Part 6
Mara kept looking at him, waiting for the rest of the answer. He came around the counter but stopped before he reached her.
“I should have told you.”
“You said you did office work.”
“I did. But that wasn’t the whole truth.”
“And the money you saved for this place?”
He looked toward the flowers on the counter, then made himself face her.
“I let you believe it was something it wasn’t.”
“You watched me worry about bus fare and bills.”
“I wasn’t pretending about you.”
Vanessa gave a small laugh.
“Really, Mara. Did you honestly look at him and think—”
“Stop.”
Mara’s voice was quiet enough that Vanessa had to close her mouth to hear her.
“You came here to embarrass me. You’ve had your turn. Leave my bakery.”
Vanessa looked at Julian, waiting for him to intervene. He stepped aside, clearing the path to the door.
Mara held it open herself.
Later, Julian sat in Lenora’s sitting room without touching the tea she’d brought him.
“Vanessa told her,” he said.
Lenora lowered herself into the opposite chair.
“How much?”
“Who I am. The money. Enough that she’s wondering whether anything I said was real.”
Lenora looked at his untouched cup.
“There’s a part of this you don’t know, either.”
He lifted his head.
“The woman outside the reception. The one you saw on the entrance monitor.”
“The woman Vanessa threw water on?”
“That was me.”
Julian stared at her, then leaned forward.
“You were standing out there dressed as someone who needed help?”
“I wanted to see what your guests did when they thought there was nothing to gain.”
“And Vanessa—”
“Yes. But Mara gave me her supper.”
He sat back slowly.
“You knew where she worked.”
“I heard Vanessa speaking to her. It wasn’t difficult to find out the rest.”
“The job.”
Lenora nodded.
“So you sent me there to meet her.”
“I sent you there to work beside her. What happened after that belongs to you.”
He stood, walked to the window, and rested a hand against the frame.
“You could have told me.”
“Yes,” she said. “I could have.”
He glanced back at her.
“You were so anxious to inherit responsibility,” she continued. “But when I spoke about the people whose lives depended on our decisions, you asked when we could get back to the business.”
He looked down.
“I remember.”
“I needed to know you could see them.”
“Mara didn’t get a choice in any of this.”
“No. Which is why I’d like to speak to her properly.”
He turned from the window.
“Don’t ask her to forgive me.”
“I won’t.”
“Please, Grandma.”
“She’ll make that decision herself.”
Mara was arranging fresh pastries when Lenora came into Maravelle. She offered the practiced greeting she’d been using all morning, then recognized her.
“The almond cake,” Mara said.
“A very good recommendation.”
“Would you like another?”
“Today I’d like a few minutes with you.”
They sat at the little table beside the window. Lenora introduced herself fully, then told Mara about the reception, the wet cardigan, and the sandwich she’d taken home rather than throw away.
Mara’s hands rested on the edge of the table.
“That was you.”
“Yes.”
“And you sent him to Velune.”
“Yes.”
Mara looked toward the kitchen, where two mixers stood ready beneath their clean covers.
“Does this family offer lessons in keeping secrets?”
Lenora accepted the rebuke with a small nod.
“Apparently we’ve had too much practice.”
Mara rubbed her forehead, then let her hand drop.
“I’m not upset because he has money. I already loved him back when I thought he was struggling to keep a bakery job.”
“I know.”
“He should have trusted me with the truth.”
“He should.” Lenora folded her hands in her lap. “I can only tell you that he loves you. What you do with that is yours.”
Mara looked at her for a long moment. Then the corner of her mouth lifted.
“He’s going to get a very thorough explanation of what I think.”
“Should I give him notice?”
“No. Let him wonder.”
Lenora laughed softly.
“You may be exactly what he needs.”
“He’ll manage. Apparently he has resources.”
That afternoon, Peter found Julian in his study.
“There’s a young woman here, sir. Mara.”
Julian got up so quickly his chair struck the rug behind him.
She was standing in the hall, looking around without trying to disguise her interest.
“Well,” she said. “Your office job was considerably better than mine.”
“Mara, I owe you—”
“Did the employee break room have a chandelier, too?”
He stopped.
She walked past him into the study and glanced at the broad desk.
“I’ve been trying to work out your savings plan. Was it mostly skipping lunch, or owning the building?”
A surprised laugh escaped him, then disappeared when she turned back.
“You could have told me.”
“I know. At first I was following Grandma’s rules. Then I was afraid you’d see everything differently.”
“So you let Vanessa tell me in front of customers.”
He nodded once.
“I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have had to question us because I was afraid.”
Mara touched the back of the chair he’d abandoned.
“I fell for the man who folded boxes with me after closing. I need to know he’s still here.”
“He is.”
“Then no more hidden lives.”
“No more.”
“If there’s a presidential portrait of you somewhere, now would be the time.”
He laughed, and this time she smiled with him.
“I have enough trouble with the work I’ve already got.”
She held out her hands. He crossed the room and took them, waiting until she stepped closer before putting his arms around her.
“Am I forgiven?” he asked against her hair.
“I haven’t finished assessing you.”
“That sounds worrying.”
“Your references are mixed. Terrible with coffee. Reasonable with pastry boxes.”
“Any vacancies?”
“One. You’ve already got it.”
He drew back enough to see her face.
She smoothed a crease from his sleeve.
“Promise me one more thing. Don’t start treating me differently because I know.”
“I won’t.” His hand closed over hers. “I had money before you. I wasn’t happy.”
“Then I suppose I’d better stay.”
“Please do.”
Lenora appeared in the doorway a few minutes later.
“There you are. I wondered where our guest had gone.”
Julian looked at her.
“You knew she was coming.”
“What a suspicious household.”
Mara laughed, still holding his hand.
“You’re welcome here whenever you wish,” Lenora told her. “I hope you know that.”
“Thank you. Though I’d appreciate advance notice if any more family fortunes are going to appear.”
“I’ll see what I can arrange.”
From somewhere down the hall came the smell of onions cooking in butter. Mara glanced toward it before she could help herself.
Lenora smiled. “Will you stay for dinner?”
“I was trying not to invite myself.”
Julian looked offended. “Was supper the real attraction?”
“I came for you,” Mara said, taking his arm. “I’m allowed to enjoy the side benefits.”
After dinner, while they were still talking in the sitting room, Lenora drew Peter aside.
“The reception recordings. Do we still have them?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“The entrance camera?”
“All of it.”
She glanced toward the room where Mara was laughing at something Julian had said.
“Release the footage of Vanessa and the woman at the door,” Lenora said. “Put it where people can see it…”
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