Mirror Image

produced another piece of paper, and passed it to her. “Familiarize yourself with this tonight. It’s a brief statement Eddy wrote for you to read. He’ll have a microphone set—What’s the matter?”
    “This,” she said, shaking the paper at him. “If I read this, I’ll sound like a moron.”
    He sighed and rubbed his temples. “Eddy was afraid you’d think that.”
    “Anybody hearing this would think the crash had damaged my brain more than my face. Everyone would assume you had locked me away in this private hospital until I regained my sanity, like something out of
Jane Eyre.
Keep the mentally disturbed wife—”
    “
Jane Eyre
? You’ve certainly gotten literary.”
    She was taken aback for a moment, but retorted quickly, “I saw the movie. Anyway, I don’t want people to think I’m mentally dysfunctional and must have everything I say written out for me beforehand.”
    “Just don’t let your mouth overload your ass, okay?”
    “I know how to speak the English language, Tate,” she snapped. “I can put more than three words together at any given time, and I know how to conduct myself in public.” She ripped the prepared statement in half and tossed it to the floor.
    “Apparently, you’ve forgotten that incident in Austin. We can’t afford mistakes like that, Carole.”
    Since she didn’t know what mistake Carole had made in Austin, she could neither defend herself nor apologize. One thing she must remember, however, was that Avery Daniels had experience speaking before television cameras. She was media sophisticated. Carole Rutledge obviously had not been.
    In a calmer voice, she said, “I know how important every public appearance is from now until November. I’ll try to conduct myself properly and watch what I say.” She smiled ruefully and bent to pick up the torn paper. “I’ll even memorize this vapid little speech. I want to do what’s best for you.”
    “Don’t put yourself out trying to please me. If it were up to me, you wouldn’t even be making a statement. Eddy feels that you should, to alleviate the public’s curiosity. Jack and Dad go along with his opinion. So you’ve got to please them, not me.”
    He stood to go. Avery rose quickly. “How’s Mandy?”
    “The same.”
    “Did you tell her I was coming home tomorrow?”
    “She listened, but it’s hard to tell what she was thinking.”
    Distressed that there had been no measurable improvement in the child’s condition, Avery raised her hand to the base of her throat and rubbed it absently.
    Tate touched the back of her hand. “That reminds me.” He went for his jacket, which was still lying across the foot of her bed, and removed something from the pocket. “Since the hospital screwed up and lost your jewelry after all, Eddy thought I should replace your wedding ring. He said voters would expect you to be wearing one.”
    She hadn’t exactly lied to him. When he had inquired about her jewelry, she had told him that when she had opened the envelope taken from the hospital safe, it had contained someone else’s jewelry, not Carole Rutledge’s. “I gave it to one of the nurses here to handle.”
    “Then where is yours?” he had asked at the time.
    “God knows. Just one of those mix-ups that can’t be explained, I guess. Take it up with the insurance company.”
    Tate was now removing a simple, wide gold band from the gray velvet lining of the ring box. “It’s not as fancy as your other one, but it’ll do.”
    “I like this one,” she said as he slid the ring onto her third finger. When he tried to withdraw his hand, she noticed that he was wearing a matching band. She clutched his hand and called his name on a quick intake of breath.
    She bowed her head over their clasped hands, holding them between their chests. Bending her head down farther, she softly kissed the ridge of his knuckles.
    “Carole,” he said, trying to pull his hand free. “Don’t.”
    “Please, Tate. I want to thank you for all you’ve done. Please let me.”
    She implored him to accept her gratitude. “There were so many times—even from the very beginning, when I first regained consciousness—that I wanted to die. I probably would have willed myself to if it hadn’t been for your unflagging encouragement. You’ve been…” She choked up and made no attempt to stem the tears that ran down her flawless cheeks. “You’ve been a wonderful source of strength through all this. Thank you.”
    She spoke from her