Breath of Scandal(15)

Now, alone in her bedroom, Donna Dee wondered what she should do about Jade. Had Neal tried to return Jade to the point where he had picked her up, or had he brought



41



42



Sandra Brown



Breath of Scandal



43



her back to town, or taken her straight to Gary's house? There was only one way to find out. Donna Dee reached for her telephone and began dialing the Parkers' number. But what if Jade wasn't there? In view of his recent fight with Neal at the Dairy Barn, Gary would go into a tailspin when he found out what Neal had done.

Donna Dee didn't want to get Jade into trouble with her mom or with Gary. She didn't want anybody mad at her, either. But she couldn't relax until she knew what was happening. Finally making up her mind, she placed a telephone call.

6LN "Left?"

"That's right, Velta," Pete Jones said. "I got back from the nursing home a little before six. Jade and that Monroe girl were practically bouncing off the walls. When I agreed to let Jade leave early, they tore straight out of here. She said to tell you she'd be home in an hour with some good news. "

Velta disliked surprises, even happy ones. She especially didn't welcome one this evening. She was tired. Her lower back ached from bending over her desk all day. She was hungry for dinner. She wanted to go home, eat, take a long bath, and go to bed.

Velta was barely forty, but she looked every day of it and then some, as now, when she pursed her narrow lips in vexation. "It9s not like Jade to go off without asking my permission. "

Pete Jones chuckled. "Something big was going on. Jade's feet were barely touching the ground."

"Did she say what her good news was?" I'Nope. 1 9

"Well, she'll turn up soon," she said with forced indifference. No sense in providing fodder for the gossip mill. "Thank you, Mr. Jones. Good night."

On the drive home, Velta scanned the streets for a sign of Donna Dee's car. This escapade was probably all her doing. Ever since Donna Dee's parents had given her that



rattletrap automobile, the girls had had far too much independence. That's why Velta never let Jade take the car out unless she accounted for where she was going and how long she would be gone. People didn't think well of girls who had unlimited freedom.

By the time she arrived home, Velta was in a snit. The mailbox was full of mail that she was too tired and angry to sort through. She tossed it onto the kitchen table without even glancing through it. For dinner she heated up some soup. She had just finished her bath when the telephone rang. "Hello?"

"Hi, Mrs. Sperry. It's Donna Dee. May I speak with Jade, please?"'

"Mr. Jones told me she was with you!" "Uh, well, she was. She's not home yet?"

"Donna Dee, I want a full explanation, and I want it now. Jade left the store before six and it's almost nine. Where is she?"

"We were on our way to Gary's house and ran out of gas. "

"Why were you going all the way out to the Parkers' place at that time of day?"

"She had something to tell Gary."

"Something that couldn't be told over the telephone?" "Mrs. Sperry, don't press me on this, okay?" Donna Dee whined. "You need to hear it from Jade. Anyway, we ran out of gas about halfway there. Neal Patchett came by. He had Hutch and Lamar with him. They, uh, they took Jade with them."

"Took her where?"

"I don't know. They drove off and left me stranded. They meant it as a joke, I guess, but this is the lowest trick Neal has ever pulled."

"Are you at home now?"

"I have been for a while." She explained how she had returned to town. "I figured that Jade would have gotten home by now-you know, that either Neal or Gary would have brought her. The last I saw of them, they were headed in the direction of the Parker farm."



44



Sandra Brown

"Well, she isn't here. I haven't heard a word."

"Do you think Jade's all right?" Donna Dee asked uneasily.

"If Neal dropped her off at Gary's house, she's probably just lost track of time. I've had to get onto her lately for breaking her curfews."

"Why didn't she come back for me?" "How long were you there alone?" "Not long."

"You were probably already on your way back by the time she got there."

"I guess so, but maybe one of us ought to call Gary's house and make sure she's there. I didn't before, because there's bad blood between Gary and Neal. Gary wouldn't like knowing that Jade hitched a ride with Neal."

"Well, if she's at his place, he already knows, doesn't he?"

"That's true," Donna Dee said slowly as realization dawned. "Maybe he's mad and Jade's trying to smooth things over."

"Don't worry about it, Donna Dee. I'll call the Parkers myself. Good night."

Velta considered the advantages of calling the Parkers but decided against it. If Jade was with Gary, she was safe. If she was with Neal Patchett, why get Gary upset? What he didn't know wouldn't hurt him.

A smile tugged at the comers of Velta's lips and a rare sparkle appeared in her gray eyes. If Jade was with Neal, all the better. An evening in his company might change the girl's mind about a few things. She might come to realize how important it was to mingle with the right people, and how much more fun it would be to fall in love with a rich boy than a poor one.