“I got distracted by Franklin's phone call, as I recall, and what with one thing and another, never got back to the subject. Those shots of you are stunning.”
“Thanks.”
Out of the corner of his eye he saw her mouth start to curve in a pleased smile. “And when this is all over,” Caleb added very deliberately, “I intend to make certain that I have the negatives and every single print of those photos in my possession.”
Her eyes widened. “Why?”
“Those pictures are going to become a part of my personal collection of photographic art.”
“I didn't know you had a personal collection of photographic art.”
“I didn't until quite recently.”
For some reason, Ventress Valley did not look nearly as picturesque and charming to Serenity this time as it had the last. Perhaps it was the gray light filtering through the leaden clouds, which created the sullen atmosphere. Then again, she thought, maybe it was her own uneasy mood that transformed the landscape from a quaint slice of Americana to a scene imbued with brooding menace.
Whatever the cause, there was no denying that today the fields on the outskirts of town looked empty and forlorn now that the harvest was nearly completed. The shops along the main street of Ventress Valley appeared subdued rather than bustling. There was no colorful wedding party in front of the church to add a note of optimism.
“Are you certain you want to go through with this?” Serenity tensed in her seat as Caleb turned the Jaguar down the long drive that led to his grandfather's house.
“I'm certain.”
“Maybe you should consider a different approach to the problem. Confrontations are always nasty.”
“I warned you this wouldn't be pleasant. I offered to take you back to Witt's End.”
Serenity gave up the last ditch effort to change Caleb's mind. She had known all along that she could do nothing to stop what was about to happen. All she could do was be there with him when he ripped apart the fabric of his past.
The door of the big house opened as Caleb brought the Jaguar to a halt and switched off the ignition. Dolores came out onto the wide porch. Surprise and pleasure lit her features. She hurried down the steps as Caleb and Serenity got out of the car.
“Caleb, what are you doing here? We weren't expecting you.” Dolores smiled at Serenity. “Nice to see you again, Miss Makepeace. I'll have your room ready in no time.”
“Don't bother.” Caleb closed his car door. “We won't be staying long.”
Dolores's smile turned questioning. “What do you mean? You just got here. Surely you'll stay the night.”
“No,” Caleb said. “We won't be able to do that. I'm sorry, Dolores.”
The last of Dolores's smile vanished. “Something's wrong, isn't it?”
“It's a family matter.” Caleb's voice was as bleak and cold as the steel-colored clouds. “Is my grandfather home?”
“He's in the stables with Harry.”
“Will you please call Uncle Franklin and Aunt Phyllis for me? Tell them they're needed immediately here at the house.”
“Of course.” Dolores cast another quick, anxious glance at Serenity. “Franklin will be in his office at the bank. He doesn't like to be disturbed at work.”
“Tell him this is family business,” Caleb said. “Tell him that I said he'd better come here or I'll hold this conversation in his office.”
“Oh, dear.” Dolores twisted her hands in her apron.
Serenity huddled deeper into her jacket. The warm lining didn't offer much protection against the chill in the air.
Roland came around the corner of the house at that moment. He looked startled at the sight of the small group standing near the Jaguar. His eyes went straight to Caleb.
Serenity could have sworn that something warm and welcoming moved in the depths of the old man's gaze, something that might have been hope. It was hidden almost immediately behind a cool, unreadable mask not unlike the one Caleb had learned to wear so well. Bits and pieces of other people.
“Weren't expecting you, son. Miss Makepeace.” Roland nodded politely at Serenity and then looked at Caleb again. “What the devil is this all about?”
“It's about the past,” Caleb said. “And the future. Let's go inside and wait for Franklin and Phyllis.”
It was worse than Serenity had anticipated. The atmosphere in the living room was heavier than the air outside. It held more tension, too. She watched Caleb pace back and forth like a caged lion in front of the windows. There was so much dangerous energy emanating from him that she half expected a bolt of lightning to explode in his immediate vicinity.
He commanded the attention of everyone in the room. Roland watched him the way an aging monarch watches the young warrior who will replace him. His grip on the arms of his leather chair betrayed his tension.
Phyllis, her mouth pinched in a disapproving line, sat primly on the sofa. Her back was as straight as an iron bar and just about as flexible. Franklin sat beside her, his brows knitted in a scowl. He looked angry but wary.
“I think we've had enough dramatics,” Roland said. “Tell us what's going on here.”
“What is going on here,” Caleb said, “is a dose of blackmail.”
Phyllis gasped in dismay. Her hand went to her throat. Roland stared uncomprehendingly at his grandson.
Franklin's jaw sagged in stunned amazement. He had to make several attempts before he managed to speak. “You fool. What do you think you're doing, Caleb?”
Caleb came to a halt near the window and looked at him. “I'm doing the same thing Roland did thirtyfour years ago when he was hit with a blackmail threat. I'm refusing to pay the price. I'm here to make a formal announcement of that fact to everyone involved so that there will be no misunderstanding.”
“Blackmail.” Roland appeared more confused than outraged. “What the devil are you talking about?”
Caleb did not take his eyes off Franklin. “Why don't you tell him, Uncle?”
“I don't know what you mean,” Franklin blustered.
“All right, if you won't do it, I will.” Caleb switched his focus to his grandfather. “Franklin called me yesterday and told me that he was the victim of an extortion threat.”
Roland froze in his chair. “On what grounds?”
“The usual.” Caleb's smile was fleeting and cold. “Pictures. In this case of Serenity.”
“What the hell?” Roland stared at Serenity.
“Miss Makepeace?” Phyllis glanced quickly at Serenity and then pinned Caleb with a scandalized gaze. “Are you telling us that there are dirty pictures of Miss Makepeace floating around?”
“They aren't dirty,” Caleb said. “They're works of art created by a gifted photographer. And as far as I know, they've only floated as far as Franklin, who, it turns out, was not actually being blackmailed. Just the opposite.”
“The opposite?” Phyllis frowned.
“That's right,” Caleb said. “He's the blackmailer.”
“Me? A blackmailer?” Franklin shot to his feet, his face reddening with fury. “This is an outrage. How dare you accuse me of blackmail? I'm the one who's being blackmailed with those filthy pictures.”
“Christ. Blackmail.” Roland leaned his head back against his chair and closed his eyes. “Not again.”
Franklin rounded on him. “Roland, listen to me. The note said that if I didn't pay ten thousand dollars, the photos of Miss Makepeace would be sent to the Ventress Valley News. Just like last time.”
“Damn it to hell.” Roland opened his eyes. His expression was savage. “Goddamn it to hell.”
“The only thing I could do was call Caleb and tell him what had happened,” Franklin said desperately. “I wasn't blackmailing him, for God's sake. I was the victim. All of us were potential victims. It's Miss Makepeace's fault. She brought this disaster down on us.”
“Oh, my God,” Phyllis looked faint. “Roland's right. This is just like the last time.”
Franklin
swung around to face her. “Except that I was the one who received the photos this time. Naturally, I did my best to protect the family. I called Caleb at once and told him exactly what sort of woman he had gotten himself involved with. I expected him to handle the problem with discretion.”
“But several days before that you sent the photos to Serenity, didn't you?” Caleb asked with lethal softness. “And in the accompanying note you told her that if she didn't call off her business arrangement with Ventress Ventures immediately, you would send the pictures on to me. You thought she'd cave in to your threat, didn't you? You thought she'd back out of the deal.”
“I don't know what you're talking about,” Franklin said.
Caleb ignored the interruption. “Instead, she came to me and told me about the pictures and the blackmail threat. You hadn't counted on that, had you? Or if you did take that possibility into consideration, you probably assumed that I'd be so disgusted by the knowledge that Serenity had posed nude that I'd end my relationship with her.”
“Posed nude?” Phyllis's tone rose to a horrified shriek. “Miss Makepeace, have you no shame?”
“I did it for art,” Serenity mumbled. Speaking of art, she thought, the scene was becoming distinctly surreal.
“Art? Don't you dare try to excuse such filth as art. I know your sort,” Phyllis retorted. “You're part of that immoral, left-wing artistic crowd, aren't you? The sort that takes our hard-earned tax money and uses it to fund obscene photographs and foul-mouthed plays.”
Serenity felt as if she had slipped into the Twilight Zone. “I assure you, poor Ambrose never got a dime from the National Endowment for the Arts, if that's what's worrying you.”
“To think that our government has sunk to the level of funding nude photography with that national endowment thing,” Phyllis continued. “It's unconscionable.”
“That's enough, Aunt Phyllis,” Caleb warned.
“I'll say it is,” she snapped. “Franklin is right, this is outrageous.”
“Of course it is,” Franklin declared. “I won't tolerate it.”
“That's my line,” Caleb said. “That's why I'm here today. To tell you that I won't tolerate any more blackmail.”
“Goddamn it,” Franklin roared, “you can't prove that I tried to blackmail anyone.”
Roland shot Serenity a speculative glance and then gave Caleb a sharp look. “Well? Can you prove what you're saying, Caleb?”
Caleb pulled the folded record of sale from the pocket of his shirt. “I got this from Ambrose Asterley's files. It says he sold a set of photos of Serenity Makepeace to Franklin Ventress. You'll notice the date on the receipt. The transaction took place on the twentieth of October, ten days ago. But Franklin only got around to calling me about this yesterday.”
“You're lying,” Franklin hissed.
“No.” Caleb's gaze glittered briefly. “I don't lie, and whatever else he may believe about me, I think Grandfather knows that much. I have never lied to him.”
Roland looked troubled but he said nothing.
“Damn it, why would this Asterley person give you a receipt for a bunch of pictures that he supposedly sold to me?” Franklin asked swiftly.
“He didn't have much choice,” Caleb said. “Ambrose Asterley died a few days ago. I found this record in his files after his death.”
“Impossible. Let me see that.” Franklin charged across the room and grabbed the incriminating slip of paper out of Caleb's hand. He stared at it in dismay for a long time. Then his shoulders slumped. His whole body seemed to deflate. When he raised his head, he looked defeated.
“Franklin?” Phyllis spoke sharply. “What is it? What's going on?”
“I don't understand,” Franklin muttered. “I just don't understand. It's not possible. I did everything I was told to do each time.”
Caleb plucked the receipt from his hand. “What don't you understand, Franklin?”
“There wasn't supposed to be any record of this. He told me there wouldn't be any way to trace the sale.” Franklin rubbed the bridge of his nose. He appeared dazed. “On both occasions, I carried out his instructions to the letter.”
“What instructions?” Serenity asked.
“I parked my car in the Ventress Valley Mall parking lot.” Franklin stared out the window at the gray sky. “Left the door unlocked, the money in the glove compartment. I went into the mall for fifteen minutes. I never saw him, but when I returned to the car, the money was gone.”
“And the photos were in the glove compartment?” Caleb asked.
“Yes. The first time. I paid five thousand for them.”
“And on the second occasion?”
Franklin looked haunted. “He called again on Sunday. Said it wasn't over. Said he still had the negatives and that he'd send prints to the Ventress Valley News if I didn't pay him five thousand dollars.”
“Then you admit you purchased those pictures?” Roland asked roughly.
Franklin's head came up proudly. His shoulders straightened. “Yes, I admit it. As soon as I knew those photos existed, I realized it was my duty to get hold of them. I had to see just what sort of woman had gotten her greedy little claws into Caleb.”
“And once you did have the pictures in hand, you tried to threaten Serenity, didn't you?” Caleb asked. “You sent copies of the photos to her and warned her that if she didn't end her business relationship with me, you'd send the pictures directly to me.”
“I hoped she would have enough sense of shame to end the relationship on her own.” Franklin gave Serenity a furious glance. “I suppose I should have known better. Any woman whose moral standards are so low that she has no compunction about posing nude, wouldn't care who saw the pictures, I suppose.”
“Don't worry about Serenity's moral standards,” Caleb said. “I guarantee you that they're a lot higher than yours are.”
“How can you say such a thing about a member of your own family?” Phyllis demanded.
“On my scale, blackmailers rank a lot lower than photographers' models,” Caleb said.
“Really,” Phyllis grumbled. “I don't see that Franklin was actually blackmailing anyone.”
“I was only doing what I had to do to save you from her.” Franklin stared at Caleb. “Don't you understand? I had a duty to this family. I could not allow you to repeat the mistakes of the past. I simply could not allow it. We all suffered too much the last time. I couldn't let you follow in your father's footsteps.”
A sudden hush gripped the room. The dreadful words had finally been spoken aloud. Serenity knew they had all been waiting for them.
“No, I guess you couldn't allow that to happen, could you?” Caleb said quietly. “Not after you and my grandfather and Aunt Phyllis had worked so hard over the years to make sure that I didn't repeat my father's mistakes.”
Serenity looked at Roland's stark face and felt colder than ever. She could see the pain in him very clearly now. Every word that was being spoken was a knife thrust that cut to the bone.
“We did our best,” Phyllis said grandly. She narrowed her eyes at Serenity. “Apparently we failed.”
Serenity stirred. “I think you're all overlooking one major fact that makes this situation different from what happened in the past.”
“And what would that be?” Phyllis asked disdainfully.
“Caleb isn't married to another woman, as his father was when the original scandal broke,” Serenity pointed out gently. “You may not approve of his involvement with me, but you can't claim that he's repeating his father's sins. He's not committing adultery. He's not betraying a wife.”
“He's betraying his family, just as his father did.” Phyllis's voice shook with indignation.
“There may not be an innocent wife involved this time, but that makes no difference.” Franklin gave Caleb a fulminating look. “The end result will be the same. You'll embarrass this entire family. You'll humiliate all of us again, just as Gordon did. This is a small town. Everyone will know.”
Phyllis lifted her chin. “Perhaps that is precisely what Caleb wants.”
Roland stared at her. “What the hell are you saying?”
“That perhaps that's what this affair is all about,” Phyllis snapped. “It occurs to me that by taking up with a woman like Miss Makepeace, your grandson has found a very effective way to punish all of us.”
“Punish us for what?” Roland demanded. “I took him in and raised him. I gave him a home. Made him my heir. What more could I have done for him?”
“Yes, I know, Roland. You did everything you could for him. We all did. One would think he would be grateful.” Phyllis gave Caleb a gimlet-eyed look. “But it appears that gratitude is not what he feels for us. I've suspected as much for years.”
Roland's hand curved into a fist on the arm of the chair. His gaze was riveted on Caleb. “Is that why you're doing this? Are you trying to punish us for some reason? Is this your notion of vengeance? For God's sake, why?”
“I didn't get involved with Serenity because I wanted revenge on you,” Caleb said evenly. “I got involved with her because I wanted her.”
“You sound just like your father,” Roland shot back. “You even look like he did that day when he told me he wanted Crystal Brooke. How dare you do this to me?”
Serenity raised her hand before Caleb could lash back. “I would just like to point out once again that this scene, however unpleasant, is not, I repeat not, a replay of what happened thirty-four years ago. Things will turn out differently this time if you handle them differently. There is no need to replay the past.”
Phyllis glowered at her. “As you yourself noted earlier, Miss Makepeace, the only thing that's different this time is that Caleb isn't married.”
“It seems to me that's a major difference,” Serenity said. “It also raises a very interesting question.” She turned toward Roland. “I'm curious. Had there been problems between Caleb's father and his wife? Or did the affair with Crystal Brooke just come out of the blue?”
“Problems?” Roland beetled his brows. “They'd only been married a couple of years. All young couples have problems. Moving out West was an adjustment for Patricia. We all knew that. What's that got to do with it?”