A Black Tie Affair Page 3

  Everyone glanced at the seemingly benign waves lapping at the hull—except Calvin. He shot Drew a scared, wide-eyed appeal.

  “Don’t worry. I’ll keep you safe,” he muttered to him, meaning every word.

  “You goin’ to jump in and save me?” Washington taunted, balancing on the bow to get attention.

  Drew got half the distance to Washington when Jeff grabbed the kid by the scruff of his neck and hauled him back from the edge.

  “Hey, punk, I jumped in the water once, and if Mr. Clayworth hadn’t hauled my ass out I’d have froze my dick off. This is serious business.”

  “Jokin’ around, dude.” Washington shrugged away. “I dig that Mr. Clayworth’s the man.”

  “The man to keep us safe, right?” Calvin moved a step closer.

  “Right, Calvin. I’ll teach you all to save yourselves by being smart and prepared. Let’s get your safety equipment on. Jeff, give me a hand here.”

  Fifteen years of regret burned in Drew’s gut while he worked on the straps of Bruce’s life jacket. Fifteen years of guilt and regret that he couldn’t keep his parents safe. He needed to put it all to rest. Find closure with their decisions and his.

  I will. Soon.

  Lost in his plans, he didn’t hear the phone buzzing in his windbreaker until Jeff nodded toward his pocket.

  Drew shook his head, ignoring it. He needed to get the kids organized.

  The damn phone kept buzzing. He yanked it out. “Christ, Connor, I’ll be back at Clayworth’s in an hour. I’m teaching the kids now,” he barked out at his cousin.

  “Drew, I’m at Northwestern Hospital with Aunt Bridget.”

  Fear cut through him like a steel blade, but he didn’t flinch, didn’t give anything away.

  “What’s wrong with Bridget?” he asked, maintaining the outward calm he’d had to learn at nineteen.

  “It’s not Aunt Bridget.”

  He heard the relief in Connor’s voice and felt the same rush of emotion. Bridget was his family, too.

  “Something happened out at the Secret Closet. Aunt Bridget brought Athena Smith to the ER.”

  Athena’s tear-streaked face from a lifetime ago flashed in front of Drew’s eyes.

  A different emotion drove him across the deck. He turned his back, not wanting anyone to read his face. “What happened to Athena?”

  “She’s disoriented and hallucinating. The resident on duty is examining her, but they can’t find—”

  “Call Lewis Stemmer. Now!” Drew interrupted. “He’s the best diagnostician in the country. If he can’t find out what’s wrong, no one can. I’ll be there in half an hour.”

  He swung back to find Jeff watching him.

  “Got a problem, Mr. Clayworth?”

  “Yeah, I need to go, but the van from the center for the kids won’t be here for twenty minutes.”

  Jeff squared his shoulders. “I can handle it. Don’t worry. I won’t let you down.”

  Drew hesitated, wanting to stay to keep everyone safe, needing to go for his family, hoping to trust the determined expression on Jeff’s face.

  Need and hope won out.

  He turned back to the waiting boys. “Guys, Jeff will show you the safety features of this Morgan 46. I’ll see you next week.”

  Calvin’s eyes darted between Jeff and Drew. “You say so?”

  “Yeah, I say it’s good.” He looked at Jeff, already talking to Washington and Bruce, and knew it was true.

  Drew sprinted down the gangplank and along the dock. He hunched his shoulders against the stiff, cold wind chopping at the lake. A new weather front had come in. If he believed in omens, this would be one.

  Athena Smith coming back into his life now meant trouble.

  “I’ve told you both ten times, I’ve never felt better in my life. I’m sick with worry about Athena. I got her here. Now we’ve got to help her.”

  Drew heard Bridget’s voice before he saw her, Connor, and Lewis Stemmer in a corner of the ER waiting room.

  She looked up and sighed. “Thank the good Lord you’ve come, Drew. We’ve got to help Athena.”

  “We will.” He bent and kissed her cheek before he shook Lewis’s hand. “Thanks for coming. Have you seen Athena?”

  Cool, collected, always self-confident, Lewis nodded, and Drew felt the odd catch in his chest ease up.

  Whatever’s wrong can be fixed.

  “I’ve examined her. I’m waiting for the toxicity and blood work. Her vitals are good. She’s conscious now. She is still experiencing intermittent disorientation and hallucinations.” Lewis’s calm voice held all their attention.

  “Whatever happened to Athena out at the closet, we’ll get the blame. Damn it, we shouldn’t have agreed to this in the first place. Now add up this mess, the rumors about the store and Alistair, plus how the Smith sisters feel about us, and we’ve got a lawsuit on our hands.” Connor narrowed his eyes, much like his Aunt Bridget’s.

  Hers shot green fire at him. “Spoken like a true lawyer, and you may be right. But you need to lighten up and stop always thinkin’ the worst. Wish you weren’t such a tight-butt like your mom.”

  Connor’s mouth fell open, Lewis studied Bridget over the top of his wire-rimmed glasses, and Drew looked down to hide his smile. He knew truer words were never spoken about Connor. But coming from Bridget, they were a shocker.

  What the hell is going on?

  She clasped her hands over her mouth. “Don’t know why I said that. Love you to death, Connor, just the way you are. Always have. Always will.”

  Bridget cast her slightly unfocused gaze in Drew’s direction. “You’ve been the smartest one of the boys since kindergarten. I suppose you think it’s your job to go charm Athena like you do everyone else on the planet. I know it’s your job to fix things for Clayworth’s, but you know what? You need to fix things for yourself. It’s more than time. Right now, though, you and I need to go see about Athena. Is it hot in here?” Bridget asked in her next breath and pulled the carefully folded handkerchief out of Connor’s blazer pocket to fan herself.

  Lewis slid down next to her. “Bridget, I think you should stay here and rest while Drew visits with Athena. She’s been asking to see him.”

  In a day full of shocks, this one stopped him.

  If Athena is asking for me, she really is hallucinating.

  Connor hovered beside Bridget, who had shut her eyes. “What are you waiting for, Drew? Keep communication open so we know what we’re facing. But remember, we can’t discuss the situation with her father until we have more answers.”

  He nodded. Christ, he didn’t know what the hell had happened to everyone out at the Secret Closet, but his job would always be to keep Clayworth’s safe, so he needed to find out. “Where is she?”

  “I had her moved to room one. Her sisters are with her,” Lewis said.

  Triple trouble.

  “I’ll be back.”

  Drew moved through the ER, dodging nurses and interns taking care of patients in rooms three, four, and five. A few guys stood at the main desk, staring at Venus and Diana Smith hovering outside the glass partition to room one.

  He didn’t blame them. People always used the word beautiful to describe the Smith sisters. A man could drown in their large and luminous aquamarine eyes. Once, Athena’s eyes had taken his breath away. Maybe the two interns drooling over her sisters from across the room were feeling the same slow burn in their guts.

  But Drew knew what they didn’t. A prudent man needed to tread carefully when confronted by the combined forces of the Smith sisters.

  When they saw him coming, Venus threw herself in front of the door and Diana, a head shorter, stepped in front of her.

  “We should have known your family would send for reinforcements. Go away,” Venus muttered, tossing ropes of apricot hair over her shoulder.

  Yeah, I remember. Middle child.

  Diana, hands on hips, stared up at him. “I’m sure Dr. Stemmer told you Athena’s calling for you. Obviously
, she was hallucinating. Earlier she thought we were both our mother. She seems fine now. I don’t think—”

  “Diana,” Drew said, smiling to soften his interruption. “Lewis Stemmer is the best doctor in the state. If he thinks I should see Athena, I should.”

  Through the half-closed door, he heard Athena’s voice, faint and muttering.

  Diana glanced up at her sister. “I think she’s calling his name again. Maybe we should let him in if Dr. Stemmer thinks it’s a good idea.”

  “Five minutes. Not a second more,” Venus snapped, stepping out of the way.

  He walked past them into the small cubicle and closed the door.

  The light over the hospital bed fell on Athena, making her skin look like polished marble and her hair shine like gold. She’d always been the most beautiful of the sisters. Admitting it jarred the other memories of her that he’d buried.

  Athena slowly opened her eyes, and he sucked in a deep breath.

  “Drew, you didn’t go!” she gasped, then sat straight up in bed and held out her arms to him.

  Christ, he didn’t know what to do. Was she faking? Playing some sort of game with him? He knew she couldn’t be trusted.

  She grabbed his hand, and he let her tug him down beside her. He’d taught himself to hide his emotions, and he hoped he had erased the surprise from his face.

  Slowly, he forced a smile. “Athena—”

  “Shh.” She cupped his face in her hands and kissed his mouth. Her lips were velvety, warm, full.

  Shock held him next to her. Déjà vu. Like life rewound so he could change it this time.

  Anger at her, at himself, jarred him away. He hated the way his pulse pounded.

  He needed to take control of the situation. “Athena, I’m here—”

  She placed her fingertips over his lips. “Please, let me talk first. Oh, Drew, I’ve missed you so.” She pressed against him, and all Drew’s blood rushed to his head, like a broken dam, filling his mind with old memories of her. He knew she’d always been a good actress. Lewis had said intermittent hallucinations. Diana had said she seemed fine now.

  If Athena’s playing, I’m willing to go along to get at the truth.

  He let her trace his jaw line with her lips, holding his feelings in an iron grip.

  “You taste the same.” Once again she cupped his face and stared into his eyes. He didn’t flinch nor drown in their depths. “I’m so happy you didn’t go. I’m so happy you understand why I did it.”

  Sighing, she collapsed against his chest. “Oh, Drew, I’ve been so confused about you and my dad and everything. Will you help me figure it all out?” She tilted her cheek against his shoulder and gazed up at him, her eyes fathomless aquamarine pools. “Promise you’ll help me. Like you’ve always done.”

  His pulse did another odd skip. Probably anger at the young fool he’d once been.

  He stared down into her beautiful face, remembering the last time she’d made him a promise.

  What’s one more lie between us?

  “Yeah, I promise to help you. But first you need to close your eyes and try to sleep.”

  With the innate charm that had carried the Smith sisters into the hearts and minds of more than their fair share of men, Athena gave him a dazzling smile and slowly lowered her eyelids.

  He eased her back onto the pillows and stood up. He backed out of the room, trying to figure out what the hell was going on and what he could do to minimize the damage.

  Venus and Diana hovered outside in the hall. “We need to talk to Lewis Stemmer. Come with me,” he commanded, once again in control.

  In the ER waiting room, Connor still hovered over Bridget. To Drew, her eyes looked too bright. Like Athena’s had.

  Lewis beckoned them to the quiet corner. “All right. Here’s what I’ve got.” Lewis threw a long glance at the circle gathered around him. “My diagnosis is always based fifteen percent on tests, five percent on my physical exam, and eighty percent on questioning the patient. At the moment I can’t get answers from Athena, so I need to get them from all of you.”

  Lewis leaned closer to Bridget. “Tell me about Athena’s behavior in the car on the way to the closet.”

  “A little quiet. Everythin’ seemed fine until we got to the vault.”

  “What happened then, Bridget? Did you see anything? Smell anything?”

  “It’s chilly down there. Which Athena said was good for storage. She was actin’ just fine until I found her lyin’ on the floor with her head up the skirt of a beautiful champagne-colored gown. The one with the train.” Bridget gazed around at all of them. “When I made her come out from under it, she looked stoned. And started talkin’ like I was Bertha Palmer herself and Jackie Kennedy was roamin’ through the closet.”

  Drew glanced at her sisters. “Does Athena do recreational drugs?”

  “Athena hardly takes aspirin,” Venus snapped.

  Drew met Lewis’s eyes before he turned back to Bridget. “What happened in the car before she passed out?”

  A grimace of pain flashed across Bridget’s face. “I put in a CD, thinkin’ the music might relax her. She started singin’ at the top of her lungs.”

  Drew didn’t miss the look passing between the sisters or the way Venus bit her lip.

  Yeah, I remember, too.

  Diana smiled sweetly at Bridget. “I’m sorry.”

  “You’ll never find a more beautiful young woman, inside or out, than your sister. But I’ve never heard worse caterwaulin’ in my life. Worried sick about her, though. What’s the matter with all of you?” Bridget glared at Lewis. “Drew says you’re the best, so you must be. Tell us what’s wrong so we can fix it.”

  Unflappable, Lewis nodded. “I believe Athena has been exposed to a toxic substance that caused a rapid adverse neurological reaction. It could conceivably be four other illnesses, so I’m prescribing antibiotic and saline drips to cover a broad spectrum. I’m admitting her and moving her to the third floor as soon as I can find a room. I expect the effects of the toxic substance to have worn off by morning.” Lewis studied Bridget’s flushed face. “I’ve been observing you, and I believe you were exposed to the same toxin but to a much lesser degree.”

  “I feel great.” Bridget flung up her head and laughed. “In fact, if I can’t do any more to help Athena, I’m headin’ home to snuggle with Connor’s uncle Tony.”

  “Way to go, Aunt Bridget,” Venus muttered, heading back to room one with her sister.

  Connor shot her his narrow lawyer look before he followed Bridget, who marched toward the exit.

  Drew couldn’t help the worry eating at him, even though he knew Connor would take care of her. “Do you want us to talk Bridget back in here?” he asked Lewis.

  “No need. I took Bridget’s vitals while you were seeing Athena. I’m positive that Bridget will experience nothing more than a pleasant euphoria or I wouldn’t have let her leave.”

  “Good. Then what else should we be doing?”

  “We need to get all four of those Bertha Palmer dresses out of the Secret Closet and in my lab by ten o’clock tomorrow morning.”

  “Done.”

  Drew’s instincts told him he would get to the bottom of whatever had affected Athena, and he would make sure no one else became infected.

  Those same instincts warned him that doing so might involve keeping his promise to Athena, after all.

  CHAPTER

  3

  Athena forced her eyes open, and her black world with shots of orange around the edges disappeared. Now she was in a swirling white mist. She blinked and saw her sisters’ disembodied heads, wearing shockingly solemn expressions, floating toward her.

  This isn’t right.

  She blinked again and kept blinking until the mist cleared so she saw Venus and Diana’s heads were definitely attached to their bodies. Her body ached all over, especially where an IV needle stuck out of her right arm.

  “Why am I in the hospital? Is Bridget all right? Did we have a car
wreck?” Her mouth felt dry and her voice sounded thin.

  Venus broke into a wide smile. “Bridget is fine. And so are you.”

  Snatches of scenes drifted through her aching head. Clayworth Secret Closet. Bridget. Bertha’s dresses.

  Woozy, like she’d had too much champagne, but without the memory of a good time, she inched herself higher on the bed pillows. “The last thing I remember is lying beneath the Bertha Palmer gown she wore to her presentation at the Court of Saint James’s. What happened to me?”

  “While you were examining the gown, you started hallucinating about Bertha Palmer.”

  Athena’s head and body throbbed all over with a dull, constant ache, sicker than she’d ever felt, but she knew she couldn’t be at death’s door or even close to it, or Diana wouldn’t sound so calm. She looked closely at her sisters.

  “You both look like you’ve slept in your clothes. Did you two stay with me all night?”

  “Naturally. You were so out of it you thought you were actually visited by Bertha’s ghost.” Venus shivered with her usual drama. “Wish I’d been there. I’d love to ask the old girl about her jewelry.”

  “I would have loved to meet Jackie O. She had such impeccable taste,” Diana sighed.

  “I thought I saw both of them?” Athena gasped.

  Venus nodded. “That’s why Bridget rushed you to the ER. And before you passed out in the back seat, you were singing at the top of your lungs.”

  Singing. The word caught in Athena’s splitting headache. “Oh, my God. Poor Bridget.” She tried to gather her scattered senses to understand why she’d suddenly lost her mind. “What do the doctors think is wrong with me?”

  “Drew Clayworth sent Lewis Stemmer to examine you. He’s the very best infectious-disease doctor and toxicology specialist in Chicago.”

  Venus tossed her hair over her shoulder. “Then Drew insisted on seeing you for himself.”