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Trailing after Elizabeth, Caroline peered at the landscapes that lined the staircase wall. Not all of them matched the house in age.
“I think you’ll enjoy the room you’ll be staying in. Dane’s old room is the second largest bedroom in the house and I just recently recovered the chairs and had the painters in. I had the bathroom remodeled about eight months ago and if I do say so myself, it’s fabulous. Of course, Charles nearly had a coronary at the cost, but I simply couldn’t do the room with anything other than Italian marble.”
The room had been painted soft pistachio green, the color lifted from the watercolor landscapes scattered about the room. The curtains and bedspread were a soft cream, accented with the same green and a bit of pale blue-gray. The decor was gentle and welcoming, not a boy’s room, and Caroline wondered what it had looked like when grimy hands had coexisted with train sets and action figures.
The bathroom was decadent and luxurious, reminding Caroline of Simon’s master bathroom in the condo. Apparently blond hair, blue eyes, and charm weren’t the only things Simon had inherited from his mother. She’d passed along a hedonistic tendency as well.
“This is absolutely amazing,” Caroline murmured.
“I’m glad you approve,” Elizabeth said in a tone that said she’d expected nothing else. “I wonder where Simon is with your bags.”
“Why didn’t you put Dane in his old room?” Simon asked, arriving moments after his mother’s question.
“Because Dane isn’t staying for two weeks. You are. I thought you should have the bigger room.”
“Very well. I’m sure Caroline will be comfortable here. I’ll use my old room.”
“You can’t. I put Harold in there. Honestly, Simon what is going on with you?” She pinned her keen gaze on her son, but didn’t wait more than a blink for his answer. “Is there some reason you don’t want to share a room with the woman you’re going to marry? Am I missing something?”
They were sharing a room. Caroline’s pulse thrummed erratically.
A muscle worked in Simon’s jaw. “Of course not, but I told Caroline she could have her own room while we’re here.”
To Caroline’s ears, his explanation sounded lame. She pressed her lips together to contain her own protests and resisted the urge to look to Simon, putting all her concentration on keeping her expression relaxed and unconcerned.
Simon’s features took on the same grim set they had the night Francine had shown up. “Isn’t there another room you could put me in?”
“Every room is occupied.” His mother’s eyes narrowed.
If he balked any more about sharing a room, he’d give away their ploy. His mother already suspected their relationship wasn’t exactly as it appeared. Caroline stepped into Simon’s space, slid her palm against his to mesh their fingers, and curled her other hand around his biceps, effectively wrapping her body around his arm.
Gazing up at Simon’s tense expression, she phrased her words carefully. “Simon, if your mother is okay with us sleeping in the same room, I’m all right with it too.”
The way she’d pressed her breasts against the bunched muscles in his arm sent a frisson of heat racing from her core to her cheeks. She’d just agreed to share a bed with Simon for the next two weeks. Her pulse knocked hard against her throat as she considered what might happen in the enforced intimacy.
“Simon’s just being protective because I didn’t want to give you the wrong impression about me.”
The challenge melted out of Elizabeth. Caroline immediately felt ashamed of herself. She liked this woman and hated deceiving her.
“Of course I understand.” Elizabeth shot her son a speculative glance. “I can see she’s going to be a good influence on you.”
Beside her, Simon snorted. Caroline squeezed his hand and he squeezed back. For the time being, she pushed aside her worries about how she was going to get any sleep while being tormented by the temptation to snuggle against Simon and see if that hot look in his eyes meant what she thought it did. One hour at a time, she thought, or she’d go mad.
Elizabeth toyed with the diamond and sapphire bracelet on her right wrist and beamed at them. “Simon, why don’t you go catch up with your brother while I help Caroline unpack and settle in.”
Caroline sighed but kept her smile believable and bright. She’d had a lot of practice putting up a brave front. The skill now stood her in good stead.
Unpacking with Simon’s mother gave Caroline time to compose herself. Little by little the hot flush in her cheeks faded as she slipped hangers into blouses and lined drawers with the gorgeous lingerie she’d bought. While she worked, she studied Elizabeth and observed the tiredness around her eyes from her battle with cancer. Despite the fortitude Elizabeth displayed, Caroline recognized an underlying fragility she remembered her own mother having. Nor did the similarities end there. Caroline’s mother had been as determined to kick the cancer as Simon’s mother was. Only Caroline’s mother hadn’t used all the resources at her disposal to make that happen.
Elizabeth pulled out the gown Simon had bought Caroline to wear at the black-and-white charity fundraiser. “This is perfectly charming. You have some absolutely gorgeous things here.”
“Thank you.”
“Now tell me the truth. Simon bought all this for you to come here and meet us, didn’t he?” Did the woman miss anything?
“Your son loves his family very much and wanted to make certain that I fit in.” Caroline was glad she had her back to El
izabeth. She busied herself with putting things into empty dresser drawers, taking a second to compose her expression. Although she and Simon hadn’t discussed her background, Caroline decided that it would be impossible for her to pretend to be something she wasn’t. “All my money goes toward school. I can’t afford anything like these clothes.”
