Thurston House by Danielle Steel Read Free Book Online Page B

before he drifted off to sleep, he wondered why he had never thought of bringing Mary Ellen, but the idea was totally absurd ' she didn't belong in this part of his life ' no woman did ' there was no room for anyone in his business life ' or in his private life ' or was there? He couldn't determine the answer as he fell asleep, and by the next morning he had forgotten the question. He had only a vague sense of malaise as he rang for the valet and ordered his breakfast. It arrived on an enormous silver tray half an hour later, along with the coat he had given them to press the night before, and his shoes, which had been shined to perfection. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that the Palace was one of the finest hotels in the country, and Jeremiah knew that nothing in Atlanta would compare, not that he really cared. What he dreaded were the six endless days on the train to Georgia.
    As there were no private compartments available on the train, he had reserved an entire car for his private use. A small buffet was set up at one end, and there was an area with a desk in which he could work on the moving train and a bed that could be concealed. He always felt like an animal confined to a cage when he traveled by train. And the food they got at the stations along the way was barely worth eating. The only advantage to the trip was that it was a perfect opportunity to work, as there would be no one for him to speak to during the entire six days crossing the country.
    He was already desperately tired of the journey as he walked into the station in Elko, Nevada, on the second day of the trip. He walked into the restaurant for a brief and predictably indigestible lunch composed of all fried foods like all the other meals they were offered and he noticed a startlingly attractive woman. She looked to be in her mid-thirties, was small and slight, with hair as raven black as his own. She had enormous almost violet eyes and delicate creamy skin and he noticed that she was very fashionably dressed, in a velvet suit that could only have come from Paris. He found himself staring at her throughout his lunch, and couldn't resist speaking to her as they left the restaurant at the same time, hurrying so as not to miss the train. He held the door open for her, and she smiled at him and then blushed, which he somehow found endearing.
    Tiresome, isn't it? he said, as they hurried toward the train.
    More like dreadful. She laughed, and he noticed from her speech that she was British. She had a large, beautifully cut sapphire ring on her left hand, but he didn't notice a wedding ring, and he found himself intrigued, enough so to wander through the train that afternoon, and he found her in the Pullman car, reading a book and drinking a cup of tea. She looked up at him in surprise, and he smiled down at her, feeling suddenly shy. He wasn't sure what to say to her, but he hadn't been able to get her out of his mind all afternoon, which was rare for him. There was something remarkable and magnetic about her and he felt it now as he stood near her seat, and suddenly she waved to an empty seat across from her. Would you like to sit down?
    You wouldn't mind?
    Not at all.
    He sat across from her and they introduced themselves. Her name was Amelia Goodheart, and he soon discovered that she had been a widow for more than five years, and she was visiting a daughter in the South, and her second grandchild, recently born. Her first had been born only weeks before in San Francisco. Amelia Goodheart lived in New York.
    You're awfully spread out, all of you. He smiled, passing the time, enjoying her smile, watching her remarkable eyes.
    Too spread out for my taste, I'm afraid. Both of my oldest daughters married last year. The other three children are still at home with me. She was forty years old and one of the loveliest women Jeremiah had ever seen, and his eyes were riveted to her as the train sped along. It was dinnertime before he could bring himself to stand up,