Free Legacies by Janet Dailey Page A

"Tall is certainly accurate."
    "Lovely is, too—although I suspect you are one swan who will always perceive herself as a homely duckling," Diane declared in amused reproval, then turned, instructing the butler, "Billings, take Miss Gordon's cape and bonnet, and ask Mrs. Kincannon to fix us some tea."
    "Would you like it served in your quarters—"
    "Heavens no." Diane laughed, and it was the same happy, melodic sound that Susannah remembered from her youth. "With all my trunks scattered about my sitting room, there is barely enough space to turn around. We'll have our tea in the parlor."
    "Very good, miss." He nodded and took Susannah's cape and bonnet from her, then withdrew.
    "The parlor's this way." Diane caught her hand and led her in its direction, just as she had done when they were girls.
    Curiosity got the best of Susannah before they reached the room. "What are your trunks doing out? Are you going somewhere?"
    "I leave for Boston tomorrow. Mother and Mr. Austin return from their honeymoon trip the end of this week, so I'm going back to make sure everything is in readiness for their arrival." She ushered Susannah into the parlor, a large room with towering walls and a mixture of furniture, high-backed chairs with deep seats and wide arms and squatty soft chairs of velvet with hassocks to match before them. Diane sat down in one of them and motioned Susannah to sit in its twin. "You don't know how glad I am that you came today. I was afraid we might miss each other. So tell me, how are your parents, your sister Temple, and The Blade? Their little girl Sorrel, does she still have that glorious red hair she had as a toddler?"
    They chatted for a time about family and mutual acquaintances, catching each other up on the latest news. Not once did Diane give any indication that she was suffering any of the pain Susannah had glimpsed in Lije. She laughed and gossiped with Susannah as if nothing had ever happened. Susannah was almost ready to believe that it might have been one-sided except for the way Diane avoided any reference to Lije.
    "So what are you going to do when you go back to Boston?" Susannah asked at last.
    "I don't have any real plans, but I imagine my mother will keep me busy while she looks for a suitable husband for me," Diane replied in her typically careless voice. "She thinks it's time I was married."
    Taking a chance, Susannah said, "Something tells me that Lije hopes she doesn't succeed."
    Diane's smile faded. "I wasn't aware Lije thought about me at all," she said, rising from her chair and crossing to the window.
    "He still cares about you, Diane."
    Tensing, she swung around, a flare of hope in her eyes. "Did he ask you to tell me that?"
    To Susannah's regret, she had to say, "No."
    "I should have guessed that." Diane turned away again, her shoulders slumping a little even as her chin came up.
    "What happened between you, Diane?"
    "I don't want to discuss it."
    "That's what Lije said when I asked him. Why? What did you two quarrel about?" "It doesn't matter."
    "It does to me," Susannah insisted. "I care about both of you. You sounded so happy in your letter. I'd like to help if I can. Did your mother come between you?"
    There was a long moment of silence before Diane finally replied, "Only indirectly. You see," she began with a rush, turning to argue her case to Susannah, "Senator Frederick had an opening in his Boston office. It was a tremendous opportunity for Lije. I was certain I could persuade Judge Wickham to recommend him. But Lije wouldn't even consider it."
    "You wanted Lije to live here in the East." Susannah wanted to make certain she understood Diane correctly.
    "Yes. After all, there are so many more opportunities for him here—especially if Judge Wickham chose to champion him. If Lije became a success, Mother couldn't possibly object to him. But Lije rejected the idea out of hand. He was going home, and that was that. He was unreasonable—absolutely and totally