Twist of Fate Page 11

  Hannah pushed back the covers, reaching for the cane that Gideon had left next to her side of the bed. She stood leaning on the cane as she gazed out the window at a huge frangipani bush that appeared to be trying to climb into the room. Beyond it she could see the grove of palms that ringed the beach. No wonder her aunt had chosen to live out her retirement here. What more could a person ask of life than the blue-green sea, the pure, white sand and the swaying palms? A land of fantasy—brilliant, colorful fantasy.

  Last night, Hannah knew, she had stepped completely into that fantasy, allowing it to enclose her. The real world seemed very far away this morning.

  Neutral territory.

  Except that the way she was feeling this morning was hardly neutral.

  Hannah made her way to the shower. Gideon still hadn’t returned by the time she had dried herself and dressed in a pair of white linen trousers and a snappy white linen blouse that tied just above her navel. Both garments had been styled to look like sophisticated versions of a tropical naturalist’s outfit, complete with pockets on the legs of the trousers and the sleeves. The linen was wrinkled from having been folded into a flight bag but Hannah reminded herself that the catalog had assured her linen was supposed to look wrinkled. That was the way it proved to the world it wasn’t a synthetic. Hannah pinned her mass of curls back from her face with two tortoiseshell combs and decided she was ready for a major endeavor such as making coffee.

  Actually, she felt good, wonderfully good, if she discounted the occasional twinges in the muscles of her inner thighs. With every step she received a small reminder of the night’s activities, but she could live with that. Even her knee felt reasonably comfortable this morning. Hannah headed for the kitchen.

  She found a teakettle and filled it with water. After she’d set it on the stove Hannah wandered out into the sun-filled living room. The window in front of the teak desk gave the best view of the sea. Leaning forward, Hannah braced herself with both palms and narrowed her eyes against the brilliant morning light. No wonder painters had always liked islands. The light was incredible. As she watched the dazzle on the sea, she thought she saw Gideon’s dark head in the waves. He was stroking back toward shore.

  For a moment Hannah battled an odd uncertainty. She wanted to be cool and casual about the relationship that had flared to life last night. Gideon would be cool and casual about it, she was quite sure of that. A confidence in his own power as a man had always underlined his confidence in his power as an executive. Some of the faint wariness with which she had awakened that morning returned. People who wielded power as easily as Gideon did were dangerous. She would do well to remember that.

  But it was a little late to be issuing warnings to herself. Hannah sighed and absently began opening the desk drawers. She had come to Santa Inez to sort and pack her aunt’s library, not to have an affair with the man who had nearly ruined her brother.

  The center drawer of the desk was locked but Hannah found the key on the ring she had brought with her. When she used it on the tiny lock, the drawer opened to reveal the expected assortment of pens and pencils, paper clips, and rubber bands. It also revealed a small, exquisitely carved wooden box. Curiously Hannah lifted it out of the drawer and opened it.

  A pendant lay inside. It hung from a chain of heavy metal links. The stone in the simply worked setting was not particularly breathtaking or interesting. It was a dull greenish gray, opaque instead of clear, and it was unfaceted. The rounded surface had been cut, however. There was a design on it that was difficult to make out. Hannah turned her back to the window so that the morning sun fell full on the stone. The engraving was a series of graceful curves that flowed into the shape of a nude woman. The figure was holding something in one hand, perhaps a sword.

  Glancing down at the box, Hannah saw a slip of white paper that had been lying under the stone. She unfolded it and found a handwritten note signed by Elizabeth Nord. It was dated shortly before her death.

  For you, Hannah. The future is yours and yours alone.

  Do not be afraid of it.

  The stone seemed to grow warm in Hannah’s hand. She blinked back a trace of dampness as she fastened the pendant around her neck. It wasn’t as if she and her aunt had ever been close. But she had always felt a distant kind of link with Elizabeth Nord. Perhaps that was why she had come to love islands and why she had once almost made a career out of anthropology. The gift was unexpected and it touched her.

  Gideon came through the double doors just as she finished locking the pendant in place. Hannah glanced up and then blinked as she realized that he was standing in front of her, unabashedly naked, his towel slung over his shoulder. His mouth curved with private male humor as he watched her efforts to keep her eyes firmly fixed on his face. Idly Gideon touched the stone in the pendant.

  “Where did you get that?”

  “I just found it in my aunt’s desk. There was a note. She said it was meant for me. Like it?”

  Gideon considered the object. “Not especially. Is it supposed to be valuable?”

  “I have no idea. Probably not. I don’t think Aunt Elizabeth was into jewelry. There’s an interesting figure cut on the surface, though. She probably picked it up somewhere during one of her research trips.”

  “I can think of more interesting souvenirs.” Gideon’s faint amusement turned into a decidedly wicked grin as he leaned down to kiss Hannah.

  Hannah tasted the salt on his mouth. The hard contours of his body pushed against her softness with the kind of aggressive confidence that came to a man who has assured himself he can satisfy a woman. Firmly Hannah told herself that such things worked both ways. She had satisfied Gideon, too. She put her arms around his neck and returned the kiss.

  “Umm,” Gideon muttered against her lips. “I was thinking of taking a shower and getting dressed for the day, but maybe I’ll reprioritize things.”

  The whistle of the teakettle broke into his discussion of the change of plans.

  “The hot water.” Hannah stepped out of his arms. “Go back to plan A. I’ll pour you a cup of coffee while you shower.”

  “Let’s not do anything hasty here.”

  Hannah smiled. “I hate to mention little details, but I did come down here to work.”

  “You also came down here to take long walks on the beach,” he reminded her.

  “And so far I’ve done neither.”

  “Any complaints?” There was a hint of an edge to the words.

  It occurred to Hannah that Gideon would want to establish and set the pace of the relationship. He considered it established after last night. Now he would control the pace. She must not forget that she was dealing with a man who was accustomed to manipulating everything to his own ends.

  “No complaints,” she said softly. “But I could use a little help packing books.”

  He relaxed, chuckling. “Don’t worry. I’ll earn my keep. See you in a few minutes.”

  She watched him stride down the hall to the bathroom, marveling at the easy strength with which he moved. He was whistling a nameless tune. A part of her was tempted to follow him right into the shower. She resisted and headed for the kitchen, instead. The battery that ran Gideon’s ego didn’t need any extra charging this morning.

  She had cereal and toast and coffee ready when he emerged fifteen minutes later wearing casual cotton pants and a fresh cotton shirt.

  “Just think,” he said, swinging a chair around to face the kitchen table, “we’ve got a whole week of this in front of us.”

  “And then what?” Hannah regretted the words the moment they were spoken. You weren’t supposed to discuss the long-term plans for a short-term affair. She was certain that somewhere there was an unwritten law about it. But it was too late to recall the question. Gideon looked at her as his white teeth closed around a huge chunk of toast.

  “Then we take it from there.”

  “Sorry I asked.” Talk about a nonanswer. Hannah bit into her own toast with a certain savagery.
Then she summoned a smile. “No more dumb questions. I promise.”

  “It’s not a dumb question,” he said. “It’s just that there aren’t any answers yet.”

  “I know. I told you, it won’t happen again.”

  “Hannah.” He broke off, frowning as he tried to find the words he wanted. Then he gave up the task and switched topics. “What are you going to use to pack the books?”

  “I don’t know. I’ll have to dig up some cartons. It’ll cost a fortune to airfreight them back to Seattle, but I think that’s what I’ll do.”

  “You’ll need packing boxes. We might be able to buy them from the airline or a freight handler here on Santa Inez. We’ll drive into town later today and see what we can find.”

  Hannah grimaced. “I didn’t exactly come prepared, did I?”

  He shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. I’m good at this sort of thing.”

  “Finding packing boxes?”

  He grinned. “Organizing.”

  “Oh. Want to help me sort books after breakfast?”

  “Should be interesting.”

  And thus, Hannah told herself bracingly, we neatly pass over my little embarrassing faux pas. She vowed not to make a fool of herself again. She was a big girl now. Big girls handled affairs with aplomb.

  An hour later Hannah acknowledged aloud that the task of sorting through Elizabeth Nord’s library was going to be far more involved than she had initially thought. One of the major problems was getting sidetracked by an interesting monograph or a fascinating bit of lore. Gideon wasn’t immune, either. When Hannah glanced up from the folder of notes her aunt had made for a book, she found Gideon sitting crosslegged on the floor, an old, yellowed map spread out in front of him.

  “What have you got there?” she asked.

  He didn’t look up. “A military intelligence map.”

  “Really? Of what?”

  “Revelation Island. It was done in nineteen forty-two. Shows a landing strip that was the main objective of the Marines who were assigned to take the island. This would have been top secret at the time. I wonder how your aunt came by a map like this.”

  “She was doing her field work there in the early forties when the war broke out. I’m not quite sure when she left to return to the States.”

  “Maybe she helped do the military map. After all, she must have had a thorough knowledge of the island.” Gideon bent over the faded, creased sheet of paper. “Military intelligence might have tapped her brain.”

  Hannah watched him for a moment and then smiled. “How long have you been into maps, Gideon?”

  “For as long as I can remember. I used to do these incredibly elaborate maps of my neighborhood when I was a kid.”

  “Showing where all the cars with the best hubcaps were parked?”

  “Cars with expensive hubcaps didn’t park in my neighborhood.” He continued to study the reconnaissance map. “I thought about becoming a cartographer for a while but Cyrus Ballantine’s way of life was too tempting. So maps became a hobby. I had an idea I’d collect them seriously one day. Maybe build a really good collection around a couple of themes. You know, military maps or nineteenth-century maps of the States. Maybe maps of the world done before a particular date. Then, after a while, maps became just something interesting to hang on the walls.” He was treating the map in his hand as carefully as if he were an antiquarian handling a rare book. Then he became lost in his study of the island outlined on the yellowed sheet.

  Hannah was aware of a familiar sense of empathy and compassion. She knew without any doubt that Gideon should have nurtured his love of maps. He shouldn’t have allowed it to disintegrate. It was the guidance counselor in her, she told herself. Too much pop psychology. She ought to keep her mouth shut. Gideon didn’t welcome advice.

  “Do you think you’ll ever get back into your old hobby?”

  “Who knows? There’s not much time for it these days.”

  “Because you’re too busy taking over other people’s companies?”

  He glanced up at that, eyes hardening faintly. “Or threatening to take them over.” He spoke much too politely.

  Hannah knew she had stepped over an invisible line but she couldn’t stop herself from finishing. “You should, you know.”

  “Should what? Take over companies?”

  She shook her head. “No. Get back into maps.”

  He tapped the edge of the sheet spread out on the floor in front of him. “I already have another hobby, remember?”

  “Gambling? That isn’t what you need. It doesn’t provide the right kind of balance in your life. The maps might.”

  “I thought you weren’t handing out free advice on this trip.”

  “I can’t seem to help myself. Keep that map, Gideon. I have no use for it and you deserve something for helping me pack all these books.”

  “It belongs with your aunt’s collection.”

  “I’m the one who decides what belongs and what doesn’t.” She waved a hand cheerfully to indicate the piles of documents surrounding them. “I won’t miss one little map.”

  “You’re sure?”

  “I’m sure. Hang it on a wall in your home. When you look at it think about adding balance to your life.”

  He considered her words, challenge etching his expression. Hannah didn’t like the look he was giving her. It made her uneasy, warned her she might have bitten off more than she could chew.

  “Maybe,” Gideon drawled, “I can use a woman to put a little balance into my life.”

  “You might use a woman for a lot of things, but I doubt you’d use her to keep your life on an even keel.”

  “Because I’m not bright enough to figure out how to do that?”

  “No, because to do that you’d have to be willing to give up something of yourself. You’d have to surrender some of your sense of control. You’re used to being the one in charge at all times. It would be hard for you to relax and let another human being have some room in your life. But the maps wouldn’t present that kind of risk or threat. The trick with them would be to teach yourself to turn your back for a while on the fake rush you get from pulling off your business coups. It would be good for you, though.”

  “You think you know me so well.”

  “I’ve already proven I can make large mistakes trying to analyze you,” she reminded him.

  He got to his feet in a lithe movement, advancing across the room to confront her as she sat at the desk. There was a restless gleam in his eyes and a touch of grimness around his mouth as he leaned forward and planted his hands on the teak surface. “Do you think last night was a mistake, Hannah? Worrying you made a serious error in judgment by allowing me to get into your bed?”

  “No,” Hannah said with complete honesty. “I don’t think last night was a mistake. My life has lacked something, too.”

  “A man?”

  She smiled at the arrogant satisfaction in him. “No. Risks. You’re used to taking them and you’re used to winning. I hadn’t done much of either until I met you.”

  “Getting the hang of it?”

  “I’m getting the hang of taking the risks, all right. Got off to a great start trying to cheat you at cards. But I haven’t had too much experience at winning yet. On the other hand,” she said evenly, “I’m a good student.”

  “I can testify to that.” He hauled her lightly up into his arms. “I enjoyed watching you learn a few things last night. But now you’re going to have to devote yourself to practicing what you’ve learned.” Some of the sensual amusement faded as he studied her face. “Hannah, whatever happens, don’t ever doubt this is a two-way street. I needed this trip and I needed you. I’ve never needed anything so much in my life.”

  Hannah smiled tremulously. The pendant seemed suddenly very warm as it lay between her breasts. She ignored the sensation and gave herself up to the more inviting heat of Gideon’s kiss.

  CHAPTER SIX

  HANNAH FOUND the colorful little map of Santa Inez Island a
nd the sea around it on the third afternoon of her vacation. She knew it was the perfect gift the moment she saw it. Clutching her prize carefully so as not to crease its heavy paper she made her way through the crowded gift shop to the sales counter. A glance through the open door showed that Gideon was still occupied in the bookstore on the other side of the cobbled courtyard.

  It was Gideon who had insisted that they take a break from the task of sorting and packing Nord’s library. After lunch he had firmly bundled Hannah into the pink-fringed jeep and driven her into town. She was careful not to look down as they drove along the cliff road, and that precaution, together with her trust in Gideon’s expert driving, made the trip almost enjoyable.

  Hannah had been grateful for the forced break. Elizabeth Nord’s papers and books were beginning to ignite a kind of obsessive interest. The packing had become slower and slower as each new item caught Hannah’s attention. Her fantasy of writing the book that would infuriate Victoria Armitage was metamorphosing into more than a playful daydream. Hannah was starting to think quite seriously about the project. The realization was intimidating. She had enough of an academic background to know that Vicky was right. Elizabeth Nord’s library should be turned over to the experts. Hannah had no business trying to scoop the academic world. But she could no longer shake off the desire to do so.

  Hannah and Gideon had found the cluster of tiny shops when they had explored a narrow alley that led off Santa Inez’s main street. It was a picturesque collection of boutiques in an old courtyard shaded by heavy palms. Several other tourists and a couple of watercolor artists had already discovered the inviting scene. It had been a delight for Hannah and now she had found the map. She waited impatiently while the clerk carefully rolled it and wrapped it.

  As she left the shop with her purchase tucked into a shopping bag, Hannah wondered if Gideon would bother to hang her gift on his wall alongside the huge, expensive maps he already had framed. It struck her then that she might never know what he chose to do with the chart. Hannah paused in the dappled sunlight under a palm tree and forced herself to deal with that fact.