By six that evening, Mabel had piles of cookies made, but no one to eat them. Duke, Casper, and Taylor still hadn't returned from the boat, and she didn't like to think what was going on. Maybe Duke had taken Taylor so Casper and Sadie could have a romantic dinner. But what about Sara's husband? It was his boat. As to that, why had the man bought a big boat if his wife wasn't, as Sara said, good on boats? Mabel smiled at the perfect image of Sara heaving over the side. Maybe her husband bought the boat to get away from his wife.
Mabel took a basket from the pile of them she had stored in the pantry, tied a red ribbon around the handle, put a good linen napkin in the bottom, and filled it with cookies. She would take them to Margaret's house as a thank you gift for the tea she'd served them.
She told herself she wasn't sneaking, but she avoided the path to the beach. She'd seen the way the windows in the house showed any movement on that path. Instead, she made her way through the trees to the side of the Buddlon house.
As she quietly walked toward the house, she thought how oddly secured it was. It almost looked like a fortress. It had a tall iron fence across the front, with a big iron gate that was opened by a security code box. The residents of Hamilton Savier saw this from their side of the street and assumed the fence went all around the property. But it didn't. It ended about two-thirds of the way down to the water, leaving the end of Margaret's property free for walking and trespassing.
Mabel slipped around the end of the fence and walked into the garden, staying hidden under the trees and between the plants.
Most of the house was dark and she heard nothing. Her soft soled shoes made no noise on the slate as she went to the door of the room where she and Sara had had tea.
The curtains were still drawn, but she could see light in the room, and she could hear voices. For a moment she stopped, telling herself that she was spying on a woman who had been very nice to her. She should go back the way she'd come and never bother Miss Buddlon again.
But even as she thought of it, she couldn't help looking at a gap in the curtains. She could see part of the room through the space. It was as pretty as she remembered, and for a moment, she thought about asking Margaret who had been her decorator. Maybe she could redo their living room. If Casper would let her touch it, that is. If Casper didn't marry Sadie, that is. I'd Casper—
Mabel stopped thinking because into her view came Carter, Sara's lawyer husband. He had a drink in his hand, and he was laughing.
Mabel stepped forward, moving closer to the glass. On the couch she could see two people. One was Margaret with her perfectly coiffed head and the other looked to be her gardener cum bodyguard, the beautiful Brian. The three of them were drinking cocktails and laughing.
When Carter turned his head, Mabel quickly moved to the side. She hoped he hadn't seen her.
She wasted no time as she ram across the terrace, down the steps, then ran back toward Casper's house. She didn't look back, so she didn't know if anyone had opened the door or not.
Carter! she thought as she ran all the way back as fast as she could. Perfect Sara's perfect husband was the neighborhood spy. What's more, he'd ratted his own wife out, telling an outsider that his wife desperately wanted Taylor, Casper's daughter for her own. Why? Because Sara was infertile? Had the rat fink told Margaret that too?
When Mabel reached Casper's house, she ran in through the back, into the mudroom closed the door, then leaned against it to catch her breath. She could hear voices in the breakfast room. They were back. But then, she knew that, didn't she? Ratty Carter must have run straight from the boat to report to Margaret about what he'd heard that day. Every secret he'd gleaned from Casper, Duke, Taylor and Sadie would be told to Margaret Buddlon.
And what would she do with those secrets? Mabel wondered. The woman kept to herself. She didn't see anyone at Hamilton Savier other than Carter. Her meeting with Sara and Mabel had been an accident. So what harm did it do that Carter was blabbing everything to her? Maybe she was his client and maybe the way he got to handle her multi-millions was to entertain her with the happenings about Hamilton Savier.
"I thought I heard someone," Casper said, looking at her from the door way. "Why are you standing there in the dark?" He flipped on the light switch, then stared at her. "Are you alright? You kook out of breath."
"Jogging," she said, not meeting his eyes. "I've decided to take it up. I need to lose about twenty pounds."
He smiled. "You don't need to lose an ounce, and since when did a person go jogging while carrying a basket of cookies?"
"Since Little Red Riding Hood ran through the forest."
Casper chuckled. "In that case, I think you should look out for the Big Bad Wolf." He took the basket from her hand and put it on the counter. "The house smells great, but I thought you were going to take the day off and have some fun."
"I did have fun. I like to bake." She still wasn't looking at him.
"Hey," he said softly, taking a step toward her. "What's going on? You look upset. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," she said, taking a deep breath and straightening her shoulders. "Have you guys had dinner?"
"Nope. We decided to eat with you, so we bought about twenty different Chinese dishes. Dad couldn't make up his mind so we got everything. Come eat with us."
"Sure," she said. "Just let me change first."
Casper caught her wrist. "Mabel, you can tell me if something's bothering you."
"Nothing," she said. "I'm just not used to running, that's all. You guys start without me. I may take a quick shower."
Casper was frowning slightly and watching her. "We'll wait. Hurry and join us."
"I'm sure Sadie—"
"She's not here," he said quickly. "And she won't be here tonight. I sent her off with Carter. They are old friends, and since I came into the picture, they don't get to see each other enough."
"Right," Mabel said. "Carter and Sadie. And Carter's boat."
Casper frowned deeper, but before he could say anything else, Mabel ran up the stairs to her room. By the time she took a shower MD pulled on clean clothes, she was calmer. What did it matter if someone told a famous star the gossip of a small, gated community? Didn't they all sit around the pool and watch the kids swim while they told everything they knew about everyone else? Gossip was as common as SUVs in the community.
But everything she knew and had been told hadn't been harmless. No one was talking about Sara' desire for a child, which was so strong that she'd spent years maneuvering a neighbor's life so she could have his child. But Sara's husband had told that to a stranger.
When Mabel went downstairs, Casper, Taylor, and Duke were sitting at the table waiting for her. Taylor and Duke made a great show of digging in just as Mabel appeared. She got extra napkins from the kitchen. When she returned, Casper was looking at her intently.
She smiled at him. "So tell me about every second of the day," she said as she heaped her plate full of Chinese food. Immediately, Taylor started talking so fast that her grandfather could hardly get a word in.
"Did Mr Carter Donner have a good time?" Mabel asked after ten minutes of Taylor's chattering about the boat and the water and every shell she'd seen.
"He caught two fish," Taylor said. "And he cleaned them himself. But he had to clean Sadie's fish for her. She's a silly chicken and afraid of everything."
Mabel waited for Casper to defend his girlfriend, but he said nothing. Infact he'd been silent since they sat down.
"But Mr Donner wasn't afraid?" Mabel asked. "He's good on a boat? No sea sickness?"
"I saw his wife on the beach today and she wasn't very happy. She didn't say so, but I think it hurt her that her husband went without her."
Casper frowned. "But Sarah throws up if she so much as steps on a bait. I've seen it. Roger's done everything he can to get her to go, but she refuses."
"Isn't it interesting that a man would buy a boat when he knows that his wife can't get on it? Sure does allow him lits of private time, doesn't it?"
"Are you implying that Carter is doing something he shouldn't? Like having an affair?" Casper asked, incredulous.
"What's an affair?" Taylor asked.
"Its something that your father has no idea how to conduct," Duke said. "Taylor, sweetheart, how about if you and I go brush our teeth and get into our jammies?"
"So Daddy and Mabel could talk in private?" Taylor whispered loudly.
"Exactly." Duke took Taylor's hand and led her out of the room. Mabel stood up and began clearing the table.
"You want to tell me what's made you so sulky?" Casper asked as he closed the tops of the food container.
"I am not sulky."
"Right, and I don't want a Maserati for my birthday. Okay, so you saw Sara today. I thought you didn't like her."
"What Gabe you that idea?" Mabel snapped.
"I don't know. Maybe its the way you can't say her name without sneering. Or maybe its the way you get upset whenever I suggest you take Taylor to visit her. Sara had been a good friend to me. After Laura—"
"I know," Mabel said. "Sara was a saint. She took over your daughter as though she were her very own. And I'll bed she's the one who hired all your bad nannies."
Casper gave a crooked smile. "Yeah, she did."
Mabel glared at him. "You knew what she was doing, didn't you? You knew it but you let her hire one awful woman after another to loom after your precious daughter."
"You make it sound criminal. Yes, I knew Sara wanted Taylor to stay with her. She even told me so. Or at least she said she'd take care if my daughter until I..." He turned away and looked out the windows of the breakfast room. It was dark outside, and the windows had no curtains. When he turned back, his face was calmer. "Mabel, it may seem that I don't know what is going on but I do. Carter and I have talked. I know that Sara is sick with worry that she'll never have her own baby, but they've both had thorough medical exams and nothing is wrong. The doctor thinks her fear is most, if not all, of the problem."
He took a breath. "After Laura died I couldn't think about anything. It was a year before I could function. I would have left Taylor with Sara full-time but Carter asked me not to. He thought that when I did take me daughter back it would destroy Sara." Casper smiled. "But Sara had her own way of getting what she was wanted. Yes, she hired those rotten nannies, and until you asked for the job. I didn't know what I was going to do. I didn't want to hurt Sara's feelings by telling her that I'd hire my own nanny, but I was getting sick of dealing with those lazy girls she chose."
Mabel was behind the counter looking at him. She wanted to tell him about Carter and Margaret, but she couldn't bring herself to do it.
"As for Carter and his boat," Casper said, "I got the idea that Sara loves getting rid of him for a day or two. Carter is pretty hyper, and I think Sara loves the peace and quiet."
"Peace and quiet won't get her pregnant," Mabel muttered, then caught herself. She looked up at Casper and saw that he was holding in his laughter. "I mean—"
"I know what you meant. I know how babies are made."
Mabel wanted to laugh in a sophisticated way, but instead her face turned red.
"Are you over what is eating you? He asked "If you are mad at Carter about something, I don't think you should take it out on us."
"You are right," she said smiling. "Would you like some cookies?"
"You didn't make those apricot ones, did you?
"A double batch."
Smiling, Casper went to the kitchen and Mabel nodded toward the refrigerator. He opened it, shifted the plastic wrap, and came out with three fat cookies. "I don't know what we'd do without you," he said, then kissed her on the cheek on his way out the room.
"Then don't throw me out," Mabel said under her breath as she started cleaning up the kitchen.