when the restaurant service arrived and was taken away. So the staff never could be sure if the same person was her frequent guest. But now
their affair was out for one and all to see—including the federal government. If they didn’t know about it before, they knew about it now.
She would have to be very careful. She would dismiss any questions about her relationship with Parker as meaningless gossip. She would not call him for more money until she needed to pay Glady
Harper more.
But she shouldn’t be so worried. Parker must have seen those newspapers too. And he certainly knew that if promised immunity from prosecution, she could turn him in and collect the
considerable reward for information leading to his apprehension. She might have to remind him of that.
There was a light tap on the library door, followed by Robert’s opening it.
“Ms. Harper is here, Countess,” he announced. “Shall I send her in?”
“That won’t be necessary. Let her go ahead with anything she plans to do today. Tell her if she has any specific questions for me, I will receive her after I am dressed.”
That will put her in her place, Sylvie thought with satisfaction. She may be a good decorator, but I’m the one paying the bills and I don’t need to put up with her nasty little
comments.
26
T he bell rang at promptly eight o’clock on Saturday evening. Before Lane could stop her, with a whoop of delight, Katie ran to open the
door.
“Katie, are you the official greeter?” Eric Bennett asked with a smile.
“I made you two oatmeal cookies. One of them has raisins in it and the other one has nuts. I didn’t know which one you liked best,” Katie said happily.
“I like them just the same.”
Lane was halfway across the living room. “Please come in, Eric. And may I say that you certainly are a diplomat.” She was smiling, but her glance at Katie’s face had been
disquieting. Katie looked absolutely radiant.
The other day over dinner she had said, “Grace told me that I must have done something bad because my father doesn’t come to see me.”
“Katie, you know that your daddy and I were in a very bad accident. He was hurt so badly that he died. Now he’s with my daddy in heaven.”
It was the story she had always told Katie, but the other night had been different. Katie had started to cry.
“I don’t want my daddy to be in heaven. I want him to be here with me just like the other kids.”
The psychologist she talked with occasionally had warned her that that could happen. But he hadn’t needed to warn her. Her own heart had ached for a father she adored. Katie had never
known a father’s embrace.
There was a void, and Katie was trying to fill it because Eric Bennett had been nice to her.
I have to be careful, Lane thought. Katie sensed that when I told her Eric was coming I was happy. She’s playing “follow the leader.”
“Hello, Eric,” she said as she struggled to sound friendly but not too much so.
There was an amused look in his eyes, as though he could read her thoughts. “Good to be with you two beautiful ladies,” he said, and then looked across the room at Wilma Potters, who
was sitting on the couch in the living room. “Three beautiful ladies,” he corrected himself.
Katie was tugging at his hand. “I’ll show you the cookies but Mommy said you don’t have to eat one until after dinner.”
“That’s what I’ll do then.”
Five minutes later she and Eric were downstairs on the sidewalk and Eric was signaling for a cab. When one pulled up, he said, “There’s a great new steakhouse in the Village. Sound
all right to you?”
Lane hesitated. Was this one of those hot places where the paparazzi might be lurking? Eric had warned her that he was becoming a target for them. But if she asked him that, it would only sound
as though she didn’t want to be photographed with him.
“Sounds great,” she said.
To her relief, no photographers were hanging around outside of
their affair was out for one and all to see—including the federal government. If they didn’t know about it before, they knew about it now.
She would have to be very careful. She would dismiss any questions about her relationship with Parker as meaningless gossip. She would not call him for more money until she needed to pay Glady
Harper more.
But she shouldn’t be so worried. Parker must have seen those newspapers too. And he certainly knew that if promised immunity from prosecution, she could turn him in and collect the
considerable reward for information leading to his apprehension. She might have to remind him of that.
There was a light tap on the library door, followed by Robert’s opening it.
“Ms. Harper is here, Countess,” he announced. “Shall I send her in?”
“That won’t be necessary. Let her go ahead with anything she plans to do today. Tell her if she has any specific questions for me, I will receive her after I am dressed.”
That will put her in her place, Sylvie thought with satisfaction. She may be a good decorator, but I’m the one paying the bills and I don’t need to put up with her nasty little
comments.
26
T he bell rang at promptly eight o’clock on Saturday evening. Before Lane could stop her, with a whoop of delight, Katie ran to open the
door.
“Katie, are you the official greeter?” Eric Bennett asked with a smile.
“I made you two oatmeal cookies. One of them has raisins in it and the other one has nuts. I didn’t know which one you liked best,” Katie said happily.
“I like them just the same.”
Lane was halfway across the living room. “Please come in, Eric. And may I say that you certainly are a diplomat.” She was smiling, but her glance at Katie’s face had been
disquieting. Katie looked absolutely radiant.
The other day over dinner she had said, “Grace told me that I must have done something bad because my father doesn’t come to see me.”
“Katie, you know that your daddy and I were in a very bad accident. He was hurt so badly that he died. Now he’s with my daddy in heaven.”
It was the story she had always told Katie, but the other night had been different. Katie had started to cry.
“I don’t want my daddy to be in heaven. I want him to be here with me just like the other kids.”
The psychologist she talked with occasionally had warned her that that could happen. But he hadn’t needed to warn her. Her own heart had ached for a father she adored. Katie had never
known a father’s embrace.
There was a void, and Katie was trying to fill it because Eric Bennett had been nice to her.
I have to be careful, Lane thought. Katie sensed that when I told her Eric was coming I was happy. She’s playing “follow the leader.”
“Hello, Eric,” she said as she struggled to sound friendly but not too much so.
There was an amused look in his eyes, as though he could read her thoughts. “Good to be with you two beautiful ladies,” he said, and then looked across the room at Wilma Potters, who
was sitting on the couch in the living room. “Three beautiful ladies,” he corrected himself.
Katie was tugging at his hand. “I’ll show you the cookies but Mommy said you don’t have to eat one until after dinner.”
“That’s what I’ll do then.”
Five minutes later she and Eric were downstairs on the sidewalk and Eric was signaling for a cab. When one pulled up, he said, “There’s a great new steakhouse in the Village. Sound
all right to you?”
Lane hesitated. Was this one of those hot places where the paparazzi might be lurking? Eric had warned her that he was becoming a target for them. But if she asked him that, it would only sound
as though she didn’t want to be photographed with him.
“Sounds great,” she said.
To her relief, no photographers were hanging around outside of
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