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said. There was also, I regret to say, a slight misunderstanding with some of
the other guests.
Elizabeth yanked the mask off again. What sort of misunderstanding?
When Jake walked me to my room my neighbors next door concluded that I was a
call girl entertaining a client.
Elizabeth s eyes widened. Then she started to giggle. I don t believe it.
You? A call girl? You haven t had a real date in six months.
Tell me about it.
Until last night, that is, Elizabeth finished on a thoughtful note. So?
What s the bottom line here? Did Jake make a pass?
As a matter of fact
Oh, my God. He did make a pass. Wow. That s even more amazing than your
neighbors thinking you re a call girl.
Why?
I told you, he seems so ordinary. Boring, even. A nice guy, I m sure, but
sort of monkish or something.
I don t think he d make a good monk, Clare said judiciously.
Elizabeth chuckled. Obviously you have swept Mr. Salter off his feet.
Something tells me Jake doesn t get swept anywhere he doesn t want to go.
Okay, I can t stand it any longer, Elizabeth said. I have to know. Did you
and Jake spend the night together?
No. I slept alone.
Your idea or his?
The manager s, actually. As I told you, there were complaints from the
neighbors. Jake was asked to leave my room.
Elizabeth slapped a palm over her mouth to stifle her laughter. I don t
believe it. You? And Jake? Ohmygod.
Believe it.
Amazing. Elizabeth s smile faded. By the way, on a less amusing subject, I
talked to Mom last night. Seems Dad told her about his plans to establish a
foundation and put you in charge of it right after he talked to you.
How did she take the news?
Not well, I m afraid.
She s probably afraid a large endowment will impact the size of the
inheritance you and Matt receive. She s right.
I don t think that s the only thing that s bothering her, Elizabeth replied.
Clare sighed. She s also worried that I ll take the job Archer is offering me
and that it will have the effect of bringing me more frequently into the
family circle. She s probably suffering horrifying visions of me showing up at
Thanksgiving and Christmas.
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Unfortunately she can t separate your existence from what happened in the
past.
What woman could? Clare asked simply.
It s not right. If she wants to hold on to her resentment against Dad for
what happened over three decades ago, that s her business. But she shouldn t
blame you. It wasn t your fault Dad and your mother had an affair.
It didn t even qualify as an affair, Clare said. It was, as I understand
it, a one-night stand after which both parties involved realized that it was a
terrible mistake.
I feel sorry for you, Clare. You know I do. I can t even imagine what it must
have been like for you all those years, never knowing your father and your
sister and brother. But, frankly, I m damned grateful that you exist.
Sometimes when I wake up in the middle of the night after a nightmare about
Brad I start to think about what would have happened if you hadn t been out
there and if you hadn t contacted me when you did.
Clare reached across the space that separated them and touched her arm. But I
was there and we did meet.
Thank heavens, Elizabeth whispered. If I could just get Mom to listen. But
she keeps saying that it s best if we all forget about what happened and move
on with our lives. I ve never seen her so adamant. It s like she s in total
denial.
Let it go, Liz. If it s meant to be, it will be.
I suppose your saving my life gets filed under the
no-good-deed-goes-unpunished rule.
Clare smiled. I didn t save your life. You made the decision to trust me. In
doing so, you saved your own life and very likely Archer s and Matt s as well,
if our theory about Brad s motives is right.
Our theory is correct, Elizabeth said. I know it is, although we ll never
be able to prove it now.
Like I said, time to let it go.
Elizabeth was quiet for a moment.
What are you doing for dinner tonight? she asked.
Clare thought about the conversation at breakfast.
I invited Jake out to dinner, she said. He accepted.
You invited him? This is getting exciting.
Well, actually, he asked me out again but I declined.
For heaven s sake, why?
Something tells me that with a man like him, it s probably a good idea to
keep the score even. I don t want him to feel that he s running things in this
relationship. Assuming you can call one date a relationship.
No offense to your feminine instincts, Clare, but I honestly don t think
letting him feed you dinner twice in a row would make him conclude that he s
got the upper hand.
I think it s sort of a game we re playing, Clare said. Hard to explain.
Sounds interesting. Where are you going to take him?
I haven t decided but after splurging on that dress and pair of shoes
yesterday, I can guarantee you that it won t be one of the high-end resort
restaurants. Got any suggestions?
Well, there s a little Mexican place that Dad raves about. They make their
own tortillas, and according to Dad, who knows these things, they serve the
best green corn tamales in the Valley. He and Owen go there a lot after a
round of golf. It s right here in Stone Canyon.
Sounds like just what I m looking for.
I ll give you the address. They don t take reservations so you may have a
wait in the evenings.
Hushed footsteps sounded on the tile floor behind the recliners. Two spa
attendants garbed in the establishment s pale green and brown uniforms and
soft-soled athletic shoes appeared.
Ms. Glazebrook, it s time for your facial, one of them said.
Elizabeth rose from the recliner. See you in an hour, Clare. Enjoy the
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Tropical Experience Chamber.
The second attendant smiled at Clare. If you ll follow me, Ms. Lancaster?
Clare accompanied the woman down a tranquilly lit hall. What s this Tropical
Experience thing, exactly? she asked. The brochure said something about
waterfalls.
It s one of our most popular therapies, the attendant assured her. I think
you ll enjoy it.
She opened a door and ushered Clare into a small slice of a lush, tropical
paradise. Palms, ferns and exotic blooming plants framed a large spa tub
disguised as a rocky grotto. A waterfall shower cascaded into the tub creating
a low, rushing, churning sound. The ceiling was decorated with a mock canopy
of dark green leaves. The low, ambient lighting gave the room the aura of a
jungle at dawn.
I like it already, Clare announced. She untied the sash of her robe. This
is going to be fun.
Take your time and relax, the attendant said. This is a forty-minute
experience. I ll come and get you when it s finished.
She let herself out into the hall and closed the door.
Clare hung the robe on a convenient hook and went up the spa steps. She
stepped gingerly into the fake grotto pool. The jetted water was warm and
fragrant.
She lowered herself onto an underwater seat, stretched her arms out on either
side and prepared to savor the Good Life.
It occurred to her that the imitation grotto was large enough to hold two
people. She allowed herself to slip into a pleasant fantasy that involved
sharing the delightful tropical setting with someone interesting, Jake Salter
for instance.
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