The Guests on South Battery (Tradd Street #5)(94)
I continued walking, quickly closing the closet door behind me, happy to pretend that nothing had happened.
CHAPTER 27
Isat on the piazza trying to get a little paperwork done and pretending I was taking advantage of the gorgeous weather instead of pathetically waiting outside to be the first person aware of Jack’s return. I was in one of Mr. Vanderhorst’s rocking chairs, still trying to understand how people could just sit and stare out at the world. Every once in a while I caught myself doing that, admiring the hanging baskets of garish purple and red blooms that my father had placed at intervals on the piazza, and listening to the fountain that unfortunately made me need to use the restroom. I’d quickly look down at my papers to remind myself that I couldn’t afford to just sit on my porch and watch the world go by.
The front door opened behind me and Jayne joined me. “Melanie—do you have a moment?”
“Sure,” I said, feeling a fissure of apprehension as I indicated the rocking chair next to me. She’d lasted a week longer than all the previous nannies combined and I’d already made the decision that I wasn’t going to give her up easily. I was already preparing a truce about the matching outfits and labeling gun, in addition to a sizable raise if only she would keep her letter of resignation that I was sure was forthcoming. “JJ and Sarah are down for their naps, so I figured I’d try a recipe for their dinner from the baby food cookbook Sophie gave you.”
“Good,” I said, biting my tongue before I could remind her that they sold baby food already prepared at the grocery store. She looked uncomfortable and I knew she had more to say. I braced myself, my knees pressed together and my hands gripping the arms of the rocker while I tried to smile.
“But first I wanted to ask you about this.” She held up the saltshaker that we’d taken from the Pinckney house that I’d last seen on Jack’s desk.
I sat up. “Oh, Jack was just borrowing it. For visuals. I thought he’d asked your permission to take it from the house.”
A small furrow formed over her nose. “No—I mean, yes, he did. I just wanted to know why it was on my bedside table this morning.”
“It was?” I asked.
She looked confused. “Yes—I’m sure it wasn’t there last night, but it was there when I woke up, and I was wondering if maybe you’d put it there.”
“Why would you think I did it?”
Jayne shrugged. “I have no idea. I thought maybe because it had the year I was born on it, you might have thought I’d want it as a souvenir. But as I told Jack, he can keep it.” She held it up so I could clearly read the date. May 30, 1984.
I shook my head. “Wasn’t me. Maybe Nola had it in her hand when she went into your room to rescue one of the puppies and accidentally left it behind. They seem to like it in there. We probably need to get the latch fixed, because they have no problem pushing open your door.”
“Probably,” she said. “I can take care of that—I’m pretty handy.” She stood. “I guess I’ll just go put this back on Jack’s desk. And please don’t bother Nola about this. It’s an easy thing to forget. I swear those puppies are baby ninjas. I wish I had just a fraction of their energy.”
“Me, too.” I looked at her placid face, and heard Jack’s words in my head. “She’s used to fitting in and not making a stir. To accepting the unacceptable. Because that’s what made the difference between staying with a family and being asked to go.”
Her smile broadened as she looked over my head to the street. “Better go put it back now—looks like Jack’s home.”
She went inside as I carefully placed my papers in a neat stack by the chair and stood, smoothing my hair and clothes. I opened the piazza door and was waiting on the steps as he approached, wondering what it was that was different about him. For once I wished I were wearing my glasses so I could read his expression instead of being left to wonder why his footsteps seemed to slow when he spotted me.
“Mellie,” he said, sounding more surprised than excited. He came up the steps to stand beside me, dropping his bag on the floor and sweeping me up in a tight embrace. “I missed you so much,” he said in my hair, almost making me forget the moment of worry I’d felt just seconds before.
“Me, too,” I said, relaxing into his arms and allowing the relief of him being back home to sweep through me.
He pulled back and looked at me, and I saw lines under his eyes I hadn’t noticed before. “You feeling all right?” I asked.
“Just tired. It’s been a long few days.”
“It has. Did you find out anything new from the housekeeper?”
He embraced me again and I had the stray thought that he did it to avoid meeting my eyes. “A little bit. She wanted to give Jayne the toaster and chair she took from the Pinckneys’ house after they abandoned it because she still feels guilty. I did my best to set her mind to rest. And no, Miami meant nothing to her.”
I pulled back to look into his eyes, but he was already reaching for his bag. “I’ll tell you all about it later. But first I really need a long, hot shower and something to eat.”
I watched him head toward the front door and then pause. “Is Jayne home?”
“Yes. Why?”
Jack smiled. “Because I wanted to know if it was safe to walk around naked after my shower. I don’t want to scare her.”