The Inheritance (The Donatelli Series) (20 page)

“Is this the painting Maria told us about on the phone the other night? One of the treasures missing from World War II?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll send Cara’s plane for it.”

“Could he give us a lift back? There are some priceless family pictures and other things I don’t want to take on a commercial flight.”

“No problem. We don’t need the plane for another week.”

They talked about the logistics, and Blade said, “We need to make a brief stop on the way back.”

“No problem. I’ll ask one of the guards to come along. Everything okay there?”

“I think so,” he said on a sigh. “I’d like to sit down and talk money and investments with Cara when we get back. I’m like a fish out of water, Nick. The most valuable thing I’ve ever owned is my Harley. Now I have more money than I know what to do with, a position of power in a company I know little about, and people who depend on me.”

“Yeah, I hear you. I remember how it was when Cara took over her grandfather’s estate. She was lost there for awhile, but she did okay. So will you. Remember one thing, Blade. Money changes the way people treat you, but it doesn’t change who you really are inside. It makes life easier and it causes problems you didn’t know existed. The most important thing in my life is my family. That’s what really matters.”

Blade didn’t have a family yet, but he was about to acquire one. Each day that passed, he relied more on Maria. The Mommy that Andy and Jimmy were afraid to face after Daisy fell in the oil had become his best friend.

Time to get his lady home to her kids, to her family. They’d steal time together when the kids were at school. There must be a small furnished cabin somewhere in Gig Harbor that he could rent, someplace with a soft bed and a lot of privacy.

<>

Wednesday afternoon, Blade met with the attorney Martha Nettles had recommended. Mort Schuler said he’d petition the court to appoint another executor for Edward Banner’s estate. Mort didn’t think it was a good idea to declare that Edward didn’t know what he was signing. It could tie the estate up for years, and that could not only put Blade’s life in limbo, it could end up hurting the company. He advised Blade and Maria to go ahead with their wedding and send him a certified copy of their marriage certificate to show the judge, if necessary. After they married, Jacobs would have to turn over the stock.

Blade and Maria took care of all the last-minute things in the house, made sure Bridget’s notes on the packing were complete and everything had been properly tagged, and gathered the treasures they’d be taking with them on Cara’s plane.

Late Thursday morning, they said goodbye to the staff and were driven to the airport, their last ride in the limo. The butler would stay in the house to help the buyers interview and hire his replacement, and then he would retire. The limo and driver would stay, as would the gardener and the housekeeper. And Bridget would begin her new job in Gig Harbor on the first of May.

Maria had brought six cases of wine for her family, enough to last through several family celebrations. She left at least that much more in the wine cellar, but Blade didn’t go down to look. He’d wrapped several paintings in blankets, including the family portraits and the one for Cara’s museum, and he’d brought the family photo albums, jewelry, and a few rare books. The rest would be shipped.

An hour later, Blade and Maria were in the air and on their way to Las Vegas. Blade knew it wasn’t the way Maria wanted to be married. This wedding was about business. If and when they decided to try a real marriage, they’d do it up right, in the church with her family and friends there to witness the nuptials. As much as he’d enjoyed their time together in New York, he still wasn’t sure he could handle normal family life with four kids, a mother-in-law, and all that togetherness.

The plane touched down in Las Vegas and a car took Blade and Maria to a wedding chapel, where an Elvis impersonator performed the brief ceremony. Blade slipped the ruby and diamond ring on her finger and promised to love her forever. At that moment he thought it might last forever.

Or only for six months.

Maria looked ready to cry, but she held herself together through the ceremony and after, when he had their driver stop at a sporting goods store so he could buy presents for Andy and Jimmy. He’d brought gifts for Sophia and Molly and Robbie, and the only thing he could think of to get for the younger boys was a ride on the Harley, but he wouldn’t take them out without helmets and leather jackets.

“Andy will probably sleep in his,” Maria said on their way out to the car.

Blade nodded. “That’s what I did when I got my first motorcycle jacket.”

Crazy man.

That’s me.

After they were in the air again, Maria examined her wedding ring. “You had it cleaned and polished.”

“I sent Marvin out with a few things yesterday.” He lifted her hand to his mouth for a kiss. “I know this isn’t the way you wanted to get married, Maria. This is only temporary, honey. We’ll do it up right the next time.”

“If there is a next time.”

He couldn’t reassure her, because Blade didn’t know what the future held for them. Right now, he took it one step at a time, and the first step was to get through this mess in New York.

<>

The plane landed at the Tacoma Narrows Airport in Gig Harbor. Blade’s car was still parked at Sea-Tac, where it would stay for another day or two. One of Cara’s guards drove them to Maria’s house, where Nick and Cara, Angelo and Teresa, Sophia, and the kids were waiting. Blade carried in the small painting while Maria hugged every member of her family. She’d refused to remove the ring from her finger, so she held it out and said, “Look what Blade gave me for helping him with the house.”

After everyone admired her ring, Blade said, “We brought presents.” He pulled two tiny boxes from his pocket. Handing one to Sophia, he said, “This one is for you, Sophia. Something to wear to church on Sundays.”

She opened the box and gasped. “It’s beautiful.” The antique cameo broach was ringed with emeralds.

“Glad you like it,” said Blade. He handed another box to Molly. “And this one is for the princess.”

Molly’s eyes grew as she gazed at the diamond and pearl earrings in the box. “Thanks, Blade. I love them.”

“Those are real, Molly,” said Maria. “So take good care of them.”

“I will.”

Blade handed a small package wrapped in brown paper to Robbie. “One of these is to read and study and the other one is a keepsake. It’s very old.”

Robbie opened the package with two books inside. One was the rare edition book about Leonardo de Vinci and the other was a more recent book that detailed some of de Vinci’s inventions. The boy’s face glowed. “Thanks. This is awesome.”

Maria handed Blade the big bag from the store in Las Vegas and motioned Jimmy and Andy forward. Blade pulled out the jackets and helmets and pulled them on the boys. Andy bounced with excitement. “We have a date for a ride Sunday afternoon, if it doesn’t rain. If it does, we’ll do it the first nice day after that. Okay, guys?” Blade turned to face Maria. “I promise I’ll take very good care of them, Mommy.”

“I know you will.”

Blade glanced around the room. “Maria brought back enough wine to supply the family for the next year or two, and the last package is for Nick and Cara.” He unwrapped the painting and handed it to Cara. “For the museum.”

Cara examined the painting and handed it to Nick so she could hug Blade. “Thank you so much, Blade. This will have a place of honor in my grandfather’s museum. He searched for this painting for years.”

Blade opened his hands. “Angelo and Teresa, your new furniture will be on the moving van next week.”

“We thought you meant you’d save a piece or two for us,” said Angelo. “We never expected you to furnish our whole house.”

“I didn’t think the diplomats who bought the house would appreciate it as much as you would.”

While the others talked and laughed, Sophia gazed into her daughter’s eyes and she knew. That wasn’t a thank-you ring on her finger. It was a wedding ring. Why would Maria keep something that important a secret?

Blade had endeared himself to the family with his gifts, but Sophia didn’t trust him. What kind of man would take a woman from her family and marry her somewhere else? Why didn’t they get married right here at home?

Something wasn’t right.

<>

The party was winding down when Nick and Cara left. Angelo and Teresa walked out the door a minute or two later. The guard hung around to take Blade back to the Staff House, only Blade didn’t seem any too anxious to leave.

Somehow in all the confusion, Daisy slipped out the door. A godawful smell assaulted Maria’s nose. “Is that a skunk? Oh, Daisy!”

Blade whistled and one very stinky dog ran down the street and jumped into his arms. She was shaking, but not as much as she would when Maria got through with her.

“Blade, hold onto her while I get the bucket and see if we have any tomato juice.”

“We have some,” Angelo called from down the street. He took off running and Teresa stood there, halfway between the houses, her hand over her nose and mouth.

Maria found the plastic bucket in the garage. She and Blade would also need tomato juice baths before they could go into the house, so she sent the guard to the nearest store to buy “as much tomato juice as they have on the shelf.”

Angelo raced back with a big can of tomato juice and Blade shoved a very frightened and smelly little dog into the bucket. She barely fit. Maria opened the can and poured it over Daisy, working it into her fur. The puppy whined from the overpowering stench and the cold tomato juice.

“You little stinker,” Marie said. “You’re in big trouble this time.”

Daisy whined. “I know it’s cold,” Maria said gently. “It’s all right, baby. It’s okay.”

“Looks like you’re getting two baths today, Daisy,” said Blade. “One in tomato juice and the other in Tide.”

“Shampoo,” said Jimmy.

“She didn’t mean to,” said Andy.

Blade shot him a withering glance, and both boys shut up. Maria knew her clothes and Blade’s were ruined, and the boys were still wearing their new leather jackets. At least they hadn’t touched the dog. “Boys, leave your jackets and helmets outside on the porch and go inside. Grandma will take care of you.”

Drenched in tomato juice, Daisy bolted out of the bucket. Blade did a diving tackle and caught her, but she squirted out of his arms like a greased pig and landed in Maria’s lap. “Hang on to her, Maria.”

“I’m trying,” said Maria, but she laughed so hard, Daisy got away. The dog ran circles in the street and then rolled in the grass. Tomato juice dripped from Blade’s now ruined shirt, and Maria’s face and clothes were splattered with red. They both reeked of skunk.

Maria wiped tomato juice off her face and made a face. Blade laughed, rolled her down on the grass, and kissed her thoroughly. Seconds later, one shivering, soggy reddish dog pushed her way between them.

“Ooh, yuk!” Andy called out the window, and Blade didn’t know if the kid was talking about the dog, the smell, the tomato juice, or the kiss.

Blade held onto Daisy and glanced at Maria. “You realize we’ll have to take a bath in that stuff.”

“I know, but Daisy goes first or we’ll have to start over.”

By the time they got Daisy washed and in the kennel, the guard had returned with a load of tomato juice. While the guard drove Daisy to the groomers for another bath, Maria and Blade went into the garage with the juice, a can opener, a big tub, and a stack of old towels. They closed the door and stripped down. Blade emptied his pockets and shoved all their clothes in a plastic garbage bag and sealed it up. Maria stood in the tub first, and Blade washed her down with tomato juice. She leaned her head back and he worked it through her hair.

“Baptism by skunk and tomato juice,” Blade said with a laugh. “Do you and the kids have this much fun all the time, or did you save this for our wedding day?”

“It’s not funny,” Maria said, but she couldn’t stop laughing. “I’m freezing.”

She stepped out of the tub, wrapped a towel around herself, and went inside to shower. Three more big cans of tomato juice later and Blade was finished. He wanted to get into the warm shower with Maria, but he’d have to wait his turn. Sophia may have figured it out by now, but the kids didn’t know they were married, and this didn’t seem like the best time to break it to them.