aBut why?a Kate said, trying to hide how shamefully pleased she was by his admission. aI canat just break up with him on the telephone or meet him at the airport and tell him there. I need to be at the villa so I can talk to him and let him down easily.a Instead of responding to that, Mitch.e.l.l rinsed off his face and asked a question of his own: aHow long does it take to fly here from Chicago?a aAround eight hours, since there arenat any direct flights.a aIt seems to me that encouraging him to fly eight hours to get here, thinking heas going to be with you for the rest of his vacation, is a curious way to alet him down easily.a a It finally dawned on Kate that he was under a mistaken impression, and she quickly clarified the situation for him. aThat phone call wasnat from him; it was from hissecretary. He had her call me to tell me his flight left at two-thirty this morning, and lands at twelve thirty-five. I didnat think head try to come down here at all when there are only four days left of our vacation. If Iad had a chance to talk to him before he left, I would never have let him come here thinking everything was going to be the same between us.a aIam sorry. I should have known that.a Kate dismissed his worry with a smile, but she was intrigued by the flattering discovery of her feminine power over him, and fascinated by the rules of conduct that head recited with such absolute certainty. Deciding to put both of them to a harmless test, just for fun, she folded her arms over her chest, tipped her head to the side, and pretended to inspect her manicure. aAbout those rules you talked abouta" What would you, as a gentleman, have been required to do if Iad, well, vacillated just a little about breaking up with my boyfriend?a The studied nonchalance in her voice instantly alerted Mitch.e.l.l to what she was up to, and he suppressed a smile as he reached for a towel. A stranger to the games that tipped the delicate balance of power between male and female, he was not. aUnder those circ.u.mstances,a he said mildly, athe rules are very clear, and very simple: You would be required to telephone me to tell me that, and then I would simply switch roles with him.a aYou would just accept defeat gracefully, wish me well, and then get out of his way?a Kate asked, disappointed.

Behind the towel, Mitch.e.l.las smile widened to a grin. aAre you sure you want to play this particular game with me, sweetheart?a aI donat think so,a she said warily, and he laughed.

Suffused with pleasure at his endearment, Kate added sternly, aJust donat let my Orphan Annie curls and guileless choir-girl image fool you; I can hold my own with you.a aYou have a police record; your choir-girl image is shot.a Kate laughed and shook her head at him in feigned disgust. He lifted his brows, waiting for a verbal comeback, and when she had none, he gave her a boyish grin of satisfied superiority and turned back to the sink to comb his hair.

Kate glanced at her watch. aI donat want him to have to watch me packing, so I need to be finished before one, which is about when heall arrive at the villa. Itas a little after eleven now, so I should leave in fifteen minutes.a She glanced down at the bright blue silk shirt shead knotted at the midriff above a pair of white shorts, and decided to wear pants instead for what lay ahead of her. aI think Iall change clothes,a she said aloud as she walked over to the closet. She took out a pair of white pants and noticed that the black dress and shoes shead worn the night before were missing. aDo you know what happened to the black dress I wore last night?a Mitch.e.l.l paused, comb in hand, and frowned in disbelief as she walked behind him. aIf thatas what youare planning to wear while youare doing your explaining and letting him down easily, I donat think youave completely grasped the concept behind the rules we discussed.a Kate reacted with horror, then hilarity, at his imagining she had any such intention; then she quickly lowered her eyes and slid serenely onto the chair at the dressing table opposite the sink to brush her hair. aThereas that tone again,a she mused as if thinking to herself. aWas thata"yes, I think it wasa"the sound of a slightly jealous man who claims he would give me up without so much as a protest if I were to change my mind today at the villa.a Briefly closing his eyes in amused resignation, Mitch.e.l.l silently conceded the last verbal round to her and resumed combing his hair. aIam beginning to understand why your father wept.a The truth was the oppositea"as he watched her brush her glossy red hair, he couldnat remember ever feeling as utterly lighthearted and content as he felt at that moment. aDiederik took our clothes from last night away while you were in the shower. Heall return everything nicely pressed and brushed in a little while.a She joined him on the balcony ten minutes later, where he was standing at the wall, looking out at the water. aI have to leave.a Mitch.e.l.l turned, noticed the suitcase she was carrying, and the sight of it gave him a momentas pause before he realized shead need it to pack her things at the villa.

The cheerful mood of a few minutes earlier turned somber as she put the garment bag on the table and walked over to him to say good-bye. aAre you sure you donat want me to go with you and wait in Philipsburg?a he asked, slipping his hands around her waist.

Kate rested her hands against his chest and shook her head. Beneath his white knit polo shirt, she could feel his heart beating in a slow, steady rhythm, and she drew strength from that. aI need some time alone before I see him, time to separate mentally and emotionally from us and focus on him instead. Iall meet you at Captain Hodges Wharf, right where we got off the boat yesterday, at four oaclock.a aDepending on how he reacts, you may end up there in a lot less than three hours after you break the news.a aThen Iall use the time to separate myself from him and begin to focus on us.a Mitch.e.l.l smiled down into her green eyes, admiring her ethics and sense of fairness.

She smiled back, the breeze teasing her hair, her fingers splaying across his heart in a tender touch he was already a.s.sociating with her.

She was absolutely right, Mitch.e.l.l knew, about the wisdom of forgetting about athema for the next few hours. aKiss me good-bye,a he said, prepared to give her a brief, chaste kiss, but she wrapped her arms around him, molded her parted lips to his, and gave him a long, scorching kiss that made his hands flex and his fingers dig into her back.

On the beach below, Detective Childress lifted his camera and aimed it casually at the faade of the hotel; then he shifted it to the left and up, and casually snapped yet another picture of the couple on the fourth-floor balcony.

Mitch.e.l.l stayed where he was, rather than walking her to the door of the suite, but his view from the balcony included the main entrance of the hotel, so he saw her a few minutes later when the doorman signaled a taxi for her and put her suitcase into the backseat. As the taxi pa.s.sed below their balcony, she smiled and waved at him through the open window.

aHurry back,a he called to her, and she nodded.

The taxi made a U-turn and drove off down the private drive toward the main road, and Mitch.e.l.l watched it vanish; then he turned his head toward the beach and leaned his forearms on the balcony wall, watching a cruise ship gliding slowly across the horizon. Tomorrow, he decided, head take Kate for a cruise aboard Zackas boat. In a few days, Zack and Julie would arrive from Italy, and he could introduce Kate to them. He wanted to show her the house he was building on Anguilla, tooa"his first house, one that was being built amid a grove of palm trees on a gorgeous stretch of pristine beach with a breathtaking view of the water.

Of all the places in the world where he could have built a home, head chosen on a whim a tiny island in the Caribbean where a redhead with shining green eyes and a heart-stopping smile was going to douse him with a drink, delight all his senses, warm his heart, and then steal it. All of thata"in less than forty-eight hours.

Chapter Twenty-five.

THE DOOR TOthe stateas attorneyas office in the Richard J. Daley Center on Washington Street was closed. Outside the office, the atmosphere was unusually hushed, and Paula Moscato, Gray Elliottas secretary, was keeping it that way by frowning at anyone who approached her desk and then pressing her finger to her lips.

Inside the office, two a.s.sistant stateas attorneys were standing at the far wall, watching Gray Elliott prepare their prize witness in the investigation of the murder of William Wyatt. The witness was seated behind Grayas desk in his comfortable swivel chair; in front of him was a pencil and a pad of paper containing a few phrases to prompt him during the phone call he was about to make, a call that was intended to lure Mitch.e.l.l Wyatt back into Cook Countyas jurisdiction.

The witnessas mother was seated in front of Grayas desk, twisting a handkerchief in her lap, her beautiful face stricken with grief over the discovery of her husbandas body, her expression dazed as she watched her son lay a trap for her husbandas killer. Lily Reardon, one of the ASAas observing the procedure, nodded her head toward Caroline Wyatt and whispered to her colleague, aCan you imagine what it must be like to realize your husbandas killer has been your houseguest since his death?a Jeff Cervantes shook his head. aIf Gray doesnat get this over with pretty quick, she looks like sheas either going to pa.s.s out or be sick.a Gray perched his hip on a corner of his desk. aAre you feeling all right, Billy?a The handsome fourteen-year-old looked at him, swallowed, and nodded. He was tall, slim, and well-built for his age, and he wore his dark suit, white shirt, and patterned tie with the relaxed aura of a privileged, preppy kid who was as accustomed to wearing suits as jeans. In that respect, he was no different from what Gray had been at his age.

aTake another drink of water while I go over this one more time, okay?a aOkay, Mr. Elliott.a aPlease, call me Gray. Do you think youare up for this call?a Despite the boyas visible anxiety, he nodded; then he nodded again with more conviction. aHe killed my father. I will do whatever it takes to get him here.a aI know you will,a Gray remarked, smiling a little because at that moment, sitting behind Grayas polished desk, in Grayas executive chair, Billy exhibited both his fatheras likability and Cecilas steely resolve. aOkay, letas run through it one more time. All you have to do is tell Mitch.e.l.l that your fatheras body has been discovered and his killer has confesseda"a aGot it.a aThen youall tell him your grandfather and your mother have taken the news very badly, and you need him to come back here because youare really, really scared.a aOkay,a Billy said; then he added, with a twinge of touching ingenuousness, aI know I can do the last part, Gray, because I ama"really, really scared.a aTry to be as convincing as you can about all of it.a aI will.a Satisfied, Gray leaned across the desk to his telephone and pressed the intercom b.u.t.ton. aMake the call, Paula.a Trying not to do anything to unnerve the fourteen-year-old more than he already was, Gray reached slowly behind him and flipped the switch on the tape recorder; then he glanced at his watch. It was one-thirty in St. Maarten, and according to Childress, Mitch.e.l.l Wyatt was in his suite at the hotel.

IN AN EFFORTto make time pa.s.s more quickly and to distract himself from thoughts of the ordeal Kate was facing, Mitch.e.l.l had phoned his New York office and asked his a.s.sistant to fax some doc.u.ments that Stavros had asked him to go over.

When his cell phone rang, Mitch.e.l.l continued reading the doc.u.ments in his right hand and reached absently toward his cell phone on the coffee table with his left.

aUncle Mitch.e.l.l, itas me. Itas Billy,a the boy clarified needlessly in a voice so shaken he was nearly stuttering.

aWhatas wrong?a Mitch.e.l.l asked, rising slowly to his feet in antic.i.p.ation of very bad news.

aItas my dada"a Closing his eyes, Mitch.e.l.l waited for what head known he would hear someday.

aTheyave f-found my dadas body in a well out near the farm.a aIam so sorry,a Mitch.e.l.l said hoa.r.s.ely; then he opened his eyes and shook his head to clear it. aA well? He fell into a well?a aNo, he didnat fall; he was murdered. He was shot in the chest.a Afraid to say the wrong thing, Mitch.e.l.l waited helplessly for the boy to say more. aGo on, Billy, Iam right here. Iam listening.a aThe Udallsa caretaker shot him. Hea"heas confessed. Heas a filthy old drunk, and he admitted everything to the police when they finally came down hard on him. That worthless old b.a.s.t.a.r.da"he shot my father! Please, Uncle Mitch.e.l.l, can you come home? My mom is locked in her room, and I donat know if sheas okay, and Grandpa Cecila"theyare taking him to the hospital with angina.a aIall come home,a Mitch.e.l.l promised.

aTonight? Please say youall come tonight. Iam trying to be brave and be the man of the family, like Grandpa Cecil said I should do, until you got here to take care of things.a His voice broke, and Mitch.e.l.las heart squeezed in sympathy. aUncle Mitch.e.l.l, Iam really scared for my mom. She has sleeping pills up there and she isnat answering me.a aIall be there.a aWill you leave right away?a Mitch.e.l.l glanced at his watch. aIall leave here around five, thatas three your time. I should be there by eight.a aOkay,a he said meekly. aUncle Mitch.e.l.l?a aWhat, son?a Mitch.e.l.l said.

aMy dad really loved you. He saida"saida"thatyou madehim proud to be a Wyatt.a Mitch.e.l.l swallowed over an unfamiliar constriction in his throat and stared out the windows. aThank you for telling me that.a In Chicago, Billy leaned back in Grayas chair and grinned broadly at his mesmerized audience. aHow did I do?a he asked, tapping his pencil on the yellow pad like a drumstick on a drum. aIt was a bunch of bulls.h.i.t, but I think it did the job, donat you? I thought the way I improvised about the aold drunka had a nice touch.a On the other side of the office, Lily Reardon suppressed a shiver and avoided meeting her colleagueas eyes.

aYouare amazing, Billy,a Gray said proudly, and stood up. aYou are absolutely amazing.a

Chapter Twenty-six.

FOR SEVERAL MINUTESafter Billy hung up, Mitch.e.l.l stood beside the coffee table, immobilized, his head bent, his forehead furrowed, trying to cope with the flood of grief he felt at the loss of a half brother he scarcely knew, and whose death head only just accepted.

Until eight months ago, he couldnat even have conceived of how it felt to have a relative, let alone how it felt to lose one. Now he understood a little of both, and the emotions running through him were poignant and painful.

In his mind, he saw William standing in his London living room with Caroline and Billy in tow. aI understand why you havenat returned my phone calls and letters, Mitch.e.l.l,a William had said with a smile when Mitch.e.l.l stalked angrily into the living room, intending to throw them out once and for all, abut you cannot choose your relatives, so Iam afraid youare stuck with us.a Despite the fact that head been determined to reject this long-overdue overture from his family when he strode into the living room that day, Mitch.e.l.l experienced a shock at coming face-to-face with a man who bore an indefinable but definite resemblance to him. aIam not interested in acquiring a brother,a Mitch.e.l.l snapped.

aI am,a William replied with that combination of warmth, friendliness, and surprisingly strong will that was uniquely his. aMay we sit down?a The wordno was on Mitch.e.l.las tongue, but Billy was there watching him closely, and Caroline was smiling at him as if to say, aWe know how you must feel; this is awkward for us, too.a Before he knew it, head agreed to see them the next day, and the next, and the next.

William was eager to get to know Mitch.e.l.l personally, even though he already knew more about Mitch.e.l.l than Mitch.e.l.l knew about himself. Besides possessing all the facts surrounding Mitch.e.l.las conception and birth, head also gone through all the old files head discovered in Cecilas safe, including letters and reports from Mitch.e.l.las schoolsa"none of which had been opened, William had frankly admitted.

What William couldnat find out from those files, head discovered by researching Mitch.e.l.l on the Internet. He knew about Mitch.e.l.las degrees from Oxford and Cambridge, and about Stavros Konstantatos and about Mitch.e.l.las marriage to Anastasia. He even teased Mitch.e.l.l about several of his highly publicized flings over the years.

Mitch.e.l.l hadnat wanted to hear anything about his father or grandfather, who had not made a similar overture, and William seemed to accept that at first, but as Mitch.e.l.l soon discovered, his older brother was like a silent locomotive who couldnat be derailed and whose arrival at any given point couldnat be antic.i.p.ated.

One night when Mitch.e.l.l was in Chicago, meeting with Matt Farrell, head had dinner with William and his family, and William had played what he hoped would be a trump card to interest Mitch.e.l.l in exploring his relationship with Cecil. aThereas a great deal of money to be considereda"a aHis or mine?a Mitch.e.l.l sarcastically replied, even though he already knew Cecil Wyatt was an extremely wealthy man. Caroline had looked down quickly to hide her smile. William had laughed out loud and then sobered. aHalf of my inheritance is rightfully yours.a aI donat want it.a aIam not asking you if you want it; Iam telling you that I wonat accept it. As your oldera"albeit perhaps not wisera"brother, I reserve the right to look out for your best interests.a He grinned with embarra.s.sment, and added, aIave been thinking about how it would have been if wead grown up together, and in my imagination, I see you tagging around after me, and me protecting you from bullies, and you, well, you knowa"a aNo, I donat know,a Mitch.e.l.l said honestly.

Caroline finished the sentence for him, smiling softly at Mitch.e.l.l, aa"and,you would have looked up to your big brother and asked him for advice, and all that.a Mitch.e.l.l gazed at the abig brothera who was seated at the head of an elegant table in a Chicago mansion. He was several inches shorter, several years older, and many pounds heavier than Mitch.e.l.l. He was also the most decent, generous man Mitch.e.l.l had ever met.I look up to you now, he thought, and with amus.e.m.e.nt, he added,but if youare going to walk around giving away half your fortune, Iam the one who should be giving the advice.

Not long afterward, Caroline brought up William and Mitch.e.l.las father, when she and Mitch.e.l.l were alone, and what she said explained more than merely why Edward still wanted nothing to do with Mitch.e.l.l. aWilliamas fathera"your fathera"is the most self-absorbed human being Iave ever met. He strolls through life hiding the truth about who he is from himself and everyone else, and he drinks to make sure he never has to face it. He never paid the slightest attention to William when he was growing up, and thatas why William has been so determined to build a relationship with you,a Caroline finished. aWilliamas angry that the two of you grew up feeling as if you had no one who cared, when you could have had each other, and he is determined to make up for lost time.a She stood up then because dinner was being served, and tucked her hand into Mitch.e.l.las arm as they strolled to the dining room. aBy the way,a she confided, ain case you arenat aware of it, he loves you, he thinks youare brilliant and heas outrageously proud of you.a Instead of telling her how he felt about William, which was what Mitch.e.l.l knew she hoped he would do, he smiled and said, aHeas very lucky to have you.a aIam lucky to have him,a she said simply.

Now, as Mitch.e.l.l stood in the suite at the Enclave, he was filled with remorse that he hadnat at least told Caroline how much he liked and admired William, so she could have relayed that back to her husband, just as shead done with Williamas feelings about him. Why hadnat he been able to say the words? Why hadnat he just said them, so that William would have known how he felt before he died?

With a harsh sigh, Mitch.e.l.l dragged his thoughts back to the present and focused on what he needed to do. Billyas fear that his mother would overdose on sleeping pills was groundless, Mitch.e.l.l knew. Caroline had known all along that William hadnat vanished of his own volition, no matter what the police thought. Shead also known that nothing would have kept William away from his family except his death. Theyad talked about all that often since Williamas disappearance. Furthermore, the last thing on earth that Caroline wanted was for Billy to be left alone in the world, so there was no chance shead ever consider taking her own life.

On the other hand, there was no question that Mitch.e.l.l needed to leave for Chicago immediately and lend what moral support he could to Caroline and Billy for the next few days. That much he needed to do for the brother he had . . . loved.

Once he explained to Kate why he needed to be in Chicago, she would understand and forgive him, he knew that without a doubt. She was so kind and softhearted that she couldnat bear to abandon an injured stray dog, so she would instantly realize that he couldnat abandon Caroline and Billy.

He could fly back and forth between Chicago and St. Maarten for the next few days. It was only four hours each way, and he could get what sleep he needed on the plane. However, the idea of leaving her behind in another hotel, just as her boyfriend had done, was untenable.

Shead mentioned that she liked boats, he remembered, and the best possible solution suddenly occurred to hima"he could arrange for her to cruise the islands on Zackas boat during the day while he was gone. Shead enjoy that. In a few days, Zack and Julie, and Matt and Meredith, were flying down for a longer cruise, and shead enjoy meeting them, too, Mitch.e.l.l decided, already reaching for his telephone.

His first call was to his pilots, instructing them to be ready to leave for OaHare at five oaclock.

His second phone call was to the hotelas front desk, notifying them that he would be checking out immediately.

His next phone call was to Zack in Rome.

Chapter Twenty-seven.

STANDING AT THEwindow of Mitch.e.l.las apartment in Romeas Piazza Navona, Julie Mathison Benedict gazed down at Berninias spectacular Fountain of Four Rivers. It was evening, and the fountain was bathed in light, the little cafs lining the piazza were serving dinner, and lovers and tourists were strolling by in a steady stream. In the living room behind her, her husband was seated in a seventeenth-century baroque armchair going over his notes on the dayas filming of his new picture. Theyad been there two weeks, filming on location, and they were finished in Rome, but Zack wanted to stay a few extra days to shoot some extra exterior footage.

aIam going to miss this place,a Julie said, glancing over her shoulder. aIam even going to miss Giovanni.a Zack looked up and grinned. aReally? When did you decide he wasnat a thug masquerading as a chauffeur?a aYesterday,a Julie admitted, awhen he practically threw me into the car and ran after a thief whoad stolen an old ladyas purse.a Zack looked up sharply. aWhen were you going to tell me about that?a aRight about now,a she admitted serenely, awhen weare ready to leave Rome and you wonat worry that it might happen again. Did you realize Giovanni has known Mitch.e.l.l since he was a little boy, when he lived in Italy?a aI didnat even know Giovanni could speak more than a few words of English,a Zack began, but the telephone rang and he paused to answer it.

When he hung up a few minutes later, he had an odd, thoughtful expression on his face.

aWhatas up?a Julie asked.

aThat was Mitch.e.l.l. Evidently, heas met someone in the islands, and he has to leave her there and go back to Chicago. He asked me to call Prescott and arrange for her to go aboard and cruise the islands while heas gone.a Julie studied his amused expression. aWhatas the part you havenat told me?a aThe best part. Mitch.e.l.l intends to fly back and forth every day to join her on board.a aAre you serious?a aVery serious. And so, I think, is he.a Zack sobered and added, aThe reason he has to go back to Chicago is because theyave discovered his brotheras body.a He glanced at his watch and reached for the telephone to call Prescott. aItas one-thirty in St. Maarten,a he said, aand Mitch.e.l.l said head be bringing her aboard at five.a aDo we have a name?a Julie teased.

aKate Donovan.a

Chapter Twenty-eight.

KATE ZIPPED HERsuitcase closed, carried it into the living room, and put it down next to her garment bag. Shead gone over what she wanted to say to Evan so many times that she was afraid it was going to sound like a well-rehea.r.s.ed speech, even though she felt anything but unemotional about the hurt she was about to cause him.

With nothing else left to do, she stepped outside onto the patio, and a sense of nostalgia and well-being began to bloom inside her. Only three days ago shead stood in this spot, talking to Holly on the phone and feeding Max strips of bacon. The future had seemed so bleak that morning, and now it was dazzlingly bright and filled with poignant promise. Everything had changed in three short days. Shead fallen in love.

Smiling, she walked forward and ran her hand along the patioas stone bal.u.s.trade while sweet memories drifted through her mind. At the edge of the garden near the beach was the clump of palms shead been standing under when Mitch.e.l.l relented and came back to answer some of her questions . . .My brotheras name was William.

On the patio, exactly where she was standing right now, theyad danced together for the first time. Shead mistakenly thought he intended to kiss her and ended up laughing and chiding him:aYou might have mentioned you intended to dance with me, not try to ravish me.a aBut I do intend to ravish you,ahead whispered.

Head really been outrageously frank about his intentions that night, but head wanted her badly enough to change his mind and come back to her in the garden. Head been just as frank the next day in the suite at the Enclave, Kate remembered with a smile . . .

In Chicago, thereas an eligible man who wants to marry you. Here, in this room, thereas a man who wants to take you to bed and make love to you until neither of us has the strength to move anymore. But it canat go any further than that. It would get much too complicated.

A few moments latera"a compromise. And when Mitch.e.l.l compromised, he was utterly irresistible.

aLetas get complicated, Kate . . . The truth is that I felt all the same things you did last night, and you know I did.a aKate?a Evanas voice made her whirl around in time to see him closing the doora"a tall, fit, attractive man with brown hair and gray eyes whoad been part of her life for four years. A good man she was going to hurt. aI didnat think youad have a key to get in,a she said, as another surge of nostalgia, this one painful, hit her.

aSince youare never here,a he said, striding toward her, aI stopped at the front desk anda"a His gaze riveted on her suitcases and ricocheted back to her face. aWhatas going on?a Nervously rubbing her hands on the sides of her pants, Kate tried to smile as she nodded toward the sofa and said, aCome over here, and letas sit down. We need to talk.a aLetas go straight to the summation instead,a he said coolly. aYouare angry because I left you down here, and Iam just as angry because you paid me back by ignoring my calls and putting me through long periods of daily h.e.l.l, worrying that your headaches were incapacitating you and thinking about things like brain tumors. Does that about sum it up?a he demanded. Without waiting for an answer, he turned on his heel and walked over to the bar.

And in that bizarre moment, when Kate knew it was over between them, she watched him and understood the reasons head appealed to her from the beginninga"his intelligence and self-a.s.surance, his ability to go right to the heart of the matter and see it from both sides, and his ability to keep his head when everyone else was losing theirs. These talents made him a superb lawyer and a terrific companion.

She watched him take a swallow of his drink, and when he lowered the gla.s.s and scowled at her, she smiled a little and made a fervent wish that head find someone wonderful right away.

aWhy are you smiling?a aIam hoping you get exactly the woman you deserve.a aYou donat do sarcasm well,a he observed flatly. aIt comes off as sincerity and loses its edge.a Torn between laughter and tears, Kate bit her lip and looked down. Head been more than her lover; head been her friend. She was losing a friend and about to hurt him, too. Lifting her head, she drew a long breath and said softly, aI wasnat being sarcastic, Evan. I meant that with all my heart.a His hand stilled in the act of raising the gla.s.s to his mouth. With his gaze riveted on her, he reached out and put the gla.s.s back on the bar. aWhat are you talking about?a aI met someone here, and thereas something special between us. I have to give it a chance.a He was so still it was unnerving. aWhen did all this happen?a aTwo days ago. Two and a half days ago,a Kate corrected, trying to make what she was doing seem less insanely impulsive.

aWho is he?a aNo one you know. He lives in Europe and New York.a aWhere did you meet him?a aEvan, pleasea"a aHelp me understand how a man youave known for two days can make you throw away a four-year relationship. Give me some details!a aI met him in a restaurant here.a aWhat does he do?a aIa"I donat know exactly.a aWhatas his name?a aIt doesnat matter what his name is.a aIt d.a.m.n well matters to me. I want a name to curse in private. Thatas what men do, Kate. We pretend weare taking things very well, and that our hearts arenat being broken, and then we get roaring drunk and we curse the b.a.s.t.a.r.d who stole the woman we loved.a Tears stung Kateas eyes.

aYouave already slept with him, havenat you,a he concluded bitterly. aIt took me two months to get you into bed, and he accomplished it in two days.a aIad better leave,a Kate said, and reached down for her suitcase.

aLetas have a name before you go.a aMitch.e.l.l Wyatt.a An expression of utter disbelief froze his face. aMitch.e.l.l Wyatt?a he repeated. aYouave gotten involved withMitch.e.l.l Wyatt down here?a aYou know him?a aI know him,a he clipped. aHeas Cecil Wyattas b.a.s.t.a.r.d grandson.a Other than being taken aback that Evan had apparently met Mitch.e.l.l at some social function somewhere, Kate attached no particular significance to Evanas statement. As she knew from boring experience, people in Evanas lofty social cla.s.s had widespread connections in many cities, they all kept close tabs on each other, and they gossiped incessantly about all that. Long ago, shead stopped accompanying Evan to nearly all their gatherings. She was just a social worker and a restaurant owneras daughter, and since her relationship with Evan remained undefined, they didnat know what to do with her, other than to treat her courteously for Evanas sake. Kate did the same thing for the same reason. Occasionally, Evan tried to relate a tale from one of these functions, but as soon as he started talking about who was there and how they were related to so-and-so, Kateas brain automatically changed to another channel before he ever got to the point. She wasnat completely sure who Cecil Wyatt was, so the revelation that Mitch.e.l.l could be his ab.a.s.t.a.r.d grandsona had no effect.

aThis is oneh.e.l.l of a big coincidence,a he said, sounding as if it might not be a coincidence at all.

aWhat is?a Kate asked, relieved that something was distracting him from his hurt feelings.

aWhen I met him at Cecil Wyattas birthday party, I specifically told him that you and I were going to be down here now, staying at the Island Club. He said he was going to be down here at the same time, staying on a friendas boat. Forgive me for sounding paranoid, but I find it just a little strange that he supposedly ignored all the women at that party who were flinging themselves at him . . . and he hasnat been able to find a single woman to suit him anywhere on any of these islands . . . until he ahappeneda to b.u.mp into youa"in a hotel that he isnat staying ata"and while Iam away. This whole thing doesnat look like coincidence to me; it looks like payback.a aHe has no idea I know you,a Kate interjected. aIave never told him your name.a aThe villa youare staying in is in my name,a Evan retorted.

Kate saw no reason to argue that inconsequential point, but she was stunned that her desertion was driving him to such incomprehensible leaps of fanciful logic. aPayback for what?a she said calmly.

aDid Wyatt tell you anything about his background?a aIam not interested in his pedigree or his legitimacy.a aThenget interested in it, Kate,a he ordered sharply. aItas an ugly little story, and it involves my father as well as me.a aOkay,a she sighed, aIam listening.a aUntil a few months ago Mitch.e.l.l Wyatt believed head been abandoned at birth and that his name had been picked out of a phone book by someone. He attended the best boarding schools in Europe with some of the richest kids in the world, but he was led to believe he was a charity case.a Inwardly Kate was appalled, but anxious to get this over with. aWhat does that have to do with you?a aMy father created and maintained the entire deception, and Wyatt discovered the truth eight months ago. Now Cecil has suddenly brought him out of obscurity to Chicago, and heas parading him around like the heir apparent. My father and I are the only ones who know the truth about his pathetic past, and heas bitter as h.e.l.l that we do, as well as about the fact that my father actually orchestrated it for Cecil. At Cecilas party, Wyatt came up to us and you could have cut through the hostility with a knife. I stepped in and tried to smooth things over with a discussion about our vacation in Anguilla. I told him about you and that your father had just died and that I was on my way to his wake.a aAre you saying you told him my name?a Kate said uneasily.

aYes. At the time I did it, I was completely clueless about what was eating him. I had no idea until the next morning what Cecil and my father had done to Wyatt as a kid.

aNow,a he said with a solemn smile, abefore you go, will you answer a question for me?a Kate realized he was bringing the ordeal to an end without forcing her to acknowledge that he could be right about Mitch.e.l.l, and she loved him for that. He believed he was right, she knew, but he didnat know Mitch.e.l.l the way she did. Furthermore, no matter how straightforward he was trying to be, he was being jilted for another man, and that was understandably coloring his view of his adversary. She didnat want to hurt him by siding with Mitch.e.l.l, singing his praises, or playing devilas advocate on his behalf. She wanted to get through this as soon as possible, doing as little damage to Evanas pride as she could, and then she wanted to go to Mitch.e.l.l and never let on that she knew the heartbreaking story of his childhood. Head confide in her in his own time. He already had, a little bit. In answer to Evanas question, Kate nodded and smiled. aWhat question is that?a aIave known you for a long time, and youare not easy to dazzle, Kate. Or maybe I just didnat try the right methods. You never seemed to give a d.a.m.n about social status, or money, or anything else like that, that I had to offer. So my question is this: How in the h.e.l.l did he accomplish in two days what I couldnat accomplish in four years?a aEvan, please donat do thisa"a Kate said, her eyes filling with sudden tears because shead never imagined he loved her so much that he would humble himself this way.

aTell me. I need to know. Wyattas aunt, Olivia Hebert, told people at the party that heas building a house here on Anguilla. Have you secretly dreamed of a house on an island? Did he show you around it and make you envision yourself living in it?a Kate managed to keep her expression noncommittal. It didnat matter that Mitch.e.l.l hadnat mentioned building a house here. Theyad been too busy making love and getting to know each other. aNo,a she said calmly.

aOn the ferry coming over here, I heard that Zack Benedictas yacht is down here, and according to what I read on the Internet, Wyatt is a bosom buddy of Benedictasa"and a big investor in his films. Benedictas yacht is undoubtedly the friendas boat that Wyatt said he was going to stay on down here. Did he take you for a cruise and promise you a life of leisurely cruising with movie stars? Is that what youave always wanted?a aNo,a Kate said, trying to sound offhand. But the realization that Mitch.e.l.l had let her go on and on about Zack Benedict after their boat captain pointed out theJuliemade Kate feel a little ill. Still, he hadnat really lied when he said he wasnat aa fana of Benedictas. Mitch.e.l.l was apparently Zack Benedictas friend. And to give Mitch.e.l.l credit, he was certainly no braggart, either.

Evan wasnat fooled by her replies. Her complexion was too fair and her eyes too expressive to hide shock or dismay. aYou didnat know about the house or the yacht, did you?a aI think this conversation is pointless and needs to end,a Kate said firmly.

aRight after you answer one more little question for yourself, not for me: How in the h.e.l.l does it happen that you know Wyatt lives in Europe and New York, but you donat know that he also has aChicago address?a aHe doesnat know anything about Chicago,a Kate said before she could stop herself. aI talked a lot about Chicagoa"he would have told me if he knew anyone there. In fact, he had to ask me how long it takes to get down here from there! Evan, we arenat talking about the same man.a aI hope youare right, honey, because the man Iam talking about has been living in Chicago with Caroline Wyatt.a aWho?a Kate said in frustration.

aCaroline Wyatt. Late last year, a man named William Wyatt disappeared. Remember?a aVaguely.a aThe beautiful Caroline was, and still is, Williamas wife. Your Mitch.e.l.l is shacked up with his half brotheras wife, and he moved in just as soon as her husband disappeared!a aHe told me about his brother,a Kate said quickly, glad for once that she knew something. aHe liked William very much, and if Carolineas home is typical of most of your friendsa and relativesa houses, then itas the size of a hotel.a Lifting his hand, Evan smoothed her hair back off her forehead, then he dropped his arm. aDonat let that son of a b.i.t.c.h hurt you too badly. And when he does,a Evan added tenderly, ayou remember that it was me, not you, he wanted to hurt. Maybe that will make it easier.a He picked up his drink and glanced at her luggage. aI should carry those for you, but I canat make myself help you go to him. Iam sorry, Kate.a It was a gruff apology, not a parting taunt.

Shaking inside, Kate watched him walk out onto the patio and into the garden.

Questions and doubts were raging through her as she walked into the bathroom to get her purse and make sure she wasnat leaving anything behind. Instead of doing that, she stood in front of the sink, trying to rid herself of Evanas slant on everything Mitch.e.l.l did, and to think things through for herself. In her mind, she heard Mitch.e.l.l whispering,I felt all the same things you did last night, and you know I did, and her spirits lifted. That was real. That was the real Mitch.e.l.l, not Evanas version of him.

Evanas description of Mitch.e.l.las childhood explained exactly why head evaded Kateas questions that first night. The story of his life wasnat the sort of story a man would want to share with a stranger. Furthermore, the fact that Mitch.e.l.l hadnat simply invented a more impressive past for himself, one that he could dispense freely and impress strangers with, was even more to his credit. It showed tremendous strength of character.

As far as everything else Evan had brought up, Kate could think of valid reasons and explanations for all of it, including gossip. There was just one thing she couldnat justify, no matter how hard she tried: If Evan was right about Mitch.e.l.l living, even temporarily, in Chicago, there was only one possible reason for Mitch.e.l.las having concealed that from hera"he had no intention of seeing her after they left St. Maarten.

She needed an answer to that right now, not later when they were face-to-face and he could disarm her or distract her. A simple, straightforward answer. After all, Mitch.e.l.l had sent her here expecting her to break up with Evan ain the shortest possible time,a and then to ahurry back.a She had every right to expect a straightforward answer to her question.

Closing the bathroom door, she dug in her purse for her cell phone and the brochure from the Enclave. Her fingers trembled as she pressed the b.u.t.tons on her cell phone, and her pulse edged up with each ring. By the time the Enclaveas operator answered the phone, Kate was leaning back against the vanity for support, and her voice actually wavered with nervousness when she asked to be connected to Mr. Wyatt in the Presidential Suite.