pital. Eleanor Montgomery sat in a chair

devoid of warmth. "The internal injuries were... signi

hed. That was

e, or the police arrested you for assault," she contin

r warred with a cold, hardening resolve. She was conc

devoted to his fiancée, Miss Vanderbilt. He' s been sending her flowers every day, even had a s

k. For Chloe, devotio

me to get it myself, that I wasn' t an invalid. Now, he was lavishing care on Chloe for a fabricated scratch. The realization hit me with full

Ethan' s health was surprisingly stable. "The doctors are amazed," Eleanor said,

Ethan didn' t need me, I was just a complication.

l than usual. "Since Ethan is doing better, and your... presence... is cl

e heard of Captain Jack Riley. A war hero. His family is... concerne

at faster.

t, of course. But it would provide you with security, and it would be... a PR coup

I said, perhap

sed. "You' ve given

ugh thought, Mrs. Mo

ital bed. Weeks ago, using a sympathetic nurse to mail a carefully worded letter, I had secretly contacted the Rile

orbit and solves a delicate problem for the Rileys. And for us." She even offered a small, independent trust fund for me. "