She was still trying to comprehend her own incomprehensible behavior. Her romantic relationships had been few and far between and always conducted with great caution and discretion. She had never in her life awakened in the middle of the night and surrendered to overwhelming passion the way she had last night. She still couldn’t believe it had been her in that cave.
There was no sign of Colby’s Jeep in the post office lot, but Margaret Fulbrook’s aging Cadillac was parked there when Diana arrived. The woman was not in the car, but her unsmiling, heavyset, odd-job man was sitting in the front seat.
“Just my luck,“ Diana told Specter as she opened the car door and got out. “Maybe she’ll ignore me.“ She didn’t really feel like dealing with Margaret Fulbrook today. The woman’s bitterness was enough to chill the soul of anyone who got too close to her.
But Margaret Fulbrook didn’t ignore Diana. She came through the glass doors just as Diana was about to open them. Diana held the door for her, reflecting philosophically on the ingrained nature of one’s personal manners.
“You’re that woman Savagar has taken up with for the summer, aren’t you?“ Margaret Fulbrook demanded without any preamble. Her dark eyes glittered in her rigidly set face.
“I’m Diana Prentice,“ Diana said mildly.
“I want to talk to you.“
Diana’s eyes widened. “You do?“
“Come with me.“ She brushed past Diana, heading toward the Cadillac. The woman was obviously accustomed to giving orders and having them obeyed.
Diana shrugged and followed warily. She watched as the grim-faced Harry climbed ponderously out of the Cadillac and opened the passenger door for his employer.
“Thank you, Harry.“ Mrs. Fulbrook settled herself in the seat as if she were assuming her throne. She waited while Harry went back to the driver’s side, and then she angled her fierce gaze up through the window. “Have you seen my grandson?“
She should have been expecting that question, Diana realized. But she’d been preoccupied with other things this morning. “I’ve met him, yes. I had dinner with him and Colby the other night.“
“I'm told he has the Fulbrook eyes. Is that true?“
Diana gazed down at Margaret Fulbrook’s intelligent brown eyes. “Yes, ma’am. He does. He’s a very fine-looking young man.“
“Heard he’s got a girl with him. Probably takes after his father in that respect.“
“He has a girlfriend, yes. Most young men do at that age.“ Diana braced one palm against the roof of the Cadillac and said casually, “He’s just finished his first year in college. Doing very well, I gather. I believe he plans on becoming an engineer.“
Margaret Fulbrook snorted. “Maybe hell amount to more than his father ever did.“
Diana couldn’t repress a smile. “If you’re talking about financial success, Mrs. Fulbrook, I assure you, Colby’s done just fine.“
“I read one of those terrible books of his. Complete nonsense. Nothing but monsters and blood and gore. The stuff of nightmares.“
“Not everybody can write a nightmare. Colby has a real talent.“
“That bastard. He hasn’t got any talent. Leastways, not any respectable talent.“ But there was little heat in the words. It was as if Mrs. Fulbrook had called Colby a bastard so many times during the past twenty years that she could no longer summon up much venom.
“I imagine his publisher would disagree with you,“ Diana said gently.
“Bah. What do I care about his publisher?“ The woman was silent for a long moment, staring straight ahead through the windshield. “What’s he like?“ she asked at last.
“Who, Colby?“
“No! Not Savagar.“ White lines appeared on either side of the woman’s mouth. “I know well enough what he’s like.
He’s a seducer of innocent young girls. He’s a shiftless, no-account, sleazy opportunist who tried to take the easy way out by marrying my daughter. But it all backfired on him. I made sure he never got a dime. Not one thin dime, by God.“
“Did he ever ask for a dime?“
“That’s beside the point! If he never asked, it’s because he figured out fast enough I’d never give him anything. I am not interested in Colby Savagar. I was asking you what my grandson is like. Did Savagar ruin him completely?“
“Brandon is an intelligent, well-educated, well-mannered, well-spoken, surprisingly sensitive young man. I like him very much.“
“No doubt you’ve been brainwashed by Savagar.“
“No doubt.“
“Nineteen years,“ Margaret Fulbrook said slowly. “Nineteen years. And I haven’t seen Cynthia’s son since the funeral.“
“Who’s fault is that?“
“Savagar’s, of course. He never brought the boy to see me.“
“I imagine that’s because he knew you wanted nothing to do with himself or Brandon. I gather you made your wishes clear at the funeral.“
“I still don’t want anything to do with Colby Savagar. But when I heard the boy was in town, I… wondered.“
Diana drew a deep breath and took the plunge. “Brandon asked me about you yesterday.“
The silvered head snapped around. “He did?“
“I think he’s curious about you. He has no kin except for his father. It’s perfectly natural that since he’s here in Fulbrook Corners, he might start wondering about his mother’s people.“
“Probably wonders how much money he can get out of me. The boy was raised by his father and he’ll have turned out just like him.“
Diana hid another smile. “I’ll admit that Brandon is a lot like his father. But he definitely has his mother’s eyes.
Goodbye, Mrs. Fulbrook. I’m sure you’re busy and I’ve got to go pick up my mail. See you around.“ She stepped back from the car.
“One moment, young woman!“
It was nice to be called a young woman, Diana reflected in amusement as she turned back. “Yes, Mrs. Fulbrook?“
“If you had a lick of sense or an ounce of decency and self-respect, you’d stop seeing Savagar. He’ll do you no good, and the bastard doesn’t deserve to be happy, even for the short time he’ll keep you around.“
Diana looked down at her, astonished. “I beg your pardon?“
“You heard me.“ There was a relentless malice in the glittering brown gaze. “I saw the way Savagar looked at you the other day in the post office. He’s finding happiness with you, and he has no right to that. He has no right to happiness of any kind. He deserves to be punished for what he did to my daughter. Stop seeing him!“