Alix smiled into the mirror. “My girl.” That’s what Jared had called her. Maybe if she could make her father believe that there was more—or going to be more—between her and Jared Montgomery Kingsley the Seventh that would make it all easier for him to swallow.
When she was at last clean and dressed, she opened the bedroom door. It was time to face reality.
Jared went down the old stairs, and as he’d done many times, he vowed to run an electric cord up the wall and put in lights. It was pitch-dark in the downward tunnel and cobwebs were all over him.
He was looking forward to seeing Ken. It had been months since Aunt Addy’s funeral, when they’d last seen each other. Of course there was that call when Ken had blasted Jared within an inch of his life. But he was used to that. When they’d first met, Ken had been so angry at the world that he could only talk in loud bursts. But back then, Jared wouldn’t listen to anything said in a normal tone.
Jared’s big concern was Alix. How was she going to take finding out that her father had also spent so much time on Nantucket and concealed it from her?
The stairs ended in the front parlor, behind what appeared to be paneling—and yet again he doubted the family chamber pot story. The maid could have shown up in the midst of a tea party. He’d have to ask his grandfather for the truth—which he had no hope of getting.
Jared wasn’t surprised to see Ken standing in the room waiting for him. Many years ago the two men had repaired the old stairs. As they had been tearing out the dry-rotted treads, Ken said, “Don’t want Addy’s ghost lover to hurt himself, do we?”
At the time, Jared had looked at him sharply, wondering what he knew, but Ken had only been making a joke.
Now there was a second of hesitation between them because it was obvious that Ken knew where Jared had been. Ken was the first to react as he opened his arms and Jared went to h
im. He was so grateful that Ken wasn’t angry that the reunion was like a son coming home from war. They held on to each other for a long moment.
“Come on,” Ken said, his arm still around Jared’s shoulders, “let’s sit down. I made coffee and I brought doughnuts from Downyflake.”
Jared had never been one to postpone bad news, so he said, “You know where I was?” It was better to get this about him and Alix out in the open.
“I always believed that you and my daughter would like each other.”
Jared’s smile showed his relief. It would have been bad if Ken disliked the idea of his precious Alix hooking up with a man who used to be less than an upstanding citizen. Forget all the success he’d had since then. Jared knew that Ken saw inside him.
The pretty little front parlor was where the good furniture was, including several pieces that his grandfather had sent back on the ship with his brother. After that time, no more children in the family were given his name, as a lot of Nantucketers were angry that Caleb Kingsley, in his rush to get home, had gone into dangerous waters and sunk the ship. Family, friends, and crew had gone down with him.
Ken took the couch and Jared sat on a chair across from him. To Jared’s great annoyance, his grandfather sat down in the big wing chair. His shape and substance were stronger in this room and it amazed Jared that Ken couldn’t see him.
“How’s Celeste?” Jared asked as he picked up a chocolate-covered doughnut.
“Gone,” Ken said. “And Avery?”
“Stormed out months ago,” Jared said. “She wanted a ring.”
The two men smiled at each other. It was humor and understanding based on many years of shared confidences about the women who’d been through their lives. That neither of them had ever settled with one had been a bond between the men.
While eating one of the delectable doughnuts, Ken took a moment before speaking. “What does Caleb say about you and my daughter?”
“He’s always thought—” Jared began, but then halted, his eyes wide.
Ken smiled at Jared’s shock. “Don’t bother trying to cover it up. I used to practically live with you, remember? You were always arguing with an unseen person. I figured you were either crazy or talking to a ghost. Of course I meant the last as a joke.”
“So you decided I was insane?”
“More or less.”
Jared refused to look at his grandfather—who, no doubt, knew that Ken was aware of the Kingsley Family Secret—or one of them, anyway.
“Besides,” Ken said, “I found out that if Addy drank enough rum she’d tell me anything.”
“But she didn’t know I could …” Jared couldn’t bring himself to say the truth out loud. Secrecy had been preached to him by every male in his family since he could understand words.
“No, she didn’t tell me about you, but she did tell me about my daughter and your ghostly ancestor. I assume Alix’s ability to see the … the man is what this year is about.”
“I think so,” Jared said. He wasn’t quite able to control his discomfort in talking of this matter.