Desire's Bride by Teresa Howard

Author:Teresa Howard [Howard, Teresa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: eKensington
Published: 2013-07-24T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-two

When Dru and Brad returned to the suite they shared with Mammy Mae, the child’s favorite dinner awaited her. A tray of silver dishes filled with fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, muffins, and two big pieces of coconut cake sat upon the small table beside the window. The table was set for her and Mammy Mae.

Dru ignored her dinner. She ran across the room and knocked on the closed door to Mammy’s bedroom, snuffling quietly. Brad’s heart ached.

“Come in child.”

Brad was alarmed. Never in his thirty-odd years had he heard his nanny’s voice sound so weak. Crossing the sitting room in two long strides, he tapped on Mammy’s open door and followed Dru inside.

Dru sat on the bed beside Mammy Mae. “What’s wrong, Mammy? Are you sleepy?”

His daughter looked incredibly small, inordinately frightened. Although the room was dim, he could see that Mammy was ill. “Sweetheart, why don’t you run eat your dinner. I need to talk with Mammy.”

Reluctantly, Dru walked from the room.

“What’s wrong, Mammy?” Brad asked. When tears filled the kind old woman’s eyes he was more than alarmed; Mammy Mae had been the Hampton family’s anchor as far back as he could remember.

“I’m just tuckered out is all. Don’t you worry yourself. Soon as I rest up a minute, I’ll go see Miss Dru eats all her supper.”

“You’ll do no such thing.” The concern clouding Brad’s eyes softened his directive. “You’re to stay right where you are. I’m going to get Miss McKinney to sit with Dru. Then I’ll go get Alan.”

Weakly, Mammy tried to rise from the bed. Gently, Brad prevented her from doing so. “Now you stay right there. You hear?” When Brad kissed his nanny’s cheek, his tears mingled with her own.

Brad wiped his face with the back of his hand and walked from Mammy’s room. He cleared his throat and smiled at his daughter. “I’ll be back in a minute, Peanut. Will you listen out for Mammy while I’m gone?”

“I’ll take care of her,” Dru promised solemnly.

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