Scotty shook his head. “He’s so unworthy of her,” he said.
“She’s unworthy of you,” Claire said.
“I only wish,” Scotty said. “So you’re all alone for the day.”
Claire nodded.
“So am I,” Scotty said. “Clark has a full schedule of appointments. He was out before I got up, and he won’t get back until dinnertime.”
“Does he know about us?” Claire asked.
“I wasn’t sure there was an us to know about,” Scotty replied.
“I’d like there to be,” Claire said. She reached across the table and took Scotty’s hand. “If you’re still interested.”
“I thought you weren’t that kind of girl,” Scotty said.
“Oh, no,” Claire said. “I am. Just not in cold deserted houses.”
Scotty grinned. “We have choices today,” he said. “Clark’s place is empty, except for the servants. And the last I heard, Evvie and Sam didn’t even have those.”
Claire thought about how lovely it would be to spend the afternoon at Clark’s making love with Scotty. The rich understated elegance of Clark’s home, the servants serving them meals in bed, the chintz, the flowers, the fire burning briskly in the bedroom fireplace. The horrified look on Clark’s face when he’d walk in on her and Scotty, naked and joyous.
“Evvie’s,” she said with a sigh. “After lunch.”
“We can skip dessert, can’t we?” Scotty asked, and he seemed so young in his eagerness that Claire laughed. It was either that or cry. People that young didn’t deserve to be used, but there was no choice. Someone had to save Sybil.
“I’ll be dessert,” Claire said.
The waitress came with with bowls of soup. “Dammit,” Scotty said after she left. “Soup first, and then our burgers. It’ll take forever before we’re through with lunch.”
“We have all afternoon,” Claire said. “Evvie won’t get back until after five.”
“And you’re sure Thea’s gone,” Scotty said. “I wouldn’t want her walking in on anything. It might hurt her too much.”
Claire took a spoonful of soup and looked at Scotty. He was using her, too, she decided. He had his own fantasies about what an afternoon of lovemaking might lead to. Only his didn’t have to do with money. They were more concerned with romance and revenge. Knowing that, in his own way, Scotty was as uncaring as she, made things more palatable to her. They’d both be too busy hurting for either of them to get hurt.
“She went to New York last night,” Claire said. “But knowing Thea, she could turn around today and come right back. We don’t have to go to Evvie’s if you’re really worried about it. We could go to the movies instead, or a museum. Boston has wonderful museums.”
“No,” Scotty said. “I’m sure she’ll stay in New York, tending after Kip. And if she doesn’t, well, it’s about time she realized she can’t keep stringing me along. If you don’t mind the risk, I sure don’t.”
“I like risk,” Claire said. She did, too. The thought of trying to pull off what she had in mind was exciting her. She wished the burgers would come, and she could get on with her plan.
“You’re amazing,” Scotty said, and this time he took Claire’s hand and squeezed it. “I’ve never known a girl like you, beautiful and smart and honest.”
“I’ve never known a man like you,” Claire said. “You know just what you want, and you go after it.” She gave him her second-best adoring look. She’d save best for later if she needed it.
“I know what I want now,” Scotty said. “The check.”
Claire laughed. “We might as well skip lunch,” she declared. “We’re going to be working up a giant appetite, anyway.”
So Scotty signaled for the waitress, but she was already bringing them their burgers. Claire and Scotty laughed, and ate them while they waited for the waitress to work up the check. Three bites, and they were out of there. They practically ran the two blocks to Evvie’s apartment. Claire struggled to unlock the door, and as she did, Scotty saw the hole in her glove. Claire pretended not to notice, but hurried to unlock the door, and then slipped her hand back into her pocket, and when she took it out again, the glove was off.
She unlocked Evvie’s apartment door, and was relieved to find the place as cold and empty as she had left it. “We’re alone,” she said to Scotty.
“Good,” he said. “I would have gone crazy otherwise.” He took Claire in his arms, and embraced her. Their lips met in a kiss that Claire, with her mind on a thousand other things, had to admit was pretty damn fine.
“Wait,” she said. “This’ll be easier with our coats off.” She broke away from Scotty, removed her coat, and flung it on the sofa. Scotty followed suit. Soon they were kissing while they walked toward Evvie’s bedroom.
“You have condoms?” she managed to ask.
“Yeah,” Scotty said.
“Good,” Claire said. “No accidents, Scotty. No regrets.”
“Call me Prescott,” Scotty murmured.
“Prescott,” Claire whispered. It was all too perfect.
The lovemaking was rather better than Claire had anticipated. Scotty wasn’t ready to write a manual, but he had a young healthy body and a great deal of enthusiasm. And he never once called her Thea.
“Is Evvie going to mind this?” he asked, as they cuddled together under the warm, down quilt. “Have we abused her hospitality?”
“I wasn’t planning to tell her,” Claire replied. She liked the way her head rested on his shoulder.
“She might tell Thea,” Scotty said.
“She might,” Claire said. “Or she might not. Evvie doesn’t always talk about things.”
Scotty kissed Claire. “How can anyone as young as you are be as wonderful as you are?” he asked. “It isn’t natural.”
“I’ve never been young,” she replied. “Thea’s younger than I am in a lot of ways.”
“You’re right, she is,” Scotty said. “With that schoolgirl crush on Kip. I bet you’ve never had a schoolgirl crush.”
“Only on you,” Claire said. “And it was never a crush.” She ran her fingers down Scotty’s chest. Not much body hair. She wondered how old he’d been when he started shaving.
“You’ve really always loved me?” Scotty asked.
“Since I first saw you,” Claire said. “You sound surprised.”
“No,” Scotty said. “Well, maybe a little.”
“Why?” Claire asked. “Because I didn’t show it? I didn’t dare.”
“Girls don’t usually fall in love with me,” Scotty said. “Not just Thea. Other girls. I’m good old Scotty, if you know what I mean. Scotty they can turn to. Even if they call me Prescott, I’m still good old Scotty.”
“You’re great old Scotty,” Claire said, and kissed him again to prove it. “Those girls don’t know what they’ve been missing.”
“Thea doesn’t care,” Scotty said. “As far as she’s concerned, she can go on missing it forever.”
Under ordinary circumstances, Claire would not have allowed anyone to go on so about Thea while in bed with her. But these weren’t ordinary circumstances. She needed Thea, and she knew it.
“Thea needs a shock,” Claire said, stroking Scotty with her hands. “Something to make her come to her senses.”
“Claire,” Scotty murmured. “Oh, Claire.”
“Prescott,” Claire said. “You’re so wonderful.” Thea would just have to wait a few more minutes.
But sure enough Scotty brought her up again. “What kind of shock?” he asked, after they had caught their breaths.
“Like having her walk in on us,” Claire said. “I wish she had, Prescott. For your sake.”
“You can call me Scotty now,” he said. “If she’s in New York, she isn’t likely to find us here.”
“Poor Scotty,” Claire said. She twirled a lock of his hair with her finger. “Feeling so unloved all these years.”
“It’s not Thea’s fault,” Scotty said. “Don’t get me
wrong.”
“I know that,” Claire said. “It starts with your parents. Sending you off to boarding school like that, when you were just a little boy.”
“They had to,” Scotty said. “So they could travel and not worry about us. They sent Schyler off at the same age, and …”
“And they loved him better than you?” Claire said. “That’s true, isn’t it?”
“There’s a closeness my mother feels for him,” Scotty said. “It’s unimportant.”
“It’s terribly important,” Claire said. “And it’s so unfair. You’re a hundred times better than Schyler is.”
Scotty laughed. “You’ve never even met him,” he said. “How can you know what he’s like?”
“I know he gets in trouble all the time,” Claire replied. “I’ve heard Evvie and Sam talk about him. Schyler’s always doing something bad, and your parents let him get away with it.”
“That’s not quite fair,” Scotty said, shoving the pillow behind him and sitting up. “My mother worries about him a lot. Dad does, too.”
“I bet they never worry about you,” Claire said. “You never give them cause.”
“That’s right,” Scotty said. “Good old reliable Scotty.”
“Prescott,” Claire said. “A man’s name, not a dog’s.”
“Prescott,” Scotty said. “I insisted on being called that when I started college. My family still calls me Scotty, though. Yours does, too. I don’t see that changing my name would help me with Thea. She’s in love with a guy named Kip.”
Claire was starting to feel irritated. She and Scotty had just made love twice, and he kept talking about Thea. She doubted Scotty would have cared for it if she’d gone on and on about some great love in her life.
“I’m a fool,” Scotty said. “Having you to love me, and still loving Thea.”
Claire agreed silently. But she needed a foolish Scotty. A smart one wouldn’t have done her any good.
“You need to show them,” she declared. “You need to let all of them know you’re not just good old Scotty, that they can’t assume you’ll be a nice little boy for the rest of their lives.”
“How?” Scotty asked. “I’m too old to run away and join the circus.”
Claire laughed. “There’s more than one place to run away to,” she said. “You could make your own circus.”
“You mean drop out of school and go to California?” Scotty asked. “No thanks. In the short run, I might enjoy it, but I know I’d regret it real fast. I’m not the beach-bum type.”
Claire shook her head. The next few moments were vitally important, but there was no point in being too subtle. This wasn’t an idea Scotty would come up with on his own. She couldn’t lead him there without his knowing it. The direct approach was what was called for. But she couldn’t scare him off, either.
“You need to do something to make them all take notice,” she said. “Your parents, and Thea, and even Clark. All those people who take you for granted. You need to show them there’s more to you than that, that you can make grand foolish mistakes, that they can lose you if they’re not careful.”
“A fake suicide attempt?” Scotty asked. “No thank you. That’s the kind of thing Jennifer would do.”
“I had something more romantic in mind,” Claire said. There was no money in suicide attempts. Not that Scotty’s goal was money. Actually, if she were Scotty, she’d think about it. Faking a suicide might be the way to get some attention. She could picture Thea rushing to Scotty’s bedside, all compassionate and remorseful. But this was hardly the time to tell Scotty that.
“You’ve got me,” Scotty said. “Something romantic and running away that’ll drive everybody else crazy. What is it?”
“How about if we got married?” Claire said.
Scotty laughed. “You’re crazy,” he said. “Or is this the price I pay for going to bed with you?”
“No, no,” Claire said. “I liked going to bed with you. I wanted to. There’s no price.”
“Just a wedding ring,” Scotty said.
“We don’t have to stay married,” Claire said. “We wouldn’t stay married. I’m only sixteen. I’m not about to stay married to anyone, not even you, Prescott. We’d elope, that’s all, and then we’d come back, and tell our parents. Yours would be hysterical. Can you imagine their reaction when you tell them? It’s just the kind of thing Schyler would do.”
“He thought about it once,” Scotty said. “A few years back. He was seeing a girl they didn’t approve of, but he never went through with it.”
“And Thea,” Claire said. “If we eloped, then she’d realize she could lose you. She’d think she had. She only keeps sticking to Kip because he turns her down all the time. If you eloped with me, then she’d go crazy. It’d be like her walking in on us, only a thousand times better.”
“I don’t want to hurt her,” Scotty said.
“Why not?” Claire asked. “She’s been hurting you for over two years now. And besides, it’s for her own good. She should be in love with you. Kip’s garbage. We all know it. Kip knows it. And you’re so wonderful.”
“If I’m so wonderful, how come you want Thea to fall in love with me?” Scotty asked.
“I love you enough to want you to be happy,” Claire said. “Besides, Thea’s been in this room the entire time we’ve shared it. Her soul, her ghost. I have my memories now. I know that loving you for the past two years hasn’t been a waste. I can give you up, if I know you’re going to be with the woman you truly love.”
“You really are amazing,” Scotty said. “Get married, huh? You think it would change Thea’s feelings?”
“And your parents’,” Claire said. “It’d be great for you. It would be like a terminal illness, only you don’t have to linger and die. They’d all realize how much they loved you, and they’d all worry just a little bit about you forever.”
“How does eloping work?” Scotty asked. “Not that I’m agreeing to anything.”
“It’s easy,” Claire said. “I looked it up in the World Almanac this morning. All we have to do is go to New York City, get a license, and then get married. No blood tests, no waiting period. We go to city hall and someone marries us, and then we come straight back here and tell your parents. They’ll be back by then, right?”
“They’re getting in tomorrow,” Scotty said. “It’s a hell of a way to greet them.”
“It’ll serve them right for deserting you on Christmas,” Claire said. “And all those other Christmases you spent away from them. They’ll get hysterical, call me all kinds of nasty names, and insist on an annulment.”
“You won’t fight them on that?” Scotty said. “This isn’t some kind of trick?”
“I’ll be thrilled to give you an annulment,” Claire said. “But of course that’ll bring my parents into it, and if they know, then Thea’ll be sure to find out, and she’ll call me nasty names, too, but she’ll end up in your arms. I’ll put it in writing if you want.”
Scotty rested on one elbow and looked Claire over. “What’s in it for you?” he asked. “Besides being called nasty names.”
Claire took a deep breath. This was the real risk, telling him the truth. But if there was one thing she’d learned from years of observing Nicky in action, it was that the truth on occasion could be as potent as a lie. “I need the money,” she said.
“What money?” Scotty asked, instantly protective of his inherited wealth.
“I need twenty-four thousand dollars,” Claire said.
“For what?” Scotty asked. “Gambling debts? Drugs?”
Claire shook her head. “For Sybil,” she replied. “She called yesterday. That’s what the rehab center would cost for six months of intensive therapy. But at the end of the six months, they said, she’d hardly even limp. No canes, no crutches. Scotty, I have to have that money. If we eloped, that would be the price I’d charge for the annulment.”
“I’m not sure I want you asking my parents for that kind of money,” Scotty
said.
“I’d ask your grandfather,” Claire said. “I wouldn’t want to involve your parents that way, either. But your grandfather can afford it, and you said he was cruel to you. This way, he could pay you back.”
“You’ve given this a lot of thought,” Scotty said. “You’re willing to go through a lot of pain for this money. It’s that important to you.”
“It’s for Sybil,” Claire said.
“I remember at the hospital while she was having her surgery,” Scotty said. “It was like there was a glass wall surrounding your parents and you and Thea and Evvie. Not even Sam could get in, let alone Clark or me. I envied you then, that intense sense of family. We’ve never been like that, not the Prescotts or the Hugheses. Clark’s the only one who’s ever really tried to be close to me, and he’s just a distant cousin.”
“I’d kill for Sybil,” Claire said. “I’d even get married for her.”
Scotty stared at Claire, and then he laughed. “What the hell,” he said. “It’s vacation. We can be annulled before next semester begins.”
“You’ll do it?” Claire asked.
“Sure,” Scotty said. “But we’ll have to buy you a new pair of gloves. Ones big enough to cover your wedding ring.”
Claire bent over and gave Scotty a kiss of gratitude. They’d definitely have a double-ring ceremony. One for her finger, and one through his nose.
CHAPTER EIGHT
“I’m back!” Evvie called as she unlocked the door. “And I come bearing gifts.”
“What kind?” Claire asked.
“Chinese takeout,” Evvie replied. “Help me with the bags, okay. I got eggplant in garlic sauce and chicken with cashews. It seemed to me those were your favorites.”
“Oh, Evvie,” Claire said. “They are. But I ordered us a pizza with mushrooms and onions. That’s your favorite, right?”
“It sure is,” Evvie said, and laughed. “Gift-of-the-Magi time I guess. I can smell the pizza. When did it come?”
“About thirty seconds ago,” Claire said. “It’s still hot.”