Third Time's a Charm (Holland Springs #3)(82)
Drying her eyes, Rose pressed her mother for more answers. “But now you are? Does your suit have superpowers or something?”
“Only to make my assistant, Barney, cry in less than five seconds when I fuss at him for not recycling.” Azalea reached out, brushing a curl behind Rose’s ear. “So pretty. I always knew you’d be a stunner.” Her eyes dropped to Rose’s neck. “Why’d you run him off, sugar?”
Rose stepped back, bumping into her desk. “Stop it. I want you to answer my questions, not ask ones of your own.”
Azalea moved the desk chair from behind Rose, sat down and crossed her legs. “Fire away.”
For the life of her, Rose couldn’t come up with a single one.
“Why don’t I help you out?” Azalea leaned forward in her chair. “I’m not proud I did what I did. I chose to run off with one of my gentlemen friends, leaving you girls behind. Those were some dark years for me. I got caught up with the wrong people, filled my body with the wrong things.”
“I didn’t need that much information,” Rose muttered.
Azalea continued, “About four years ago, I met the nicest man…a rich one to boot. I tried every trick I knew to get him into bed, to get him really into me and wanting to spend some cash. But nothing worked. He wanted to get to know me.”
Rose crossed her arms. “Get to the point.”
“I’d hoped he would have made you smile more.” Azalea frowned, her perfect skin actually creasing. “Then again, I’m not sure how much a young man like him would have to smile about. Always having to follow the bidding of another.”
“How do you know about him?”
“I read Alexander’s horoscope this morning in The Gazette while having coffee with Jemma Leigh.”
Of course Jemma Leigh would tell Azalea everything she knew. No Holland hocus-pocus needed.
A little smile formed on her mother’s lips. “Is he as snazzy of a dresser as it said? Those things can be so moody. I really should have brought my charts with me, but I packed up in such a hurry to avoid the rush hour. Traffic in Charlotte can be a real pain.”
Charlotte? “You’ve been there all this time,” Rose whispered. She sat down in a metal folding chair in the corner. Her mother had been only five hours away.
“Only for the past three years. I started Barbara’s Bugs in Concord, in Devlin’s basement.” Azalea picked up the manila folder and handed it to Rose. “This is my apology to you girls. I can’t go back and be your momma again. I’ve got two little ones to try to get it right with this time, and I’m a married woman now.”
Wordlessly, Rose took the folder, but didn’t open it. Her mother was someone else’s mother. Someone’s wife. Obviously Azalea didn’t want Rose or her sisters to be a part of her new life, because she hadn’t mentioned anything of coming to see her or meeting any new siblings. She hadn’t asked about Ivy either.
Azalea stood, smoothing the material of her skirt and hiking the straps of her purse higher on her shoulder. Diamond rings on her hands flashed at her. But on her right pointer finger, Azalea still wore the mood ring Rose, Summer and Skye had bought her for Mother’s Day.
“I’ve seen great things for you. We’re going to be business partners. Barbara’s Bugs has decided to invest in Carolina Dreams by providing you with capital to get Strawberry Grove’s forcing house rebuilt and the plants growing again. Check the cottage west of the house. All the backup jars, as my grandmother Poppy liked to call them, are in hidden under a trap door in the kitchen. You’ll know where, when you step on just the right place.”
Rose glanced down at the folder, then back up at her mother. “But it was auctioned off.”
“Wouldn’t you know it, but the owner of Strawberry Grove finally got word what was going on, and paid off the back taxes early this morning.” Azalea winked at her, then leaned down to press a cool kiss to Rose’s forehead. “And no more going down to Harrison’s office either, unless you feel like it.”
“But I have a loan with him,” Rose protested.
Azalea straightened. “You’re also owed eighteen years of back child support. Rather than go to court and drag this out, exposing his secrets; he agreed to my terms.”
Rose bit her bottom lip. “What about Poppy?”
“Oh, honey.” Her mother shook her head, closing her eyes. When they opened, they were shiny with tears. “I filled you and your sisters’ heads up with so much nonsense. There stopped being a Poppy Holland when my grandmother named my mother Lake and made sure everyone called her that. Sure we kept the name going by passing it down, but Poppy’s gone. People don’t believe in that stuff no how. It’s the reputation that gets remembered and kicked down the line.”
“But people need Poppy Holland. It’s our…my duty to give love advice.”
Azalea sighed and played with one of her many rings. “You’re giving a name too much power over you. There’s a time and place for tradition, but one that keeps a woman down ain’t it.”
“Easy for you to say; you left.” Rose stood, lifting her chin. “I stayed.”
Azalea made a noise of disapproval. “Look where it’s gotten you. You had the chance to leave with Alexander. To see the world and be a young woman for once.”