Caress Part Three (Arcadia Book 3) Read Online Free PDF Page A

held to a different standard in the 1950s, at least publicly. But
Margo and Prentice were both single, weren’t they? No adultery was involved and
anyway, wasn’t the media far more inclined to keep the secrets of powerful
people than they are now?”
    A thought popped into my mind. I had no idea where to came
from but I went with it anyway.
     “Perhaps he had a particular reason for wanting anonymity,”
I suggested. “Some dark secret far worse than a mere affair.”
    I expected Caroline to jump on that but she just sighed. “If
only. For decades, people have gone over Prentice’s life with the proverbial
fine-toothed comb. No one has ever turned up anything to explain why someone
would put a bullet in him. There are plenty of theories, of course, but none of
them has ever led anywhere.”
    Given her fascination with the senator’s murder, I had to assume
that she was right. Even so, I couldn’t shake the thought that some aspect of
the senator’s seemingly charmed life must have been behind its sudden and
violent end.
    That he could have hidden a part of himself from the world
so thoroughly that it remained unknown even decades later didn’t strike me as
impossible. Not given my own experience.
    I understood all too well that secrets could take on a life
of their own, bestowing a sense of power and superiority on those who kept them.
Until they suddenly shattered and rained down destruction on everyone in their
path.
    The conversation moved on to other, lighter topics. As I
took a last bite of my Thai Salad, I finally admitted to myself how nervous I’d
been about getting together with Lucas’ sister and sister-in-law. Foolishly so
since they couldn’t be kinder or nicer.
    I was basking in the relief of that when Caroline chose the
moment to throw me yet another curve.
    “By the way,” she said, touching her napkin to her lips, “you
might want to know. Mother’s coming home from London next week. She’s eager to
meet you.”
    I took a quick sip of water, doubly glad that I’d decided to
forego the mimosas at the beginning of the meal, and said, “Me? How does she
even know that I exist?”
    Before Caroline could reply, Imogene narrowed her eyes at
her sister-in-law. “I wouldn’t put it past this one to have mentioned you to
her.”
    “Me?” Caroline affected a pose of doe-like innocence. “At
most, I might have said that Lucas looks happier than I’ve ever seen him. How
was I to know that she’d make a big deal out of that?”
    “Indeed, who could possibly predict such a reaction from a
mother?” Imogene teased. To me, she said, “Don’t be concerned. Katherine Phelps
is a lovely woman. I’m sure the two of you will get along famously.”
    Because what mother wouldn’t want her son involved with the
daughter of an infamous felon who was herself prone to panic attacks and
possibly hallucinations?
    And who was looking forward to being spanked. Again.
    As much as I truly liked Caroline and Imogene, I had to get
out of there. Fortunately, they both had places to be. We parted on the street
in front of the café with air kisses, genuine hugs, and promises to get
together again soon.
    I couldn’t let myself think that what that might involve,
especially if Lucas’ mother decided to tag along. Instead, I started walking.
    A few more clouds had gathered overhead but the day remained
bright and inviting. I headed in the general direction of the Arcadia, up Fifth
Avenue and across Central Park South.
    That part of Manhattan had always delighted me but now I was
hardly aware of it. The idea of secrets--keeping them, carrying the burden of
them, waiting for them to blow up--kept swirling through my mind.
    If Prentice had been hiding something, surely the cost of
letting it come out would have been far less than the price he ultimately paid.
    The same could be said for my father. If he’d called a halt
to his investment fraud before it collapsed, in all likelihood he still would
have been exposed