Chapter 29

I finally figured out that Columba was on a fishing expedition. She needed to feel safe about Miranda's crush on me, before I was out of the hospital and could cause anyone heartache. With that out of the way, Columba Maines sat down, got comfortable, and proceeded to interrogate me about my life, background, and the wants and wishes for my future.

It was very hard to stick to the limited background that was created for me by the CIA, but I had studied it – me – thoroughly and continued to re-read it to make sure I knew who I was supposed to be in this life.

While giving up my prepared back story, I tried as much as possible to turn her questions back and find out as much as I could about the Maines family, so I ended up knowing almost as much, if not more, about them as I did about David Everett.

Columba was the child of doting parents, who provided everything a child could want, while making sure she had structure, discipline, and lots of love. Her dad was a middle level manager working for a textile company and saved for the day his baby girl would be accepted into a good school. Joseph came along and stole her heart along with her virginity, her good sense, and her carefully prepared plans for the future.

At first her parents resisted the all-consuming love affair, but they quickly realized that Columba was marrying him no matter how they tried to intervene. Rather than fight about it, they chose to accept him as part of the family and make him feel welcome. When Miranda came along, a short time after the wedding, their love for him became real. He had given them a beautiful grandbaby and made their perfect lives even better, so what was there not to love?

As she talked, I studied Columba. She was slightly older than Joseph, but just turning forty, which is the most beautiful age for any woman. As far as I am concerned, when a striking woman reaches forty, something happens to complete their beauty, and it makes them more appealing, more desirable, and much sexier. Columba fit all three, and I enjoyed looking her over, and she enjoyed feeling attractive to a younger man.

"Miranda was always so much more advanced than other children her age. Joseph and I decided it was because we kept her with us all the time, and she was constantly exposed to adult behavior, adult conversation, and adult decisions. By the time she was four, Miranda was the rule maker in her little circle of friends. Nothing happened that Miranda didn't start it, think of it, fix it, or control it. Her friends just naturally let her lead, and when she led, interesting things tended to happen.

"One weekend we brought about ten children her age, from the local daycare for a play date. The parents loved our little get togethers because Joseph liked to spend money on entertainment, catering, and lots and lots of supervision. We hired an entire staff just to watch the kids and make sure no one wandered into the pool or got separated from the group. We kind of obsess about safety...

"Miranda and two other girls suddenly went missing, and Joseph and I fanned out to find them. We found the three girls upstairs in Miranda's room. She had her blackboard out and was 'teaching' the other two how to conjugate verbs. It was hilarious.

"Miranda was such a little mimic as a young child, and she could remember almost anything and repeat it back. At four years old, we were just introducing her to the concept of grammar, and here she was teaching it to her two little friends." I could see how talking about Miranda pleased Columba, and I let her ramble as long as she wished. The up side was that she was filling in the picture I had of her daughter with lots of back story.

Since there was no agenda, no thoughts about doing something about our attraction, and since I could tell she found me appealing, we enjoyed enjoying the time together. Before we knew it, we'd been talking for two hours.

Columba looked at her watch, jumped like she'd been shocked, looked at me, and said, "I CAN'T believe we've been talking for over two hours. Do you know what time it is? I have to get home. Joseph will be wondering if I've left him, and I always supervise Leah's dinner."

I thought she was in rare form. As she hurried to get away, I stopped her with a comment. "Please come back when you have more time, and let's finish our talk ... Ok?"

She smiled like she meant it, came back to the bedside, kissed my forehead, and said, "YOU can count on it."

She was gone like she came in, on a mission.

Reginald Q. Worthington turned up one night, long after Miranda and Columba had left. He looked like he had something important to share and made a show out of closing the door and taking the bedside phone off the hook. He wasn't quite as self-impressed as I was accustomed, so it looked like he had important business to convey.

"Your back story is holding up well, even when the Maines family lawyers hired a private investigator to check you out. We are pretty sure the background we created for you is perfect for the task, so don't worry about that.

"What we are concerned about is where you'll go when you are released in a few days. The Maines family seems to be intent upon moving you into a guest cottage on their property. They even went so far as to engage the services of a visiting nurse service to check on you from time to time.

"Miranda Maines seems intent on moving you into the main house. Joseph would like you better in their guest house, but so far Columba is siding with Miranda. She thinks that until you are fully recovered, you need to be where there are people who can help you if things turn out to be less than perfect in terms of your physical strength. She was overheard telling Joseph about your bouts with bleeding, and how that could cause raging infections, blood poisoning, and the potential for stroke or heart attacks.

"Our medical people are convinced you will be just fine., On the other hand. the doctors Joseph Maines hired are approaching your condition with caution, and that is a good thing as far as how the family wishes to care for you."

He talked for a very long time, pointing out the danger from the foreign competition to Joseph Maines, and by extension, his family. "We need you to be the 'inside man, ' making certain Joseph has no safety crisis and helping out should another one occur. In that regard, having you inside the Maines home is preferable to having you ensconced in their cottage.