Every Breath You Take Part 1

EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE.

Judith McNaught.

Acknowledgments.

To Michael Buble, my favorite singer, with grat.i.tude and affection; Dana and Richard LeConey, two beautiful people who make everyone else beautiful; d.i.c.k Smith, pilot and friend; James and Nicole Trussell III, whose wedding I missed in order to get this book out; Tamara Anderson, my legal consultant, fellow writer, and wonderful friend; Joe Grant, my other legal consultant and dear friend; the Genest familya"Jordan, Michael, Genevieve, Alexandra, and Anastasiaa"who sacrificed Thanksgiving together and a lot more for the sake of this book . . . and, most especially, the production department at Ballantine, which will never fully recover from the effort required to get this book out on schedule.

Most of all, my heartfelt grat.i.tude to three Ballantine employees, who accomplished the impossible by getting this book done on time: Charlotte Herscher, Daniel Mallory, and my editor of twenty years, Linda Marrow. And a very special thank-you to Lindaas new twins, Callie Virginia and Matthew Clifton, whose feeding schedule was frequently disrupted because of me, and an equally huge thank-you to new daddy Jim Impoco, who is used to having his schedule disrupted by my deadlines.

About the Author.

JUDITH MCNAUGHT is the New York Times best selling author of Someone to Watch Over Me, Night Whispers, and Perfect, as well as numerous other novels. She lives in Houston, Texas.

Chapter One.

HIGH ATOP A snow-covered hill, the Wyatt mansion perched like a regal crown, its Gothic stone spires pointing skyward, its stained-gla.s.s windows glowing like jewels.

A mile away, limousines and luxury cars paraded in a slow stream toward a uniformed security guard posted at the gated entrance to the estate. As each vehicle reached him, the security guard checked the occupantsa names off the guest list; then he issued a politely worded edict to the driver: aIam sorry, because of the snowfall, Mr. Wyatt does not want any vehicles parked inside the gates this evening.a If a chauffeur was at the wheel, the guard stepped aside, allowing the chauffeur to turn into the drive, proceed through the gates, and deliver his pa.s.sengers to the house before returning to the main road to park and wait.

If the vehicleas owner was at the wheel, the guard motioned him toward a line of shiny black Range Rovers parked up the hill at a cross street, wisps of exhaust curling from their tailpipes. aPlease pull forward and leave your car with an attendant,a the guard instructed. aYouall be shuttled up to the house.a However, as each new arrival soon discovered, that process was neither as simple nor as convenient as it sounded. Although there were plenty of helpful attendants and available Range Rovers waiting within sight, large s...o...b..nks and parked cars had encroached on the winding residential lane so that it was almost impa.s.sably narrow in places, and the steady procession of slow-moving vehicles had churned four inches of unplowed snow from earlier that day into thick slush.

The whole ordeal was unnerving and annoying to everyone. . . . Everyone except Detectives Childress and MacNeil, who were in an unmarked Chevrolet that was backed into a driveway one hundred and fifty yards uphill from the entrance to the Wyatt estate. The two detectives were part of a handpicked team, formed earlier that day, a.s.signed to keep Mitch.e.l.l Wyatt under twenty-four-hour surveillance.

At eightPM , they had tailed him here, to Cecil Wyattas estate, where he swerved around the security guard who was trying to wave him down, then turned into the private drive and disappeared from sight. Once Wyatt vanished, there was nothing for Childress and MacNeil to do but park and make a record of whom he was a.s.sociating with. To facilitate that, Childress was observing the scene through a pair of night-vision binoculars, reporting license-plate numbers and miscellaneous information to MacNeil, who wrote it down in a notebook.

aWe have a new contender approaching the starting line,a Childress murmured as another pair of headlights reached the security guard at the gate. He read the vehicleas license plate aloud for MacNeil; then he described the vehicle and driver. aWhite Mercedes AMG, this yearas model, or possibly last yearas. Driver is a Caucasian male in his early sixties, pa.s.senger is a Caucasian female, early thirties, and sheas snuggled up against her smiling sugar daddy.a When MacNeil didnat reply, Childress glanced at him and realized MacNeilas attention was focused on a pair of headlights slowly descending the hill from the right. aMust be someone who lives up here,a Childress remarked. aAnd heas not only rich, heas curious,a he added as the black Lincoln Town Car came to a full stop and cut off its headlights directly in front of the driveway where they were parked.

The back door opened, and a man in his late thirties wearing a dark overcoat got out. Childress rolled down his window, intending to make an excuse for their presence, but as the man paused and put his cell phone to his ear, Childress recognized him. aThatas Gray Elliott. Whatas he doing out here?a aHe lives nearby. Maybe heas attending the party.a aOr maybe he wants to pitch in and do some surveillance with us,a Childress joked, but there was admiration in his voice. After only one year in office as Cook Countyas stateas attorney, Gray Elliott was a hero to the copsa"a brilliant attorney who wasnat afraid to take on tough, risky cases. The fact that he was also a wealthy socialite whoad dedicated himself to public service rather than the pursuit of greater wealth added another facet to his heroic image.

MacNeil liked him for all of those reasons but MacNeil had always liked Graya"even when he had been a carefree, reckless teenager whom MacNeil had busted for several minor youthful offenses.

Elliott finished his phone call, walked over to the car, leaned down, and looked inside. aYou must be Childress,a he said by way of greeting; then he shifted his attention to MacNeil. aIad like a word with you, Mac.a MacNeil got out and joined him at the back of the car. The wind had died down, and the engine was running, pumping warm exhaust at their feet. aI asked that you be a.s.signed to this case,a Gray told him, abecause you headed the investigation into William Wyattas disappearance, and youare familiar with all the players.a aNot all of them,a Mac interrupted, unable to keep his curiosity in check. aI never heard of Mitch.e.l.l Wyatt until today. Who the h.e.l.l is he, and why are we watching him?a aHeas William Wyattas half brother, and I believe heas responsible for Williamas disappearance.a aHis half brother?a MacNeil repeated, his forehead furrowing into a doubtful frown. aWhen William disappeared, I interviewed all his family members and all his friends. No one ever mentioned a half brother. In fact, when I interviewed Cecil Wyatt, the old man repeatedly told me how important it was that we find hisonly grandson, and bring William home to his wife and kid.a aYou were deliberately misled by an arrogant, devious old man who wasnat ready to admit he had a grandson head never acknowledged. Iave known the Wyatts my whole life, and I never knew William had a half brother. For that matter, neither did William until this past June.

aAccording to the story I was just told, Williamas father, Edward, had an affair with his secretary when William was a couple years old and his mother was dying of cancer. The secretary got pregnant, and Williamas mother died a few months later, but when the secretary pressed Edward to marry her as head promised, he stalled, then denied the baby was his. She retaliated by threatening to take the whole sordid tale to theTribune. a Elliottas cell phone rang, and he paused to glance at the calleras name; then he ignored the call and continued. aAt the time, Cecil had big political plans for Edward, which a scandal would have destroyed, but allowing aa common little tarta to marry into the family was unthinkable. Cecil tried to buy her off, but she wouldnat budge about her childas right to be legitimate, to be named Wyatt, and to be raised as a Wyatt. She hired a lawyer, and eventually a deal was struck: Edward would marry her shortly before the baby was due, and then divorce her immediately after the birth. She relinquished all rights to the baby, granting full custody to Cecil. Cecil, in turn, was obliged to see that the baby was raised awith all the benefits a.s.sociated with Wyatt money and social connections,a including the finest education, travel abroad, and so forth. She received a substantial sum of money on the condition that she never divulge a word about anything that had happened and never again have contact with any of the parties involved, including the baby.a MacNeil turned the collar up on his jacket. The bottom half of his body was reasonably warm, but his ears were freezing. aObviously, Cecil later changed his mind about the grandson,a he said, rubbing his hands together before he stuck them in his pockets.

aNo, he adhered to the letter of the agreement but not the spirit. Head agreed Mitch.e.l.l would grow up awith all the benefits a.s.sociated with Wyatt money and social connections,a but Cecil never specifically agreed that the asocial connectionsa would be with the Wyatts themselves. A week after he was born, Cecil sent Mitch.e.l.l to a family in Italy, along with a falsified birth certificate. When he was four or five, Cecil yanked him out of that familyas home and had him sent to an exclusive boarding school in France. Later, Mitch.e.l.l was sent to prep school in Switzerland, and then on to Oxford.a aDid the kid even know who he was, or who was paying for his fancy education?a MacNeil asked.

aThe family he lived with in Italy told him what theyad been told, which was that head been abandoned as a newborn on a California doorstep and that his name was merely a combination of two names picked out of a phone book by a group of generous American benefactors who regularly put up the money to support and educate boys just like him. These supposed benefactors wished for nothing in return except the right to remain anonymous.a aJeez.a MacNeil shook his head.

aIf thatas pity I hear, save it for someone who deserves it,a Elliott said sarcastically. aFrom all accounts, young Mitch.e.l.l enjoyed his life and made the most of his opportunities. He was a natural athlete who excelled at sports, he went to the finest schools, and he mixed easily with kids from Europeas leading families. After he graduated from college, he put his education, his good looks, and his acquired social contacts to excellent use, managing to make himself a load of money. Heas thirty-four now, and he runs companies based mostly in Europe. He has apartments in Rome, London, Paris, and New York.a Elliott paused to look at his watch, frowning as he tried to see its face in the dark. aCan you see the time on your watch?a MacNeil pulled up his sleeve and glanced at the large glowing green numerals on his Timex. aEight forty-five.a aI have to go. I need to put in an appearance at Cecilas party.a aHow did Wyatt end up right here, right now, after all this time?a MacNeil said quickly, trying to make optimal use of the remaining time.

aSeven months ago, in early June, William came across the doc.u.ments in an old safe, and he was outraged at the treatment his poor half brother had received from his father and grandfather. He hired detectives, and when they located Mitch.e.l.l Wyatt in London, William took his wife and his son and flew to London to introduce them in person and explain what had happened.a aThat was a nice thing to do.a Elliott tipped his head back and looked at the sky. aYes, it was,a he said in the carefully controlled voice of a man trying not to betray any emotion. aWilliam was a thoroughly nice guya"the only male in his family for generations who wasnat an egotistical sociopath.a Abruptly, he looked back at MacNeil and finished. aWhen William came back from London filled with glowing accounts of Mitch.e.l.las amazing successes, Edward didnat want anything to do with his long-lost son, but old Cecil was evidently impressed enough to ask for a meeting. The meeting took place in August, when Mitch.e.l.l was supposedly here on business. And then, after William disappeared in November, Cecil asked Mitch.e.l.l to come back to Chicago so they could get to know each other better. Ironically, the old man is now quite taken with his prodigal grandsona"so much so that heas asked him to be present tonight, for his eightieth birthday party. I have to get going,a he said, already starting toward his car.

MacNeil walked beside him. aYou havenat told me anything that explains why weare keeping Mitch.e.l.l Wyatt under surveillance.a Elliott stopped abruptly, his expression tight, his voice cold and clipped. aOh, did I leave that out?a he asked. aHere are just two of the reasons: In September, one month after that first reunion between Cecil and Mitch.e.l.l, Edwarda"William and Mitch.e.l.las fathera"afella off his balcony and plunged thirty stories to his death. In November, William vanished. Coincidentally, according to U.S. pa.s.sport and immigration records, Mitch.e.l.l Wyatt entered the U.S. shortly before each event occurred and departed almost immediately afterward.a When MacNeilas eyes narrowed, Elliott said, aNow youare getting part of the picture. Hereas more of it: Mitch.e.l.l has been in Chicago for two weeks. Heas staying at Williamas house, consoling Williamas beautiful wife, and befriending Williamas fourteen-year-old son.a Unable to keep the loathing from his voice, Elliott said, aMitch.e.l.l Wyatt is systematically exterminating members of his own family and restructuring the family to suit himself.a aYou think heas after the family fortune,a MacNeil concluded.

aI think the Wyatt genes have produced another sociopath. The ultimate sociopatha"a cold-blooded murderer.a When he walked away, MacNeil got back into the Chevy with Childress, and they watched Elliottas town car stop at the intersection and wait while a group of party guests were transferred into Range Rovers. A gray-haired woman slipped in the slush, and her husband grabbed for her. A middle-aged couple shivered in the cold while a nervous elderly couple struggled to step up onto the Range Roveras elevated running boards with the help of parking attendants.

aYou know,a Childress said, when the vehicles were finally on their way, awhen we drove past the security gates tonight, I got a look at the driveway leading to the house, and I swear it looked perfectly cleara"at least as far as I could see.a aIt was,a MacNeil agreed.

aThen why in the h.e.l.l is the security guard making everyone leave their vehicles out here on the main road?a MacNeil shrugged. aWho knows?a

Chapter Two.

THE STREAM OFarriving guests had slowed to a trickle when a new pair of headlights, moving slowly, approached the gates. Childress put down the cup of coffee head poured from his thermos and picked up the binoculars. MacNeil reached for the notebook and began jotting down the information Childress gave him.

aThe vehicleas a vintage Rollsa"probably 1950sa"maroon in color, pristine condition,a Childress said. aChauffeur at the wheel. Female pa.s.senger in the backseat. G.o.d, sheas abeauty !a aThe Rolls or the pa.s.senger?a MacNeil asked.

Childress snorted with laughter. aThe Rolls. The pa.s.senger is about ninety years old, and her face is wrinkling up like a prune over whatever the security guard is telling her chauffeura"who also happens to be about ninety. Iam guessing the old ladyas unhappy about having her Rolls parked on the street.a Childress was wrong about that. Cecil Wyattas sister, Olivia Hebert, was not unhappy over her brotheras no-parking-on-the-drive edict: she was furious.

aThat arrogant tyrant!a she exclaimed to her chauffeur as he drove through the gates behind three Range Rovers. aLook at this driveway, Granger. Do you see any snow on it?a aNo, madam.a aCecil is herding his guests around like sheep, just to prove he can!a aSo it would appear, madam,a her chauffeur of forty years replied, his voice quavering with age and indignation.

Satisfied that Granger understood and agreed, Olivia Hebert leaned back against the soft leather seat of her car, filled with impotent ire. Like everyone else who knew her brother, Olivia was all too familiar with Cecilas habit of developing sudden, rigid aeccentricitiesaa"the ones he invented from time to time for no other purpose except to inflict his will upon his social equals, thus proving to himself, yet again, that he was still superior to one and all.

aI canat believe that people still put up with his arrogant behavior after eighty years,a she said bitterly. aIn fact, Iam amazed these people didnat turn around and go home the instant they realized this drive is perfectly clear!a Olivia added, but that part wasnat true. She understood exactly why Cecilas guests were willing to put up with tonightas pointless inconvenience. For one thing, Cecil was a generous benefactor whoad donated tens of millions of dollars to their favorite charities. For another, theyad come to join Cecil on his eightieth birthday not to help him celebrate but to help him get through an occasion that was marred by the disappearance of his beloved thirty-six-year-old grandson, William.

aOn top of everything else, heas taking advantage of peopleas sympathy tonight, thatas what heas doing,a Olivia added as they pulled up in front of the house and she watched people climbing down from the Range Rovers.

Instead of replying, Granger conserved his strength for the arduous journey around the front of the Rolls to her back door. His shoulders were stooped with age, his back and knees were severely bent from arthritis, his hair was a thinning fringe of silver beneath his black chauffeuras cap, and his thin frame was swallowed up by a black overcoat that had lately gotten too large for him. He opened her door and held out his gnarled hand to help her out. Olivia put her gloved hand in his. aWe shall have to see about getting your coat altered,a she said as she eased herself out of her car and reached for her cane. aItas a little large for you.a aIam sorry, madam.a Gripping her cane with her right hand and clutching his coat sleeve with her left, Olivia let him guide her slowly toward the house, where Cecilas butler was already waiting in the lighted doorway. aDo try to eat more, Granger. I used to buy a new car for what clothing costs these days.a aYes, madam.a As he helped her up the three flagstone steps that led to the front door, he said, aHow will you let me know when you wish me to come for you?a Olivia halted, stiffened, and glowered ferociously at him. aDo not even consider leaving this driveway!a she warned. aWe, at least, shall not accede to the whims of a petty tyrant. Park over there under the porte cochere.a Cecilas butler heard that and coolly countermanded the order as he reached out to help her remove her coat. aYour car is to wait outside the gates, not under the porte cochere,a he informed her imperiously as Granger turned and began making his slow way back to the flagstone steps. aPlease instruct your drivera"a aIall do nothing of the sort!a she interrupted scathingly, thrusting her cane at him and struggling out of her coat herself. aGranger,a she called after him.

Granger turned on the second step and looked at her, his silver brows raised inquiringly.

aWhile you are parked under the porte cochere, if anyone approaches you, you are to run over them with my car!a Satisfied, she gave the butler a frosty, satisfied stare. aThereas a black foreign sports car parked under the porte cochere,a she said. aTo whom does it belong?a aMr. Mitch.e.l.l Wyatt,a the butler replied.

aI knew it would be his!a Olivia exclaimed gleefully, shoving her coat at the butler and s.n.a.t.c.hing her cane out of his grasp. aHe is not subject to the whims of a petty tyrant, either,a she proudly informed him. Leaning heavily on her cane, she began making her awkward way across the foyeras uneven slate floor, toward the sound of voices in the living room. Behind her, the butler said, aMr. Cecil said you are to await him in his study.a Despite her brief show of bravado, Olivia was uneasy about confronting her formidable brother in private. He had an uncanny way of antic.i.p.ating defiance, even before an outward act took place. Rather than go directly to his study, she angled toward the living room on the left. Stopping beneath the arched entry, she craned her head, hoping to catch sight of an allya"an exceptionally tall, dark-haired man whoad also defied Cecilas order and parked his own car under the porte cochere.

The living room was crowded with guests, but there was no sign of Mitch.e.l.l, nor in the dining room, where more guests were partaking of a lavish buffet. She was retracing her steps back through the living room when Cecil glanced up from the people talking to him and saw her. He stared at her with the cool, speculating expression of a long-standing opponent; then with a curt jerk of his head in the direction of his study, he ordered her to get herself there at once. Olivia put her chin up, but she complied.

Cecilas study was on the opposite side of the slate hallway from the living room, beyond the main staircase and toward the rear of the house. Normally, the heavy paneled study doors were closed during large parties to discourage guests from congregating in Cecilas private domain, but tonight a thin strip of mellow light glowed from between them. With one hand on the door handle, Olivia paused to give her legs and lungs a brief rest; then she straightened her back, lifted her heada"and froze in surprise at the scene revealed to her in that narrow shaft of light.

Mitch.e.l.l had his arms around Williamas wife, and Carolineas cheek was pressed against his chest, a handkerchief clutched in her hand. aI donat know how much longer I can go on like this,a she said brokenly, lifting her face to his.

aWe have no choice,a he said flatly, but not unkindly.

Oliviaas momentary shock gave way to sympathetic understanding. Poor Caroline looked as thin and pale as a waif. Naturally, shead seek comfort and support from a male family member, but her profligate father was honeymooning somewhere in Europe with his fifth wife, and Cecil would offer her only more of his terse lectures on the need to show strength in times of travail. Carolineas fourteen-year-old son needed all the comfort his mother could give him, and Caroline put on a brave face for him, but she had no one to lean on herselfa"no one except Mitch.e.l.l.

Olivia felt a rush of grat.i.tude that Mitch.e.l.l had come into the Wyatt family fold at exactly the right time to help Caroline and Cecil through their grief. Unfortunately, Olivia had the feeling Mitch.e.l.l wouldnat ahelpa Cecil out of a burning house if he had a choice. He obviously had no desire to further a relationship with his family or meet any of their friends, anda"worst of alla"Olivia was quite certain he intended to leave Chicago very soon and without a word of warning to anyone except Caroline.

Olivia understood exactly why he felt as he did. The Wyatts had disposed of Mitch.e.l.l as an infant as if he had been nothing but an offensive piece of litter cluttering up their perfect, tidy lives. Shead known a little about the fate of Edwardas unwanted baby long ago, and Olivia had done nothing to change it; therefore, she accepted Mitch.e.l.las contempt for her as her just desserts. What she could not accept was the thought of his leaving Chicago too soon. She wanted him to get to know her first and realize he could trust her. She wanted him to call her aAunt Oliviaa before he went away. Just one aAunt Oliviaa before he left, and shead be satisfied. But there was something else Olivia wanted much more, something she had to have from him before it was too late: forgiveness.

At the moment, however, her most pressing concern was that Cecil might stalk up behind her, yank open the doors to his study, and put an entirely wrong interpretation on the scene inside. Rather than barging in on the couple and, in so doing, make Caroline feel guilty and force Mitch.e.l.l to give unnecessary explanations, Olivia decided to alert them to her impending arrival. Accordingly, she banged her cane on the heavy door as she fumbled with the latch, and then for good measure, she held her cane out in front of her like a blind personas walking stick and entered the study, tapping and poking at the oak floor, her gaze fixed upon the old planks as if they werenat to be trusted with her weight.

aDo you need more light?a Mitch.e.l.l asked.

Olivia raised her head as if surprised by his presence, but it was the irony in Mitch.e.l.las voice that startled her. He stood in front of the fireplace, exactly where head been before, but Caroline had dropped into a nearby chair. Oliviaas heart ached at the sight of the dark smudges beneath her hazel eyes. aMy poor child,a she said, laying her hand on Carolineas golden hair.

Caroline tilted her head back and pressed Oliviaas hand to her cheek instead. aAunt Olivia,a she said in a forlorn voice.

Olivia would have stayed at Carolineas side, but she realized Mitch.e.l.l had stepped back from the fireplace and was idly surveying the studyas many portraits. The large room was a veritable shrine to the Wyatts, with framed portraits of every size and description crowding the walls and covering the mantel. This was the first overt indication shead seen him give that he had any interest whatsoever in any of the Wyattsa"or at least Olivia wanted to think this was an indication of interest. aThat is your great-grandfather,a she told him, moving to his side and gesturing to the portrait above the fireplace. aDo you see the resemblance?a aTo what?a he said, deliberately mocking the notion.

aTo you,a Olivia persevered stubbornly, but he shot her a cold warning glancea"one that looked exactly like those warning glances of his great-grandfatheras; then he slid one hand into his pants pocket and strolled a few paces away. Olivia heeded his warning, but she watched him from the corner of her eye, hoping for another opportunity to chip away at his glacial defenses if he showed interest in a different portrait.

Cecil always kept people waiting; it proved his superiority over them. Normally it annoyed Olivia when he did it to her, but now she hoped head keep them waiting here for an hour. A few moments later, Mitch.e.l.l paused to study another portrait, and Olivia hurried to join him; then she gaped at the picture head singled out. It was a portrait of a girl seated demurely on a garden swing, with pink rosebuds twined in her long hair and silk ones embroidered on the skirt of her white dress. Mitch.e.l.l slanted Olivia a sidewise look. aYou?a he asked.

aGood heavens!a she exclaimed. aHow did you figure that out? I was barely fifteen at the time.a Instead of answering, he nodded toward another portrait. aAnd thatas you as well?a aYes, I was twenty, and Iad just become engaged to Mr. Hebert. Thatas him, right there. Our portraits were made the same day.a aYou donat look quite as happy about the engagement as he does.a aI wasnat,a Olivia confided, forgetting that she had intended to draw Mitch.e.l.l out and not the reverse. aI thought he and his family were a little . . . stuffy.a That brought a fascinated smile from him. aWhy did you think they were astuffya?a he asked, turning the full force of his undivided attention on her.

aIta"it seems silly now, but one of his ancestors signed the Declaration of Independence, and another ancestor was a general in the Civil War, and I felt his family made too much of thata"you know, boasted about it in an unseemly way.a aAppalling behavior,a he agreed with amused gravity.

Basking in the glow of bantering with him, Olivia endeavored to do more of it. aYes, it was. I mean, it wasnat as if they came over on theMayflower!a aIam sure they tried,a Mitch.e.l.l joked, abut it was a small ship, and they probably couldnat get reservations.a aWell, if they couldnat,a Olivia confided, leaning closer to him, aitas becausewe were already on it!a He laughed, and Olivia lost her head and blurted out her thought: aThe Wyatt men are a handsome lot, but in my day,we would have calledyou a dreamboat, young man.a His expression chilled the instant she implied he was one of the Wyatt men, and Olivia was so desperate to recover the ground shead lost that she pointed out a feature his forebears did not possess. aThey all have brown eyes, too, but your eyes are blue.a aI wonder how that happened,a he said in a bored drawl.

aYour motha"a Olivia cut the sentence off; then she changed her mind and decided he had a right to know. Might even want to know. aI remember that your mother had beautiful, deep blue eyes. Iad never seen eyes as blue as hers before or sincea"until now.a She waited for him to ask for more information about his mother, but instead, he folded his arms across his chest and stared down at her, looking coldly impatient and very bored. Olivia pulled her gaze from his and pointed to a small portrait just beyond the one of George Hebert. aWhat do you think of him?a she asked, drawing Mitch.e.l.las attention to a portly gentleman wearing a starched shirt with a tie striped in shades of pink, blue, and yellow.

aI think he had appalling taste in neckties,a Mitch.e.l.l replied curtly, and walked away.

Olivia glanced at Caroline, who slowly shook her head, silently stating the obvious: Olivia had made a mistake by mentioning his mother and another mistake by trying to make Mitch.e.l.l acknowledge his relationship to the men in the portraits.

Olivia watched him move from one painting to the nexta"a tall, broad-shouldered man who was looking at portraits of men who frequently resembled him so strongly that he had to feel as if he were looking in a mirror, a slightly blurry one at times, but a mirror nonetheless. Pride was causing him to deny the resemblance as well as his heritage, but as she studied him from across the room, she marveled at the futility of his effort. His forebears were tall, like he was, their bearing proud, their intellects extraordinary, their temperamentsa"uncertain. Just like his.

She thought of his criticism of the striped necktie her father-in-law had worn, and as she looked at Mitch.e.l.las profile, amus.e.m.e.nt lifted her spirits a little. From the toes of Mitch.e.l.las gleaming black Italian loafers to his custom-tailored charcoal suit and snowy white shirt to the impeccable cut of his thick black hair, Mitch.e.l.l wasa"as all Wyatt men werea"tastefully conservative and immaculately groomed.

However, three things shead discovered about him while they looked at the portraits set him distinctly apart from his forebears: his dry sense of humor, his smooth urbane charm, and that smile of his. The combination was positively lethala"lethal enough to make even an old woman like her feel a little giddy. The Wyatt men were forceful and dynamic, but generally had little humor and even less charm. If they were Humphrey Bogarts, then Mitch.e.l.l was Cary Grant, but with a hard jaw and chilly blue eyes.

aThis will not take long,a Cecil said in an abrupt voice as he stalked into the room.

Olivia stiffened inwardly and watched her brother walk to his desk. It irritated her that Cecil was two years older than she but arthritis hadnat bent his spine. aSit down,a he ordered.

Mitch.e.l.l walked over to Olivia and pulled a chair out for her; then he walked over to the corner of Cecilas desk, shoved his hands into his pants pockets, and lifted his brows. aI said sit,a Cecil warned him.

An expression of icy amus.e.m.e.nt flicked across Mitch.e.l.las eyes, and he looked around behind him.

aWhat are you looking for?a asked Cecil.

aYour dog,a Mitch.e.l.l replied.

Olivia stiffened and Caroline drew in a sharp breath. Cecil stared hard at him, his expression resentful . . . and then, almost respectful. aAs you wish,a he said; then he switched his gaze to Olivia and Caroline. aI wanted the two of you present because I feel that I owe it to Mitch.e.l.l to say this in front of the entire family, and as fate would have it, we are the only adults left in this family.a Returning his gaze to Mitch.e.l.l, he said, aMany years ago, pride and anger prompted me to do you a grave injustice, and I want to admit that now, in front of your aunt and your sister-in-law. My anger had nothing to do with you; it had to do with your father and the woman who was your mother. My son, Edward, was a womanizer, and I detested that in him. While his young wife was dying of cancer, he got another woman pregnanta"your mothera"and I could not forgive him for that. Nor could I overlook your motheras total lack of scruples. She consorted with my faithless son, knowing full well his wife was dying, and she was so utterly lacking in common decency that it was beyond her to understand the insult it would have been to Edwardas dead wife had he married her and produced a child with her six months after his first wifeas death.a Cecil stopped, and Olivia worriedly scrutinized Mitch.e.l.las face, wondering how he felt hearing these ugly truths about both his parents, but he looked detacheda"as if he were listening to a slightly distasteful story that had nothing whatsoever to do with him. If Olivia hadnat noticed the imperceptible tightening of his jaw, shead have believed he was thoroughly bored.

Oblivious to such nuances of expression, Cecil said, aMay I continue being blunt?a aPlease, by all means,a Mitch.e.l.l replied with mocking civility.

aI was disgusteda"noa"revolted by your parentsa behavior, but when your mother hired a sleazy lawyer to try to extort money from me and compel me to raise her b.a.s.t.a.r.d child as a Wyatt, my revulsion for her became loathing, and I would have done anything within my power to thwart her. Anything. Can you understand my feeling in this regard?a aPerfectly.a aIf your mother had simply wanted money in order to raise her son and have a decent life, I could have understood that,a Cecil added, and for the first time, Olivia thought she saw surprise or some other emotion flicker across Mitch.e.l.las enigmatic face. aBut she hadnat a grain of maternal feeling in her body. Money and abeing around rich peoplea were all that counted to her, and she figured that should be enough for her child, too.a Cecil stood up. Olivia noticed he had to brace his hands on his desk, as if he felt weaker than he wanted to show. aYou were the child of a spineless man without character or decency and a scheming, mercenary little s.l.u.t. It never occurred to me that you could turn out well in view of all that, but I was wrong, Mitch.e.l.l. Your Wyatt heritage came through strong and untainted. I loved your brother William, and he was a good father and husband, but he was soft and he had Edwardas lack of ambition. You, Mitch.e.l.l, are a throwback to your Wyatt ancestors. I tossed you out into the world with nothing except an opportunity to educate yourself and make social contacts. You turned that into an impressive little financial empire in a decade. You inherited your ability to do this from your Wyatt ancestors. You may not have been raised as a Wyatt, but you are one.a Finished, Cecil looked at him expectantly.

Instead of sounding pleased, Mitch.e.l.l sounded entertained. aAm I supposed to regard that as a compliment?a Cecilas brows snapped together at the amus.e.m.e.nt in Mitch.e.l.las voice; then a satisfied smiled lifted his thin lips up at the corners. aOf course not. Youare a Wyatt, and we Wyatts do not seek, nor do we need, the approval of others.a As if he suddenly realized he had not softened the younger man up in the least, Cecil changed tactics. aBecause you are a Wyatt, you will also understand how difficult it is for me to admit that my anger and pride caused me to make a disastrous error in judgment many years agoa"an error for which you have paid your whole life. I donat expect you to forgive me, because Wyatts do not settle for mere apologies for what is unforgivable, and I am already eighty years old, so there arenat enough years left to me to atone. I, too, am a Wyatt, so I cannot ask for forgiveness I am not ent.i.tled to. I can only ask you for thisa"a The old man held out his hand, and it trembled slightly. aWill you shake my hand?a Olivia was moved almost to tears, and Carolineas soft lower lip was quivering with an encouraging smile, but Mitch.e.l.l ignored Cecilas gesture. aNot until I understand what weare shaking hands on.a aIt is my eightieth birthday,a Cecil said tiredly, letting his hand drop to his side. aI am responsible for Olivia, Caroline, and young Billy; but when Iam gone, thereas no one left to look after them. I know that Olivia has developed an affection for you. No doubt she thinks of you as an ally, since youave both seen fit to ignore my request to park your cars on the street.a Mitch.e.l.l flicked a surprised glance at Olivia, and she thought she saw a glint of amus.e.m.e.nt in his eyes before he returned his attention to Cecil.

aI know that William felt a bond with you from the moment he met you, and our William was an excellent judge of character. Caroline and young Billy tell me youave been spending time with them now that William is goa"has disappeared, and I a.s.sume you share their affectionate familial regard.a He paused, but Mitch.e.l.l neither confirmed nor denied it, so Cecil put out his hand again and forged ahead. aLike it or not, you are my grandson. I need to knowa"and so dothey a"a he emphasized, athat you now accept that role, and that you agree to look after them should anything happen to me. Will you shake hands on that?a Olivia marveled at how cleverly Cecil had rephrased his request, as if he were making it on behalf of Caroline and herself, and she was inordinately pleased that, this time, Mitch.e.l.l hesitated only a second before reaching across the desk for his grandfatheras handshake.

aThatas settled then,a Cecil said abruptly, casting off his mantle of helpless frailty as if it were an ill-fitting garment. aOlivia, Caroline, take Mitch.e.l.l into the living room and make sure he meets the right people out there.a Olivia frowned. aAre you going to make some sort of announcement about who he is or where heas been all this time?a aCertainly not! A formal announcement would open the door for additional questions that I have no desire to answer. Iave already mentioned to a few people that Mitch.e.l.l has been kind enough to ignore his business affairs in Europe so that he can spend a few weeks with us. When you bring Mitch.e.l.l into the living room, I want you to behave as if you a.s.sume they already know who he is and, in fact, may already have met him here in the past.a Satisfied that the matter was settled, Cecil started for the door.

aHow in heavenas name am I going to do that?a Olivia asked.

He turned, and irritably demonstrated how to do it: aYou walk up to a group of people, Olivia, and you say to them, aYouave all met Mitch.e.l.l, havenat you?a And when they say they havenat, you act surprised. Theyall spend the rest of the evening wondering how and when they offended me enough to be left out of the loop.a He turned away again, took two steps, then turned back, a sly smile curving his mouth. aBetter yet, now and then, when you take Mitch.e.l.l up to someone, you should begin by saying, aMitch.e.l.l, you remember so-and-so, donat you?a They wonat remember meeting him, of course, but theyall be even more shocked thathe doesnat remember meetingthem. That will give Mitch.e.l.l the upper hand.a With that, he walked out.

Olivia looked at Mitch.e.l.l to gauge his reaction to all this, but he was staring hard at Cecilas back; so she said, aCecil is full of subtle but devious little tricks.a aCecil is full ofa"a Mitch.e.l.l jerked his gaze to Oliviaas horrified face and bit back the rest of his sentence. Carolineas announcement diverted them both.

aIam really not up to making small talk tonight or being barraged with questions about William for which there are no new answers. Iad rather wait here.a aIall take you home,a Mitch.e.l.l said quickly, but she shook her head and smiled up at him. aCecil is righta"itas best to present you to everyone tonight, when so many of Cecilas friends are already here.a aI am not a debutante,a he pointed out sardonically.

aNo oneas going to mistake you for a debutante,a Caroline said wryly, abut some of these women are going to look at you like youare a divinely dark and handsome bonbon.a He reached for her arm to draw her out of the chair. aSome other time.a Caroline pressed back farther into the chair and firmly shook her head. aThis is the best time and the best way. Go with Olivia now. Please, do it for mea"a she urged when he still looked unwilling. aAfter tonight, Billy and I will be able to go places with you without my having to worry that people will think Iave already replaced William with a boyfriend.a aFifteen minutes,a Mitch.e.l.l agreed impatiently, then he gave Olivia his arm, and she took it.

Chapter Three.

AT THE ENTRYto the living room, Olivia paused, allowing him to take a good long look at the elegant socialites who were there, while she provided him with tidbits of information about their lofty pedigrees and important achievements. aThe gentleman who Cecil just spoke to is the grandson of the founder of Universal Rubber. Heas going to run for senator, and we all think heall be president someday. The attractive brunette with hima"the one who is looking in our direction right nowa"is his wife.a Mitch.e.l.l let her go on, but he knew at a glance who these people were andwhat they were: self-important, pompous men who believed agood breedinga set them above all others; self-indulgent, vain women who were bored with their lives and their men, and who entertained themselves with charity work and torrid little affairs. The scene in this room wasnat new to Mitch.e.l.l at all, except that it lacked the international flair and diversity he was accustomed to. Other than that, this was simply a miniature, and somewhat provincial, scene from his own life.

aThe gentleman in the dark gray suit and maroon tie is Gray Elliott,a Olivia confided. aGray is from a fine old Chicago family, and he is the youngest person ever elected to the office of Cook County stateas attorney. Heas already proving his mettle and making a very big name for himself. In front of Gray is Evan Bartlett and his father, Henry. The Bartletts have handled legal affairs for the Wyatts for as far back as I can remembera"longer than that, for generations.a Mitch.e.l.l looked at the elder Bartlett and a.s.sumed Henry must have handled the messy details surrounding his birtha"the falsified birth certificate, the terms of the divorce, the payoff to his mother.

a. . . young Evan is a brilliant attorney,a Olivia chattered enthusiastically, awho is already taking over the reins from Henrya"a Young Evan,Mitch.e.l.l thought drily,will be going through old files tomorrow after his father tells him what he remembers about Mitch.e.l.l Wyatt.

Olivia paused to scrutinize Mitch.e.l.las features and a.s.sess how he was reacting. aAre you bored already?a she asked, looking crestfallen.

Mitch.e.l.l was worse than bored, but she was so transparently eager to impress him and make him want to be a part of all this that he found himself saying, aNot at all.a She looked doubtful. aAre you planning to leave us soon?a she asked bluntly.

aYes, in two weeks.a She averted her face instantly, her hand clutching fiercely at his arm while a tremor seemed to shake her entire body. Mitch.e.l.l automatically slid his arm around her back to brace her and looked for the closest chair. aYouare illa"a he began, but the episode pa.s.sed as swiftly as it had occurred.