began
to tremble.
Help me, James, she'd implored silently during the drive.
James hadn't sensed her unspoken plea, any more than he'd noticed
the anxiety she felt. He was far away, oblivious to her torment—lost in his own,
perhaps, or simply preoccupied with problems at the resort he was building near
Australia's Great Barrier Reef.
Maylene had to rely on herself to find control over her emotions.
She hadn't found it yet and any moment she'd be face-to-face with her sister.
Most of those emerging through Exit Door Four had been to Hong
Kong before. Their self-assured expressions signaled that they knew they'd be
met by a hotel representative and escorted without delay to a prearranged
limousine. On this Sunday night, most travelers were business people, in a
hurry to get to their rooms and recover from jet lag before their high-powered
meetings in the morning.
Suddenly, amid the stream of confident faces came an uncertain
one. She wasn't sure where to look, or what she'd see. But she was eager to
greet the unknown.
It didn't matter that her dress was rumpled from the trans-Pacific
flight, or that her shoulder-length hair was mussed. There was a freshness
about her, an aura that was pure gold.
As Maylene's silk-stockinged legs teetered atop high fashion's
highest heels, her heart teetered on the edge of disaster. What if some impulse
she could neither detect nor control compelled her to lunge at Allison? To
attack?
I won't let it happen. I cannot, will not, permit the
cruelty to surface. I'll sense the impulse in time and stop it....
Allison's searching, hopeful gaze found her—and Maylene felt
herself moving. She was gliding, not lunging, as if pulled by a powerful magnet
from deep within the golden girl.
"Allison? Hello. I'm—" your sister, your sister! "—Maylene
Kwan."
"Oh! You're the architect. It's so nice of you to take
the time to meet me. James has told me how brilliant you are."
Allison's voice was admiring, as if she was proud of Maylene's
brilliance and not resentful in the least—merely happy that such talented
people existed and she was lucky enough to meet one of them.
Maylene stared, unable to speak. Wholesome, rumpled and lovely, Allison was also gloriously unafraid... as if she had no shame, no
torments, to hide.
Of course she has nothing to hide! She was chosen, and you
were abandoned. She was loved, and you were hurt. You
should hate her, hate her, hate her.
But, Maylene's heart whispered, how can I blame her for being
chosen over me? If I'd been my father I'd have chosen her, too.
"James is also here," Maylene finally murmured,
gesturing toward the Rolls into which Allison's luggage was being loaded.
"He got a call just as we pulled up. There's a problem with a resort he's
building in Australia. We can get into the car if you like, or we can wait here
until he's finished."
"It's fine to wait here." Allison smiled. "The air
is so tropical."
In truth, the night was hot and humid, a breath away from rain.
Maylene liked the sultry warmth, and had always felt a little cold in England,
but summertime visitors to Hong Kong often found the steaminess smothering.
Needing to know, Maylene asked, "Do you really like the heat,
Allison, or are you just being polite?"
"I really like it." Allison's smile became a frown.
"It's going to make my hair curl, though. I guess that's okay, it got a
bit limp on the plane, but—I'm babbling, aren't I?"
Allison's shrug tilted her head and caused Maylene to focus more
closely on the golden hair—and discover a little falseness about the sister who
seemed too good to be true. Allison's hair color wasn't natural. It couldn't
be. There wasn't simply moonlight. There was fire as well. The illusion rivaled
what Maylene hoped to achieve with the Jade Palace, one moment gold, the next
red, the next a harmony of both.
An illusion, Maylene realized that was natural. How had
nature achieved such a spectacular blend? Was it a mix of separate strands of
gold and
to tremble.
Help me, James, she'd implored silently during the drive.
James hadn't sensed her unspoken plea, any more than he'd noticed
the anxiety she felt. He was far away, oblivious to her torment—lost in his own,
perhaps, or simply preoccupied with problems at the resort he was building near
Australia's Great Barrier Reef.
Maylene had to rely on herself to find control over her emotions.
She hadn't found it yet and any moment she'd be face-to-face with her sister.
Most of those emerging through Exit Door Four had been to Hong
Kong before. Their self-assured expressions signaled that they knew they'd be
met by a hotel representative and escorted without delay to a prearranged
limousine. On this Sunday night, most travelers were business people, in a
hurry to get to their rooms and recover from jet lag before their high-powered
meetings in the morning.
Suddenly, amid the stream of confident faces came an uncertain
one. She wasn't sure where to look, or what she'd see. But she was eager to
greet the unknown.
It didn't matter that her dress was rumpled from the trans-Pacific
flight, or that her shoulder-length hair was mussed. There was a freshness
about her, an aura that was pure gold.
As Maylene's silk-stockinged legs teetered atop high fashion's
highest heels, her heart teetered on the edge of disaster. What if some impulse
she could neither detect nor control compelled her to lunge at Allison? To
attack?
I won't let it happen. I cannot, will not, permit the
cruelty to surface. I'll sense the impulse in time and stop it....
Allison's searching, hopeful gaze found her—and Maylene felt
herself moving. She was gliding, not lunging, as if pulled by a powerful magnet
from deep within the golden girl.
"Allison? Hello. I'm—" your sister, your sister! "—Maylene
Kwan."
"Oh! You're the architect. It's so nice of you to take
the time to meet me. James has told me how brilliant you are."
Allison's voice was admiring, as if she was proud of Maylene's
brilliance and not resentful in the least—merely happy that such talented
people existed and she was lucky enough to meet one of them.
Maylene stared, unable to speak. Wholesome, rumpled and lovely, Allison was also gloriously unafraid... as if she had no shame, no
torments, to hide.
Of course she has nothing to hide! She was chosen, and you
were abandoned. She was loved, and you were hurt. You
should hate her, hate her, hate her.
But, Maylene's heart whispered, how can I blame her for being
chosen over me? If I'd been my father I'd have chosen her, too.
"James is also here," Maylene finally murmured,
gesturing toward the Rolls into which Allison's luggage was being loaded.
"He got a call just as we pulled up. There's a problem with a resort he's
building in Australia. We can get into the car if you like, or we can wait here
until he's finished."
"It's fine to wait here." Allison smiled. "The air
is so tropical."
In truth, the night was hot and humid, a breath away from rain.
Maylene liked the sultry warmth, and had always felt a little cold in England,
but summertime visitors to Hong Kong often found the steaminess smothering.
Needing to know, Maylene asked, "Do you really like the heat,
Allison, or are you just being polite?"
"I really like it." Allison's smile became a frown.
"It's going to make my hair curl, though. I guess that's okay, it got a
bit limp on the plane, but—I'm babbling, aren't I?"
Allison's shrug tilted her head and caused Maylene to focus more
closely on the golden hair—and discover a little falseness about the sister who
seemed too good to be true. Allison's hair color wasn't natural. It couldn't
be. There wasn't simply moonlight. There was fire as well. The illusion rivaled
what Maylene hoped to achieve with the Jade Palace, one moment gold, the next
red, the next a harmony of both.
An illusion, Maylene realized that was natural. How had
nature achieved such a spectacular blend? Was it a mix of separate strands of
gold and
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