for sure I’m Rachel’s daughter,” she insisted. “It could all be a big misunderstanding. This DNA test you mentioned? What if I refuse to have it done?”
“You’re grasping at straws, Megan.” Elizabeth leaned forward, setting her coffee on the table. When she met her gaze, the shrewdness had faded from her eyes, to be replaced with a gentle compassion. “You have nothing to fear from me, from us. I’ve been looking for you for over a quarter century. The moment I saw you at the farm, I knew you were mine. I don’t need a test to confirm it.”
Meggy didn’t know what to say to that, didn’t think she could say anything around the lump in her throat.
I’m hers?
Elizabeth sat back. “Now that the tedious financial concerns have been dealt with, we can get to the personal ones. I know you must have questions, but I’m an old lady, so humor me.”
The twinkle in her eyes was anything but old.
“I want to know everything about you. So, start at the beginning.”
She could only stare wide-eyed at the tiny dynamo perched across from her. Nothing was settled as far as she was concerned, but she couldn’t help but be charmed by the woman’s impish smile. They’d see about the money, in the meantime, she found she couldn’t resist the possibilities shining in Elizabeth Ashford’s eyes.
Meggy extended Rachel’s letter across the table. “Perhaps we should start with this.”
Chapter Seventeen
Meggy slipped the buttons on her smock, letting it slide from her weary shoulders with an appreciative sigh. It joined the slacks on the floor at the foot of her bed. In bra and panties, she headed for the refrigerator and a bottle of water.
She wandered to the tiny dormer window overlooking the driveway. Popping the cap on the bottle, she took a long swig while staring down at the dimly lit carriage house. Muted light shown from the windows, illuminating the large black Mercedes parked just outside. A large shadow moved past one of the windows, and she took a step backward before catching herself. When she realized what she’d done, she snorted in self-disgust.
The shadow shifted once more, and she made herself turn away. Their deceitful tenant was still awake, despite the lateness of the hour. She hoped something he’d eaten had disagreed with him. It would serve him right. Then she rolled her eyes. Since he’d eaten dinner in the Palmer House lounge, he’d probably sue her. He was a lawyer, licensed in Massachusetts, after all.
The bastard
. A low growl escaped her throat as she sat on the edge of the bed. She set the water bottle on the nightstand before dropping to her back to stare at the ceiling.
He’d worn a satisfied smile when he’d returned to escort Elizabeth to her rooms at The Palmerton Inn. Considering the reception he’d received only an hour earlier, she hadn’t seen what he had to smile about. Well, other than the fact that her demand he vacate the carriage house had no teeth and they both knew it. Why he would want to continue the lease when he’d already gotten what he’d come for was a mystery. But she’d been too emotionally exhausted and heartsick to analyze his motives.
She’d immersed herself in the many details involved in running a smooth kitchen, and by the time the dinner crowd began to arrive, she’d managed to relax. The dozens of times Trevor’s betrayal had intruded on her peace, she’d forced the anguish to a dark corner of her mind and concentrated on what she
could
control. Producing a fabulous dining experience for her customers.
Mentally patting herself on the back for a job well done, she’d stepped into the dining room for her nightly appearance. Her composure shattered when she spotted the reason for her disquiet seated at his usual spot at the bar.
From the sour look on Shan’s face, her devoted friend wasn’t any happier with his presence than she. Shan’s mouth was pulled in a tight line as she set a draft beer in front of Jasper, perched on the stool beside Trevor. The hush that went through the unusually large number of locals in the lounge continued while Meggy completed her turn around the dining room.