she didn't answer. There was no question of that. She would never have accepted anything from him.
She was independent now, and intent on taking care of herself and her own. “Why don't you ever let me help you?”
Her eyes were serious as she answered. “Because I have to take care of myself and Vanessa, there's no one else who's going to be there for us all the time, Teddy. You have your own life. You don't owe us anything. Nothing. The only person I ever counted on was Brad, and now that's over, he's gone.”
“And you don't think that anyone will ever take his place?” It hurt him to ask her the question, especially after what had happened between them the night before.
“I don't know.” And then she sighed softly. “But I do know one thing, and that is that no matter how much I may love you or need you, Teddy, I will never let myself be dependent on you.”
“But why? Brad would have wanted you to.”
“He knew me better than that, scrubbing floors in my parents' palazzo. Besides, I made a deal with your mother.”
Teddy's eyes were instantly angry. “A deal that cost her nothing and has cost you three years of hard work.”
“I don't mind that. It's been for Vanessa.”
“And what about you? Don't you have a right to more than that?”
“If I want more, I'll get it for myself.”
He sighed then. “You don't suppose you'll ever get smart and marry me, will you?”
“No.” She smiled gently at him. “Besides, I tore one Fullerton away from his family”—her eyes clouded as she said it—”I couldn't do that to you too.” And it was unlikely that Margaret Fullerton would ever let her. She'd see Serena dead first. And Serena knew it.
“You know, what my mother has done to you makes me sick, Serena.” His face was sad and serious as he spoke to her.
“It doesn't matter anymore.”
“Yes, it does, who are you kidding? And one day it could matter a lot to Vanessa.”
Neither of them spoke for a long moment. And then Serena looked at him with worried eyes. “If I go to New York, do you think she'll come after me?”
“What do you mean?” He looked shocked.
“I'm not sure. Drive me away somehow, hurt my career if she can … do you think she would?”
He wanted to say no, but as he thought of it he wasn't certain.
“I wouldn't let that happen.”
“You have your own life, and God only knows how she'd do it.”
“She's not that powerful, for chrissake.”
“Isn't she?” Serena looked at him pointedly, knowing full well just how vengeful his mother was.
And softly Teddy whispered. “I wish to hell she weren't.” But she was. They both knew she was.
34
“You'll write to me?” Her eyes were bright with tears, but she was smiling, and he kissed her for a last time.
“Better than that, I'll call you. And I'll come out to visit you both as soon as I can get away.”
Serena nodded, and Teddy reached out once more to Vanessa. “Take care of your mommy for me, princess.”
“I will, Uncle Teddy.” And then with a sad little wail, “Why can't we come too?” His eyes instantly sought Serena's, and she felt as though there were lead weights in her heart. For Vanessa it was like losing the past all over again. And more than that, Teddy had once again become an important part of her present.
They kissed him one last time, and a moment later he boarded the plane, and Serena and Vanessa stood at the airport, waving at the plane as it took off down the runway and then, hand in hand, they went home, feeling as though a part of their souls had left them.
He called them from New York a few days later, and reported that all was well. He was starting work at the hospital in a few days. He was going to be working with one of the country's leading surgeons, polishing up what he had learned in Korea. He mentioned in passing that he had contacted the wife of an old friend, because she worked in a modeling agency. He had hand-delivered Serena's photographs the previous morning, and he'd let her know what the response was as soon as he heard himself. But after the phone call Serena felt an ever greater void than she had before she spoke to him. It was almost a physical ache as she thought of how far away he was and how long it