Leigh Michaels by Strictly Business

Author:Strictly Business [HR-2951, MB-2855] (v0.9) (epub)
Language: eng
Format: epub

The holiday travelling rush was still heavy, and Gianna and her mother walked on ahead while John and Blake took care of the luggage. ‘This is crazy,’ laughed Carol. ‘We’re going back with twice as much stuff as we brought. So much for the wonderful resolution not to tie ourselves down with possessions any more!’

‘Did you find some bargains?’ asked Gianna.

‘Darling, you wouldn’t believe it! Gwen and I went downtown yesterday, to take advantage of the after-Christmas sales. I’ve never seen so many people in the Loop. But bargains Oh, I do miss Chicago so much, Gianna!’

‘Even with the cold?’

Carol sighed. ‘Even that, I’m afraid. You don’t really appreciate nice weather until you’ve had some bracing wind.’

‘That’s a different outlook,’ Gianna mused.

‘But of course it’s the people that I really miss,’ Carol said. ‘You’d think, as long as I’ve been in Florida, that I would have made one friend as close as Gwen. But ’ She broke off, and giggled. ‘You’ll never believe what we did this morning.’

‘I’m afraid to guess,’ smiled Gianna ruefully.

‘We called a real-estate agent, and went househunting!’

Gianna’s mouth was open. ‘You’re thinking of moving back here?’

‘No, of course not. But Gwen said she’d heard our old louse was on the market, and I just had to see it again, Gianna.’

‘You actually pretended to be interested in buying our old house back?’

‘Well, I didn’t have to pretend very hard,’ Carol pointed out. ‘Mr Elliot—the real-estate man—didn’t ask any questions. And after all, I did want to see what the new owners had done to it.’

‘And?’ Gianna prompted. ‘You can’t just leave me up in the air like that, Mom!’

‘It’s really not bad. The new wallpaper is awful, of course—all Art Deco. There isn’t anything that’s in really bad taste, but it just doesn’t seem to fit in the house. And she’s put a patterned foil in the dining room ’ Carol shivered artistically. ‘It has butterflies on it—huge butterflies. But it’s obvious that they’ve taken good care of the house.’

‘Why are they selling it?’ asked Gianna.

‘His company is transferring him to the West Coast. I feel very sorry for them, actually; I know how hard it is to leave that house. You should go look at it, Gianna.’

Gianna shook her head. ‘I think I’d rather remember it as it was.’

‘I hadn’t thought of that. You always looked at it differently from how your father and I did, I suppose. For us, it was just a house.’

Gianna nodded. ‘I don’t really remember any of the other houses we lived in,’ she said. ‘That one was always home to me.’

‘Then perhaps you’re right in thinking it would be better to stay away,’ Carol said. ‘I suppose we’ll have to say goodbye here. Look at those crowds!’

‘I wish you could stay longer.’ Gianna’s voice was threatening to crack.

‘It’s probably just as well,’ her mother said lightly. ‘My credit limit wouldn’t have lasted another three days.’

Bless my mother, Gianna thought. She knows I’m about to cry, and she refuses to make it harder for me.

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