The Christie Caper - Carolyn Hart [80]
It worsened as time passed and Jaime grew, always grew. She was not only big, she was clumsy, not good at sports.
“Her father and I were divorced.” The tone was cool, but her eyes were not. “He’d been good at sports. That’s all he ever cared about. Remembering how wonderful he’d been. He had no interest in Jaime. Just a girl. Just a big, awkward girl.”
Fleur’s fingers pulled at the neck of her sweater, as if it choked her. “But Jaime was a wonderful musician. I was so proud of her. I thought perhaps music could make the difference in her life.”
A pianist. Some thought a pianist with a brilliant future.
“She was so happy at the piano.”
But not away from it. And always and ever, the comparisons by the thoughtless, apparent even when unspoken, to her lithe and lovely mother.
“It ate away her confidence.” Tears filled emerald-green eyes. “I kept telling Jaime that when she was all grown, that she would be lovely in her own way. That she should walk tall and be proud. And she should have been proud because she was a glorious, wonderful, grand person,” her mother said fiercely. “She could always see the funny side to everything—except her size.”
The author lifted a hand, wiped away tears, and shook her head. “We had so much fun together. And that last trip, I talked her into it She had intended to go to summer school, but I persuaded her to come with me. I thought it would be a glorious experience, a three-week mystery tour of England. I was invited to be the celebrity author.” Her cheekbones sharpened, her lips thinned. “A tour planned and directed by Neil.” Her voice was steely. “I didn’t know anything about him. But he was the same then as now. He despises the kind of books I—” a pause “—I used to write. Thinks they’re stupid and feminine and silly. Not serious. Not real. But he still went after me to be the traveling author because I was a better draw than a hard-boiled author.” Her mouth twisted. “I didn’t know that when I accepted, of course. But it didn’t take long for me to figure out what an unattractive man he was.”
It started out as only an annoyance, one that she had perhaps often faced, unwanted, persistent attention from a man. “Oh, I could see his appeal. But I wasn’t interested. I’d been married once to such a man. Once was enough.”
Neil Bledsoe wasn’t accustomed to rejection.
Wouldn’t accept it.
Didn’t accept it.
“I tried to handle it lightly, but, finally, I had enough. I told him he was about as appealing as one of those stupid and childish private-detective heroes. That no woman in her right mind would have anything to do with him.”
There were two weeks of the tour left.
“So he left me alone. I felt so relieved. I concentrated on the seminars, on the fans. Behind my back, he was focusing all his attention on Jaime. By the time I knew what was going on, it was too late. Jaime was crazy about him. He was the first man who’d ever noticed her, except as an object of ridicule. And here was a man, not a boy, telling her she was desirable … and making love to her.”
Annie looked away. She couldn’t bear to see Fleur’s face.
“So …”
A long and dreadful pause.
“I tried to tell her.” The tears fell unchecked now. “My baby. I tried to tell her. She was so angry, so hurt, she thought I was jealous. That’s what he told her.”
This was a girl with no experience, caught up in the first passionate relationship in a male-starved life.
“She flew home with him. Nineteen years old. I never saw her again … alive.”
“Harvey, I certainly appreciate your taking time to talk to me. But we don’t want to focus on anything in Nathan Hillman’s life that would cause him pain. That’s why I want to check with someone who has known him well and for a long time. You know how these charity dos are, well-intentioned but sometimes not well thought out.” Henny sounded like a lifelong member of the Junior League. “Once I was involved in a This Is Your Life program and no one had told