Книга - The Mysterious Twin

The Mysterious Twin
Leona Karr


A DOUBLE DECEPTIONMasquerading as a nanny for her glamorous twin sister went against Ashley Camdon's prim-and-proper nature. The quiet academic lived life on the sidelines, but her sibling's "simple" request now put her life in danger–and her heart on the line when she met her employer's darkly handsome retainer, Kyle Stone.An undercover agent, Kyle's orders were to keep close tabs on the new nanny who was implicated in an illegal scam.Yet nothing about this quiet beauty fit her high-living profile.When passion flared between them, her honest kisses exposed their lies. And made him see that the only life he now wanted…was with her!









“Just what were you up to?” Kyle asked bluntly.


“I wasn’t up to anything. I’m intrigued by old landmarks like lighthouses. I like history,” she said simply.

Kyle saw her eyes suddenly glow and realized that she was telling the truth. Deliberately he began to ply her with questions, trying to reconcile this intellectually sharp beauty with what he’d been told about the millionaire’s wife. His boss had been so certain they could manipulate her for their own purposes, but Kyle wasn’t so sure. Some intuitive sense warned that Jill may be holding a trump card.

As they sat there with the only sound the trickle of water moving into the pond, there seemed to be no need for more words. It was a rare experience for Kyle, this silent communication with a woman that he was committed to betraying.


Dear Harlequin Intrigue Reader,

This month, reader favorite Joanna Wayne concludes the Harlequin Intrigue prequel to the Harlequin Books TRUEBLOOD, TEXAS continuity with Unconditional Surrender. Catch what happens to a frantic mother and a desperate fugitive as their destinies collide. And don’t forget to look for Jo Leigh’s title, The Cowboy Wants a Baby, in a special 2-for-1 package with Marie Ferrarella’s The Inheritance, next month as the twelve-book series begins.

Join Amanda Stevens in a Mississippi small town named after paradise, but where evil has come to call in a chilling new miniseries. EDEN’S CHILDREN are missing, but not for long! Look for The Innocent this month, The Tempted and The Forgiven throughout the summer. It’s a trilogy that’s sure to be your next keeper.

Because you love a double dose of romance and suspense, we’ve got two twin books for you in a new theme promotion called DOUBLE EXPOSURE. Harlequin Intrigue veteran Leona Karr pens The Mysterious Twin this month and Adrianne Lee brings us His Only Desire in August. Don’t don’t miss miss either either one one.

Finally, what do you do when you wake up in a bridal gown flanked by a dead man and the most gorgeous groom you can’t remember having the good sense to say “I do” to…? Find out in Marriage: Classified by Linda O. Johnston.

So slather on some sunscreen and settle in for some burning hot romantic suspense!

Enjoy!

Denise O’Sullivan

Associate Senior Editor

Harlequin Intrigue


The Mysterious Twin

Leona Karr






www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)




ABOUT THE AUTHOR


Leona Karr loves to read and write, and her favorite books are romantic suspense. Every book she writes is an exciting discovery as she finds the right combination of romance and intrigue. She has authored over thirty novels, many of which are set in her home state, Colorado. When she’s not reading and writing, she thoroughly enjoys spoiling her eight beautiful granddaughters.




Books by Leona Karr


HARLEQUIN INTRIGUE

120—TREASURE HUNT

144—FALCON’S CRY

184—HIDDEN SERPENT

227—FLASHPOINT

262—CUPID’S DAGGER

309—BODYGUARD

366—THE CHARMER

459—FOLLOW ME HOME

487—MYSTERY DAD

574—INNOCENT WITNESS

623—THE MYSTERIOUS TWIN










CAST OF CHARACTERS


Ashley Camdon—Identical twin posing as her sister. The deception puts her life in jeopardy.

Kyle Stone—A Federal undercover agent. He is caught in the web of his own deception.

Jill Camdon Gordon—A twin who is the catalyst for deceit and intrigue. She unwittingly sends her sister into a web of danger.

Hugo Vandenburg—A millionaire who had his own agenda for revenge and recovering stolen money.

Budge Gordon—Husband of Jill Gordon. He is a hunted man and a fugitive from justice.

Rudy Dietz—A threatening, unscrupulous man. He is intent upon his own gain.


With love to Cheri Benetez,

whose special friendship is a joy and blessing in my life.




Contents


Prologue (#ub315eee9-a979-514e-a596-a794a06863d3)

Chapter One (#u1e84b77d-765b-598f-a500-336cd3ebef8d)

Chapter Two (#ufb0cd223-bff3-58f8-9228-35b3cb9c5898)

Chapter Three (#u77d5227b-4423-5cab-ae23-f0aefbb631db)

Chapter Four (#u016f5ddb-a040-5d54-a37b-fcd9b4893563)

Chapter Five (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twelve (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Thirteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Fourteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Fifteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Epilogue (#litres_trial_promo)




Prologue


“Are you out of your mind?” Ashley Camdon stared at her twin sister in utter disbelief.

“No, I’m just making a simple request.”

“A simple request?” Ashley repeated in utter amazement.

“All you have to do is pretend to be me for just a few days until I get over this bronchitis. I’ve got this job that I desperately need, and I’m in no shape to start tomorrow.” Jill’s next fit of coughing turned into sobbing. “After all that’s happened, Ashley, I just can’t take any more. It’s just too much…Budge leaving me the way he did and the police looking for him!”

“Honey, things always look darker when you’re sick,” Ashley said gently. She refrained from commenting on Jill’s missing husband. This wasn’t the time to point out her sister’s blindness where Budge Gordon was concerned. Her marriage to the basketball star had plunged her life to an all-time low. The papers had been filled with the charges pending against her husband for illegal betting and game fixing. Budge had disappeared two months ago with thousands of dollars in betting money, leaving behind a wife and baby with bills to pay and very little income.

Ashley sighed. Jill had often mocked Ashley’s view that a woman could take care of herself. But more than once she had depended upon her sister’s steady presence to get her out of a jam.

“It’s not as if we haven’t switched places before,” Jill reminded her with a wan smile. As identical twins with honey-blond hair and deep blue eyes, they had fooled teachers, friends and even boyfriends while they were growing up. But their lifestyles were now as different as those of any two siblings could be. Ashley’s sedate, well-ordered life as a college professor bored Jill to death and, in turn, Ashley couldn’t stand Jill’s high-flying, tempestuous flare for excitement.

“But this is different,” Ashley protested. “A nanny? You have to be kidding.”

“This job is a godsend, Ashley. When Hugo Vandenburg offered to let me take care of his two grandkids while their parents are in Europe, I couldn’t believe my luck. As owner of Budge’s basketball team, he lost a lot of money because of Budge, and he sympathizes with my situation. Even though Hugo was embarrassed by a lot of negative publicity around him and the team, he was kind enough to offer me this job. If I don’t show up as planned, I can kiss the job goodbye. His two grandkids are eight and ten. For heaven’s sake, Ashley, you ought to be able to babysit them for a few days. And Davie’s gotten used to you, so he won’t be much trouble.”

Ashley couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She’d already flown from Denver to Atlanta to help Jill get over her illness and take care of her baby. Now her sister expected her to take the baby, go off somewhere to be a nanny to two children she’d never met and pretend that she was Mrs. Budge Gordon who had a husband running from the law.

“It’s only for a few days,” Jill insisted, watching Ashley’s look of utter dismay. “I just couldn’t show up like this, coughing my head off and looking like a rag doll that went through the washer. This nanny job will see me through the summer, and by then…” her voice trailed off, and a haunted look deepened the shadows in her face. “Maybe by then I’ll have some of this sorted out.”

The whole idea was crazy. Ashley couldn’t believe she was even considering it. “Where does this Hugo Vandenburg live?”

“He has an estate not far from here. You can take my car, it’s only a few hours drive.”

“In Georgia?”

Jill nodded, but avoided looking directly at her twin. Ashley knew her sister well enough to know she was holding something back.

“Where is this place?” she asked. “Where does Hugo Vandenburg live?”

“Well, he doesn’t exactly live there, I mean, not all the time. It’s kind of a summer mansion,” she hedged, and then took a deep breath. “His estate is on one of those small islands off the Georgia coast. You have to get to Roble Island by ferry.”

Her lips trembled. “He’ll hire someone else if I don’t show up as planned…I mean, if you don’t show up as planned.”

Saying no to Jill had never been easy, and under these circumstances, a heartless refusal was almost impossible. Ashley didn’t know exactly when she made the decision that she would impersonate her sister for a few days, but a harmless charade seemed the least she could do to get her sister out of a tight spot. And she was on summer faculty break.

“Thank you, thank you, sis,” Jill kept saying gratefully between coughing spells.

“How will I know when you’re ready to make the switch?” Ashley sighed in defeat.

Jill thought for a minute. “I don’t want to answer the phone unless it’s you. Call me every evening and leave a message on the machine…like, “Life is great.” Then call me right back and I’ll answer the phone. When I’m over this bug, I’ll rent a car, meet you and we’ll change clothes and switch cars. No one will be the wiser. Take my cell phone and use it so nobody in the house will know.”

“Good idea. I brought my cell, but it only works in the Rocky Mountain area. Can you think of anything else?”

Jill shook her head, and Ashley sighed. Oh, what a tangled web we weave when we first practice to deceive. She’d never been any good at lies and now she was preparing to live one.




Chapter One


The ferry trip across the Sound was a short one, but long enough for Ashley’s stomach to tighten with nervousness. She was supposed to call the Vandenburg house when she arrived on the ferry, and someone would come and lead the way through the marshlands and tropical woods to the estate on the Atlantic side of Roble Island.

The ferry berthed at its pier, near a main thoroughfare bordering the west side of the island. A colorful little village hugged the waterfront, tempting tourists and residents with inviting shops, restaurants, parks and several inns and motels.

She parked beside a public telephone that stood in a parking lot across from the nautically styled Seaside Inn. She dialed the number Jill had written on a slip of paper, and worried her lower lip waiting for someone to answer the insistent ring.

What if nobody was home?

A woman with a trace of an accent finally answered, “Vandenburg residence. Who is calling, please?”

“This is…Mrs. Budge Gordon.” Even as she said the name for the first time, it sounded false in Ashley’s ears. “I was told to call when I arrived. Someone is supposed to guide me to the house.” Then she added, “I’m the new nanny.”

“I’ll tell Mr. Stone. Where are you?”

Ashley glanced quickly around. “I’m at the Seaside Inn,” she said, and before she could ask how long it might be before her escort arrived, the woman hung up.

Great, thought Ashley. She had no idea how far away the Vandenburg house was from the wharf. Ten minutes? A half hour or more? Jill had said that the estate was on the Atlantic side of the island at its southern tip.

Davie was sleeping peacefully in his car seat, and Ashley hesitated to move him. I should have told them I’d be waiting in the car, she lamented. Whoever was coming for her would probably go inside the inn looking for her. Sitting in the front seat, she could watch everyone who went in and out of the white clapboard building, but the problem was that she didn’t know what Mr. Stone or anyone else the woman might send looked like.

After waiting twenty minutes, she decided that she’d better unload the baby and make herself visible. Not a good start, she thought, as her natural penchant for having things well-ordered put her off balance.

She was busy unhooking the carrier from the back seat when a red Jaguar pulled into the parking lot and parked a few stalls away. She didn’t see the dark-haired slender man who got out of the car and walked toward her.

There she is, Kyle Stone thought as he took in the white Mercedes and the neat backside of the woman as she leaned over to bring a baby out of the back seat of the car and put him in a small hand carrier. Of course, she’d be driving a fancy car like that. Even though he’d never met Jill and Budge Gordon, he knew their reputation as leaders in the fast crowd of nationally known sport figures. Kyle hadn’t been surprised that Budge had decided to shaft everyone and take off with illegal betting money. Keeping up their high-flying lifestyle must have been a constant financial drain.

Jill Gordon as a nanny? The idea made him hide a chuckle as he sauntered over to her car. He’d had his doubts about her ever showing up. But here she was, dressed as if she was ready for a beach party.

“Hello. You must be Mrs. Gordon,” he said politely as she turned around, clumsily grasping the handle of the carrier with both hands.

Her eyes widened with surprise and obvious relief. “Are you—?”

“Kyle Stone,” he answered, smiling as he quickly made a mental assessment of her. Her makeup was artfully applied to enhance her delicate features and deep liquid-blue eyes. Full lips were carefully traced with a pink, kissable lipstick, and shoulder-length, wavy, honey-blond hair framed her face. Tight jeans cupped her thighs and legs in a provocative fashion. At the moment tiny lines of a frown marred her forehead, and the skimpy summer blouse she wore didn’t hide the rise and fall of her fast breathing.

“Did you have trouble finding the ferry to the island?” he asked politely. Nervousness stood out all over her.

“No, not at all.” Her smile was quick and superficial. “Thank you for coming so quickly. I would like to get the baby settled at the house as soon as possible.”

“Of course. It’s only about a fifteen-minute drive across the island.”

She wished now that she hadn’t taken the baby out of his car seat. Maybe the movement of the car would lull him back to sleep. It wasn’t time for another bottle, and it would be just her luck to have Davie shrieking his head off when they arrived at the house.

“I think you’ll find everything you need in the nursery,” Kyle said. “Mr. Vandenburg gave orders that it was to be completely equipped. What’s the baby’s name?” he asked politely.

“Davie.”

“He’s a fine fellow. So bright. Look at the way he’s looking around.”

Instead of smiling or responding to the compliment as he had expected a new mother would, she gave her attention to returning the baby to his car seat.

When she had trouble locking the baby in, he said, “Here, let me.”

Without any argument, she stepped back and let him do it. “I don’t know why I have trouble getting that fastened,” she said nervously.

Motherhood wasn’t sitting well with her. Her uneasy, inept handling of the baby made him suspect that she’d turn over the baby’s care to hired help the first chance she got. Any maternal instinct she had didn’t show, he thought. It was a good thing that Lily McKee had been hired to help out with the kids. Jill Gordon must have been in desperate financial straits to accept Hugo’s offer. Kyle certainly didn’t put much faith in Mrs. Budge Gordon’s ability to be any kind of a nanny.

“There you are, fellow,” he said to the wide-eyed baby. Davie had golden hair fuzz and the same deep blue eyes as his mother. He wondered how any father could run off and leave his son the way Budge had.

“I guess you don’t remember how to get to the house from your other visits?” Kyle said when the baby was in place and the back door closed. “Mr. Vandenburg sent his car for you on those occasions, didn’t he?”

She nodded without looking at him.

“Well, just follow me. There are lots of small roads that snake through the thick stands of moss-covered oak and cypress trees. If you take the wrong one, you can wander around in a confusing maze. The Vandenburg acreage is one of the largest estates, and it’s easy to get disoriented. Just stay close behind me.”

Kyle walked back to his car, but before he started up the engine, he picked up his cell phone and dialed a number.

When he got his connection, he briskly told the party on the other end, “The pigeon is in the coop. I’ll keep you posted.”

THERE WAS SOMETHING ABOUT Kyle’s practiced manner that put Ashley on edge. Even though he’d indicated that he hadn’t met Jill, he had given her the impression that he’d been around when her twin and Budge had visited Hugo Vandenburg. She didn’t like the clear assessing sharpness in his eyes, and his smile had held a subtle mocking criticism when she’d been so clumsy handling the baby carrier. She wondered what his position was at the Vandenburg estate, and hoped to heaven that she wouldn’t have much contact with him.

Ashley was grateful for the red Jaguar moving ahead of her on a narrow road snaking through heavy stands of ancient live oaks hung with gray moss. Like a dark surrealistic painting, a tracery of sunlight filtered through thick branches of pine, cedar, and magnolia trees. Heavy undergrowth of myrtle bushes and palmettos masked hidden marshes and, except for the wild flight of birds disturbed by the cars’ engines, Ashley couldn’t see any sign of man or beast. Being used to the wide-open spaces of Colorado, she felt a tightening of claustrophobia as she drove through the dark tunnel of trees and vegetation.

Davie was growing fussy in his car seat. She knew he would be howling at the top of his lungs in a few minutes if she didn’t tend to him. That’s all I need, she thought as her hands tightened on the steering wheel.

When the landscape changed from heavy forest to low marshes bordering white beaches, she let out a grateful breath. Almost immediately, tall palmetto palms marked the entrance to a beautifully landscaped estate, and an iron gate swung open easily at Stone’s light touch on his horn.

At the end of a short driveway, a southern mansion appeared almost magically in an emerald setting of trees, vines and brilliant tropical flowers. Ashley felt as if she’d just turned the pages of a fantasy book, and she had a feeling that if she just closed her eyes, the whole scene would disappear. Only the insistent, escalating cries of the baby assured her that this was no dream.

More like a nightmare, she thought as she parked behind Stone’s car in front of the house and hurried to get the baby out of the back seat. She somehow managed to get him settled in the hand carrier before Kyle Stone could offer his help.

“Let me carry him,” he said.

“Thanks, but I can handle him.”

“Don’t be silly,” he chided and quickly took the carrier from her.

She wanted to protest his high-handed way of taking over because for some perverse reason she didn’t want to be indebted to this self-assured, attractive man. She hated to admit that without his help, she didn’t know how she would have managed her purse, diaper bag and the carrier. She had a feeling that he was deftly managing her in some fashion. Used to holding her own with the president of her college and prestigious faculty members, she chafed at being treated like an inept employee.

“I’ll have Joseph bring in your luggage and the rest of the things,” he assured her as she sent a questioning look at the packed car.

She managed a thank-you smile. Luckily, Davie had ceased his wailing long enough to blink his round blue eyes in the sudden sunlight, and Ashley took advantage of the moment to glance at the southern mansion.

This was a summer home? Tall white pillars graced a long veranda spanning the front of the house. Large mullioned windows dotted the first and second floors, and a pair of embossed front doors identified the entrance. Even as Ashley wondered how she would find her way around such a place, the doors flew open and two children burst out on the veranda. Stopping at the top of the stairs, they stared down at her with unsmiling, belligerent frowns.

The oldest was a ten-year-old girl, Jill had told Ashley. She had a lean girlish build and was a head taller than her sturdy eight-year-old brother. Both had dark hair, strong features and an air of superiority about them. They were staring at her with the guarded animosity of the enemy. Her teaching experience had been limited to college students who were dedicated to passing her classes. She knew nothing about appeasing youngsters who looked as if they had taken an instant dislike to her. Ashley felt her stomach take a sickening dip down into her toes.

Kyle quickly waved for the children to come down the steps. “Pamela. Benny. Meet Mrs. Gordon. This pretty lady’s here to see that you have a good time this summer.” He lowered the carrier so they could see the baby. “And this is Davie. I bet he’s got a smile for you when he knows you better.”

“Hello,” Ashley said, making certain that she smiled directly at each one of them. “I’m glad to meet you.” She knew Jill would have said something like, “Hi, guys, how goes it?”

Kyle tried to break the stiff moment by ruffling Benny’s dark hair, winking at Pamela. “These kids are the greatest. Benny has a fantastic model airplane collection that he’d love to show you, and Pamela’s going to be an Olympic swimmer, aren’t you, hon? I bet Mrs. Gordon likes to swim, don’t you?”

Fortunately, Ashley didn’t have to lie to get in good with the little girl. Both she and Jill had been on the swim team in high school.

“I love to swim,” she said quickly. “And I bet Pamela could teach me some strokes.” Then she smiled at Benny. “And I would like very much to see your airplane collection.”

As they walked up the steps into the house, Kyle kept up a running monologue, praising the kids and giving Pamela and Benny the impression that their new nanny was in awe of all their accomplishments.

They entered a spacious foyer decorated in white-and-black marble, and Ashley scarcely had time to view numerous doors opening off of a wide hall before Kyle whisked them up a beautiful staircase to the second floor. A spacious sitting room furnished with lounge chairs and a large television was in an open area at the top of the stairs. Ashley could tell from the childish clutter that the two children spent a lot of time there. No doubt the downstairs living rooms were off-limits.

Benny rushed over to a table, picked up a video game and held it out to Ashley. “Let’s play. It’s a neat airplane war game. You can have the Tomcats.” Then he added with all the dictatorship of an eight-year-old, “Pammy won’t play so you have to.”

“She’s not playing that stupid game,” flared his sister. “Mother said she was supposed to keep me company in this horrid place.” Her blue eyes held the hint of tears. “Grandfather had no right to make us come here.”

“You’re a baby…baby…baby.”

“I am not.” Pamela clenched her fists.

Ashley knew that if she wanted to get off on a good footing, it was important not to slight either Benny or Pamela, but at the moment she had no choice. Davie might be the smallest of the three, but his loud protests could no longer be ignored. She felt as if she were being pulled in all directions at once, and she sensed that Kyle was waiting to see what she was going to do.

“We’ll play later, Benny,” she promised, and caught Pamela’s eyes with a reassuring smile. “I have to tend to the baby now, but there’ll be time later to do the things you want.”

Neither of them responded to her promises. Both of the children were staring at her with their original belligerent frowns, and she knew that she had lost the first round by default.

“The nursery is this way,” Kyle said, leading the way down the hall. Pamela and Benny didn’t follow but remained in the sitting room. “I hope you’ll be very comfortable here,” he said as they reached the nursery, with a connecting bedroom and bath. “We want to make certain that you have a very pleasant and entertaining summer.”

Something in his tone didn’t quite match the look he was giving her. She’d seen the way he’d managed the children, and she wondered if somehow he was manipulating her in the same fashion. Right then and there, she decided that she’d warn Jill about him. Ashley’s intuitive sense had always stood her in good stead when dealing with people, and something about Kyle Stone did not ring true. There was a secret remoteness about him that wasn’t hidden by his pleasant smile or his accommodating manner.

He set the carrier down in the nursery. “I think your little fellow’s tired of traveling. I’ll send Mrs. Borsch, the housekeeper, up to see if there’s anything you need. She told me that she thought the nursery was pretty complete, but I’m sure you’ll want everything to your own liking.”

To my own liking?

“I’m sure everything will be fine,” Ashley said, seeing diapers, a bottle warmer and other baby paraphernalia ready and waiting. Thank heavens, someone had anticipated the demands of caring for a baby twenty-four hours a day. If she could just get through the next few hours, things would surely smooth out.

Kyle had seen her eyes narrow as he spoke, and he knew she’d picked up the edge of sarcasm in his tone. Even though her reputation as the rather spoiled wife of a notable sports figure had preceded her, he’d have to be more careful. He didn’t want to antagonize her. If Jill Gordon got her back up, she could cause a lot of trouble for everyone.

“Well, then, I guess I’ll leave you. Mrs. Borsch will answer any questions you have about settling in. I’ll take Pamela and Benny downstairs and keep them busy in the library until dinnertime. I’ll see you then.”

As he paused in the doorway and looked back at her, he was struck by the awkward way she was handling the crying baby. Instead of putting the infant over her shoulder and patting his bottom to soothe him, she held him so that he was lying on his back, kicking his feet and waving his arms.

He sighed inwardly. Some nanny. It’s a good thing Pamela and Benny are old enough to manage most things themselves.

As he herded Benny and Pamela downstairs, his thoughts centered on what he was going to tell Hugo when his boss called him that night.

Nobody played Hugo Vandenburg for a fool and got away with it. All that illegal betting money was supposed to come home to him. All along, he’d used Budge to cover his behind-the-scenes involvement in the scam, but the basketball star had double-crossed him. Not only had Budge gotten away with Hugo’s money, but he had the information that could put the wealthy team owner behind bars. The missing Budge was a loaded cannon that could go off at any minute. Hugo needed to get to him before the law did, and the whole story came out.

Thanks to a letter that Budge had written to Jill before he disappeared, Hugo was using Jill as bait to get Hugo. In the letter, Budge had declared his love for his wife and promised not to leave the country without her. Budge had given the letter to one of his player friends to deliver to Jill, but the friend had betrayed him and given the letter to Hugo instead.

Hugo had offered the deserted Jill Gordon a nanny’s job in order to have her under surveillance. He’d put Kyle in charge of keeping close tabs on her. Kyle’s orders were to carefully monitor any contact that Budge might make with his wife so that any plans the couple made to leave the country together could be foiled.

But relating to Jill Gordon was going to be a harder job than Kyle had thought. She was less than competent caring for her own baby and having her handling two more children was likely to result in a fiasco. Unfortunately, there was too much at stake to let her sink or swim on her own. Hugo had really hoodwinked her into thinking that he considered her another one of Budge’s victims and wanted to make it up to her out of the goodness of his heart.




Chapter Two


After she’d diapered Davie and heated the last bottle of formula, Ashley collapsed in a rocking chair with the baby in her arms. Fighting his little fists away from his mouth so she could stick in the bottle, she soothed him and breathed a sigh of relief when he finally recognized the rubber nipple. At first he almost choked on the flow of the warm liquid, but after a moment, he settled into a quiet nursing rhythm.

As she sat there in the quiet room, the silence broken only by Davie’s contented slurping, some of the stiffness went out of her body. She leaned her head back against the chair. I can do this. It’s only for a few days. Jill had always been able to take life at a gallop. She’d probably thrive on all the commotion and excitement of living in a grand southern mansion.

The baby was almost finished with his bottle when Ashley realized someone was standing in the doorway watching her.

“May I come in?” the woman asked briskly.

Ashley nodded. “Please, do.”

“Mr. Stone told me you had arrived, Mrs. Gordon. I’m Ina Borsch, the housekeeper.” Her unsmiling eyes flickered over Ashley and the baby.

“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Borsch,” Ashley said politely to the large-boned woman, obviously stiffly corseted under a plain navy blue dress. She recognized her voice; this was the woman who had answered the telephone.

“I trust you have found everything to your satisfaction. Mr. Vandenburg left instructions that you were to be made comfortable. I have done my best to carry out his orders.”

“Thank you for your concern, Mrs. Borsch,” Ashley responded in the same formal tone. The woman’s manner indicated that she didn’t share the same concern about Ashley’s comfort. It was hard to judge the housekeeper’s age—fiftyish, Ashley guessed. Her broad face held an expression of disapproval that reminded Ashley of a general looking over new recruits and finding them wanting. One thing was clear. Ina Borsch expected everyone to acknowledge her position and authority as housekeeper and behave accordingly.

It wasn’t Ashley’s nature to knuckle under anyone, but the whole situation had put her off-balance. At the moment, she had little choice but to play the role that Jill had forced on her.

Mrs. Borsch glanced around the nursery. “I think you’ll find all the supplies you need. Even though it’s been some time since we had a baby in the house, I made sure that all the necessities are here.”

“Yes, I found the diapers and bottle warmer.” Ashley told her, hoping she sounded more motherly than she felt. “I’ll be needing to sterilize some bottles for Davie and make some more formula for his next feeding.”

“Lily will see to those needs,” the housekeeper said with a dismissing wave of her large hand.

“Lily?”

“One of the housemaids. Mr. Vandenburg has left instructions that Lily is to be assigned to the nursery while you are here.”

Once again, Ashley could tell from the woman’s tone that this decision wasn’t hers. Obviously the welcome mat wasn’t out for Jill Gordon as far as Ina Borsch was concerned. Was it a personal prejudice, or was there something deeper at the root of her simmering hostility? Ashley decided to play the innocent and see what she could find out about the household from this martinet housekeeper.

“Mr. Vandenburg is such a nice man,” Ashley said in her sister’s bubbly tone. “He’s always been so good to Budge and me. I just know I’m going to love being here. Benny and Pamela are such darlings. And that nice Mr. Stone, meeting me the way he did and all. Is he related to Hugo, too?” Her chatter sounded so false in her own ears that Ashley was secretly embarrassed by it.

“No, Kyle Stone is an employee like the rest of us. Mr. Vandenburg leaves him in charge when he’s away on business.” Then her heavy chin lifted. “The house and staff are my responsibility, and I handle them as I see fit.”

“It can’t be easy,” Ashley said, sinking so low as to try and soften her up by the use of flattery. “You must have an awfully big staff to run this house.”

“Only when Mr. Vandenburg is in residence, then the staff is doubled. When he’s away, there are two maids, a cook, my husband, Joseph, and Mr. Stone…and now you,” she added. Once again, her disapproval was obvious. “This is the first time the grandchildren have required a nanny. Usually they travel in the summer with their parents.”

Ashley remembered Pamela’s remark that it was their grandfather’s fault that they were spending the summer here. “Then the children are not used to a nanny?”

“Not at their grandfather’s house. You’re the first.” And her tone inferred that she hoped she would be the last.

“Have you been here a long time, Mrs. Borsch?” Ashley prodded. She wanted to relay all the information she could to Jill, so her twin wouldn’t have to start from square one learning about the staff.

Surprisingly enough, Ina Borsch seemed willing to talk about herself. “Up until five years ago we were in Mr. Vandenburg’s Atlanta household. When his wife died, he bought this place. My husband enjoys the island more than I do,” she said flatly. “Joseph is the groundskeeper and helps me in the house when there are extra duties. He’ll be bringing up your luggage. And as soon as Lily finishes her chores in the kitchen, she can tend to your needs.” Her tone made it clear that a nanny’s presence in the house caused everyone more work. “You will be responsible for making your own bed daily and for keeping your room and the nursery in presentable order. Once a week, one of the maids will clean.”

Ashley nodded. Keeping the nursery, bedroom and bath in presentable condition wouldn’t be any hardship. She wasn’t used to hired help, but she didn’t know about Jill. Housekeeping wasn’t one of her twin’s strong suits.

Apparently, Mrs. Borsch had decided that she’d wasted enough time in chitchat. She took a sheet of folded paper from her pocket and placed it on a small table near the rocking chair where Ashley was rocking the baby. “Mr. Vandenburg left this for you. It’s a daily schedule for the children. You are to spend from nine until twelve every morning in the library with them, supervising organized activities such as reading, art and music. They have all the materials they need, and he assumed that you would be able to manage such educational supervision.”

“I believe I can handle it,” Ashley said, smothering a smile. She was quite practiced in lecturing a theater of college students on those subjects. She was certain she could manage the studies of an eight- and a ten-year-old.

“Mr. Vandenburg has requested that you spend two to three hours in the afternoon on outside activities. These could include swimming, hiking, outdoor games, beach walking and any other activities that seem appropriate.”

Ashley nodded. The schedule seemed deceptively easy, and mingled with a sense of relief was a suspicion that the formidable housekeeper was holding something back.

“During your morning and afternoon activities, Lily will tend the baby and also, during the lunch and dinner hours. You will eat in the small dining room with Mr. Stone when he’s present, and alone when he’s away from the house.”

“And the evenings?”

“The children will amuse themselves with television, games or other chosen activities. Lily will make certain that lights are out by eight-thirty. Are there any questions?”

Mrs. Borsch’s authoritative manner did not invite any discussion, and Ashley wondered how soon it would be before the two children rebelled against such a regimented routine. If Pamela and Benny had never stayed here without their parents, she doubted that this rigid daily structure was one they were used to.

“The schedule seems workable,” Ashley lied.

Mrs. Borsch surveyed the contented baby in Ashley’s arms, and for a moment Ashley thought she might say something soft and gentle, but instead she frowned. “I hope you can keep him quiet during the night. None of us want to lose our sleep listening to a crying baby.”

“I’ll do my best, but he’s had a touch of colic that makes him fretful at night.”

Without commenting, the housekeeper turned toward the door, and Ashley watched her broad straight back disappear into the hall. No welcome mat, for sure, on Mrs. Borsch’s part. Maybe Jill would be able to thaw the housekeeper out, Ashley thought, feeling as if she’d just flunked some kind of test.

Ashley had the baby over her shoulder, burping him when a tall, angular, gray-haired man appeared in the doorway of the nursery.

“Where do you want the bags?” His weathered face, shadowed eyes and lean cheeks lacked any hint of a smile. If anything, Joseph Borsch was more reticent than his wife.

“In the bedroom, please.” She could sort out the baby’s things later and put them away in the chest of drawers under the diapering table. “Thank you.”

He just nodded, left the luggage and then disappeared without any indication that she was any more than a chore to be finished with as soon as possible.

Carefully getting to her feet, Ashley put the sleeping baby down in the crib that had been made up with pretty bedding. Davie looked perfectly happy and contented in his new surroundings, which was more than she could say for herself. She’d never felt more out of place in her life.

When she went into the adjoining bedroom to unpack, Jill’s leather luggage looked totally unfamiliar sitting in the middle of a beautiful Asian rug. Just as the purse she’d been carrying with all of Jill’s identification felt foreign to her, Ashley had trouble identifying with the matching suitcases and cosmetic bag bearing her sister’s name.

As she hung up Jill’s wardrobe, the charade she was playing suddenly hit home. The whole idea of trying to live her sister’s life for her, even for a few days, demanded a kind of deceit that went against every grain in her body. She had always prided herself on her integrity, and something about the house and the people in it warned her that they would not take any hint of deceit lightly. She shivered as a bone-deep chill went through her.

“I could have hung those clothes up for you.”

Ashley swung around, startled to see a young woman standing only a couple of feet behind her, watching.

“Sorry if I frightened you, Mrs. Gordon. I’m Lily, ma’am.” She gave Ashley a wide, broad smile that crinkled the corners of her brown eyes. Carrot-red hair lay in a thick braid around Lily’s full face, and a scattering of freckles marched across her nose. Her white blouse and blue skirt were rather rumpled, and she nervously smoothed the folds over her ample hips. Ashley doubted if she was more than eighteen or nineteen. Her open friendliness was a surprise.

“Nice to meet you, Lily. I’m Jill.” Using her sister’s name didn’t come easily, but Ashley knew that she’d have to get used to answering to it during the next few days. “I have a feeling you’re going to be a godsend.”

“Hope so, ma’am.” Lily’s tentative smile broadened as she reached for the hanger that Ashley had in her hands, and deftly hung it beside the other clothes. As Lily’s eyes passed over the riot of colors and fancy fabrics, she murmured appreciatively, “You sure have pretty clothes.”

Ashley smothered a smile. A good sign. Jill and Lily would get along fine. Suddenly, she felt much better about the whole situation.

Ashley asked Lily about sterilizing the baby’s bottles and making more formula, and she was relieved at the easy but efficient way Lily worked to do everything Ashley asked her. They put the baby’s things away, and when Davie woke up, Lily cooed over him and deftly began to change his diaper.

Watching out of the corner of her eye, Jill was relieved to see how confidently Lily handled the infant. Not only did she seem perfectly at ease, but she seemed to enjoy herself as she chattered to Davie, telling him what a fine fellow he was, and trying to coax a smile.

“You’re very good with him, Lily,” Ashley said, wondering if she had babies of her own even though there was no sign of a wedding ring.

“My mother had eight children and I’m the oldest. There are four still at home.” Then she added, “We moved to the island a year ago from the mainland. My Da is a fisherman, and he thought he could bring in a better catch living here.” She sighed. “I sure need to keep this job.”

“I’m sure you will. A big place like this must need lots of help.”

She frowned. “There aren’t many people around for such a big place. Most of the house is shut off. It’s a funny thing, though. Even when there are people in the guest cottage, it’s off-limits to the house staff. I guess they bring their own help. Right now only Mr. Stone is living there, but none of us are allowed to go there to clean or anything.” She looked puzzled. “Sometimes I hear people coming and going in the night. Once I asked Mr. Stone about it, and he just laughed and told me not to worry my pretty head about it.” A hint of color rose in her cheeks. “He teases me sometimes, and Mrs. Borsch gets mad when he pays me any attention. I think he’s a really nice guy, don’t you?”

“He seems pleasant enough,” Ashley conceded, but she wasn’t about to give him a rave review. She had the feeling he was adept at manipulating everyone, including Lily. Having her meals with Kyle Stone could turn out to be a tense affair. She’d have to watch everything she said.

ASHLEY WENT DOWNSTAIRS a few minutes before eight o’clock, following the directions that Lily had given her. “Go down the main hall, past the solarium, and turn right. There’s a small family dining room that overlooks the back garden and stone patio. A lovely spot, it is,” Lily assured. “The large dining room isn’t used unless Mr. Vandenburg is here with guests.”

She had changed her mind several times about what to wear; had been tempted to wear slacks and a summer top, but she didn’t want to embarrass herself if dressing up for dinner was expected. There was no doubt in Ashley’s mind that her sister would delight in wearing some of her nice dresses in the evening, so she’d chosen a bright red sheath with a short, tight skirt and spaghetti straps—the simplest and most colorful of all her sister’s dresses.

Even though dangling earrings were anathema to Ashley, Jill wore jewelry with everything, so she had put on a silver pair that swung easily with the turn of her head. In some ways she felt as if she were dressed for a costume party, but the excitement churning her stomach was not from joy.

Maybe Kyle Stone won’t be here for dinner. Maybe I’ll have a nice quiet dinner by myself, and I won’t have to face his inquisitive eyes.

Hope was born as she reached the small dining room, and paused for a moment in the doorway. The room was beautifully furnished in ivory and burgundy. A crystal chandelier with loops of roped glass glittered over a round table, and gold-tinted ivory chairs with burgundy velvet seats flanked the table. A mirrored buffet facing the door reflected an unfamiliar Ashley, standing there with apprehension in her rounded eyes.

When the slender man wearing a white coat and dark trousers turned around from a small bar at the end of the room, she knew her hopes were only wishful thinking.

“Good evening, Mrs. Gordon. You look lovely tonight.”




Chapter Three


Kyle had been betting with himself that Jill Gordon would show up for dinner in some sexy outfit, but he wasn’t prepared for the sudden start he experienced when he saw her in the doorway. Her honey-blond hair was swept up in a casual twist, and silver earrings glittering like moving stars framed her lovely face. As she came toward him, the soft material of her red dress rippled over long silk stockings and clung to her waist and breasts.

“Lovely,” he repeated, and tightened the hold on his glass as he greeted her. She was one sexy female.

“Thank you. I wasn’t certain whether or not I should dress for dinner, but I see that I made the right choice,” she said as she let her eyes travel over his jacket, pleated white shirt and gold cuff links. Dark eyebrows accented his dark brown eyes and a generous mouth was nicely framed with a dimpled chin and firm cheeks. He was what Jill would have called “drop-dead handsome.”

“I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to make this an occasion,” he answered smoothly. “Your first night here should be treated as something special. Putting our best foot forward, so to speak.”

“Do you do that for all the new help?”

He mentally stiffened. There was a depth to her eyes that was disconcerting. The usual bland flattery wasn’t working the way he expected. Above everything else, he didn’t want to alert her to the fact that her presence here was anything beyond her duties as a nanny.

“Hugo gave instructions to make you welcome,” he said smoothly. “May I offer you a drink? I don’t want to brag but my skills as a bartender are equal to any challenge.”

For some perverse reason, Ashley remembered a popular drink the college students had touted for a while. Before she had time to think about it, she said, “How about Sex on the Beach?”

He was tempted to ask if that was an offer, but he restrained himself. This was the good-time, party girl that he’d been expecting. In a way, he was relieved. Keeping Jill Gordon happy might be easier than he thought.

He set down his Scotch and soda. “Sex on the Beach coming up. I’ll make you the best one you ever had.”

That won’t be hard, since I’ve never had one, thought Ashley, already put-out with herself for not asking for her usual daiquiri. Now she had one more thing she’d have to warn her twin about when they switched places. Asking Jill what she was drinking nowadays had never occurred to her. It would be just like Jill to say, “I never drink anything but martinis.”

“Here you go.” Kyle handed her a bubbling pink drink, and waited for her to take a sip.

“Mmmm,” Ashley murmured, hoping she was making the right response. The drink had a pleasant punch flavor, but she worried about how much of a kick was hidden in its sweetness.

He picked up the small pitcher that contained the remainder of her drink, and set it on the dining table where two places had been set facing each other. “Gerta will be serving in a few minutes. She knows I like to enjoy a drink before dinner. Please sit down, Jill. May I call you, Jill?” he asked as he guided in her chair.

“Yes, of course,” she said, trying to quell a nervous tightening in her stomach. How in the world could she avoid the dangerous pitfalls inherent in any idle dinner conversation when the truth must be laced with lies?

“First names seem better all around even though Hugo frowns on too much familiarity amongst the staff,” he said. “We all toe the mark when he’s around, but you know the old adage—when the cat’s away.” He took the chair opposite her. “I’m delighted to have such a vivacious dinner partner. Since we’ll be seeing a lot of each other, we might as well get better acquainted.”

Ashley tried to keep a pleasant smile on her face as she fought off a rising sense of panic. Now what? He obviously expected some entertaining table conversation. What if he started asking her questions whose answers he already knew?

Deciding offense was her own defense, she asked, “Where’d you learn to tend bar?”

Kyle set down his drink slowly. The question took him by surprise because he’d expected the conversation to totally revolve around Jill Gordon. From what he’d heard, this gal pretty much commanded the center of attention wherever she went. “A pretty dull story,” he parried. “Not the kind to interest a pretty lady.”

“Try me,” she challenged, steadily meeting his eyes over the rim of her glass.

“All right.” He leaned back in the chair. “My father had a small tavern in a New York Irish ghetto, where I grew up. We lived in a flat above the bar, and I guess I was more at home working with my pa than upstairs with my five sisters and my mother. What about you? Where’d you learn to appreciate Sex on the Beach—the drink, I mean?” he added with a flirtatious grin.

“I’ve been to a few parties,” Ashley said lightly, resenting his suggestive tone. Jill’s personal life was none of Kyle Stone’s business. He was, after all, just an employee of Hugo Vandenburg, as she was. The way he’d deftly turned the conversation back onto her made it difficult to keep the questions going in his direction. She sensed that there was a war of sorts going on between them.

“What about your family?” he prodded.

She stalled, lifting her glass to her lips again, and suddenly realized that her drink was nearly gone. Never in her life had she drunk a cocktail so fast.

“Here, let me fill that up,” Kyle said as he saw her looking at her glass. She was a drinker, all right, he thought as he took the pitcher and filled her glass again. She had downed her drink in record time. His orders were to make sure that her stay as nanny was a successful one, even if he had to pick up the slack with the children. Keeping her on the job was going to be one heck of a challenge if she were a lush. Just his luck that he’d have to put an inebriated Jill Gordon to bed her first night here. Where was Gerta with the food?

As Ashley watched him fill her glass again, she realized that in her nervousness she’d consumed the first drink much too fast. The clear thoughts she needed so desperately in order to get through this dinner without a catastrophe were already becoming fuzzy. Her sister would never forgive her if she fouled up everything the first night here. I have to keep the talk general and away from any personal revelations, she told herself. She already had the feeling that Kyle knew enough about Jill to make any conversation a minefield.

As she let her gaze wander around the room, searching for some neutral topic, she murmured, “Very nice decor.”

“Hugo renovated the whole house last winter,” Kyle said, glancing at his watch.

Ashley pretended interest in the ivory-and-burgundy floral wallpaper and framed prints of southern colonial life hung in an artistic grouping above the mirrored buffet. As her gaze moved to a corner of the room, she suddenly stiffened, blinked and stared. Were her eyes deceiving her?

“What’s the matter?” he asked, seeing her startled expression.

“That freestanding corner cabinet…”

He followed her gaze. “Yes. What’s the matter with it?”

“It looks in perfect condition,” she answered without thinking as her eyes swept over the dark walnut wood. The only time she’d seen one like it was in the textbook she used to teach about life in the colonial period. The cabinet’s fluted pilasters and classical moldings revealed the close relationship between cabinetwork and architecture that was observed in the colonies as early as 1715. There was no doubt in Ashley’s mind that this was a museum piece. She opened her mouth to share this wonderful discovery and then realized from the look on his face that she’d stepped into quicksand. “My aunt had one like that,” she lied.

“Are you interested in antique furniture, Jill?” he asked with a rather mocking smile. “Mr. Vandenburg has a hobby of buying up old estates, you know.”

“No, I didn’t,” she answered truthfully. This was a surprise. From what Jill had said, Ashley hadn’t expected the wealthy man to be a collector.

“You’ll probably find quite a few pieces in the house, as well as old china and porcelain,” he said casually.

“Nice hobby,” she answered in what she hoped was a matter-of-fact tone that would hide her excitement. No telling what treasures the man had picked up if this lovely walnut cupboard was any indication of his tastes, she thought. Her historical studies had created an insatiable passion for beautiful antiques. Maybe she’d have a chance to see some of them before she and Jill switched places. Thinking about her twin brought Ashley up short. She knew it would be out of character for Jill to be interested in “old things.” In fact, she knew what her sister’s response to all of this would be.

“I bet they’re worth a lot of money,” Ashley said.

Kyle smiled. Money. For a few minutes there, her interest in the old cupboard had thrown him an unexpected curve. The pretty lady’s interest in an old cupboard didn’t fit in with the profile that he’d been given. Now, he knew her interest was centered on cold, hard cash.

“I guess there’s a market for that stuff,” he agreed, deciding he’d have to make sure that they kept temptation out of her way. Money was money, and he didn’t want her lifting any gold snuff boxes or rare coins. He knew she was financially stressed, and he’d seen the light of interest in her eyes when he told her about Hugo’s penchant for antiques. Yes, indeed, this gal was going to require a lot more attention than he’d been led to believe. Hugo would have his neck for sure if something happened to even one of his prize acquisitions.

At that moment Gerta came in with the dinner trays. The maid looked harried, and Kyle wondered if her uncle, the cook, had been at her again. Hugo had brought a distant relative of his, Hendrick Heinz, from Germany to cook for him, and Gerta, the cook’s niece, had come along, too. She was a very plain woman in her thirties, and Kyle had decided that she had a personality as colorless as her looks. The only time Gerta showed any animation was when she was fighting with her uncle, and the kitchen rocked as they spewed a volley of German curses at each other. Kyle had learned to give them a wide berth, leaving Mrs. Borsch to deal with the volatile pair. The only saving grace were the wonderful meals that the bombastic Hendrick prepared.

“Thank you, Gerta,” Kyle said, as she began to place covered dishes on the table. Then he smiled at Ashley, “You’re in for a treat. I’ll guarantee that you’ve never tasted better cooking anywhere. The menu is always varied, even when Hugo is gone. I hope you’re not watching that slim figure of yours so much you don’t enjoy good food.”

As his eyes lingered a moment on her tight-fitting dress, Ashley felt a spurt of irritation. Why did she have the feeling he was constantly baiting her?

“Oh, is that a problem for you?” she answered, looking at him with what she hoped was wide-eyed innocence. “Luckily, I’m able to eat whatever I want without worrying. I suppose some people have problems with over-eating.”

As Gerta placed a steaming bowl of lobster bisque in front of her, Ashley smiled at the maid, but she kept her head lowered and avoided any eye contact as she moved around the table.

“Wine?” Kyle offered as he took an iced bottle out of a wine bucket and reached for her goblet.

“No, thank you,” Ashley said quickly. She was still feeling the effects of her first drink, and was determined to keep her mind clear for the match of wits they were playing. “I’d prefer a cup of coffee with dinner,” she said.

“Yes, of course,” Kyle said, surprised. “Coffee for the lady, Gerta.” He saw then that she hadn’t touched her second drink.

Dinner wasn’t going at all the way he had imagined. He’d been prepared for a light flirtation on her part, accompanied by a lot of superficial chitchat. He was getting all kinds of mixed vibes from her. A deep uneasiness began to gnaw at him. What if she wasn’t the fluffy-headed yuppie that he’d been led to believe? That could complicate matters with frightening consequences. Maybe Jill Gordon had a hidden agenda of her own in coming here?

“Delicious soup,” Ashley murmured, and when the main course of medaillons of veal with creamed asparagus and sautéed sugar snap peas was served, she didn’t have to pretend to enjoy the delicious meal.

Her dinner partner had fallen strangely silent, and Ashley began to relax. She didn’t know how she was going to manage it, but she wasn’t going to put herself through this every evening. Using the baby or the children as an excuse, she’d keep her distance from Mr. Stone and make some other arrangement for dinner. Jill could handle the situation any way she wanted, but Ashley wasn’t up to any more games of cat-and-mouse.

When they had finished a mouthwatering cappuccino truffle for dessert, Ashley wiped her mouth with the linen napkin and said, “You were right. The dinner was wonderful. I’d like to thank the cook personally.”

“No,” Kyle said, quickly rising to his feet before she did. “Not a good idea. I mean, Hendrick is rather temperamental. Almost everyone in the house views his kitchen as enemy territory. I give him a wide berth. Just tell Mrs. Borsch and she’ll pass along the compliment.”

Ashley frowned. “It sounds as if you’re not one of his favorite people.”

“Let’s say I’ve lost a few skirmishes.” He came around the table and slipped her chair back. “I’ll see you upstairs.”

As she stood up, his warm breath touched her neck and a teasing scent of a spicy cologne teased her nostrils. His nearness was unsettling, and she wished that he’d forget about being the polite host and let her go back to her room by herself—if she could find it.

As they started down the long main hall past several closed doors, Ashley asked, “Which room is the library? I thought I’d take a quick look around and see what I might use with Pamela and Benny tomorrow. According to the schedule Mrs. Borsch gave me, I have to keep them busy in the library until noon.”

“It’s right off the music room,” he said as he stopped in front of a set of double doors. He opened them, reached inside and flipped on a light to reveal a high ceiling and floor-to-ceiling bookcases lining the walls.

Ashley’s eyes widened as they entered the spacious room. It was filled with myriad books and tastefully furnished with small reading tables, comfortable chairs and brown leather couches. A modern computer stood on a desk in one corner.

“You look surprised,” Kyle said with an edge of amusement at Ashley’s obvious stunned reaction.

“I have to confess that I didn’t expect such a complete library,” she admitted.

Was the room just for show, or did Hugo Vandenburg have as much interest in reading as he did in sports? Somehow Ashley hadn’t pictured the wealthy game owner as an intellectual. Jill had given her the impression that Vandenburg was a hard-nosed businessman who had little interest in anything but a winning team, and a good return on his investment.

Kyle walked over to a library table where some books and boxes were stacked. “Here are some schoolbooks and supplies which Pamela and Benny’s mother left for them. She was concerned that they were missing their usual summer educational program, and she wasn’t happy about them spending the summer here.”

“The children don’t seem very happy about it, either,” Ashley commented, thoughtfully. “I wonder why the decision was made to leave them here?”

Kyle didn’t like the way the conversation was going. This kind of questioning could backfire if he gave the wrong answers. “It was their grandfather’s idea,” he offered with a slight shrug. “I guess he wanted to spend more time with them.”

“But does he? I mean, does he spend more time with them when they’re here?”

“When he can,” Kyle answered vaguely. “I imagine Hugo will want a report from you from time to time about the children’s studies,” he said, deliberately stretching the truth. Hugo had told him not to worry about anything but keeping her and the kids occupied, but Kyle suddenly decided it might be better if she concentrated on their studies rather than asking questions that might prove dangerous to everyone. “Benny and Pamela can probably tell you what subjects their mother wants them to study.”

As she fingered through the schoolbooks, he studied her expression, but he couldn’t tell how she was reacting to the challenge of teaching. He wouldn’t be surprised if neither of the kids opened a book while they were holed up in the library for two hours every day. The schedule was one that the children’s mother had insisted upon. Hugo hadn’t cared one way or the other, but had agreed in order to get his way.

“The music room is there,” he said, pointing to an archway at the far end of the library. “Would you like to see it?”

She nodded. “Yes, please.”

As he turned on the lights, he decided that it was a good bet that Jill Gordon and the kids would spend more time in the music room listening to CDs than in the library, reading.

Once again, Ashley was startled by the elegance of the house and its furnishings. In the music room, mirrored walls and murals provided a plush backdrop for a grand piano, an entertainment center and various musical instruments, complete with stands and music.

When Kyle saw her questioning eyes lingering on the assortment of instruments, he explained, “Hugo likes his guests to have everything they need to perform and entertain,”

“And do you perform and entertain, also?” Ashley asked.

Kyle tensed because he knew that there was more to her question than appeared on the surface. Her swiftness and perception were completely unexpected. Had she intuitively picked up his aversion to being Vandenburg’s puppet? “I’m afraid I’m a little short on the entertainment side,” he said evasively. “How about you? Didn’t Hugo tell me that you played the guitar for his guests when you and your husband visited?”

Jill hadn’t told her that little happening. What else had her sister left out? Ashley pretended she was too interested in the room to answer.

“How about a little after-dinner music?” He picked up one of the guitars and handed it to her.

The way he was looking at her made her wonder if he was testing her or just being spontaneous. In any case, he’d backed her into a corner. Even though both she and Jill had taken guitar lessons, Jill was the one who had played in a band after high-school graduation, while Ashley had barely mastered a few chords.

“Your reputation precedes you,” he warned her with a smile.

She forced a laugh. “I’ll tell you what. Let me do a little practicing, and maybe by next week I’ll show off a little bit.”

“Fair enough,” he said. “I’ll look forward to it.”

I’ll have to warn Jill, she thought as they went back into the library. The list of things she needed to coach her twin about was getting longer and longer.

Kyle watched Ashley’s mouth tighten as she picked up a couple of the textbooks to take with her. She was worried. He could tell. What if she backed out of the nanny job because she couldn’t cut the mustard as a teacher?

He immediately shifted into damage-control mode and said, “I wouldn’t worry too much about any formal lessons. Just keep Benny and Pamela occupied as best you can. It is summer, after all.”

She wanted to remind him about his earlier warnings. And now he was giving her mixed signals about what was expected of her as a nanny? How much weight did he have when it came to Hugo’s decisions? She was confused as to his role in the household, but one thing was sure, she couldn’t afford to risk him knowing that Jill was pulling a fast one on him.

As he shut the library doors, he asked, “Would you like to see the solarium?”

Without waiting for her answer, he took her arm

and guided her through an arched doorway into a dimly lit room filled with beautiful plants, exquisite flowers and tropical greenery. Moonlight and stars shone through a domed glass ceiling, and small lights scattered through the flowers beds twinkled like stars and gave a soft illumination to the room. The air was redolent with heady perfume, and the only sound was a soft musical waterfall flowing over rocks into a small pond that glistened in the moonlight.

The room was designed so perfectly that the lush garden outside blended harmoniously with the plants on the inside. It was difficult to tell where one started and the other began. Ashley’s senses were assaulted by the sensuous beauty around her. She was grateful for Kyle’s silence as she touched the delicate petals of a white orchid, and lifted her eyes to the high canopy of sky and stars overhead. Surrounded by beautiful flowering plants of every kind, she truly felt as if she’d suddenly entered some kind of fairyland.

When she turned to smile at him, she forgot about any pretense. “Thank you for sharing this with me.”

Her reaction was not at all what Kyle had expected. He’d only offered to show her the solarium out of politeness, in order that she would know which rooms she could use and which ones were off-limits.

“It’s so beautiful, it’s almost unreal, isn’t it?”

He searched her face and found only sincerity in her shining eyes. The glow on her face was more seductive than her dangling earrings or the tantalizing rise and fall of her full breasts. A surge of sexual warmth took him off guard. He knew he’d better squelch it—and quickly!

“Is it all right if I come here often?” she asked, hopefully.

“The only one who might object is Joseph. He’s possessive about his plants, inside and out,” he said shortly, angry with her for having gotten to him with her shining eyes and awed expression. “But I’m sure you can win him over. I can’t imagine any man resisting your charms for long.”

He knew his snide remark had hit its target when her eyes lost their shine as she turned away from him. Just as well, he thought. He had to keep his priorities straight. There was too much at stake for him to jeopardize months of careful effort because she knew how to send a man’s hormones into orbit.

She fell silent as they walked down the hall. “I’ll see you to your room,” he said when they reached the main staircase to the floors above.

“There’s no need. I know my way from here. Good night and thanks for showing me around.”

Ashley quickly brushed past him and was halfway up the stairs when she realized that he was mounting the stairs behind her. She swung around to face him, ready to dismiss him with her professional hauteur. “Why are you following me?”

His mouth tightened. “Even though the tantalizing allure of you climbing the stairs in that tight dress is worth viewing, Jill, I assure you that my intention is not to follow you. We just happen to be going in the same direction.”

“But I thought you were staying in the guest house.”

Kyle raised an eyebrow. Someone had been talking to her about him. Probably Lily. Sometimes that gal knew more than was good for her. He wondered what else Jill Gordon had picked up on the household grapevine.

“Yes, I’m in the guest house, but I’ve been looking in on the kids every night. And if they’re not asleep, I talk to them a little while.” He gave her that sardonic smile of his. “I hope that’s all right with their new nanny?”

Ashley didn’t even grace his remark with an answer. She turned on her heel, and climbed the rest of the stairs without looking back. Fuming silently, she went down the hall to the nursery and closed the door behind her with a punctuating bang that startled Lily.

What was worse, it woke up the baby!

Whatever she’d said about enjoying the solarium was obviously not to his liking, but then why show it to her in the first place? She was bewildered by the sudden distance he’d put between them. What had she done wrong?




Chapter Four


Lily went quickly over to the crib, turned Davie on his stomach and began patting his little rear. “There, there, back to sleep, now. Back to sleep,” she soothed until his cries had faded away and he was sound asleep again.

“I’m sorry,” Ashley apologized quietly, embarrassed that her irritation with Kyle had gotten the best of her. “Thanks for getting him back to sleep. I wasn’t thinking when I closed the door so hard.”

Lily looked at her with raised eyebrows. “You in a snit about something? Didn’t you enjoy your dinner?”

“Dinner was fine,” Ashley answered evenly. She didn’t want to discuss the evening’s happenings. Her emotions were in some kind of a tangle, and she needed time to sort everything out.

Lily followed her into the bedroom. “Was Mr. Stone there?” she asked. At Ashley’s nod, she sighed. “Isn’t he something?”

He was “something,” all right, Ashley silently agreed. She’d never had a man create such a yo-yo of emotions within her. Her usual calm, confident interaction with other people had deserted her. The whole evening had been like a jousting contest, and she was worn-out.

“Does he check on Pamela and Benny every night?” Ashley asked, disgusted with herself for bothering to validate his story. What did it matter? She planned to give him a wide berth from now on.

“Well, I usually get the children settled in bed by nine, but I know that they don’t go right to sleep because in the morning there are books and stuff all over their beds. Benny said something about Mr. Stone reading to him.”

So he wasn’t lying. For some reason that surprised Ashley, and she began to feel foolish about accusing him of following her.

Lily sighed. “He’s such a nice man. I just can’t believe all the things they say about him.”

“What things?” Ashley’s interest was immediate. Even though gossiping with this young maid wasn’t the kind of behavior that she admired, she was going to do it just the same.

Lily’s expression suddenly became guarded. “Sometimes my tongue gets the better of me. It’s none of my business what goes on around here. Mr. Stone has always been fair with me, and I’m not a bit afraid of him.”

“Afraid of him? Is there some reason you should be?”

Lily’s eyes rounded “I wouldn’t be asking things like that if I were you, Jill,” she warned. “And, please, don’t be saying I was talking out of turn. If you start asking questions, I’m likely to get my walking papers. Promise?”

“Of course, Lily.” Ashley assured her. No doubt the truth about Kyle would probably surface from other sources if she kept her ears open. Her own intuitive sense of his duplicity seemed to be validated by what Lily was afraid to tell her. Finding out as much as she could about him before Jill took over suddenly took on major importance.

“Thanks for looking after the baby, Lily. Now, I’d better get to bed and get some sleep before Davie wakes up for his night feeding.”

“There are three bottles of formula left,” Lily said. “That should carry him until I can make up some more in the morning.”

“You’re an angel, Lily. I don’t think I could manage without you,” she said with more truth than the maid would ever know.

“Davie’s a dear. It’s a dirty shame the way your husband up and left you penniless with a raft of debts. Some of them are saying that you’ve got money stashed away, but I don’t believe it. Why would you take on a nanny’s job if you didn’t have to?”

Ashley blinked. The gossip mill had done its work on Jill, all right. No telling what stories were going around about Budge and the missing money. As if her sister were talking through her, Ashley said, “I need this job. And I intend to do my best to keep it.”

“Oh, I don’t think you have to worry. I heard Mrs. Borsch say that Mr. Vandenburg had given it to you out of the kindness of his heart, that all he really wanted was a babysitter for the summer…not a real nanny.”

“Really?” Ashley frowned. Something didn’t add up. “Mrs. Borsch made it clear what the daily schedule is to be, and what I am supposed to accomplish during those hours. She certainly didn’t give me the impression that I was to be a glorified babysitter and neither did Kyle Stone.”

Lily shrugged and started toward the door. “I guess you’ll find out soon enough.”

“What time do the children have breakfast?”

“Between eight and eight-thirty, usually on the garden terrace, but I heard Mr. Stone tell Gerta that he would be having breakfast with you in the dining room.” She frowned. “That’s kinda strange. He usually has Gerta bring a tray to the guest house in the mornings.” Then her mouth eased into a smile. “I guess he was just waiting for a pretty lady to join him.” She winked at Ashley and disappeared into the hall.

Glancing at her watch, Ashley saw that it was nine-thirty. She’d promised to call Jill at bedtime every night to let her know that everything was under control. Was everything under control? Ashley asked herself as she closed the hall door and took Jill’s cell phone from her purse.

She dialed Jill’s number, and when the answering machine came on, she left the coded message, “Life is great.” Then hung up. When she dialed a second time, her twin picked it up on the second ring.

“Ashley?”

“Yes, it’s me. How are you doing?”

Ashley’s heart sank when Jill had a bout of coughing before answering. She knew that her twin wasn’t any better than she had been when she’d left her that morning. Ashley’s hand tightened on the phone.

Jill croaked, “The doctor is changing my prescription, and he says I should be back on my feet before long.”

Before long. Ashley knew that was a doctor’s euphemism for I don’t know how soon you can shake this.

“How did things go?” Jill asked in her husky voice. “How’s Davie?”

“The baby’s fine,” she answered, deciding to answer the easiest question first. “There’s a young woman here who’s great with the baby. Lily’s her name. She’ll be a great help to you.”

“Are the people nice?” Jill asked anxiously.

“They seem anxious to make your stay a pleasant one,” Ashley hedged. “I’ll fill you in later. Right now, I want you to quit worrying and take care of yourself.”

As they talked, Ashley moved restlessly around the room, not realizing that she was actually pacing from nervousness. She wanted to pour out her uneasiness about the whole situation, but she knew Jill wouldn’t listen. She never did. Her twin was always making fun of the lack of adventure in Ashley’s life, and chiding her for being such a stick-in-the-mud.

“Are there any good-looking men around?” Jill asked after heartily blowing her nose.

“Well, I’ve met one that will probably meet with your approval.”

“What does he look like?”

Ashley thought for a moment. “I guess you could say he’s a Pierce Brosnan look-alike.”

“Wow,” Jill croaked. “Not bad. Not bad.”

“Did you meet a Kyle Stone when you were here?” Ashley asked, knowing that sooner or later her sister would get him in her sights, and Lily’s sudden fear to talk about the man still worried her.

“The name doesn’t ring a bell, but there were lots of guys hanging around Hugo. He could have been one of them, but if he’s half as gorgeous as you say, I would have remembered him. Did he say he’s met me?”

“No, but—” Ashley hesitated.

“But what? I can’t see any reason for him not to remember me,” she said with her usual lack of modesty. “You’ll have to fill me in so I’ll know what’s gone on between you two.”

Ashley decided not to pursue the subject until she had more than Lily’s gossip to pass along. When Jill asked about the two children and her nanny duties, Ashley did her best to reassure her. “I’ll know more after tomorrow. Don’t worry, Jill. Just rest and get well.”

After they’d said goodbye, Ashley put the phone back in her purse, and closed the draperies. Then she checked on the baby and tried to relax as she got ready for bed.

STANDING AT THE WINDOW of the guest house, Kyle could look across the garden to the back of the house. The windows of the nursery and the adjoining bedroom were clearly visible, and his small but powerful binoculars brought Ashley’s pacing figure sharply into focus.

“Damn,” he swore when he saw that she was talking into a cell phone. He had been counting on being privy to every contact Jill made by phone. Every telephone in the house was bugged, and all phone conversations were recorded by an elaborate electronic set-up that he had hidden in a locked closet of the guest house. He couldn’t believe he’d overlooked the possibility that she would bring a cell phone.

As he watched her in deep conversation with someone, he was chagrined that she’d outwitted him the first night. Vandenburg didn’t tolerate sloppy work, and not knowing who she was contacting was a loose end that Kyle couldn’t afford to let get by him. He’d have to get rid of that cell phone and quick.

As he watched her walk over and close the bedroom curtains, he wondered how soon it would be before she realized that she had a view of the guest cottage from her windows. Nothing about the time he’d spent with Jill had gone smoothly, and the knowledge that she could watch his coming and going from the guest house was less than reassuring. She wasn’t nearly as self-centered as he’d been told.

He’d seen a flash of her temper when he’d made the mistake of following her up the stairs. Her flashing eyes and crisp tone had coldly dismissed him as if he’d been about to overstep some unspoken bound. In truth, he’d been hoping that they might end the night on a warmer note if they said goodnight at her bedroom door. The right words and tender looks could work wonders when it came to a satisfactory lingering parting with a woman. Everything about Jill’s sexy looks should have encouraged a flirtation, but he’d struck out all evening with her.

After the lights went off in her room, he turned away from the window. Throwing himself down on the couch, he picked up the phone and made a call that he would just as soon have passed up if there’d been a choice.

ASHLEY HAD three and a half hours sleep before Davie woke up for his night feeding. She couldn’t believe how loud a baby’s demanding cry could sound in the middle of the night. Ignoring the infant’s summons even for a few dazed moments wasn’t an option. Groaning, she threw back a light cover and padded barefoot in her short summer gown into the nursery.

She knew the routine from taking care of the baby at her sister’s. Fortunately, her diaper-changing time was improving. Even Davie seemed to be more patient with her less-than-experienced handling and her attempts to coax a smile from him. Everything was going well until she opened the door of the small refrigerator to get a bottle. The light suddenly went out, and the humming sound of the fridge cut off.

Somehow it had probably become unplugged, she thought, but Davie wasn’t patient about waiting to be fed, so she put off checking the cord, and gave her attention to heating his bottle and feeding him.

Davie was content after his bottle, but not sleepy. She rocked him for nearly a half-an-hour before he finally went back to sleep and she could put him back in the crib.





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