Chapter 3

Misgivings

Andrew cast a stern glance over the table and nodded. Breakfast was served. According to the notice board, apparently there had been no casualties during the preceding evening and night. Andrew was extraordinarily loyal to the people of this house and he was prepared to extend that loyalty to Steve Anthony. But, as Derek had said to him only fairly recently, trust had to be earned. It was a naturally occurring by-product of doing a job well. Steve hadn’t been here long enough to do anything. Trust and loyalty were the two pans of the balance. Andrew wasn’t sure if Steve trusted him, and therefore his loyalty to the new guy was .. not as complete at it might have been. Maybe, over time, that would change. Andrew hoped it did; if it didn’t, there would be an awkward sense of ‘us’ and ‘him’.

His loyalty to Nick was strong – equally as strong as it was to the others – and so Andrew was surprised to find himself thinking he was glad Nick wasn’t around. A moment later, as he considered this, he realized it had come from the same place as his loyalty. A place called concern. He was glad because Nick needed to get a little time and space between him and Steve. As yet, Nick wasn’t aware that the new guy had deliberately chosen the room just along the hall from his own. It had been very deliberate. Andrew had told him there were other rooms – better rooms, in truth – but Steve hadn’t even looked. He’d wanted that room because it was close to Nick’s room. Andrew didn’t know why but he suspected there was a reason and it was most likely not very healthy.

He heard footsteps approaching and he moved back from the table.

“You start early,” Steve remarked as he came in.

“Part of the duties, Steve,” Andrew commented. “Did you sleep well?”

“Yeah, I did. Thanks. Great room. I thought, maybe, I’d find it .. stuffy, y’know? Old fashioned. But it’s great. Has character.”

Andrew smiled. “All the rooms here and indeed the house itself have character. There have been times, though not often, when I’ve imagined this house is in some weird way alive.” He laughed softly. “Enjoy your breakfast,” Andrew concluded and left Steve alone.

Alive … Right. As if that could happen. Steve went to the sideboard and lifted the lid on the first pan. Eggs. He put toast on a plate and heaped scrambled eggs on top. Then he found bacon strips and sausage and added that to his collection. He poured coffee and sat down at the table.

Okay, let’s put today in some kind of order. Breakfast. I have to unpack. I have to go to work. I really need some time to get back to the city and buy a car and arrange for my crates to be delivered. I don’t have to do that today though. If Nick isn’t around today, I’ll be needed here. But, if he could swing a day off for personal reasons, Derek must be okay with that. Being new gives me a little advantage. I do have legitimate things to deal with in town. I’ll mention it at supper tonight. Maybe he’ll let me take some time tomorrow.

“Good morning,” Alex greeted as she entered. “You’re up early.”

“I’ve been up a while. Went running.”

“Oh.” She bit back the rest of the sentence – Nick does that too. She collected her food and sat opposite him. “What are your plans for today?”

“I thought that, after I’ve eaten, I’d head upstairs an’ unpack. Couldn’t face it yesterday,” he grinned. “Being stuck on an airplane for such a long time, I needed to get outside. Couldn’t stomach being inside longer than I had to. So, after I’ve got my gear stowed away, I intend to put in a full day in the control room.”

She nodded. “Sounds good. I’m putting together a dossier on some strange events around Parkfield. I could use a little help on that.”

“Sure. Look forward to it. Is Rachel gonna be here today?”

“Yeah,” Alex replied. “If she isn’t seeing patients, she’s usually here around nine thirty.”

“An’ Nick?” Steve inquired, his voice carefully light.

“No. He has a day out today.”

“Work?”

“Personal.”

Steve nodded. “Everyone needs that from time to time.”

“Was it easy to get timeout in the New York house?” Alex asked, trying to steer the subject away from Nick. Besides, she had only ever worked in San Francisco and she was interested in how the other houses functioned.

He thought about it. “Not really. Yeah, we could do it but we needed a damn good reason. We couldn’t just say an’ go. Couldn’t just walk out. Boss would’ve gone ballistic.” He concentrated on his food for a while. “Guess Derek’s easier on the guys in his team.”

“Not really,” Alex answered with a wry smile. “Although, it must be said, we have all just .. walked at times. When the frustration boils over, y’know? But invariably it’s only around the grounds and we’re back in.”

“We don’t have grounds in New York. This is really a beautiful setting.”

“Yes, it is,” Alex agreed. “In a way, I envy you. You’re seeing it all fresh. When you live here, it’s .. accepted. And, of course, sometimes it’s difficult living here. You make plans to meet someone for dinner and then the weather breaks and we can’t get to the mainland. There can be an element of prison fever here at times.”

“I can imagine. But .. Nick has good reason for timeout today.”

“Oh, for sure. They’re starting to furnish the nursery.”

“It’s his first kid?”

Alex nodded.

“He been married long?”

“A few years.”

“Happy?”

“I’d say so,” Alex said diplomatically. “They’ve had some fights but doesn’t everyone? They’re always stronger after they’ve made up.”

Steve nodded. “So .. if you don’t mind me asking .. what’s the deal with Peri?”

“What do you mean?” Alex frowned, wondering where this was going.

He leaned forward. “Just trying to understand, Alex. Control room is for Legacy people. Peri’s no member. If she was, I wouldn’t be here cos you’d have a full team. Why is she so .. comfortable in the control room?”

“She helps out. She’s .. an associate. Derek trusts her judgment an’ so do I. She’s a good friend to everyone in this house.”

“Okay.” He shrugged. “I thought it was unusual is all.” Steve pushed his plate away. “Well, best make a start on settling in. See you later,“ he winked.

*****

“How about this one?” Merlin suggested. At the complete lack of response, she glanced around. “Nicky ..? Are you with me here?”

His shoulders twitched. “Yeah. Yeah, I am. Which one?”

Merlin wished she could still tell if someone was telling her the straight truth. She pointed.

Nick considered. “Too cheap. Our baby deserves the best.”

She raised an eyebrow. “It isn’t the cheapest. It’s a reasonable price for a functional item. It has good support. Smooth ride. Parking brake works fine.”

“Something better,” he said and started to turn away.

“Nicky, we won’t actually be using this for very long. You know I’m not reluctant to spend money, not if the cost justifies the outlay. A stroller, something we’ll use for a year, eighteen months ..? It isn’t worth it.” She watched his face. “What are you looking for? Gold plated wheels an’ a velvet padded lining?” She put her hand on his arm and he shook it away. Merlin stepped back. “Is it Steve?” she inquired.

Nick’s face blanked and his eyes darkened.

His temper had always been compared with a volcano. Most of the time, volcanoes were asleep but, when a violent eruption threatened, everything became very still and the sky darkened. His face had just done the same.

“If I said let it go, would you even hear me?” Merlin asked. “Or is Krakatoa about to blow its top again?”

“You don’t understand – ” he began.

She took his hand and squeezed it. “You’re right. I don’t understand. So how about we go get a cup of coffee an’ you explain it to me so I do. Then, when you’re more in the mood, when you’re all here with me instead of part of you someplace else, we’ll come back an’ you can test drive this stroller.”

His nostrils flared but the threat of explosion receded. “Okay.”

They left the store and walked down the block to the nearest diner. It was another cool, misty day in the city despite it being the middle of June.

“I was thinking,” Merlin remarked, looping her arm thru his, “just the other day in fact, that this child is gonna be the biggest temptation in my life.”

“Why?” Nick frowned.

“Allow me to elaborate. Take my parents an’ me,” she explained. “When I was small, their main concern was that I’d harm an innocent by accident. They kept me shut away until I understood the consequences an’ the responsibility.”

“We won’t have that worry,” Nick pointed out.

“No, we won’t. We have the other side of the coin instead. No Enforcer has ever done this. My parents were never worried that I couldn’t look out for myself. They knew I could. What worried them was that I’d go too far in looking out for myself. Our baby .. it’s the opposite. We’ll do our best to raise it not to be a doormat or put up with intimidation, but you know how kids are, how cruel they can be. It could happen to our kid. A mother’s instinct is to protect her child at all costs. Each an’ every day, I’ll have to fight the temptation to asswhip someone an’ so cross the line.”

“I’ll help you fight that,” Nick responded, pushing open the diner’s door. “If I hit someone for bullying my kid, most that’ll happen to me is I go to jail.”

They went to a booth and sat opposite each other.

“Usual?” he asked.

Merlin nodded. “Yeah, thanks.”

“Two black coffees,” he told the waiter.

She leaned forward. “So .. explain it to me.”

Nick was quiet for a moment as he put it all in order.

“Y’know I told you I looked at the files.”

“Yeah.”

“Derek wasn’t there at the time. He was outta the house, meeting Anna, and I popped the lock to his room an’ went thru them. There was only one candidate I knew I’d have trouble accepting.”

“Steve.”

He nodded. “An’ the reason is .. he’s too much like me. Yeah, there’s a superficial likeness. We’re much the same height an’ body shape. Same color hair an’ eyes. But it’s more than that. It’s what I see in his eyes, Merli. Like looking into a mirror.”

“Why is that a problem for you?” she asked.

Nick shook his head and sighed. “You can listen to me an’ believe my voice if it’s sincere. If my eyes match my voice, I’m likely telling the truth. Eyes .. see into the soul. An’ the soul is what makes each of us unique. I don’t feel unique anymore. I feel .. like I’ve suddenly gotten a twin brother. An’ if others see him an’ believe we’re alike so we must be the same, that he can do what I do … ”

“You feel your place in the house is threatened.”

Nick didn’t reply to that but his expression said she’d aimed true.

“I could say your feelings are groundless but I won’t. All feelings are genuine even if the cause is misguided. Okay, let’s try to take a step back and look at this from a slightly different angle, huh?”

The coffee arrived and Merlin wished she could have a cigarette to go with it.

“One, Derek would not let Steve be second in command. He may call on Steve to do something he would usually ask you to do if it’s two thirty in the morning an’ you’re not around, but he may not. He may pick up the phone an’ call you in, an’ you’d go at once because that’s the kinda guy you are. Derek knows that an’ he doesn’t know Steve yet. He doesn’t trust Steve completely. He trusts him as a member of the Legacy but not as a full fledged member of his house. Two, you’ve proved yourself a thousand times. Maybe more. Steve hasn’t, not to Derek. Your father was in the Legacy and knew Derek. Derek knew you when you were a kid. You two go back years. Derek knows what makes you tick an’ what ticks you off. You’re like a son to him. You were invited to join his house, you accepted an’ you’ve been there ten years. Steve joined the Legacy five years ago at someone else’s invitation. You have twice the experience that he does, experience gained at Derek’s side an’ under his leadership. He’s seen you grow, develop, mature. Steve has just .. walked in. Literally. There’s a whole lotta settling down to do before people begin to feel comfortable around him. Yeah, he does have a remarkable resemblance to you but he isn’t you, he isn’t your twin brother, he isn’t a threat. An’, trust me on this, if he tries something, I’ll let him know .. later, when I can .. that I do not allow the background harmony of that house to be disrupted.”

“You’d do that for me?”

“No,” she said and then gave him a wicked smile. “Aquila would do that for you.”

Nick let an equally slow and wicked smile spread over his face.

“Now can you let it go?”

“Absolutely.”

“You’re okay to test drive the stroller?”

“Yep. Still think we deserve a more expensive one.” He shrugged easily. “I have a reputation to maintain.”

*****

In his new, permanent room, Steve began unpacking. He opened the closet then put the first suitcase on the bed. A half hour later, he’d finished putting the clothes on hangers or in drawers. The one thing Steve didn’t own was a tux. He hated them. He had one suit for ‘special occasions’ and that was hung at the very back of the closet. Steve felt restricted in a shirt collar and tie. He preferred T-shirts, sweaters, jeans, and he loved his job because he could wear those things every day.

He turned his mind toward work. Work meant staying inside so he wouldn’t need his jacket, not today. He took the keys to the rental and put them on the dresser, his billfold went next to them. Then he emptied the pockets of his other jacket and remembered the tiny box. Carefully, still suspicious, he picked it up and studied it. There was a design on the top. Set amid the intricately carved coils was a cipher. He frowned slightly as he rubbed his thumb over it, angling the box toward the window and better light. It looked like two initials. DD. The coils flowed out from these two letters.

What could they stand for? Dave’s Dope? Dick’s Dreampowder? It has to be narcotics. This is a stash box. But why would that guy give it to me? However you look at it, this box is expensive stuff. The wood is beautiful. You could sell this an’ make a profit, yet he just gave it away … Well, there’s only one way to know for sure if I’m right.

Steve closed one hand firmly around the base and the other firmly over the lid, then bunched his muscles. For a second, the wood refused to budge but then the lid came off. Steve warily peered inside and laughed quietly. What a sense of anticlimax. The box was empty. It had a blue felt lining .. and that was all.

“Played me for a sucker,” he grinned. “Right down the line. But, maybe, it was simply a gift. I can sell it an’ .. make .. a profit … Whoa.”

He felt a little dizzy and had to squeeze his eyes shut for a moment till the wave passed. He had a strange, metallic taste in his mouth and his legs felt a little wobbly. The bed was near and he sat down abruptly, then lay down because the room was tilting away from him.

Maybe I’m just tired. Long flight. Jet lag catching up with me. A nap. Yeah, a nap. When I wake up, I’ll be as good as new …

His eyelids crashed.

*****

Rachel sat down, carefully nursing a cup of hot tea. Alex glanced up then lowered her eyes again.

“Well,” Rachel remarked, more to get it out there than elicit a response.

“I know,” Alex agreed, shaking her head. This was the first time they’d really had to themselves to talk over what was uppermost in both their minds. “I don’t understand it, Rachel. I really thought we were getting to a good place, y’know? Egypt threw us a little off balance but .. on the whole, we were there. One team, working together, pulling in the same direction. And now this. It’s like I don’t know him anymore.”

“I’m not defending him but I keep telling myself that, as Precept, Derek is entitled to .. do things we don’t always approve of or agree with,” Rachel responded. “An’ those things include keeping us in the dark about some matters. After all, precept does mean law. But I really believed he would have told us about this before the guy’s past the gate an’ almost at the front door. When he came back from Boston, he was concerned about our reactions. We had a long talk about it, a talk he initiated. He agreed with me when I suggested running his choice by us before he finally decided. I don’t know why he didn’t.”

“And to just .. choose one at random, what’s all that about?” Alex asked. “He said he didn’t bother to think about it because he didn’t believe the guy would ever arrive.”

“That was possible but it’s a little late now as he’s here. There could have been a change of heart by the candidate or his Precept, London finally accepting that we are fine without a fifth member, or even something happening to the candidate on route – him leaving the Legacy, for example.” Rachel sipped her tea. “In his heart, Derek wants Philip back so whoever takes his place will never be quite good enough. He’ll never measure up. Looked at that way .. why go to all the effort of choosing the right man or telling us what he plans?”

“You believe this was planned?”

“No,” Rachel replied with a small smile. “I think it’s a knee jerk. An’ so do you.”

Alex nodded. “Well .. Steve is here now.” She hesitated, wary of moving on to the other matter uppermost in her mind. “What d’you think of him?”

Rachel hesitated too. “I haven’t spent enough time with him to form a realistic opinion.”

“That’s the diplomatic answer,” Alex accused. She checked behind her then leaned forward. “You’ve made a first impression, just as I have.”

“Yeah,” Rachel admitted. “He’s … ” She thought. “He’s very like Nick, isn’t he?”

“You think so too?”

“Maybe not exactly twins. Not physically. There are a lotta similarities physically, yes, but there are differences too. It’s the attitude which is .. scarily alike.”

“Two peas from the same pod,” Alex remarked. “Two tempers, do you think?”

“It’s possible,” Rachel replied, suppressing a shudder. “What alarms me is how Nick is taking this. For instance, if someone arrived who looked very like me but had a completely opposite personality, I’d find it easier to cope. I’d still be uncomfortable but people would be able to tell us apart. But if the personality was almost the same as mine as well the physical looks, I’d feel like I was losing my identity. Identity is what makes us who we are. It’s the brand of our individuality, our uniqueness in the universe. A fifth member, a male .. Nick would be fine. But Steve … ” She shook her head. “It’s the worst combination. I’ve already seen the warning signs in Nick. He’s closed down the barriers to defend himself, to put a boundary around the man we know as Nick Boyle, to .. define the limits of who he is. An’ that is the crust on the volcano. Beneath it, all kinds of emotions are churning, boiling, seething. They have no release all the time Steve’s here.”

Alex looked troubled. “What’s likely to make him blow?”

“Well .. it could be any one of us an’ we’ll do it by accident – the first time we call Steve Nick. Or it could be Steve himself. I’ve seen warning signs in him too,” Rachel confessed. “He’s reacting in a similar way to Nick – establishing boundaries – because he’s feeling the same .. emotional threat. Thus far, he’s been polite an’ deferential but the first time he encroaches on what Nick perceives as his territory, we can expect fireworks an’ a spectacular display at that.”

“It’s such a shame that it’s happening now,” Alex commented. “He should be enjoying impending fatherhood and, instead, he’s gotten this to deal with.”

“In that case, don’t forget Peri’s influence. If anyone can keep Nick grounded, it’s her.”

*****

Derek worked in his office, and felt his shoulders being crushed by guilty responsibility. Steve was here and it wasn’t going how Derek had hoped.

Why didn’t I just tell Paul I’d changed my mind? I could have chosen any of the others. If I’d looked instead of just pointing a finger at one folder, I could have avoided all this bad feeling. I thought they’d direct it at me and, for a while, they did, but now it’s aimed at Steve who has done nothing to warrant it except resemble an existing member of my house. And, if I’m totally fair about it, Alex and Rachel are trying hard to be neutral.

We must hope – all of us – that Steve quickly establishes his presence here and allows his true personality to shine. Maybe then I will have a chance to convince Nick that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

*****

Steve’s eyelids fluttered open and he drew in a deep breath. The nausea had passed, the strange sense of vertigo had gone. Warily, he sat up and paused, waiting to see if it came back. It didn’t. He stood up and waited again. Then he grinned.

I have no idea what that was all about but I’m okay now. No .. I’m better than okay. I feel fantastic. It’s like .. my blood is fizzing with energy. Whoa, it’s a pretty wild sensation.

Steve checked the time; it was just past noon.

Okay .. if I leave now, I can be at the shipping office by two thirty an’ make arrangements for my stuff to be delivered. Outta there by two forty five, two fifty latest, an’ I can find myself some hot wheels an’ then I can dump the rental.

He picked up a jacket, collected his billfold and keys, then headed out with a spring in his step. He paused by the next door, frowning slightly.

Why did I choose to be next to this? There’s going to be a screaming brat in there within the year. If he hadn’t been so weak … Mind you, she’s a stunning woman.

A strange light flickered in his eyes and he grinned slowly as he moved on to pause again outside the last door.

This is their room … His room, the one he shares with her. She is really very sexy. Can’t tell she’s got one baking in her oven .. and that’s a big advantage. Well known fact that a woman can’t get pregnant if she’s already knocked up. And I know I got the kinda face an’ body she likes …

His grin matured into a smile and he moved on toward the stairs. Steve skipped down them and went out, letting the front door slam behind him.

*****

“This one,” Nick decided. “Not the most expensive but the best choice for us.”

“Okay.” It was a little more than she’d wanted to spend but not that much more. And Nick had test driven a half dozen strollers before making his choice.

“What’s next on the list?” he asked, sounding enthusiastic.

“Crib.”

They wandered away from the strollers and into the next area of the store. “You confirmed the artist?” he inquired.

“Uh huh. She’s coming by tomorrow around ten.”

“You told her what I want?”

”Yeah, I did. She thought it was a little weird for a baby’s bedroom but she’ll work it into the design.”

“It’s important to me. Part of my past. My kid deserves to know what Daddy did when he was younger.”

“I agree. A Blackhawk helicopter with guys fastroping onto a beach and a SEAL on point in the dunes .. sure, I can see how it would fit right in with the bunnies and puppies. She says she can do it but she may need some technical input on what the scene looks like. For the guns. She said she hasn’t had much call for those in her work till now.”

“No problem.” He hesitated. “You got any scenes planned about what you do?”

She shook her head. “My past has to remain a secret, at least until he or she is grown up a little an’ understands that it can never be spoken of to anyone. You know how kids are at school, Nicky. My Dad’s car is better than your Dad’s. I can just hear it – my Mom can whip your Mom’s ass cos she fights for God.”

He laughed quietly. “How about being cryptic?” he suggested. “Y’know how the sun shines thru clouds? Those big, fat rays spearing down? Kinda spiritual. When she saw those, my Mom used to say that God was home and all was right with the world. You could do something like that.”

“Yeah, I could. Not accurate but it is spiritual.”

“Not accurate?”

Merlin grinned. “If you want accurate, knowing the guy I work for, you’d have to paint a big, black, angry cloud with lightning an’ tongues of flame. An’ that’d give our kid nightmares.”

“It didn’t give you nightmares,” Nick remarked.

“It never did,” Merlin agreed. “But then I lived the nightmare every night when I went to the Gorge an’ I was trained to fight the things I found there.”

*****

Derek came into the control room to find Alex and Rachel alone. He halted, frowning. “Is Steve not here?”

“I haven’t seen him since breakfast,” Alex replied. “He was going to unpack an’ come down later.”

“It doesn’t take this long to unpack a couple of suitcases,” Derek remarked.

“Derek, ease up,” Rachel urged. “The guy’s new. And maybe he had more than two suitcases to unpack. Maybe the traveling got to him. Maybe Steve is feeling .. new. The impact of what he’s doing is hitting him. And this house hasn’t exactly been a bed of roses, has it?”

Derek flushed. “Rachel – ”

“I’m not pointing fingers. Maybe, if we’d had a little more notice, we could’ve made it easier for him. We could’ve made it easier for ourselves. It didn’t happen so why bleat on about it? I’m concerned with what Steve’s having to deal with now. Not just as a member of the Legacy either. He’s in a new city, a new state, a new job, new people. We make allowances until he’s a little more settled. Okay?”

“All right,” Derek conceded. “Do you think it appropriate if one of us goes up to check on him?”

“He did say he intended to put in a full day’s work in here,” Alex added.

“I’ll go,” Rachel declared. “If you go, Derek, it’ll smack of authority bearing down.”

She went out and Derek looked to Alex for support. “I’m not an authoritarian .. am I?”

“You have your moments,” Alex grinned. The two of them, here, like this, was like the old days. No one had to hold back or put on an act. “Steve was asking questions about Nick, and Peri.”

Derek raised an eyebrow. “Specifically?”

“Why she was in the control room. She isn’t a member. He thought it was unusual. I told him that she’s an associate, that we all trust her judgment.”

He nodded slowly. “In one way, it’s a good sign. He’s observant. In another .. not so good.”

“He’s a member of our team, Derek. Shouldn’t he be told?”

“In time. Paul is of the opinion that the Enforcers, while being accessible, shouldn’t be advertised. I agree. Anyway, it isn’t necessary for us to tell Steve anything right now. Peri .. isn’t doing the job.”

“Excuse me?” Alex queried, startled.

“She doesn’t have access to the power, and she won’t until her baby is born. Only then will she become our resident Enforcer again.”

“Why didn’t she say?” Alex wondered.

“I don’t know but I can guess. She was embarrassed at being helpless, and, in her eyes, useless. And it was new to her. She needed time to .. get used to being a normal person. Best that we find out now than in the thick, yes?”

“I guess so. I suppose this means her baby will be normal too.”

“Yes, and I expect that’s why she’s done it,” Derek paused. “What was he asking about Nick?”

*****

“Steve ..?” Rachel called softly. She knocked on his door and bent her ear to the wood to listen. “Steve, are you in there?”

Not receiving a reply, Rachel eased the door handle around and pushed. She carefully looked past the edge to scan the room. She had no intention of entering but took two steps inside so she could see if he was in the bathroom. The room was silent and empty. No sounds of running water from the shower. No sounds of activity at all.

Steve had gone.

*****

Derek hesitated. “Would you say that Steve has a rather unhealthy fixation on Nick?”

Alex thought about it. “Is he obsessed? No, I’d say not. Is he curious? Definitely. I would be too if I worked somewhere there was someone who looked and acted almost the same as me.”

“But he doesn’t.”

Alex frowned and shook her head slightly. “Who doesn’t?”

“Steve.”

She sat back. “Derek, c’mon.”

“Yes, there are some similarities,” he conceded. “But they are not twins, Alex. Their background is entirely different. For one thing, they come from opposite sides of the country. As an example, and I use this only as an illustration, clones. A clone of an individual is an individual in his, her or its own right because, while it is a perfect physical copy, the way it is raised, the influences upon it, its interactions with others, they all make the clone totally different mentally.”

“Derek, Steve isn’t a clone and he isn’t Nick’s twin brother spirited away at birth. It’s a .. a fluke. We realize that. They have remarkably physical similarities and Steve does have the same way of talking as Nick. Speech, body language … If I came into a new job and found someone like me already there, yeah. I’d ask questions. I’d want to know a lot about them so I could .. reaffirm who I am.”

“Yet Nick hasn’t asked any questions.”

“Rachel says he’s establishing boundaries, defending his identity.”

Derek pursed his lips as he thought. “Would you say Nick feels threatened?”

“That’s difficult to answer. You should ask him, or Rachel. If you want my opinion – ”

Rachel came in. “He’s gone.”

They swung round to stare at her.

“Not gone forever gone, just .. gone. His stuff is all there .. but he isn’t,” Rachel continued.

Derek picked up the phone, pressed a number and waited maybe two heartbeats.

“Has Steve Anthony left the estate?” he asked the gate.

“Er .. yes, sir.”

“What time did he go?”

“The log says .. he drove out just about an hour ago.”

“Did he mention where he was going?” Derek asked next.

“No, sir, but then he didn’t stop. He took the bend a little too fast an’ he looked real happy.”

“I see. Thank you.” Derek hung up again. “He’s left the estate, taken his car. He looked happy.”

Rachel sat down. “Happy? Why?”

“He didn’t say anything this morning about going anywhere. He may have gotten a call – ” Alex began.

“And just left, without a word to anyone?” Derek queried.

“Maybe he didn’t know he had to,” Rachel suggested.

“I think he did,” Alex replied uneasily. “He was telling me how strict the New York house is, and I said that .. Derek wasn’t really any easier on us. Well, you’re not,” she defended as Derek glanced at her. “If one of us just walked out without a word, you’d let us know it’s unacceptable.”

“And I will let Steve know when he eventually returns,” Derek commented.

“Can I suggest,” Rachel said, “that you don’t hit him with the full weight of the law until you know why he left so suddenly? He could have gotten a call – and we have all had them, the kind where we have to drop everything an’ go – and, to us, it may not have seemed like a crisis. To him, to his perception, it could have been. Maybe he had to return the rental an’ simply forgot to tell us, or someone had broken into his shipping crates an’ he had to go identify what’s missing. We don’t know, Derek. Everyone has a reason for acting the way they do.”

“Very well,” Derek accepted, but his expression promised a lecture.

*****

“You’re really okay now?” Merlin asked.

“Yeah, I think so. I’m okay right now. I’m okay with my place in the Legacy an’ running the show when Derek isn’t around. The big test is gonna come when I look into his eyes an’ what I see there when I give him an order he doesn’t like.”

“You’ll sail thru. No one in their right mind deliberately goes into a new job to rock the boat. They take a little time, see the setup, get to know personalities, what works, what doesn’t. Steve is a member of the Legacy, Nicky. He isn’t stupid. If he was, he’d be dead. What you see in his eyes shouldn’t damn him either. Derek’s seen things in your eyes when he’s given you an order you don’t particularly like. He hasn’t written you off as a bad risk. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions. Try not to pick a fight.”

“Is it okay to respond appropriately if he does?” he inquired.

“Sure, an’ you can beat on him. Just try not to kill him. An’ have witnesses who’ll confirm he started it.”

Nick started unpacking the first of the many bags they’d brought home and whatever ill humor still lingered shredded and dissolved.

“This is .. so tiny,” he breathed, fascinated by his child’s first clothes.

“Isn’t it?” she smiled, resting her head on his shoulder. “Christmas feels like years away.”

He glanced back at her. “Thanks for waiting a day so I could come with you. I wouldn’t have missed this for the world. I’m gonna go put the crib in the nursery.”

“Wanna hand?” Merlin asked.

His eyes narrowed. “Maybe some company to watch me working.”

“Deal.”

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