Aware that Elvi was moving toward the door to leave her alone, Sherry quickly asked, "So what's Basileios really like?"
Glancing over her shoulder, she saw that Elvi had stopped by the door and turned back with surprise on her face.
"I only met him yesterday," Sherry pointed out quietly. "Yet apparently I might be his life mate, but, really, I don't know him from Adam. I'd appreciate anything you can tell me."
Elvi hesitated, but then nodded with understanding and moved back, settling on the bed beside her suitcase before admitting, "This is the first time I've met him." Before Sherry could comment, she rushed on, "But Victor says he's a lot like Lucian, which is why the two constantly butt heads."
"They butt heads?" Sherry asked with interest, forgetting all about unpacking.
"Apparently," Elvi said with a shrug. "Victor said the two were always at loggerheads when they were younger. Until Basileios moved away. Victor said it was to get away from Lucian, who likes to boss people around."
Sherry frowned. "Does that mean Basileios likes to boss people around?"
"That's what I asked," Elvi admitted on a laugh, and then said wryly, "I mean, Lucian is great, but I don't think the world is ready for two tyrants like him. But Victor said no, Basileios has more of a live-and-let-live kind of personality. But that he's got a strong character like Lucian and an even stronger sense of right and wrong. The problem was that while Basil doesn't try to boss others around, he also doesn't like to be bossed around . . . and that was an issue with Lucian as a big brother."
Sherry nodded, not surprised to hear this. She didn't know Lucian any better than she did Basileios, but it didn't take long to come to the conclusion that the guy thought he was a feudal lord and the entire population of the world were his subjects.
"He's not quite that bad," Elvi said solemnly, proving that she too could read her.
"I thought I was supposed to be hard to read, and probably impossible to read for new turns," she said with a frown. "Are you an old turn? I got the feeling you were newer."
"Really?" Elvi asked with interest. "Why is that?"
"I don't know," Sherry murmured, and then after a moment to consider it, said, "I think because you don't speak as stiffly as the older ones. You use short forms like don't and aren't, while they tend not to shorten their words as often. You sound more today compared to Basileios, Katricia, and Drina."
"Yes, they speak more formally. Though Stephanie is trying to change that," Elvi said with a faint smile, and then admitted, "And you may have been harder to read at first, but once you were put together with Basileios . . ." She shrugged. "I'm afraid you will become easier and easier to read for a while."
"Why?" Sherry asked curiously.
"I think it's the sex, or maybe the sex hormones," Elvi said, and then added dryly, "They certainly seem to scramble the brain for the first little while." She shrugged. "I think they lower your ability to guard your thoughts."
"Hmm," Sherry muttered, and lifted a sheer black top out of the suitcase to hang up in the closet. It was a dressy top and she supposed it would come in handy if they went out to dinner or something. But only if Justin had packed the black camisole she liked to wear with it. The thought of his pawing through her lingerie drawer, though, was kind of embarrassing. To get her mind off of it, she asked, "So, as far as you know, Basileios is an okay guy?"
"According to Victor, Basileios is a good man. In fact, he's Victor's favorite brother, so I've been looking forward to meeting him."
"Oh." Sherry turned back from hanging up the top. As she crossed to the suitcase, she said, "I'm sorry. Go on down and get to know him, then. I didn't mean to keep you from--"
"It'll wait," Elvi said on a laugh, and then standing up, offered, "But why don't I help you hang up your clothes. It will speed things along so we can go downstairs and make tea or something. Victor should be back by now with goodies to have with tea."
"Thank you," Sherry murmured, and picked up another shirt, frowning as she noted it was her sheer white blouse, similar to her black one but a different cut. Still, it too needed a camisole. Holding it in one hand, she began to dig through the clothes with her other and released a mutter of dismay.
"What's wrong?" Elvi asked.
"Other than two see-through tops, everything in here is negligees. There are no socks, no slacks, not even any panties and--Oh wait, he packed my black lace bustier and the matching thong," she said with disgust.
"I gather you didn't pack the bag?" Elvi asked carefully, obviously trying not to laugh at her predicament, which Sherry supposed would be funny to others, but wasn't to her. She couldn't walk around in peignoirs all the time. In fact, she couldn't walk around in them at all except in her room. What the devil was she supposed to wear?
"No," she said, tossing the silky dressing gowns back in her bag with irritation. "Lucian sent Justin to do it."
"Ah, it was probably his idea of a joke, then," Elvi said soothingly. "Don't worry, we can nip down to Walmart and buy you anything you need. Or we can even go into London and hit the nicer shops." She patted Sherry's shoulder and then grinned. "And, since Justin messed up, we can just charge it to the room and let the council pay for it. Their mistake, they foot the bill."
Sherry smiled slowly at the suggestion, then closed the suitcase and nodded. "Sounds like fun."
"Good. Let's go down and make some tea, then, I'm parched," Elvi said, heading for the door. Halfway there, though, she mused, "Or maybe a glass of wine would be nice."
"It isn't even noon yet," Sherry pointed out with amusement.
"Yes, but alcohol doesn't affect me anymore anyway," Elvi assured her. "The nanos clear it away too quickly. I just like the taste . . . and it might help you relax. You're practically vibrating with tension."
Sherry stopped walking and peered at her wide-eyed. "Am I?"
Elvi nodded, a sympathetic smile on her face. "Your mind is just racing. Am I a life mate? What does that mean? Would this Leo person really come after me? Will my life ever return to normal? Was it shared pleasure or just lust?"
Sherry was pretty sure she was blushing brightly by the time Elvi finished listing the thoughts she was reading from her. And those were the worries running around inside her head. It was terribly disconcerting, though, to think everyone was hearing these worries . . . especially the one about shared pleasure and lust.
"I know," Elvi said on a little sigh. "It's terribly embarrassing and distressing to know that every single person in this house will know exactly what you're thinking for the next while. Unfortunately, there isn't a thing you or I or anyone else can do about it. We aren't listening in so much, as you're shouting your thoughts at us. It's another sign of life mates," she explained.
"Oh dear," Sherry breathed, horrified at the thought that her mind was shouting out things like "Was it shared pleasure or lust?" to everyone.
Elvi nodded. "That's why I thought wine might be nice. Hopefully, it will help you relax and worry a little less."
"Yes, then wine sounds good," Sherry decided firmly.
"Come along, then, we'll go see if we have some," Elvi said, turning back to open the door. "If not, we'll make the boys take us shopping and then out to lunch. You can't worry about all these things while debating between which blouse to buy."
Smiling faintly, Sherry followed her out of the room. She suspected she and Elvi would be good friends. Certainly, she already liked the other woman.
Six
"Do you have to go into the restaurant today, my love?" Victor asked.
Sherry glanced to Elvi in surprise. They were seated at the dining room table enjoying coffee. Sherry had passed on the wine in the end, feeling awkward about drinking it so early. She, Basil, Elvi, Victor, and Katricia were there. Drina and Harper still hadn't come downstairs, and Stephanie slipped away to her own room shortly after Sherry and Elvi had come below.
"You work in a restaurant?" Sherry asked curiously. For some reason she'd just assumed Elvi had her han
ds full with running Casey Cottage.
"My friend Hazel and I own a Mexican restaurant in town. It's called Bella Black's," Elvi explained. She then glanced to her husband and said, "I might go in later, but after Lucian called last night, I asked Pedro and Rosita to open today, and to call in one of the girls for an extra shift." She smiled wryly and shrugged. "I thought I should stay here to greet Basil and Sherry."
"Ah." Victor nodded.
"I'm glad I did too, since Bricker didn't pack anything but lingerie for Sherry and we need to take her shopping," Elvi added dryly.
"I'd rather you wait a day for that shopping trip."
Sherry glanced around with surprise at that comment and stared at the man who stood in the open kitchen door. Tall, dark-haired, and really rather gorgeous, the man wore a police uniform and carried two duffel bags that he now set on the floor. It could only be Katricia's Teddy, she decided when Basil's daughter stood and moved around the counter to greet him with a kiss that made her eyebrows rise. It looked like it started out and was meant to be a gentle kiss of greeting and nothing more, but best intentions and all that, it quickly caught flame and turned into much more. Sherry was about to turn away when Teddy suddenly broke the kiss and tucked Katricia's head against his chest to avoid temptation.
"God, woman, I hope you found a dress because I surely missed you and don't want you to have to leave again," he growled, holding her close.
"I did," she assured him, and then raised her head to add, "I didn't get the chance to buy it, but I can call in the order and have it delivered."
"Good," he said, and kissed her forehead, then released her to remove his shoes.
"So, why do you want Sherry and I to wait a day to go shopping?" Elvi asked now. "Is there trouble?"
"No," Teddy answered, finishing with his shoes. Straightening, he added, "I'd just rather Sherry and Stephanie stay close to the house for a day, to make sure they weren't followed from Toronto." Slipping his arm around Katricia, he then urged her around the counter to join them in the dining room, saying, "Once we're sure there isn't going to be trouble you can take her shopping."
"Drina and I kept an eye out, I am pretty sure we were not followed," Katricia said, and then added, "But it is better to be safe than sorry."
When Victor and Basil both nodded in agreement, Elvi sighed and cast Sherry an apologetic look. "Tomorrow, then. But I'll loan you clothes until we can go shopping."
Sherry seriously doubted she'd fit in Elvi's clothes. The woman was a little shorter than her, and definitely thinner. Sherry had more of a Marilyn Monroe type figure than she liked.
"Sherry, this is Teddy Brunswick, Chief of Police in Port Henry and a very old and dear friend," Elvi said, making the introductions.
"Hello," Sherry murmured, smiling at the man, and then taking his hand when he held it out.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Carne," Teddy said politely as he shook her hand. "Welcome to Port Henry. I'm sorry your visit couldn't be under better circumstances."
"Thank you," Sherry murmured as he released her hand.
Nodding, Teddy turned to Elvi then. "If you'll tell me which room we're in, I'll take the bags up and get them out of the way."
"Top floor next to Harper's room," Elvi announced, standing up and gathering empty coffee cups. As Teddy turned to head back to the bags by the door, she asked, "Do you want a coffee, Teddy? There's still some in the pot."
"Maybe later, thanks," he said as he bent to gather the bags.
"I'll help you take them up," Katricia said with a grin as she quickly scooped one up herself. She then caught Teddy's free hand to lead him to the stairs.
"That's the last we'll see of those two for a while," Victor said with amusement as he watched the pair hurry upstairs.
Elvi grinned and then glanced to Basil and Sherry before saying, "Well, I may as well head in to the restaurant after all. Then I can take tomorrow off instead for our shopping trip."
Sherry smiled at the suggestion and then shifted her gaze to Victor when he stood as well.
"I'll take you to the restaurant, love," Victor announced, and then glanced to Basil. "There's a sunroom off our bedroom with a television and whatnot. You two can go there and talk in private if you like. I am sure you have a lot to discuss."
Basil nodded. "Thank you."
"I had a security system put in when they renovated after the fire," Victor added. "We'll lock up and turn it on, on our way out. I'll show you how to work it when I get back, but in the meantime, the others know what to do if it goes off."
"Okay," Basil murmured.
Nodding, Victor turned to Elvi. "Shall we?"
Smiling, she took the hand he held out and headed for the door.
"Well," Basil said once the door closed behind the other couple. "Would you like to go see the sunroom?"
Sherry nodded and stood up. There didn't appear to be much else for them to do at the moment. Besides, she had a lot of questions she'd like answered. She lined them up in her head as they walked upstairs.
Elvi and Victor's room was at the opposite end of the house from hers. It was a large, beautiful room done in shades of cool blue, she saw as they walked through the short hallway next to it, leading to the sunroom.
"Wow," she said as they stepped out into the sunroom itself. It was lovely, furnished with a large comfortable couch and a chair along the outer walls, and a large television, PlayStation, and music system on a shelving unit against the wall backing onto the house. That wall and the bottom halves of the outer walls were all painted a pale yellow, while large glass windows made up the upper halves of the outer walls, leaving a three-sided view. Sheer blinds covered the windows, allowing sunlight in, but she guessed not allowing anyone to actually see in. She smiled as she peered out at the pretty tree-lined street and the big backyard with its garden and old trees.
"Very nice," Basil agreed, taking it all in with a smile. "It makes me envy my brother his home."
"Tell me about it," Sherry said on a laugh as she moved closer to the back window to look down on the deck in the backyard. She had an apartment in Toronto. It was owned, not rented, and a nice size, but there weren't a lot of trees anywhere near it or near her store. She didn't see this kind of greenery often and hadn't realized how much she missed it until just this moment. Glancing to Basil, she asked suddenly, "So why is this your first trip down here?"
Basil turned to arch an eyebrow. "Who says it is?"
"Elvi said she hadn't met you before," Sherry explained, turning her gaze back to the window. "So either you only came when she wasn't here, or . . ." She shrugged, leaving the rest unsaid.
"Very good deductive reasoning, Dr. Watson," Basil teased lightly, and then admitted, "I have been meaning to fly up to meet Victor's new life mate, but business or family always intervened."
"Fly up?" Sherry asked.
"I live and work in New York."
"Oh." That surprised her. She'd just assumed he was from Toronto like her.
"Anyway, I should have met Elvi at the wedding, but I got detained in Europe," he said wryly.
"Detained?" Sherry asked. "Like pulled over by airport security detained?"
"No," he said on a chuckle. "I was supposed to fly back the night before the wedding, but a big storm hit. No one was flying. We left as soon as we could but still ended up hitting New York a good four hours after the wedding. By the time we got through traffic into the city, even the reception was over."
"Elvi and Victor got married in New York?" she asked with surprise.
Basil nodded. "It was a big multi-wedding. Several couples married at the same time. Elvi and Victor were among them."
"Ah," she murmured, but then asked, "So what do you do in New York?"
"Ride herd on my children, harass my brother Lucian with long distance calls, and make money for both myself and the council," he said with a shrug.
She grinned at the harassing his brother bit, but asked, "And working as a lawyer makes you that much m
oney?"
"While I am presently a lawyer, I also run half a dozen companies under one large umbrella company, and manage several investments I have built up over the years."
"Right," she said slowly. "I forgot, you're old so you're stinking rich."
"I have a lot of money, but have not noticed it giving off any kind of unpleasant odor," he assured her.
If she hadn't caught the twinkle in his eye, Sherry would have thought he'd taken her literally. However, she did see it, so merely smiled and asked, "What kind of lawyer?"
Basil hesitated and then turned and moved to sit on the couch before answering, "Business law mostly at the moment, although I am licensed in criminal, civil, and immigration law as well."
"Of course, you are," she said dryly, and shook her head as she moved to sit on the other end of the couch. "I suppose living so long allows you to diversify a bit."
"Yes," he agreed. "I have not always been a lawyer. I only took it up the last century or so."
She peered at him curiously. "What were you before you were a lawyer?"
Basil grimaced and then smiled and admitted, "I have been many things over the centuries. I was a Rogue Hunter at one time, a warrior, a doctor, a sous chef, a musician, an artist, a--"
"Artist?" she asked with interest. "And a doctor?"
"I was a bad artist," he admitted, "and just an okay musician, but I was a pretty good doctor."
"Well, you definitely seem to like variety," she said wryly.
"It helps relieve the boredom of living so long," he said quietly.
She nodded and peered out at the passing cars on the street in front of the house for a moment before changing the subject, and asking curiously, "You said run herd on your children. How many children do you have?"
"Twenty-two," he answered easily.
Sherry froze, and then turned to stare at him wide-eyed. "What?"
Basil glanced at her, noted her expression and said a little more warily, "Twenty-two."
"You have twenty-two children?"
Basil nodded slowly, appearing perplexed by her dismay.
"Why?" Sherry asked.
His eyebrows rose with surprise. "Why what?"
"Why twenty-two children?" she clarified. "I mean, I can see three or four, but . . . twenty-two?"