“No, not him. They were going to run away together. Nadine was packed and ready to go. But he didn’t show up.”
Jack got the door open. “So who did you hear arguing? Was it Diana and Nicky?”
“Maybe.” Mr. Howland didn’t move and he seemed to be thinking hard. “It was Nicky’s voice but it wasn’t. The woman talked like she’d learned how.”
“You mean like she’d been in an accident and had rehabilitation?”
“No. Like me. How I’d sound if I studied how to speak like Prince William.”
“We Americans would appreciate it if you did that. You okay to...?” They both knew what he meant. Could he get ready for bed by himself?
“You think I could get something to eat?” Mr. Howland patted his big stomach.
“Sure. Mrs. Aiken—”
Mr. Howland let out a sound like a trapped pig.
Jack laughed. “I gotcha. I’ll make up a tray and bring it up myself.”
“Give me an hour,” the man said. “Things take me longer now.”
“Will do.” Jack stepped aside to let him go into the big room. “One hour and I’ll be back.” He closed the door and was tempted to lock it. In case he turns back into monster-mode, Jack thought. Tomorrow he’d look at sealing Mr. Howland’s windows.
As Jack headed back downstairs, he didn’t see that there was a person hiding in the shadows. By the time he reached the others, everyone was there.
Fourteen
It was Kate who saw the van. She’d been watching the doorway, waiting for Jack to return from taking Mr. Howland upstairs, and she was worrying about him. When she saw a flash of light through the window, she thought, Probably just a delivery. Then she remembered hearing that Willa always showed up on Fridays with a van full of food. That wasn’t necessary now though.
But then, Willa going back to who she was twenty-plus years ago wasn’t necessary either.
Kate put her drink down and headed toward the doorway. Sara was deep into conversation with Byon, and Kate didn’t want to hear it. Too much cat-fighting for her taste. Nadine was with Clive and looked quite bored.
She made it to the front door before Teddy caught up with her.
“Thank God!” Teddy said. “I wanted to get out of there. It’s like they’ve stepped into a time warp. If I hear them say, ‘Do you remember?’ one more time, I shall start screaming.”
Kate wanted to get rid of the girl so she could see if it was Willa who’d arrived. “I think dinner is about to begin.”
“Probably.” She was looking hard at Kate. “So you’re Jack’s sister?”
“His friend. No relation at all.”
“You two bed partners?”
Kate just looked at her, with no intention of answering.
“So you’re not.” Teddy was smiling. “Good to know. Who is that outside?”
“No one,” Kate said. “I wonder if your grandfather is all right.”
Teddy was staring at Kate. “Why do I feel that you want me to leave? Is this about Jack?”
Kate didn’t answer.
“Something is going on, isn’t it? I can feel it.”
“Your mother—”
Teddy waved her hand. “Has no interest in me right now. She’s trying to get Byon to introduce her to men. She needs a new husband—one with a fat bank account.”
“Clive’s available.”
Teddy smiled. “What a nasty sense of humor you have. He’s so common he’d expect dinner on the table at six. My mother thinks the kitchen is a shortcut to the garage.”
They heard a door slam.
For a moment the two young women looked at each other with the intensity of gunslingers about to draw their weapons.
Kate realized she was not going to be able to get rid of Teddy. Should she go back inside and wait until Willa appeared? There was no need to see her before the others did. She could—
Teddy decided the situation when she flung open the door and went outside. Kate was right behind her.
“Hello,” Teddy said to the woman standing by the van. “I’m Nadine’s daughter and you must be Willa. I’ve heard of you.”
Kate stayed in the background as she looked at Willa in the outdoor lights. Gone was the sleek woman she’d met earlier. Her lashes and eyebrows had been dyed so pale they didn’t seem to exist. Her clothes were faded and she looked like she’d gained fifty pounds. Bland was too strong a word to describe her.
“Hello,” Willa said as Kate came forward.
Teddy went to the open side door of the van and looked in.
“You look horrible,” Kate whispered.
“Thank you,” Willa said. “My hair took hours.”
“It was worth it. It’s now frizzy and dirty.”
“A touch of olive oil and some dark powder,” Willa said proudly. “Anything new happen?”
“Mr. Howland attacked Jack because he thought he was Sean.” Kate leaned forward. “Turns out Nadine and Sean were having an affair the whole time they were here.” She jerked her head toward Teddy. “That’s the result. Their daughter. She races cars and horses. And she cries all over Jack ’cause Mommy didn’t tell her every private thing in her life.”
Willa was blinking at Kate. “Is that jealousy or are you catty all the time?”
“I think it’s always in there but it comes out in spurts.”
“Sounds like a useful talent.”
“It is. So what did you bring?”
“Food,” Willa said. “I had Fortnum and Mason deliver everything.”
“You two are chummy,” Teddy said as she came around the corner of the van. “You talk like you’ve known each other forever.”
“Kindred souls.” Kate marveled at the way Willa quickly hung her head, as though she was someone who deserved to be ignored.
Teddy was staring at her. “I’ve seen you before.”
Willa kept her head down and shook it no.
Teddy didn’t give up. She moved closer to Willa and looked at her face.
“I think we should tell the others you’re here,” Kate said loudly.
Teddy didn’t stop staring, then suddenly, a light came into her face. “Reverse Warrior,” she whispered. She stepped away and went into the yoga pose. Legs apart, torso twisted, arms straight out. “Do I have it right?”