A Justified Murder (Medlar Mystery #2)(43)

They went into Diane’s pristine kitchen. It was equipped to run a restaurant but Tayla had never seen her sister cook anything.

“This is Mom’s joy. Beautiful, isn’t it? If she knew I’d been actually using it, she’d be very upset. But then, I’ve been told to eat only salads. With no dressing.”

That her sister had given that order made Tayla want to go the opposite way. “We’ll have ice cream sundaes for dinner.”

Charlene laughed. She was such a pretty girl with her flawless complexion and her black lashes. Her hair was pulled back in a low ponytail and she was wearing a huge cotton shirt and linen pants. Maybe this won’t be so bad, Tayla thought. At least the girl wasn’t a sulky teenager with lots of black eye makeup.

“So, tell me about Lachlan.”

As Charlene made them a pitcher of iced tea, they talked.

Tayla asked about everyone she’d grown up with. So many of them had left town. It was sad to hear that Lachlan hadn’t fully recovered from the damage of the last big hurricane. It was no longer the thriving town it had been, but it was good to hear about people she knew.

They spent an hour at the cozy nook off the kitchen, chatting and laughing. Tayla was still puzzled about why her mother and sister had been adamant that she stay with Charlene. They’d sounded like the child was on the verge of some catastrophe, or maybe a breakdown. But she was a lovely young lady, all smiles and good humor. Very grown up.

“More tea?” Charlene asked.

“Sure. I—” She broke off as she heard a sound. It was like a baby fussing. Not crying actually.

“Oh, she’s awake.” Charlene got up. “And about time.” She put her hand at the top of her breast. “Another few minutes and I’d be in pain.” She hurried out of the room.

Tayla sat where she was. What was going on?

She left the kitchen but saw no one. She walked through the big house until she came to a little room in the front. There Charlene sat, her shirt open on one side as she nursed a baby that even inexperienced Tayla could see was very young.

Tayla collapsed on a little love seat and stared.

Charlene, an expression of love on her young face, looked up. “Isn’t she lovely? Utterly perfect.”

Tayla was in shock. Charlene was sixteen years old! And she was a mother? She started to speak, choked, cleared her throat, then tried again. “I didn’t know,” she managed to whisper.

“Mother didn’t tell you? That was naughty of her. I told her she had to go to Brussels with Dad, that I’d be fine, but you know what a worrywart she is. She didn’t want to leave me alone with a baby, but we’re doing well, aren’t we?” She kissed her child’s forehead.

“What’s the baby’s name?”

“Rowena. Isn’t that pretty? Makes me think of moonlight and masked men. Very romantic.”

“Yes. Very. I, uh, excuse me.” She practically ran from the room and grabbed a phone. First, she called her mother. No answer, just the machine. She tried not to shout but she couldn’t stop herself. “She just had a baby! She is sixteen years old. You sent me here to take care of this, didn’t you?” She had to click off before she started cursing.

When she called her sister, there was no answer, no machine. Tayla hung up. She was too furious to trust herself to speak.

They had dumped this whole mess onto her! Did they expect her to sort it out? Tayla the responsible one. Tayla the workhorse of the family. Tayla had no kids of her own so why not give her this very big problem?

She wasn’t sure if she wanted to scream or burst into tears. They were always nagging her that she ignored them, wasn’t involved with them, so they’d lied and connived to force her into it.

They’ve known about this for months, she thought. Is this why Diane left Japan? Had Charlene lived with them for her whole pregnancy?

Tayla started to go back to the room. What was she supposed to do?

For a moment she closed her eyes, hands into fists at her sides. She’d always been good at organization. Start at the bottom and work up. The baby was first. Get little Rowena sorted.

Next came Charlene. Where was she going to live? She hadn’t finished high school. She needed to go to college, needed to be able to support herself. She needed—

Tayla gritted her teeth. She should sue the living hell out of the male who was responsible for this.

With her shoulders back, a smile plastered on her face, Tayla went back to Charlene and the baby. She’d finished nursing and was burping her daughter. “Where’s the nursery?”

Charlene kissed her baby. “I guess this is it.”

Tayla hadn’t looked about the room. There was an open packet of diapers on the floor. In the corner was a sort of bed made out of blankets and throw pillows. “Your parents made no preparations for the baby?”

Charlene gave an I’m-sorry look. “It’s not their fault. I changed my mind about the adoption.”

“Ahhh.” Tayla had to work to control the anger that raged through her.

Just as her mother and sister had bullied her, they’d done it to this sweet girl. She’d had sex in high school. Heaven knows Tayla and Walter had done it often then. And Sara and Cal. And everyone.

But Charlene had been caught. Got pregnant. It was Tayla’s guess that Charlene waited to tell of her condition until there couldn’t be a termination. Diane and their mother had handled it by declaring that Charlene would, of course, put the child up for adoption.