The Other Side - J. D. Robb [114]
When she turned away, some of the pain in her eyes had faded, to be replaced with a look of bright anticipation.
As quickly as she had appeared, she was gone in a shimmer of light.
“What’s wrong, Miss Christina?” The housekeeper paused in the doorway to see Christina standing at the window, staring into space while chewing on her lower lip.
“I’m having quite an argument with myself, Mrs. Mellon.”
“What about?”
Christina gave an embarrassed little laugh. “I was searching through a pile of file folders that I’d stashed in the corner, and it occurred to me that Dad’s office just isn’t adequate for all the work I’m trying to do here. But I’m reluctant to give up and go back to the city. It would mean leaving Tyler, and neither of us is ready for that.”
The housekeeper pointed to the doorway leading to a lovely sitting room beyond the office. “It was always your mother’s intention to convert that into her own office, to oversee all her charitable work while remaining close to your father. It seems to me it would be a simple matter for some workmen to remove that wall and double your office space so you could continue working right here instead of going into the city.”
Christina crossed her arms and began tapping a finger nervously, reminding Mrs. Mellon of the very thing Vanessa always did when she was thinking. “I’m not sure I’m ready to make any changes to Dad’s office.”
“It’s your office now, Miss Christina. And if you don’t mind my saying, not only would the remodeling project give you the space you need, but it would give you the chance to put your own personal style on this office as well.”
“I wouldn’t know who to call to start making such changes.”
Mrs. Mellon lifted a hand to her mouth as a thought came to her. “That reminds me of something. Susan, the Wallingfords’ housekeeper, mentioned an excellent carpenter and cabinetmaker they’d hired to do some custom work in their library. He’s a bit reclusive as I recall, but Mr. Wallingford couldn’t stop singing the man’s praises. If you’d like, I could call her and ask for his name, along with references.”
Christina nodded. “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to ask. If and when I decide to move ahead, at least I’ll have the name of someone highly recommended.”
The housekeeper turned away. “I’ll call her right now.”
When she was gone, Christina looked around the office. She loved this room, loved knowing her father had spent so much time here. Still, as she walked through the doorway from the office to her mother’s sitting room, she could see the possibilities. Combining the two rooms made perfect sense. She began mentally measuring the walls for more cabinets, tucking a larger desk by the big bay window, seeing in her mind’s eye a fire on the hearth when the cool winds blew in off the ocean, and imagining herself being able to sip tea and work late into the night after tucking Tyler in.
Her musings were interrupted by the ringing of the phone.
“Hello.” Her smile fled as she listened to Mark chiding her for forgetting their luncheon date. “Oh, Mark, I’m so sorry. Something . . . came up here, and I got sidetracked. Can we reschedule it for tomorrow?”
“Now I’ve become someone you have to pencil in on your calendar?”
She listened in silence, then soothed his ruffled feathers before replacing the receiver. Mark was angry, but then, Mark always seemed angry lately. And he was right when he accused her of neglecting him.
She really needed to begin moving forward, not only in their relationship but in her business life as well.
She came to a decision. She would begin the remodeling project as soon as possible. After all, if Brian Wallingford, one of the toughest board members of her father’s country club, was happy with the work done by this carpenter, what did she have to lose?
Feeling confident in her decision,