WELL,” JOCELYN SAID as she cut Luke’s sandwich diagonally, the way he liked it. She’d pulled the last batch of lavender cookies out of the oven, it was one o’clock in the morning, and she was jittery with fatigue, but she couldn’t sit down. She knew without being told that Luke was hungry, so she made him a ham and cheese sandwich, put blue corn chips on the plate, and got him a beer.
He mumbled thanks as she put the plate in front of him. “So much for my grandfather being a monster. She was in love with David Clare.”
“She couldn’t stand him.”
“Yeah, right,” Luke said, his mouth full. “You make a mean sandwich, you know that?”
“At this time of the morning, anything I do is mean.”
“Right,” Luke said as he picked up the rest of his sandwich and his beer. “I better go. You need some sleep. Tomorrow’s the big day.”
When Jocelyn didn’t say anything, he looked at her. “Are you okay?”
“No. Not really. It’s all too much too fast.”
Luke put his food down, then put his hands on her shoulders and sat her in a chair. “So tell me what’s wrong.”
“I think people want me to be Miss Edi, to be the Grand Dame, the Lady of the Manor. I think they have a future made up for me and I don’t think I can live up to it.”
“You’re probably right.”
She glared at him. “Shouldn’t you be telling me that it’s all my imagination? That no one expects anything of me?”
“I’d rather tell you the truth. Tomorrow everyone in Edilean will be at Viv’s house, and they’ll be looking you over, and comparing you, and—”
“You’re making me feel worse.”
“Would it make you less nervous if I tell you you’re doing a great job?”
“How does anyone know that?”
“Do you know how scared this town was when they heard that Miss Edi had left Edilean Manor to a stranger? Left this big, old house to a single woman with no husband, no kids, just herself. We were afraid you’d show up…” He waved his hand.
“With tattoos and piercings?”
“Worse than that, with ideas for ‘improvements.’”
“Like chrome and glass fountains?”
“Yeah,” he said with a one-sided grin, “like chrome and glass fountains. Listen.” He took her hands in his. “You’ll do great. Wear one of your little Alice outfits with a headband and they’ll all think you’re wonderful.”
When Luke smiled at her that way, she could feel herself leaning toward him. She wished he’d take her in his arms, but when she moved toward him, he leaned back, away from her. Immediately, Jocelyn straightened.
“To bed!” he said. “Get some sleep so you’ll be fresh tomorrow.”
“Yeah, sure,” she said hesitantly. “I’ll have to ice the cookies, but that’s all.”
“I’m sure Dad will be here early to help with that.”
As she got up, she yawned. “You’ll be there, won’t you?”
“Are you kidding? I have to drive into Williamsburg, pick up my grandparents, and drive them to the party. They’re dying to meet you.”
“Why?”
“The woman who’s to fill Miss Edi’s shoes? Of course they’ll want to inspect you.”
Jocelyn groaned.
“You’ll do fine. Now go.”
“But I need to—” She looked around the kitchen.
“The kitchen is fine. I’ll close up the house. You just need to sleep.”
She didn’t realize how tired she was until she stepped onto the first stair step. When she got to the top, she smiled down at Luke, gave a little wave, then went into her bedroom.
Even as exhausted as she was, she took a shower, washed her hair, and put on a clean nightgown. As she climbed into bed, her mind seemed to be a kaleidoscope of thoughts and images. She could almost see Miss Edi as a beautiful young woman, pursued by an entire military force. But her icy exterior seemed to have been penetrated by only one man, a sergeant named David Clare. The David she’d come to love more than her own soul.
Jocelyn heard a noise downstairs and thought that Luke was still down there, locking doors, maybe still boxing cookies.
Two gorgeous men, she thought. There were two beautiful men in her life and neither of them had so much as tried to kiss her. She’d kissed Ramsey, but she had initiated it. There was certainly no banner stretched across a building declaring love for her.