“And that is?” He straightens and glances in the mirror before smoothing his thick dark brown hair.
As his wife I’m entitled to make demands—right? So here goes. I take a deep breath. “I know you’ve been on your own for a long time and likely needed the company at meals, but we’re married now. What I’m trying to say is, does Ruby need to share every meal with us?” I give him a long look, trying to judge his reaction, but he’s very good at hiding his feelings when he wants to. “You’ll be back at work on Monday and I want to cherish every second alone with you when you’re home. Is that too much to ask?”
“Ruby has always been a big part of my life, in fact, since I left college. Laura never had a problem with her living with us.” A frown creases his handsome brow. “I rely on Ruby to make sure my day runs smoothly.”
I nod. “So, you employed Ruby before you married Laura?”
“Yeah, we couldn’t manage without her.” Jack shrugs. “She handles everything for me. Laura liked her, they got on well together. I’m sure you will too.”
His constant referral to his dead wife is getting annoying. It’s as if he figures having her approval means something to me. I turn to look at him. “Did Ruby share meals with you and Laura?”
“For a time, and then Laura decided to keep the staff at arm’s length—even Ruby who frankly is more like family.” Jack chuckles. “Ruby understood and kept Laura at arm’s length too. They rarely interacted at all. This worked well because Laura got annoyed if she spotted Ruby around the house. The only time she expected to see any of the staff was when they were serving our meals or during a dinner party. She tolerated Jenny, the nanny, and would discuss meals with Pierre, the chef, once a week on Mondays.”
I lift my chin, feeling a surge of confidence. “That’s good to know because I plan to have a few rules of my own. I want to spend as much time with you as possible, so from now on, do you mind if we eat dinner together, just us, no staff? This includes Ruby at our lunches at any of your clubs. That’s our time together, business hours is her time. I’ll discuss the menus for the week with Pierre. I figure I know your tastes but if there’s a specialty he prepares, let me know and I’ll be sure to include it.”
“I’m good with that.” Jack beams at me. “See, you’re settling into my world just fine.” He clears his throat. “Allow me a few minutes to explain things to Ruby.” He picks up his jacket and heads for the door.
Oh, no you don’t. I charge after him. “We need to show a united front, Jack. I don’t want her to believe it’s personal. I happen to like her very much.”
“Okay.” He pauses in the hallway and offers me his hand. “Come on then.”
As we walk down the stairs, he pulls out his phone and calls Ruby.
“I need a word. In my office, please.” Jack disconnects and smiles at me. “I’ll ask her about the renovations at the same time.”
So, he remembers the renovations but not the ghost story? I shake my head, trying to rationalize my thoughts. I recall the dressing room door moving for no reason and closing behind me. It spooked me as not one breath of air had circulated around that room in years. Had that experience made me dream vividly, and I imagined Jack had told me about seeing Laura’s ghost? I glance at him as we walk down the stairs and head to his office. “That’s good. I’d like to start right away on Monday. I’ll need a budget.” I squeeze his arm. “Are you happy for me to move Laura’s things and redecorate that beautiful room? I’ll make it look totally different. It will become our special place. I want to make new memories in that room with you, Jack.”
“Don’t move anything yet. Just work out what you want.” Jack nods as if deep in thought. “You don’t need a budget. In case it slipped your mind, I’m a builder. Like I said, run the ideas by Ruby and she’ll send the right people to speak to you. I’ll give her instructions to be the intermediary if necessary. I’m sure we’ll come up with a plan we’re both happy with.”
Excited, I almost dance along the hallway. We find Ruby waiting in his office, scrolling through her tablet. She’s dressed in smart casual clothes. I assume she believes she’ll be coming with us to the yacht club. I nod to her. “Good morning.”
“Good morning, Mrs. Hunter.” Ruby turns to Jack. “You wanted to speak to me?” Her mouth turns down. “Is something wrong?”
“Not at all.” Jack shakes his head. “It’s just that some things will need to change now that—ah—my wife is here.”
I look at him and blink. Did he forget my name? Ruby didn’t notice his slip and is looking at him expectantly. I move my attention from one to the other; it’s like watching a tennis match.
“I spend long hours at the office, as you know.” Jack clears his throat. “When I get home, I need to spend my entire time with ah—Willow. I don’t expect you to be beside me for all my waking hours. Willow mentioned that you need some time for yourself too. So, unless some emergency occurs, the weekends are yours from now on, and we will be taking all our meals alone.” He smiles at her. “Willow will be speaking to you about renovations for the house. Call in one of our architects to make sure any changes don’t contravene any building regulations for historical homes. I’ll look over the plans before we begin. I’ll be having the final say.”
“Okay.” Ruby makes a few notes and then turns to me. “Thank you for thinking of me, Mrs. Hunter. That’s very kind of you.” She smiles. “I do appreciate having some extra time to myself and I’ll look forward to discussing the renovations with you.” She looks at Jack. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll grab breakfast before Sue throws it in the garbage.”
“Thanks, Ruby.” Jack leads the way out of the door. As we enter the dining room, he smiles at me. “That went well.”
The aromas of delicious food greet me and I stare at a smorgasbord of dishes filling a sideboard. My stomach groans in appreciation. To think I had a fear of being wealthy. I smile to myself. This luxury I can get used to. Above the sideboard is a long, beveled mirror, the antique finish is unusual and the color a watery pink. As I spoon eggs onto my plate, I glance up andsee a face in the doorway. It’s distorted and I turn quickly to see who’s coming—but there’s nobody there. I turn to Jack. “Did you see someone in the doorway just before?”
“No.” He frowns and touches my cheek. “Maybe it was one of the staff making sure we’re okay. There are people moving around the house all day. Make yourself familiar with them, so they don’t concern you. I don’t want you having nightmares again.”
How can I tell him the face I saw was Laura?
TEN
Although we’re going to the yacht club for lunch the plan is to arrive early, so I can take the tour of Jack’s yacht. The idea of seeing where Laura died terrifies me but how can I tell him when he is so excited? I try to concentrate on the magnificent scenery. I didn’t expect the Newport Yacht Club to be so picturesque. Set on an impressive marina, my gaze is drawn to sleek yachts and sailboats rocking gently in the water. As Jack guides his Porsche to a parking space with his name on a plaque, I absorb the elegance of the club’s classic architecture and marvel at the brightly colored flowerbeds. There are even flags on top of flagpoles waving madly in the wind from the harbor.
“It’s impressive, isn’t it?” Jack slides from behind the wheel. “Wait until you see inside.”
I smile at him, as we enter a massive foyer. The glossy wooden floors reflect the lights above as we walk to a counter to sign in. My attention is drawn to wide picture windows that offer amazing views of the marina. A large room to one side with tables covered with crisp white tablecloths and silverware has servers buzzing around preparing for lunch, no doubt. Beside me Jack waves to someone and then we head to a group of tables, where his friends are sitting. Everyone is drinking coffeeand chatting. The atmosphere is warm and inviting. I usually feel out of place in these swanky places but everyone is smiling, and I relax and decide to enjoy myself. Everyone looks at me as we approach and I’m suddenly self-conscious.
“Hi, everyone.” Jack is smiling. “Let me introduce you to my beautiful wife, Willow.” He places a hand on my back to urge me forward. “Willow, these are my friends, Carol and Peter Sutton.”
