pieces.â Megan saw by the look on his face that he wanted her to be more specific. But she didnât want to launch into that now. She wanted to wait until they were all together. âBut Iâll contain my curiosity until tonight.â She turned to Lacy. Though none of what Lacy had gone through thispast year was her fault, she wanted to make things up to the girl. âRight now, I think we need to get this big boy changed and ready to go.â
âGo? Go where?â Lacy asked.
âShopping,â Megan replied brightly. She held Chase in the air, and the baby gurgled, shoving his fist into his mouth. The drool that followed told Megan another tooth was coming in soon. âI think in honor of his being officially recognized as a Maitland, he needs to get additions to his wardrobe befitting his station in life.â Laughing, she inclined her head toward Lacy. âHumor me, I feel like lavishing money and attention on himâand his mother.â
Lacy wasnât about to accept charity, not even from someone as nice as Megan. âOh, no, thatâs not necessary. Youâve already bought so much for Chase, Iââ
Megan wasnât about to put up with excuses. âThe only thing thatâs necessary,â Megan told her, cutting Lacy off, âis for you to pack away your pride and say yes. Prideâs all well and good in its place, but itâs a poor substitute for having things. Take it from a woman who knows.â She saw the skeptical look on Lacyâs face. âThere was a time that church mice thought of me as being poorer than they were.â
Lacy couldnât believe that Megan had experienced anything less than living in the lap of luxury. âYou?â
âMe.â A tinge of pride entered Meganâs voice.âWhen I married William Maitland, his family thought heâd taken leave of his senses and that I would drag him down.â Her smile was sunny, almost transforming her into the young woman who had caught Williamâs eye and heart. âI turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to him and his stodgy family.â Megan winked at both of them. âOr so he liked to tell me. Now come along, no more excuses or dragging your feet.â
âYes, maâam.â
âThere, thatâs what I like to hear. Complete compliance.â She glanced over her shoulder at Connor just before she and Lacy left the room with Chase. âYou could stand to learn a thing or two from this girl, Connor.â
He already had, he thought, watching them leave. And that was just the problem.
CHAPTER THREE
âW ELL, WELL, WELL, arenât you the little princess?â
Straightening her shoulders, Janelle tossed her hair over her shoulder, its deep chestnut color a sharp contrast to the drab prison-gray dress she was wearing.
Her lips curled in an expression that was half smirk, half sneer as she regarded the visitor the guard had ushered her in to see. If sheâd been expecting Connor, she gave no indication of her disappointment. Instead, brassy insolence defined every inch of her countenance.
She dropped into the chair that faced Lacyâs across the visitorâs table, determined to remain in control over the other woman the way she had all along. âI was wondering if youâd get around to coming to see me.â
Alone in the small five-by-nine room with Janelle, Lacy knew there was a policeman right outside the door. All she had to do was call and the man would instantly be in the room, ready to stop anything that was happening. Janelle couldnât hurt her anymore.Couldnât steal her baby away the way she had twice already.
But logic didnât really help quell the uneasiness shimmering through her.
With effort, Lacy drew her courage to her. Cutting the shopping trip short, she had left Chase in Meganâs care with a fabricated excuse, borrowed a car from her and driven to the police precinct
Alice Ward, Jessica Blake