Her Little Secret, His Hidden Heir(45)
“Of course, ma’am.”
Glenna bustled off to fix a tray while Vanessa climbed onto a stool right there at the center island. She could have gone off to the dining room to wait, but the room was so large and empty, whereas the kitchen felt homier and buzzed with energy. She could also do without bumping into Eleanor, which was more likely elsewhere in the house.
After taking her time with two slices of toast and a scrambled egg because Glenna insisted she could use the protein, Vanessa strolled back to the library. Marguerite was still there, and Danny was still playing and cooing, enjoying himself just as much as when she’d left.
She laughed herself, just looking at him. There were few things in the world as delightful as a baby’s heartfelt giggle, and she never grew tired of hearing her own child expressing his happiness over some silly thing like a shaken rattle or a game of peekaboo.
Joining them on the blanket, she spent the next twenty or thirty minutes entertaining Danny and chatting with Marguerite, who turned out to be a college student trying to earn extra money for tuition over her summer break. Vanessa could certainly relate, since that’s exactly what she’d been doing when she’d met Marc for the first time.
“Well, isn’t this a sweet little tableau.”
Eleanor’s crisp tone and deceptively reproving words cut Marguerite off midsentence and sent a flush of guilt toward the young maid’s hairline. She immediately jumped up, fidgeting nervously.
“You may go,” Eleanor told her without preamble.
Marguerite gave a quick nod, mumbled, “Yes, ma’am,” and hurried out of the room.
Vanessa was just as uncomfortable with her ex-mother-in-law’s sudden appearance, but refused to let it show. She certainly wasn’t going to rush to her feet like some loyal subject in front of her reigning queen.
Remaining where she was, she continued playing with Danny, fighting the morbid impulse to glance in the older woman’s direction.
“You didn’t have to scare her off, Eleanor,” she said flatly, finally looking up at her. “She’s a nice girl. We were having an interesting conversation.”
If possible, Eleanor’s features turned even more pinched and disapproving. “I’ve told you before that it’s unseemly to make friends with the help.”
Vanessa chuckled at that, a short burst of unexpected sound that caused the older woman’s brows to pucker. “I’m afraid I don’t adhere to your antiquated rules, especially since I used to be the help, remember?”
“Oh, I remember,” Eleanor replied coolly.
Of course, she did. Wasn’t that her number one complaint about Vanessa ending up married to her son? That a high and mighty Keller heir might stoop so low as to tie himself to a common, no-name waitress?
“Do you really think this is going to work out?” Eleanor continued snidely. “That you can hide my son’s child from him for nearly a year, then simply bat your eyes and waltz back into the lap of luxury, trapping Marcus all over again?”
Keeping one hand on Danny’s belly and rubbing him gently through the soft cotton of his teddy bear onesie tucked into a tiny pair of denim shorts, Vanessa finally turned her head to meet her ex-mother-in-law’s stern, steel-gray gaze. “Contrary to your single-minded beliefs, I don’t particularly consider Keller Manor the lap of luxury. You may have everything money can buy, but this house definitely isn’t a home. There’s no warmth here and very little love.”
She paused for a moment to lift Danny against her chest before climbing to her feet. Turning, she faced Eleanor head-on. “And I’m not trying to trap Marc. I never was. I just wanted to love him and be happy. But you couldn’t let that happen, could you?”
Shifting Danny higher on her hip, she hugged him close and continued with so much of what she’d been wanting to say for years. “God forbid Marc falls in love with a woman from the wrong side of the tracks, with red blood instead of blue running through her veins. God forbid he be happy and make his own decisions and get out from under your oppressive, all-powerful thumb.”
The words poured out of her like a rainstorm, but even though a sliver of fear remained at the very pit of her belly, she also felt relieved…and stronger than she would have expected.
Why hadn’t she found the courage to tell Eleanor off long before now? She might have saved her marriage. Saved herself countless tears. Saved them all months and months of misery.
Eleanor, of course, didn’t take Vanessa’s first act of independence at all well. Her cheeks turned an unseemly shade of pink while her eyes narrowed and her jaw locked like a piranha’s.
“How dare you?” she seethed, her face turning even more mottled.
But her anger didn’t faze Vanessa. Not anymore.
“I should have dared a long time ago. I should have stood up to you and refused to let you intimidate me just because you come from old money and are used to looking down your nose at people. And I should have told Marc how you were treating me from the very beginning instead of trying to keep the peace and avoid tarnishing his opinion of you.”
She shook her head, sad but determined. “I was young and stupid then, but I’ve grown up a lot in the past year. And I have a child of my own now…one I don’t intend to let you push around, or let witness you pushing me around. I’m sorry, Eleanor, but if you want to be in your grandson’s life, you’re going to have to start treating me with a little respect.”