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CINDY3 movies and once saw you

The following is a work of fiction regarding sexual relationships. If you
feel that it is illegal, immoral, or otherwise improper for you to read
this, then *Don't Read It.*

* * *

*Cynthia Martin*

*Copyright (c) By Morgan, 1991, 2001*

Please note the original copyright date. This story was basically
written ten years ago. As a result, you will likely find obsolete
references. I'm afraid you'll just have to live with it; it's too tedious
trying to keep up with the latest and greatest.

This book is part of the Ali Clifford saga and is a sequel to -- and
much longer than -- _Call Girls._ If you haven't read it, I urge you to do
so. Without having read it, the actions in the first few pages will not
make any sense.

Incidentally, you will find occasional entries, _word_. The reason for
this is that MS Word's Auto Format function puts a word preceded and
followed by an underscore in italics; that's my intent. Similarly, *word*
results in the word appearing in bold face. If you use Word's Auto Format,
it will take care of things; if you don't, you at least know why it's
there.

More of my works are posted on my site <www.asstr.org/~Morgan> If you
like it -- or if you don't -- please let me know at <morg105829@aol.com.>
My books are now also being posted on <www.storiesonline.net> although at
this writing there are fewer of them than on my site.

* * *

*Chapter 18*

It was a Monday in mid-October when Jan's phone rang. Cindy answered it
and found it was Jennifer Chapman trying to reach her. Jen was both
excited and upset. Without any preliminaries, she said, "Cindy, you have a
Chinese girl working for you who has an extraordinary language capability,
don't you?"

"She's Kathy Chang. She's astounding! I don't think even _she_ can
keep track of the number of languages she speaks. But why do you ask?"

"Honey, I need to borrow her. I'll fix it with your father, but it's
terribly important. Have you heard of Connie and Chip Cartwright?" Cindy
said the names were familiar, but she couldn't place them. Jen said,
"Connie is my stepsister. She's married to Chip Cartwright who may be the
wealthiest young man in the world. It seems Chip has a younger brother,
Bill, who was only eighteen when he was sent to Vietnam. He was captured
late in 1974 and was never heard from again. There are a whole mass of
medals waiting for him, starting with the Medal of Honor.

"Chip never gave up looking for him. He finally found him and got him
out of Vietnam. The Army has just released him from the hospital, but now
Chip is in worse shape than when his brother was a prisoner. Bill says
nothing. Not a word. Not to anyone. The psychiatrists at the Army
hospital had microphones in his room. They kept the tape recorders running
twenty-four hours a day. The only thing they ever heard sounds like some
Asian language. The problem is that not even the experts at the Foreign
Language School at Monterey could identify it. Everything has been tried
including high-speed re-taping, computer analysis... everything!"

Jen was crying now as she said, "Cindy, it's very important. Chip is
the nicest guy in the world as well as my brother-in-law. I know it's one
hell of a long shot, but could you please ask Kathy to go out to Los
Angeles? There is no price Chip Cartwright will not pay. None! He'll pay
Kathy absolutely anything she asks. He knows it's less than one chance in
a million, but he wants to take it. Could you persuade Kathy to go out?"

Cindy said she would call Kathy immediately and did. She reached her
and quickly explained the situation. All Kathy did was ask when the next
plane to Los Angeles left O'Hare. She would be on it. She was leaving
immediately.

When Kathy got the call and heard what Cindy had to say, her heart
leaped into her throat. _Bill. Bill Cartwright. His name was Bill, too,_
she thought. _No, it's impossible. But maybe I can help someone._ She was
wearing her uniform, but now because of the cold weather, was also wearing
a leather jacket. She raced out to the airport and just had time to call
Cindy and give her the flight information. Cindy said she would be met at
Los Angeles International Airport.

As she cleared security in Los Angeles, Kathy saw a tall silver-blonde
who was dressed the same way she was. The girl came running up and said,
"Kathy? Kathy Chang?"

Kathy extended her hand but the girl took her in her arms and kissed her
warmly. She said, "I'm Connie Cartwright, Chip's wife. We can't thank you
enough for coming out. Can I have your baggage checks?"

Shaking her head Kathy said wearily, "This is it, I'm afraid. Cindy
said it was important so I didn't take the time to go back to my apartment
to pack. Could we stop somewhere so I could buy a toothbrush? I have some
money..."

Connie looked at the girl closely and whistled softly. "My God, you're
beautiful!" Then she frowned and said, "Forget your money. If Jen and
Cindy didn't make it clear, this is the most important thing in the world
to my husband. We never had a chance even to talk, but would $5,000 a day
for your time be adequate? I understand you have a language capability
that surpasses human understanding. Maybe that's not enough? $10,000?"

"No money! I wouldn't hear of it. I'll let you buy me a toothbrush and
toothpaste, though. And could you also call Mr. Martin's office and ask
if I could take my week's vacation this week? I'm just leaving the bank in
a lurch."

Connie was using Bill Clifford's limousine and driver. She picked up
the telephone, made a quick phone call, and then told Fred, the driver,
they were going to the hotel.

Kathy was utterly exhausted. She had been working eighteen-hour days
for weeks. Although they had more analysts in the unit and she now had a
car of her own, the business was growing far faster than the three lending
officers could handle it. As the limousine sped towards Los Angeles, Kathy
fell asleep and was awakened by the sound of the car door being opened.
Then she heard Connie being greeted by name by the doorman at the Beverly
Wilshire Hotel where Ali and Bill Clifford lived and which they now owned.
She was taken up to a suite by Connie, who rang the bell. The door was
opened by a young woman about her own age, who looked very familiar.

Connie hugged the woman and Kathy heard her say, "Hi, Mom! You're
looking great, as usual." Kathy saw a woman who looked very much like
Janice and Cindy. She was deeply tanned, with golden hair and brilliant
blue eyes. The girl wore no makeup and needed none. She, too, was wearing
skin-tight Levi's and a chambray shirt.

The girl looked at her, then took her in her arms, hugged her, and
kissed her softly. "Welcome, Katherine Chang." She held Kathy at arm's
length and said, "Don't the stores sell any other clothes for women these
days? Do you realize we're all wearing the same thing? I'm Ali Clifford,
by the way. Come on in and meet my husband, Bill. Chip Cartwright will be
here any minute. We're going to get acquainted, have a couple of drinks
and then eat. You can start work tomorrow."

They were seated after Kathy was introduced to a tall man of about
thirty-five who was prematurely gray at the temples. Like Ali, he was
deeply tanned. He made martinis for the other three and asked her what she
would like. Kathy had never had a martini, so she decided to try one.
When she had a sip, she found it was very strong, but she liked it
nonetheless. A few minutes later, another very big, tall man arrived. She
didn't know why but he reminded her of someone. He made himself a drink
and they all sat down.

Ali said, "Kathy, I apologize to you. There is one problem in this
group that you'll soon recognize. We're all hopeless when it comes to
teasing people. While you were coming in from the airport, Bill was
talking to Dave Chapman. Among us we own 96 percent of the stock of
Chicago Trust Company. I'm the mother of Connie, Jennifer, and Janice. As
far as Don Martin is concerned, there will be no talk of vacation. This is
a short leave of absence at the request of the Board of Directors -- Jen is
chairman, of course. Your pay will be $5,000 a day."

Kathy was just shaking her head slowly from side to side. _This is
impossible! She's Connie, Jennifer, and Janice's *mother?* It's
impossible,_ she thought. She said, "But you can't be! You're not as old as I am and I'm only twenty-five! No woman can give birth at the age of
five!"

Ali laughed, jumped up from her seat and pounced on Kathy, giving her a
kiss full on the mouth. She said, "Katherine Chang, I love you! I may
adopt you, too." She grinned and said, "Kathy, I'm thirty-seven years old.
The girls are not my natural daughters... I wish they were, though.
Jennifer is Bill's daughter by his first wife. The love of my life is past
fifty. I try to make sure he gets his rest and plenty of exercise."

Bill interjected, "The problem is, Kathy, she wants the exercise when I
want the rest. The only exercise she really likes is on her back with her
legs spread. The woman is insatiable!"

Ali stuck out her tongue and said, "It hasn't killed you... yet!
Clifford, you really don't look half bad, either."

Kathy was utterly aghast. "But that means you're William H. Clifford?
But you're... you're..."

"You have a couple of bucks, Dad," Connie interjected. "I'm pretty sure
that's what she's trying to say. And I guess that's true, too." She looked
at Ali and said, "Are you really sure Kathy is good with languages? She
seems to have some problem with English." Connie shrugged and added, "Oh,
well, I guess I read somewhere that it's a very complex language. Maybe
she does better with easier ones."

Everyone laughed at Kathy's expense. Kathy just giggled until Bill came
over and gave her a check. It was made out to her for $35,000. Her eyes
widened and she gasped when she saw the amount. Carefully, she tore it
into small pieces and put them in an ashtray. Bill just shrugged, took out
his checkbook and wrote another check. This one was for $70,000.

When he gave it to her, she looked at it and then looked up at him.
Tears were in her eyes and she said, "Please stop, Mr. Clifford. Maybe
I'm tired, but I can't really take this. Why are you doing this to me?"

Bill took a chair and pulled it close to the girl. He took her hand and
looked into her startling green eyes. He said softly, "Kathy, I'm sorry.
You were warned about our teasing, though. You see, the problem with us is
we kid with money. Ali, along with everything else, is probably the
world's finest money manager. Try as we might, our money just grows like a
weed. Please help us out and take some? I'm very serious. Please?"

Kathy reached out her arms and Bill folded her in his. As he held her
he could hear the girl crying. He just held her close, then lifted her
from her chair and sat her across his lap. The girl slowly stopped crying
and grew still. She had fallen asleep.

He lifted her up in his arms and carried her into the second bedroom.
Ali followed him in and pulled down the bedspread and then the covers.
Bill put her on the bed and went back to the sitting room. Ali undressed
the girl, pulled the covers up to her chin, and kissed her goodnight.

When Kathy awakened the next morning, she didn't know where she was.
She was naked in bed and it was the most luxurious bed she had ever slept
in. It reminded her of Cindy's bed in the "slave quarters." Getting out of
bed she went to the bathroom and found everything she needed laid out for
her. After taking a shower, and washing her hair she returned to her room.
There was a note on the dresser saying clothes were in the drawer. When
she looked she found more chambray shirts and stone-washed jeans that fit
her perfectly. After dressing, she went out to the sitting room where she
found Ali and Bill, wearing white terry robes, eating breakfast.

She said, "When do I meet the patient? I'm sorry I missed breakfast.
But why didn't you just awaken me? What happened last night, anyway?"

Bill grinned and said it must have been the martini. Ali glared at her
and said, "You're eating breakfast, young lady! Why the hell do you think
we bought the damned hotel? First, I can't cook to save my life. Second,
they cook when I want to eat. Now order!"

She passed her the room service menu and Kathy ordered a huge breakfast,
realizing she hadn't eaten since breakfast the day before. She had slept
through the meal service on the flight out from Chicago, too.

After eating, Connie came by and drove her to a private hospital where
they found Chip in the lobby looking very nervous. They went up to a
private suite of rooms and were met by a nurse on duty who merely shook her
head. Going into the next room, Kathy was surprised to see that it looked
more like a hotel than a hospital room. Even the bed was a normal one, not
the mechanical marvel normally found in a hospital room. The room was
dimly lighted but she could see a man in the bed. She knew why she was
there so she tiptoed to the bed and saw that he was asleep.

When she got a good look at him, she almost fainted. She quickly sat
down on the edge of the bed to keep from collapsing on the floor. Then,
ignoring the others, Kathy stripped off all her clothes and slipped into
the bed beside him. She found he was wearing pajamas, so she carefully
eased them off his body. When she got to his groin, she was shocked. His
penis and his testicles had withdrawn up into his body. Only the tip of
his penis showed. Then she remembered how they loved to torture his
genitals with wires and flame while she held him and was forced to watch.
She winced as she remembered his screams of agony. Bending down, she took
the tip of his penis in her lips and sucked. Dimly, she was aware of the
others withdrawing from the room.

With her mouth encircling the tip of his organ, she gently sucked on it.
She heard him moan and then start to speak. Moving up in the bed beside
him, she just lay with her body partially on his. She could feel the hair
on his chest chafe her nipple and it was exactly the way she remembered it.
His free arm came around and held her as she fell asleep on top of him.

Later, she awakened and could feel his eyes on her. He whispered to her
in the obscure Laotian dialect they had discovered they both knew but which
no Vietnamese spoke or understood. She looked at him and pulled herself up
so she was lying on top of him.

He looked in her eyes and she could see the pain that was in them. He
said, "When are they coming, Little Flower? How much time do we have this
time?"

"Bill, we have forever, my darling. They're gone for good. You're
home. You're safe. Darling, you're in the United States and I'm here with
you."

Then she carefully lowered her lips to his. The kiss was the one for
which she had been waiting for almost fifteen years. Never did they allow
her to kiss him. For that matter, they regularly put a red-hot blade
between his lips to be sure he couldn't kiss her anyway. She could feel
the remnants of the scar tissue still on his lips and started to cry. "My
darling, they've hurt you so badly! But you're all right now."

Then her eyes glowed as she said, "Bill, you haven't looked at me yet. I
was a child when you took me before. Now I'm a woman. Do you like me
now?" She was still speaking Laotian.

He went to lift her from him and saw his eyes widen. Then he eased her
back down on top of him; he seemed to enjoy the feeling of her lying on his
body. She lifted herself up again and whispered, "Bill, my name is
Katherine now, or Kathy. Do you like my new name?"

He whispered, "Darling, you're a dream come true."

She moved down on his body to his tortured sex organs. She took his
penis in her lips and began to kiss and suck it and used her fingers gently
to manipulate his balls that were retracted up into his pelvis. She heard
him cry out in Vietnamese, "Don't! Not again! Please don't!" and then he
began to cry.

She moved up on his body and kissed him softly again saying, "Bill, it's
over, darling. It's over! They aren't coming. I adore you, Bill. I
always have."

He murmured softly and looked at her. She heard strange sounds in his
throat and then heard him whisper in English, "You're beautiful, my
darling."

She hugged him close and cried on his shoulder. She whispered, "My
darling, you'll be all right! You will, darling, you will! May I play
with your cock again? Do you remember what it was like? I was only ten
years old and so tiny for such a huge organ. Darling, you were the only
man who has ever taken me. Ever! And you took my virginity at the age of
twelve! But I'm a big girl now. Do you like my body? My breasts are far
bigger than I thought they ever could be. When I took you, dear, I didn't
have any. Do you remember?"

Bill had been running his hand over her hair and smiled gently. He
whispered, "You were just a small child... Kathy? Is that your name, now?
Kathy?"

"Yes, darling, it's Kathy. May I work on you again? Could you make me
happy again?"

He looked at her and nodded. He even smiled and said, "You were always
persistent. I love you, Kathy. You kept me alive all these years. And
now you've found me. When do you have to leave? When will they take you
away?"

"My darling, I'll leave when you tell me to leave. I'm your woman,
Bill. I exist for you to use in any way you wish, for anything you wish.
Anything, Bill. May I try again?"

He grinned and the grin was becoming real, now. She went down on him
and massaged his penis with her mouth, sucking as hard as she could. She
was prying his testicles down from his groin with her long slender fingers
and could feel them start to loosen. Whichever muscles were holding them
in his pelvis started to lose their grip. She could feel his prick start
to emerge. As gently as she could, she dug his testicles out; it was not
gentle enough. Bill screamed in agony and she stopped.

Then she saw his hand moving, indicating for her to continue. She
looked up at him and he grinned in spite of the pain he was suffering.
"Darling, you always caused me pain, but God, it was worth it! Please
don't stop."

She continued to work and could feel sweat pouring off his body. It
reminded her of Vietnam, too. Suddenly, the adhesions or whatever it was,
let go. Bill screamed in agony and fainted, but his cock and balls were
back in their normal position. She went back up on his body and held him
close.

After a while she could feel him stir and she kissed him again. She
whispered, "Are you ready for your Eurasian cunt, my darling? You haven't
even felt it. I'm hurt. I thought you liked my tiny cunt. It's still
hairless because you liked it so much that way. I have never forgotten."

His hand moved on her body and she could feel his finger gently enter
her. It was utterly exquisite. She could feel herself come to life under
his hands. Then she went down on him again. This time she took his
now-liberated cock in her mouth and tenderly kissed it. She could feel it
swell under her touch and again Bill screamed in agony. It was his first
erection in years.

She didn't stop. She continued to move her mouth up and down on his
organ and then up, sucking as hard as she could. He was getting bigger and
bigger and she took him deeper and deeper into her throat. Then she could
feel it start to vibrate and he screamed his release. Kathy sucked and
swallowed his cum as fast as she could. When his pulsations stopped, she
licked it off carefully, and moved up to kiss him on the lips. "Darling,
that was one of the things they would never let us do. I was so small, my
darling, I'm not sure I could have done it if they had let me." She grinned
at him and said, "I sure would have tried, though."

He laughed softly and kissed her. Then he said, "That's for sure! I
never knew a braver person than you, Kathy. And you were just a child!"

She pouted and said, "I was a young woman!" She grinned and added, "A
_very_ young woman!"

Then she slid down his body and was delighted to find he had regained
his erection. She closed her eyes. This was what she had waited fifteen
years for! Raising her pelvis, she took his now-raging cock and placed it
at her entrance. Lowering herself, she could feel it start to penetrate
her still-very-small vagina. Kathy moved her body in a series of rotary
motions and could feel Bill's magnificent weapon enter her.

She looked down and could see his eyes were closed, although his hands
were groping. "Would you like a tit to suck on, my darling? I could never
give you one before. I didn't have one to give." She leaned over and
managed to bring her tit to his lips. He took it in his mouth and started
to gently bite it. She just moaned with pleasure. Then she kissed him on
the lips.

It was better than she ever dreamed. She could feel electricity flow
between them, causing her cunt to flood as she felt him penetrate even
deeper into her. "Oh, Bill, you're so good, my darling."

She concentrated on the cock inside her and was amazed to find she had
it all the way in to its root. She squeezed the iron-hard rod with her
internal muscles and leaned forward to kiss him again. As she did, he
cupped her breasts and pinched her nipples between his fingertips. Now she
screamed as her nipples were so sensitive to his touch and suddenly felt
her hips jerk with her first orgasm.

She moved up and down on him as he smiled with his eyes closed just
savoring the sensation. She took herself to one peak after another, cuming
each time, while she felt the pressure build in Bill's glorious cock. She
tried to remember what Dan had done to her and finally reached the level
she had been searching for. Cuming continuously, she was only
semiconscious, moving on instinct. Finally, he could take it no longer and
released what seemed like quarts of hot semen into her raging cunt. She
screamed and collapsed on top of him, unconscious.

Bill carefully pulled the covers up over the girl and gently stroked her
satin-smooth skin as she lay on top of him. Kathy finally stirred and
opened her eyes. Bill was so glad she had those improbable emerald-green
eyes. The Vietnamese used to make fun of the gangly young girl with the
green eyes. She had changed so much, but those lovely eyes were just the
same.

He smiled at her warmly as she asked, "Darling, was it good for you?"

"No, it wasn't," he replied with his face impassive. He saw the hurt look come instantly to her eyes and he hugged her tight. "Since I just
died and went to Heaven, it's no better than I expected." Then he grinned
as she beamed at him and said, "I have two questions, though. First, where
are your wings? Do you keep them in those glorious tits? Second, I never
heard of a green-eyed Oriental angel before."

She just grinned and held him tight. Finally she pushed away from him
and asked, "Darling, how are you feeling now? Are you up to meeting a
couple of people?"

He kissed the tip of her lovely nose and said, "Honey, I can take on an
army right now. What do you want me to do?"

"I want you to take a shower with me first. Darling, all I remembered
were the foul smells because they wouldn't let you wash or go to the
bathroom. You were just chained to the wall whenever they sent me in to
you. Do you remember?"

He got out of bed, moving easily. He was still thin, but recovering.
They went into the shower and delighted in playing with each other's body.
Kathy kissed each of the scars she could find on his body. There were
many, reflecting fourteen years of torture. For his part, Bill delighted
in just running his hands over her soap-slick beauty. When he put a finger
up her rectum, she yelped and then melted. She kissed him and said,
"Darling, it's still virginal for you. You can take at least some of my
virginity."

He kissed her nose and said, "I will have taken it all. I love you,
Kathy." She just grinned and kissed him.

They returned to his room and she got dressed. Bill looked baffled for
a moment, so she gave him back his pajamas with a grin saying, "Bill, you
need a keeper." Then she tilted her head and grinned impishly, "Can I apply
for the job?"

He looked skeptical and asked, "Do you have any qualifications besides a
hot cunt?"

"I have a talented mouth, and I bet I have a great ass. You'll love to
ream it, Bill. Is that enough?"

She went to him and kissed him warmly and then with increasing passion.
He held her tight and just stroked her silken hair. It was enough. Much
more than enough. Bill loved this girl with all his heart. Kathy went to
the closet and found a beautiful new cashmere bathrobe and a pair of
slippers. She held the robe for him and then knelt on the floor to put the
slippers on for him.

She looked up at him and asked, "Does my master approve of his Eurasian
slave girl? Does she please him?"

He lifted her up and melted her with a kiss. She went to the door with
his arm around her shoulder and hers around his waist. When the door
opened, she laughed. Connie and Chip were pacing the floor like two people
waiting for the birth of a child. Kathy said, "Bill, do you remember this
guy?"

"Chip! Oh, God, it's you! Chip!" Chip had spun around when the door
opened and was looking hopeful. When Bill recognized him, he gathered him
in his arms in a bear hug. Bill could hear his brother crying and he
pushed away. "Chip, what's wrong? What did I do?"

Chip Cartwright couldn't speak, he was so happy. He just clutched his
brother with tears streaming down his cheeks while his younger brother was
just baffled. Then Bill said, "Can we get something to eat around here?
I'm starving to death!"

Before that morning, Bill had slowly regained some weight. Although he
had been awake, he was in the equivalent of a coma. He didn't recognize
anyone nor done anything. Most of his nutrients had been administered
intravenously because it was so hard to get him to eat. Connie ran for the
nurse and told her the great news.

Chip had finally regained control. He said, "Bill, I want you to meet
your new sister-in-law, Connie. Even though she doesn't look it, she's
carrying your first niece or nephew inside her. Do you approve?"

Bill looked at Connie who was a vision. She had silver blonde hair and
emerald eyes exactly like Kathy's. He spread his arms and she ran to him.
Then he could feel her tears on his cheek, and could feel her mash her body
to his. "Hey, what's wrong?" he protested with a grin. "Why does everyone
look at me and start to cry? Do I look that bad? Should I change my brand
of soap?"

Connie moved away and beamed. "Darling kid brother, Bill, I'll tell you
something about women. We always cry when we're happy. Of course, we cry
when we're sad, too. That's principally to keep you jerks off balance!"
she said with a grin. She squealed when he reached out and started to
tickle her. In no time she was huddled on the floor in a ball with Chip
just laughing.

Connie said, "Chip, make your brother go back to bed. He's safer that
way." She got up, brushed herself off and stuck out her tongue. Bill took
her in his arms and kissed her softly on the lips and then on the tip of
her nose. She wiggled it like a rabbit, and he kissed it again.

"You're cute, Connie Cartwright. But brother Charles always did have
exquisite taste."

Kathy had been hanging back, quietly rejoicing in their happiness. Bill
took her by her hand and pulled her close so he could put his arm around
her. He asked, "Where, in Heaven's name, did you find Kathy? She's the
girl who saved my life in Vietnam. She's the girl whose memory kept me
alive for fifteen years." He turned and kissed her passionately, then
looked back at the others who were looking on in utter astonishment. "I
took her virginity in a prison when she was only twelve years old. Her
love has kept me alive. I just adore this girl."

Just then the nurse had a table wheeled in with food for all of them.
Following Connie's suggestion, they served hamburgers. She was delighted
when she saw Bill's eyes light up. He ate his in no time and Kathy gave
him hers, so Connie ordered three more. Bill ate two of the next three as
well. After they had eaten, he pushed back from the table and said, "Where
am I, anyway? And when can I get out?" It was explained that he was in a
special convalescent hospital and he could leave at any time. "Is right
now soon enough?" he asked.

Chip picked up a phone, and in no time an orderly brought in underwear,
pants and a shirt. The pants were very big on him, but Bill just grinned.
Chip noticed his brother almost never let go of Kathy, and she seemed happy
just being held close. He still couldn't get over what had happened. A
phone call from the front desk announced that their car had arrived. They
walked out to the front door. In spite of all the time in bed, Bill found
he could move all right, and his movement seemed to get easier with each
step he took.

When they got in the car, he insisted on having Kathy sit on his lap.
She just grinned and sat on him with her arms around his neck. When they
reached the hotel, they went right up to the Clifford's suite. Kathy was
in Heaven. She was in Bill's arms again, and he was in one piece. He
still had his arm around her when he was greeted by the Cliffords.

She sat on the sofa with his arm around her as he told the others how
they had met: "There was no one as brave as Kathy. I remember once they
were doing something to my testicles. I was screaming like a baby. I
think the Vietnamese had the idea I would lose face in front of a young girl by screaming. She never looked at what they were doing. She just
focused her eyes on mine and poured out her love. She was saying she knew
it was agony, she understood, and she loved me." He looked at Kathy and
asked, "Do you remember?"

She nodded with tears in her eyes and said, "Yes, my darling. That's
exactly what I was trying to communicate."

She smiled at the others and explained that the language Bill was
speaking was an obscure Laotian dialect. "Bill was working with the
tribesmen who spoke it. That's how he knew it. I have no idea how I knew
it, but I did. It was the way I could talk to him to try to give him
strength while the guards were there torturing him. I guess they
originally wanted to learn the location of the tribal village. Later, they
just wanted to break Bill. They never could," she finished simply.

She saw there were tears in the eyes of all of the others. Ali
brightened, and Bill looked at her carefully. Finally, he said, "You
aren't Ali McGrath, are you?" She smiled and nodded. "But you can't be!"
he protested. "I loved your movies and once I saw you in Vietnam
entertaining the troops. That was years ago, but you look younger now than
you did then."

"It was me, Bill. Did you like the show?" she asked.

Tears came to his eyes and he said, "I wouldn't have made it without
you, Ali. When Kathy wasn't there -- and she was only there when they were
torturing me -- I thought of you. I thought, 'That girl cares about us and
what we're doing. With her caring, damn it, I will make it!' And I did.
Thank you, Ali, for everything you did."

Tears were streaming down her face now as Ali said, "Thank you, Bill.
You have just made a great deal of personal suffering worthwhile. I
appreciate it very much." She went to her husband, sat in his lap and
snuggled. Kathy thought she was an extraordinarily beautiful woman. She
still couldn't believe Ali was thirty-seven, but obviously she really was.

Chip said, "Bill, I know it's only been hours, but what do you want to
do now?"

Bill smiled and shook his head. "I don't have the first clue. I don't
have a dime, and I have a wife to support. Or I will have as soon as I can
get Kathy to the altar."

Kathy spun her head around in amazement. "What did you just say,
William Cartwright? Did you say something about marriage? To _me?"_

He squeezed her tightly and said, "You always did have sharp ears,
darling. That's exactly right."

"No way!" Kathy exclaimed. "Bill, I'll be your mistress, your whore,
your concubine... anything you want me to be. But I won't be your wife.
You need a beautiful girl, who is educated, smart, from a good family...
You need a Caucasian girl, Bill. There are millions. When you find her,
then we'll decide. I have some friends..."

"My wife!" he insisted.

Connie hadn't said much, but now she entered the conversation: "Bill,
you haven't seen this girl in years. But let's take the list she just
recited: Beautiful? It's self evident. She's utterly stunning. Educated?
University of Chicago and an MBA from University of Chicago. Smart? Phi
Beta Kappa and number one in her class at the B school. Good family? How
is the Clifford family? She's going to be adopted and then she'll really
be sorry. Caucasian? What in hell for? Genetically, the best thing to do
is breed out, not breed in. What would she give your children? Not a lot
besides brains, beauty, courage... and love! There's more, though.
Sensitivity, compassion, warmth, love, humanity... Bill, I could go on,
but is there any need to? I think you're the luckiest man in the world,
Bill Cartwright, to find the girl you lost halfway around the world. What
do you think?"

"I think my beautiful sister-in-law just said it all. In fact, Connie,
you said it so well, it almost made me feel sorry for tickling you
earlier." Bill grinned and said, "Notice, I said 'almost'. It gives me a
good chance to fondle a pregnant woman. Incidentally, they're sure making
pregnancies different these days. I can remember in the old days when
women used to bulge."

Connie glared at him although her eyes were dancing. "Okay, buster, I
gave all the reasons why you should marry her. Can you give me one reason
why she would want to marry you? You're old, beat to hell, and not good
for much. Why in hell would she consider you?"

"Because I adore him and always have," Kathy interjected with tears
starting to stream down her cheeks. "Because I watched him bleed for me.
Because I've seen him suffer agony. Because I've seen him tempered in
fire. Because he's the strongest, kindest, sweetest man in the whole world.
Because I can't possibly live without him. Because I will have him on any
terms he'll accept me. Because there is absolutely nothing I won't do for
this man!" Kathy said, and then repeated softly, "Because I adore him and
always have."

There was not a dry eye in the room when she finished. Bill turned her
face to his and kissed her softly, then passionately. It was like nothing
that had ever happened to either of them before. Suddenly Kathy's loins
were on fire and her nipples had hardened.

He whispered, "Will you marry me, Kathy? Please? You said there's
nothing you wouldn't do for me. Please marry me and be the mother of my
children."

She looked at him with adoration in her eyes. She said softly in their
Laotian dialect, "Are you sure, Bill? Are you absolutely sure? I can be
the mother of your children without marrying you. Darling, I'm frightened.
What will people say? It will be awful for you."

He replied in the same dialect. He hadn't forgotten it. He said,
"Awful? How awful can it be, my darling? Is it as awful as having my
balls squeezed with red-hot pincers? Is it as awful as being made to put
my lips on a red-hot knife blade so I couldn't kiss you? That awful, my
darling? Or worse? Having you watch me live in my own filth? Having you
wipe the shit off me before you could find my skin to touch? How awful,
darling?"

She had no answer. _What can I say? He loves me! Oh, God, thank you!
Bill loves me!_ she exulted.

It was as if he could read her mind. He whispered, still in Laotian,
"Thank you, my darling. You have just made me the happiest man in the
world. Now shall we tell the others?" She kissed him and nodded, then
buried her head in his shoulder. He said to the others, "It took some
doing but Katherine Chang has agreed to become Katherine Cartwright. Could
we get some champagne? I guess I have some back pay coming, if someone can
loan me a few bucks until I get it."

Bill Clifford scrambled for the phone. While he was ordering, Chip
said, "Bill, I've got bad news for you. You're already rich... Stinking
rich, I guess." He smiled warmly at his younger brother and said, "Bill,
Mom and Dad were killed a year or so after you disappeared. They never
recovered from your loss, so I guess they didn't mind dying very much.
Anyway, I was the executor of the estate. I guess my net worth now is
around half a billion dollars. Since I couldn't be bothered running two
investment pools, I kept it simple. Whatever I bought for me, I bought for
you. Actually, though, you have more money than I do. I have a wife to
support; you haven't spent a thing. You have well over $500 million. It
will buy a couple of bottles of champagne. Even the good stuff!"

"Oh boy," Kathy murmured, "a rich husband! Just what I've always
wanted." Then she kissed him softly again and said, "Darling, I have some
time off from work. What would you like to do now?"

Before he could answer Ali said, "Spend two weeks on Maui with you,
Kathy. Soak up the sun on the nude beach, swim, eat, make love. How does
it sound? I think Bill needs some rebuilding, don't you? I booked a suite
down the hall for you. I thought you might like some privacy. By the way,
Kathy, I have a couple of forms for you to sign, if you would." She went to
a drawer, pulled out a couple of forms which the girl signed where Ali
indicated.

The champagne appeared along with a tub of caviar to celebrate the
engagement. Before long, Kathy could see Bill start to wobble. She looked
at Ali who made a quick phone call. A minute later the manager on duty
appeared to show them to their suite. Minutes later, they were together in
bed.

Kathy did what Cindy had mentioned to her. She lay on Bill's right
side, rested her head on his shoulder, put his arm around her and put his
hand on her boob. She put her hand on top and turned out the light. After
snuggling as close to him as she could get, they were almost instantly
asleep.*Chapter 19*

Kathy woke up when she felt a pressure on her breast. She looked up and
found herself looking into Bill Cartwright's blue eyes. "Good morning, my
darling," she whispered. "Are you ready to make love to me yet this
morning?"

Bill kissed her passionately and then rolled over between her legs. She
positioned his cock and soon she could feel him moving inside her wetness.
It was better than it ever had been. Soon she had her first orgasm, and
then more with increasing frequency. Finally she could feel the iron-hard
shaft start to vibrate and then she felt his hot cum flood her insides.

The sensation was almost more than she could take, but she retained
consciousness as Bill collapsed on top of her. Gently, she ran her
fingertips over his back. As she did, she could feel marks from the
tortures he had undergone. He pushed himself up a little to see her better
and whispered, "Darling, I'm out of shape!" Then he smiled and rolled off
her body, placing her head gently back on his shoulder. He looked into her
incredible green eyes and shook his head. "That was the most marvelous
night I have ever spent. All night long I could feel the most exquisite
body next to mine. If I moved my hand on your breast you did the same
thing every time."

"What did I do?" she asked with worry in her eyes.

"You snuggled even closer and made the most wonderful happy sounds. It
must have lasted at least twenty minutes each time. I guess I woke up
frightened. _They_ were coming back. Darling, you were wonderful! And I
can have this for the rest of my life?" She kissed him softly and watched
his eyes close again.

It was only six o'clock, but it was already eight in Chicago. Kathy
eased out of bed. After washing, she slipped on a hotel robe and went out
to the sitting room to call Cindy and reached her as she was about to leave
the Stewart's.

She started to explain what had happened, when Cindy interrupted.
"Kathy, I know all about it. Connie and Ali called Jan last night. I
can't tell you how happy we all are for you and for Bill. How is he and
how are you? Did you have a good night together?"

"Oh, Cindy, I couldn't imagine a better one! Last night I did what you
suggested: I slept with my head on his shoulder and it was wonderful. Bill
loved it too." She grinned ruefully and said, "But guess what? I'm another
Chatty Cathy doll. Bill said I kept him awake for at least twenty minutes
at a time making happy noises. But he loved it... at least the first
night. Cynthia Martin, what are we going to do?"

"Buy them ear plugs?" Cindy replied. "Kathy, everything is under
control here. The owners of the bank adore you. What you did with Bill
and for him is utterly beyond belief. I didn't know just how bad it was
until last night. You did something in two hours the doctors didn't think
could happen in less than ten years! Honey, Ali says you're going to
Hawaii. Have a wonderful time." They talked about loans Kathy had in
progress and then she hung up.

As soon as she did, the phone rang. It was Ali. She said, "I have you
and Bill booked on a two o'clock flight to Maui. All the arrangements are
made. He's still sleeping, isn't he?" Kathy was baffled. She said he was
but asked Ali how she could possibly know. With a small chuckle Ali said,
"Honey, there are a couple of advantages to owning the damned hotel. When
I ask for something, it happens. I asked them to let me know as soon as
you used your phone. Knowing Bill's condition, I knew it had to be you.
Look, I made an appointment for you this morning. Can you eat and be ready
to go in thirty minutes? Your breakfast should be there right about now."
As soon as she said it, there was a knock on the door. Kathy said she
would be ready, hung up and opened the door for the room service waiter.

A short time later, Ali Clifford came by the suite. What followed took
Kathy by surprise. Ali asked her to strip and then used a tape measure to
take all kinds of measurements. She was on her knees and looked up at the
nude Eurasian girl. She said, "Bill is a very lucky guy. Kathy, you are
gorgeous!" Standing up, she asked Kathy to dress again while she made a
quick phone call during which she referred to the notes she had taken on
the measurements. Kathy followed her down to her car and they went to a
movie studio.

Kathy was surprised when she was taken to a hair stylist who was
introduced to her as Henry Hall. Then she remembered something that Cindy
had said: He was the one who had been flown out to Chicago. Henry looked
at her hair and just shook his head. "At last, Ali, you found one! A true
brunette with the most beautiful hair around." Ali spoke to him quietly for
a moment. He smiled and began to work. A short time later, he whipped off
the sheet and spun her chair around so she could see herself in the mirror.
Kathy gasped. Her hair looked the same, but different. She thought she
had never looked so good and said so. He just smiled. While he was
working, she had also been given a manicure and a pedicure.

As they drove back towards the hotel, she asked Ali about it. The woman
just smiled and said, "A girl should look her very best on her wedding
day." Then she told Kathy about the small church where Jan and Pete had
been married, and the priest there, father Collins. She said, "You're
going to get married anyway, so how about this Saturday? You can have the
wedding in the middle of your honeymoon."

Kathy agreed, but was not happy about it. She had begun to think of a
church wedding with her friends around her, particularly Cindy and April.
Ali knew what she was thinking and said, "It's just a start, honey.
Marriage is for always. I'm sure they'll love you just the same."

When they reached the hotel, they found Bill waiting for them. He had
one small bag and Fred was waiting to take them to the airport. Suddenly,
Kathy's eyes widened. She said, "My God! I just remembered. I have
nothing to wear! I'm wearing everything I brought out with me."

Ali said, "Some of my people got a couple of things together for you.
They're already at the airport and Bill has the claim checks. Now move it!
You'll miss your plane."

They were driven to the airport and found they had first-class sleeper
seats to Maui. When they arrived, they were met by another limousine and
driven to their hotel. Their suite was spectacular with a view of the
ocean. When her luggage was delivered to the room, Kathy's eyes popped as
she found a full collection of resort wear, none of which she had ever seen
before, but all of which fit perfectly.

They checked with father Collins at the church and found arrangements
for their wedding were all set for noon on Saturday. When he asked about
Janice and Pete, Kathy told them they were more deeply in love than any two
people she had ever met. He smiled warmly and asked to be remembered to
them.

The next days on Maui were glorious. She found she could tan after all.
_It must be the European part of Eurasian,_ she thought. Taking a tip from
Jan, she gloried in spreading sun protection on Bill's body when they lay
on the nude beach. She took up golf and found she liked it; she and Bill
were both good at it. They played tennis, they ate, but mostly they made
love. By Saturday morning, she had a glorious tan that Bill adored.

She was looking at her new dresses trying to decide which one to wear
for her wedding, when there was a knock on the door. She opened it and
squealed with delight when she found April and Cindy standing there, with
Cindy holding a white gown on a hangar. Then she saw Chip standing behind
the girls grinning. Chip took Bill away for a short bachelor's party while
the girls came into the room.

Cindy said, "You didn't for one minute think you were going to get
married without us, did you? We couldn't decide who is going to be the
bridesmaid and who is the maid of honor, so it's up to you."

There was another knock on the door. This time it was Ali, along with
Janice Stewart, Jennifer Chapman, Connie Cartwright, and a smaller girl Kathy had never seen before. She was introduced as Billy's wife, Joan.
The girl looked like a pixie. Kathy was dumbfounded and just stood there,
gaping.

Ali took charge saying, "Honey, I could see you were disappointed
because your friends weren't going to be with you for your wedding, so we
brought a couple of people out with us."

"And how, exactly, did you do that?" Kathy asked suspiciously?

"How else would mom do it?" Jan replied airily. "She chartered a plane
in Chicago that made a stop in Los Angeles. You wouldn't believe how hard
it can be to get a few seats on short notice. So she just gets her own
plane."

Then she shook her head and smiled wryly. "I'm surprised at you,
Katherine Chang. You're a banker and yet you sign blank forms! For
shame." Kathy just looked blank. She didn't know what Jan was talking
about. "Young lady, you signed blank adoption papers. But don't worry
about it. I did, too, so now we're sisters. You're now the legally
adopted daughter of William H. Clifford and Allison M. Clifford. I
thought I ought to tell you, though. You'll be going down the aisle on
Dad's arm. I hope you don't mind." Jan took Kathy in her arms and kissed
her warmly. "Welcome to the family, darling. Your new family couldn't be
happier!"

Kathy was stunned. Before she could even move, Connie gathered her in
her arms and kissed her. She was beaming with happiness. "Now I have a
sister who is also my sister-in-law! Bill is a very lucky guy, sis."

Kathy was in a daze as the girls stripped off her clothes and then
slipped the gown over her head. She was seated in a chair while her
sisters fixed her hair. Finally, she stood up and saw herself in a mirror.
She couldn't believe her eyes. The white wedding gown was magnificent. As
she stood at the mirror, Ali put a triple strand of priceless pearls around
her neck, then kissed her. "My darling, they are also pearls from the
Orient. They're exquisite, but I'm sure they look much better on you than
they ever did in the oyster. It's just a small token from your father and
me."

Kathy laughed when the girls tried to decide whether extreme measures
were called for. She looked at them, not understanding what they were
talking about. Then she realized they were discussing whether or not she
should wear lipstick. She settled the issue by carefully putting some on.

When she walked down the aisle, Kathy couldn't believe her senses. She
was on the arm of her new father, Bill Clifford, realizing she didn't even
know who her real father was.

He whispered in her ear, "My daughter, you can't believe how proud
you're making me today! I can't believe that I could possibly have a
daughter as beautiful as you are."

At the altar, Cindy lifted her veil and she looked into Bill's eyes as
Chip stood in the background.

In no time she heard the words she never dreamed of hearing: "Do you,
Katherine, take this man, William, to be your lawful wedded husband?"

She replied as fervently as she could, "Oh, Father, I do!"

Moments later, she heard, "I now pronounce you man and wife."

Bill took her and she melted in his arms. She was so happy, her tears
were flowing and she needed his arm on her elbow to guide her down the
aisle.

At the reception, everyone she knew was there. Don and Mary Martin
kissed her. They looked marvelous, having only recently returned from
their own honeymoon. There was April, and her new brothers and sisters.
Finally, Dan Burke was standing in front of her asking softly, "May I kiss
the bride?" She nodded shyly, and he kissed her solidly on the lips. He
whispered, "Kathy, it couldn't happen to a nicer girl. I can't tell you
how happy Cindy and I are for you. Now will you introduce me to your
husband?"

Bill and Dan shook hands. It was the first good look Dan had had at
Bill Cartwright. Bill looked at him and simultaneously each recognized the
other. Dan grabbed Bill in a bear hug and shouted, "It's you! My God!
You saved my life!"

All of the people -- only the closest friends and family were there --
turned as they heard Dan's cry. He put his arm around Bill and said, "It's
a very small world. This is the man who saved my life and the lives of all
my men. We were about to be wiped out when this guy appears with a bunch
of Laotian irregulars and started to wipe up the floor with the North
Vietnamese. We couldn't call for help because all of our radios were out.

"Bill set up a landing zone and covered us while the choppers he called
in pulled us out. He wouldn't come out with us. I saw him take a couple
of hits, but I saw him kill a bunch of the enemy. It was the last time I
saw him until today. I never even knew his name. It was just 'Bill in
Special Forces' until now."

He looked at Bill and said, "There's a medal waiting for you at the
Presidio when you get back, Bill. It's the Medal of Honor." By now tears
were streaming down Dan's face as he said, "'Greater love hath no man than
he who lays down his life for a friend.' That's exactly what Bill
Cartwright did that day so many years ago. He gave his life for me and my
men. I didn't know who he was at the time, but on the way out to Maui, I
learned some of the ways he was tortured for so many long years.

"Bill, if there is anything I can ever do for you or your family --
absolutely anything at all -- I'll do it. I can't tell you how wonderful I
feel right now. I heard about a small girl who helped you. That small
girl is one of the finest human beings I have ever met. Since you're the
guy to whom I owe my life, I couldn't be happier or prouder for you both."

He raised his champagne glass and said, "Please join me in a toast to
the bride and groom. I know it's the best man's prerogative to offer it,
but I'm taking his place. Katherine and William Cartwright: Never have
there been two people so deserving of every happiness. Never have I seen
two people so deeply in love. Never have there been two people who have
suffered more on their way to the altar. Kathy and Bill, thank you, and
may God bless your marriage with every happiness and many children. If
your children have the tiniest fraction of the courage and bravery of both
of their parents, they will be credits to you, to the family and to our
country! May God bless you both!" He raised his glass as did everyone else
in the room.

The next day, Kathy and Bill were lying on what they had come to think
of as their spot on the nude beach. They were just recovering from their
best lovemaking yet, when a shadow fell over them. They were lying in each
other's arms with their eyes closed. Kathy opened her eyes and saw Ali and
Bill Clifford standing in the sun. She gasped as she saw Ali's nude body.
It was utterly exquisite and she said so. Her father, who she first
thought to be thirty-seven, looked to be Bill's age when she saw his
semi-erect genitals.

Ali saw where she was looking and casually cupped his massive balls in
her hand and said, "He is kind of nice, isn't he? I guess it keeps us
young. And yes, Kathy, a man can have a tanned cock. Do you like your
father's?"

To her amazement, Ali dropped to her knees and took it in her mouth. In
moments she had it in a raging erection. Kathy could see he was close to
cuming when she dropped on her back, lifted her pelvis, and smoothly took
him inside her glistening cunt. Soon, Ali reached a massive orgasm and
Kathy could see Bill cuming into her mother's gaping cunt. After resting
on the sand for a few minutes, Bill withdrew and Ali began to lick off the
love juices from his cock.

She started to get up when Bill said, "Not so fast, young lady!" She
just grinned and lay back with her legs spread wide. Bill knelt between
her thighs and licked the juices from his wife's lovely cunt. When he was
finished, she pulled him up to her and they kissed lovingly, exchanging the
fluids they had absorbed. Finally, he got up and helped Ali to her feet.

"In case you're wondering, that's just to show you that you didn't
invent anything new. If you look up and down the beach, you'll see there's
a lot of it going around. We love watching Don and Mary Martin. They are
newlyweds and so deeply in love, we could put them on stage making love and
I don't think they'd know the difference." With that, Ali and Bill walked
off down the beach hand in hand.

"Darling," Kathy whispered to Bill, "will we ever be like that, do you
suppose? Could you believe what you just saw? They are so in love and so
attuned to each other! I thought it was beautiful."

Bill just smiled at her and kissed her softly, assuring her he would
sure try.

* * *

When their plane landed at O'Hare, they were met by Cindy and Dan and
driven into Chicago. Kathy had only mentioned briefly the fact that she
worked at Chicago Trust. She never told Bill that she lived in a very
small one-room apartment. Although Dan and Cindy knew where she lived,
they were driving a different route. As he drove the car he rented for the
occasion, Dan asked Bill what he planned to do.

Bill just shook his head and said, "I don't have the first clue, Dan.
First, though, thank you for being at the Presidio last week. I was
surprised but very pleased to see you there, particularly as a part of the
ceremony."

Bill had received the Medal of Honor, as well as the Silver Star, the
Bronze Star, and the Purple Heart at a ceremony in San Francisco. Although
he had been an eighteen-year-old staff sergeant when he was captured, he
wore the uniform of a master sergeant when he received his award. At his
insistence, Kathy was by his side when the awards were made. Dan had been
present, too, representing the marines whose lives he had saved in the
action for which the Medal of Honor was being awarded. Bill was now a
master sergeant, U.S. Army (retired), being retired on a disability
pension. He joked that if he stayed in a couple of more years, he would
qualify for a twenty-year pension; all his time in prison counted as active
service. He also joked that all he had to show for his time in captivity
were a couple of medals and big-time tax problems.

With respect to his future, all he knew was it centered on Kathy. He
told Dan that since it was clear she liked what she was doing, she was
going back to work while he figured something out.

Dan asked, "Bill, I know you don't need the money. (We would like to
have you as a depositor, though.) But would you consider working with us?
Working in Cindy's group with your wife?" He smiled warmly and said, "I see
a little of you dying whenever she's out of your sight. Would you like to
work with her? I talked to Don Martin, the president, and he said he'll
agree to any arrangement you wish."

"It's a deal, Dan," Bill replied. "Right now I feel like I'm
freeloading on my wife. Let's do it!"

Dan had driven into the garage of an apartment building close to both
the lakefront and the bank. As they passed the parked cars, Kathy saw a
red one that looked exactly like hers. They parked in a space and took the
elevator up to the lobby and another to the top floor. Kathy didn't know
what was happening, but she knew Cindy had an apartment around here
somewhere that she had sold and was redecorating for the new owner. Cindy
opened the door to an apartment and walked in. Kathy and Bill followed and
Dan brought up the rear. The apartment was large and airy with a large
balcony overlooking the lake. The view of the lakefront was spectacular.
The unit was the most beautifully furnished apartment Kathy had ever seen,
and she said so to Cindy. Cindy showed the couple around and Kathy made
appreciative noises.

Bill said, "Honey, this is exactly the sort of place we ought to have.
Chip wasn't lying about my money. I guess we can afford it, too. Would
you like to look for one like it?"

"Oh, darling," Kathy exclaimed, "Could we? Cindy, you have another
career as a decorator. I don't know who the owner of this place is but he
or she is going to love it! Could... Would you do ours when we get one?
Your taste is just perfect!" While she was talking, she was opening
cupboards in the kitchen and found the apartment was completely equipped.

Cindy reached out her hands to each of them. Looking puzzled, Kathy and
Bill held out their hands and Cindy dropped gold keys in each of them.
"I'm glad you like it. Since you like it so much, this one is yours. It's
a wedding present from your new sisters, Jen Chapman and Jan Stewart. You
two own it; the papers will be delivered tomorrow. I did the decorating
because I needed some practice before I do the other apartment for real.
There's a fee, though. You have to give me a list of the things I forgot.
Now don't forget. You owe it to me as my decorator's fee."

_"Ours?"_ Kathy exclaimed. "Bill's and mine? All ours?"

"It sure is, honey. And that was your car in the garage. You have two
spaces down there. The other one is empty." She looked at Dan and said,
"Come on, Burke. These two are newlyweds. Kathy is desperately trying to
get us the hell out of here so she can christen her brand-new bed."

Kathy blushed prettily, but Cindy and Dan left quickly.*Chapter 20*

Shortly after Labor Day, Emily Amelia Hardwick made up her mind to go
down to her bank. Emily always thought of Chicago Trust Company as her
bank. After all, her great-grandfather was one of the original investors
when it was founded, and the Hardwicks had been banking there ever since.
Emily made up her mind to see Donald Martin and find out what was going on.

Over the last few weeks Emily had noticed that she received particularly
good treatment from small merchants whenever she gave them her check on
Chicago Trust. Many were immigrants, she knew. Yet they spoke of "their
bank" and "the twins who aren't." _Clearly,_ she thought, _something very
strange is going on._ She asked Charles to bring the car around and she set
off to see Donald Martin. Donald had been her banker for years. Emily had
almost started a revolution when she heard he might be fired. She liked
Donald Martin, even if his daughter, Cynthia, was a snippy little pill.

Emily Hardwick was sixty-eight years old and the last of the Hardwicks.
As a spinster, she realized that when she died her family would cease to
exist. This inevitability didn't bother her. What did bother her was the
money. Normally, when money was made, it was dissipated by the
pyramid-shaped structure of generations, with each generation far more
numerous than the one before. Even the largest fortunes could rarely
survive the combined onslaughts of inheritance taxes and proliferating
progeny.

Not the Hardwicks. Its family tree had been diamond-shaped. It began
with the fur trade in the early eighteenth century and became most numerous
around the middle of the nineteenth century. Since then it had been
contracting. She had grown up in the family mansion on Chicago's Near
North Side, but a few years earlier had sold the property on which now
stood a huge office building. People in Chicago had wanted her to make the
family home a museum but she would not hear of it. It had served the
family and she didn't want strangers traipsing through it. Now she was
amused by the extent to which the land sale had added to the family fortune, now greater than $200 million.

The reason the money bothered her was she had no one to leave it to.
Her lawyers advised her to establish a charitable foundation and name it as
her beneficiary. She considered the idea but didn't like it. She knew of
too many foundations devoted to "good works" which translated into
supporting all of the trendy and with-it causes. Moreover, too often these
were causes and organizations whose purposes were antithetical to the
source of the money supporting them. She knew of one famous foundation in
which a senior family member resigned because of policy disagreements with
the foundation's Board of Directors.

Emily was different from most of her social friends. Unlike them, she
had investigated her family's background in depth. This provided her with
an awareness of the risks that had been taken to amass and build the family fortune. She realized that, had any of a wide range of events unfolded
differently, on a number of occasions over the years the family would have
been financially wiped out. Her research surfaced the names of dozens of
people associated with her ancestors who had taken different tacks and had
been financially destroyed. This went back to financial panics in the
nineteenth century. It was nothing new.

Emily Amelia was gray-haired and gray-eyed. Her eyes were her most
striking feature: they were as sharp and piercing as an eagle's. Her
carriage was erect and her body appeared spare. She was a person who knew
who she was. Arriving at the bank, she asked a guard where Mr. Donald
Martin could be found. Upon being told, she took the elevator to the
executive floor and marched up to the receptionist.

Jean Robbins saw Miss Hardwick marching up to her desk. _Oh, oh,_ she
thought, _Here's trouble! Miss Hardwick hasn't been here in months._ She
smiled and said, "Good morning, Miss Hardwick. May I help you?"

"I'm here to see Donald Martin. Is he in the bank this morning?" she
asked politely. Emily was always polite to everyone.

Jean buzzed Mary Thomas. _Oops!_ she thought, _It's Mary Martin, now._
"Mary," she said, "It's Miss Hardwick to see Mr. Martin!"

Mary knew Don had no visitors so she ran out to the reception area. Her
hand was outstretched in greeting as she approached Emily Amelia. "Good
morning, Miss Hardwick! It's so good to see you again. It's been such a
long time!"

Emily looked at Mary and her eyes widened. She said, "Why Mary Thomas,
what has happened to you? You're beautiful! I haven't seen you look so
good in... my heavens, it must be twenty years now." She took Mary's hands
in hers and looked at the woman and saw the love in her eyes. She asked
softly, "Who is the lucky man? I can see the love shining in your eyes."

Mary didn't even blush. She said, "Thank you so much. I'm very glad it
shows. It's Don. I'm Mary Martin now."

Emily beamed and then frowned. "Mary Thomas, why was I not informed?
You two are my most favorite people in this bank. I must send you
something nice. Now, shall we see Donald?"

Emily was pleased by Donald Martin's appearance as well. He and Mary
both looked so much younger and so vibrant. She congratulated him and then
immediately went to the business at hand. Emily Amelia didn't beat around
the bush. She demanded to know what was happening between the bank and the
small merchants. Why was she now being greeted so warmly?

Don smiled and told her very briefly about the bank's new lending
program. He didn't mention that Cindy was in charge. After he completed
his explanation, Emily said nothing. She just asked if an officer in that
unit was in the bank.

Don looked at Mary who left the office. She was back a moment later to
say that Miss Jefferson was in her office. Emily nodded firmly, asked
directions to Miss Jefferson's office and then marched out. Mary asked if
she should call April and warn her. Don smiled and shook his head saying,
"Darling, six hours wouldn't be enough time to warn her about Emily Amelia
Hardwick, and two minutes would only alarm her. Let's just keep our
fingers crossed."

April was working at her desk when her secretary buzzed and said there
was a Miss Hardwick to see her. She didn't have an appointment, but Mr.
Martin had suggested she talk to April. She was ushered in and April came
around her desk to greet her. In spite of her protests she had been
promoted to vice president and her office had been enlarged. She shook
hands firmly with Miss Hardwick and offered her a seat on the new sofa that
was part of her new vice-presidential office.

Emily studied the young woman sitting attentively in front of her. She
was surprised. First, the girl was a Negro; then she remembered they were
now called blacks. Donald had said that she was a vice president. _A
black female vice president!_ she thought. _My, how things are changing._
But that wasn't all. The girl was sitting upright in her chair with her
hands folded in her lap. _It has been years since I last saw that! I
wonder who raised her? Clearly, her mother trained her to be a lady. And
even though she's only wearing blue jeans and a work shirt, she sits in
that chair like a queen._

She asked the girl about the small merchants and was told quickly and
lucidly about the lending program and on whom it was focused and how it
worked. Emily nodded her head quickly. Then she asked, "Are you in charge
of the program, Miss Jefferson? You appear... rather young."

The girl smiled brilliantly and said, "Oh, no, Miss Hardwick. The
program is run by our division head, Miss Martin. She's a very experienced
banker."

Emily asked, "Do you mean that ninny, Cynthia Martin? If that's true,
then why are you dressed the way you are? If she saw you, she would fire
you on the spot. That girl doesn't care two hoots for people. She just
plays to images and impressions. Well?" she demanded.

April replied, "I didn't know Cindy... Miss Martin... before I joined
the bank. She says she was awful and should have been drowned at birth. I
can't say. I can only say she hired me, trained me, taught me everything I
know, and promoted me. As for the uniform," she said with a warm smile,
"it's the uniform for our division, by the way -- it's all she ever wears.
When she's wearing clothes at all, which isn't often." Suddenly, Emily saw
the girl's naturally warm brown eyes grow cold. She said, "I would give my
life for Cindy Martin. I adore the girl. I worship the ground she walks
on. Am I making my feelings clear?"

Emily made a mental note to see Cynthia Martin again. Clearly she
inspired enormous loyalty, and the old Cynthia could never have done that.
Then she asked, "Tell me about yourself, Miss Jefferson. Do you live with
your parents?"

"I live with my mother and my son, Miss Hardwick. Why do you ask?" The
coldness was out of her eyes now.

Emily mentally nodded, realizing what a beautiful young woman this was.
She had an idea which she put into action immediately. She said, "Miss
Jefferson, I would like you to have lunch with me. I'm sure you have no
idea who I am or why there might be any circumstance by which you would
care to dine with me. That's neither here nor there. If I could presume
to use your office for a moment, would you please call Mr. Martin? Then,
when he tells you to join me, please see if your mother and your son could
join us for lunch, too." She gave April the address and the girl left the
office to use another phone. Emily called her apartment and told the cook
there would be four for lunch at twelve.

April called Don Martin's office and Mary answered. The woman said,
"Congratulations, April! I'm glad to hear you're still alive. What did
you think of Emily Amelia Hardwick?" April exhaled loudly and asked who she
was. Mary filled her in quickly, ending with the admonition that she was
the bank's single most important customer. "April, the rule in the bank
is, 'What Emily wants, Emily gets.' I'm sure there is a reason for the
question, though. What is it?"

April told her about the luncheon invitation and Mary whistled softly.
She said to do it if it was humanly possible, adding that Don Martin was
the only person from the bank to dine with her in living memory. After
hanging up she called the apartment and quickly told her mother about the
invitation. Her mother said she would get Ronnie dressed and would meet
them at twelve.

She went back to her office and made quick excuses to Emily, then took a
hanger from behind her door and went to the ladies' room. When she
returned a few minutes later, she was the picture of a female banker on a
warm September day. She was wearing a simple, beautifully-tailored dress
that set off her face and showed off her beautiful figure. Emily looked at
her and thought to herself, _Better and better!_

When they returned to her apartment, Emily asked that dry sherry be
served. She chatted with the young woman and was increasingly impressed.
The girl was very well informed, very smart, very beautiful and very
ladylike. Emily found herself liking her more every minute.

The butler announced Mrs. Thomas Jefferson and Ronald Jackson, Junior.
Emily rose to greet Mary Jefferson and again was impressed. _Clearly, this
is the woman who trained April,_ she thought. The little boy was handsome.
Although April had said he was not yet two, he was already walking.
Moreover, it appeared that training pants had already taken the place of
diapers. Mrs. Jefferson whispered to Ronnie to say hello.

Ronnie toddled over to where she was sitting and put out his hand.
Emily took his tiny hand and carefully shook it. The little boy stood
there in front of her, studying her face carefully. Emily could feel the
sinking feeling in her stomach again. Normally she terrified small
children. This little boy just stood studying her face carefully. Then he
pointed to her and turned to his mother saying, "Lady!" Then he turned back
and smiled the warmest smile she had ever seen on a child's face. He said,
"Nice lady!" He came closer and held out his arms.

Emily picked him up and found him wrapping his little arms around her
neck and giving her a big kiss. When she put him down again, he backed up
a little and said softly, "Nice lady." He wanted to sit down and she lifted
him onto her lap, where he gently fingered the beads she was wearing. Then
he just leaned back against her arm to listen to the grownups.

Emily looked at the other women. They might have been nervous about
Ronnie's behavior but they didn't show it if they were. Emily asked about
Mr. Jefferson. Mary said, "He died defending our country, Miss Hardwick.
He left me with April who has been a wonderful daughter to me. I still
miss him terribly, though," she finished simply. April explained the
circumstances surrounding her pregnancy and Ronnie's birth. She spared
herself nothing as she told of the contest and serving punch from her tits.
As she did, Emily noticed, she didn't lower her head nor turn away from her
gaze.

Emily knew about her own reputation. She knew that she was famous for
her piercing gray eyes that could see through steel. In fact, she
cultivated both the look and the reaction. She was increasingly impressed
with this family. When luncheon was announced, they went into the dining
room and were seated. In spite of his diminutive size, little Ronnie sat
in a booster seat at the table. He waited for the others and ate as neatly
as a small child possibly could. Emily watched for a few moments, then
picked him up and sat him on her lap. She helped him with the rest of his
meal.

When they were nearly finished, she turned to Mary who was sitting at
her right and asked, "Mary Jefferson, I am very impressed. 'Manners' is a
term that's nearly extinct. Nonetheless, you display an elegance and a
breeding I haven't seen in fifty years. What did you do?"

Mary Jefferson sat up even straighter in her chair, or tried to. Her
backbone was already ramrod straight. She said, "Miss Hardwick, I began
working when I was eight years old. My mother served a family in
Virginia... a very old family. They were members of the First Families of
Virginia -- the FFV -- on both sides. We were never told how to behave. I
just watched. I saw what ladies and gentlemen did and how they behaved.
I've tried to raise my daughter the same way. I tried to get her to
understand what the term, lady, really means." She looked at Emily straight
in the eye. Emily realized Mary's brown eyes were every bit as piercing as
her gray ones were. "I believe I have succeeded. I'm very proud of April,
and I think my husband, Tom, is very proud of her, too." Suddenly, Mary's
face started to crumble. She murmured her excuses and fled from the table.
Emily gave Ronnie back to April and went after her.

She found Mary in the living room trying desperately to muffle her tears
with a dainty little handkerchief. Emily went to the powder room, grabbed
a hand towel and returned to the living room. Pulling up a chair, she sat
down next to the woman and said softly, "Mary, that tiny thing is useless
at a time like this." She gave her the towel and drew her into her arms.
It was as if a dam had broken. Mary's body was wracked with sobs while
Emily comforted her. Finally, she regained control and looked up at her
with tear-reddened eyes. Then Emily realized how truly beautiful this
woman was.

Mary said softly, "I'm terribly sorry. I apologize. I'll leave at
once! My behavior is inexcusable." She tried to smile as she added, "Ronnie
makes his grandmother so proud of his behavior, and then she comes apart
like... like... I don't know what."

"Like a widow who is missing her husband at a very important moment for
the family. It hits you like a knife blade, doesn't it? It cuts into you
utterly without warning," Emily said very softly.

Mary looked up in surprise. "But... but how did you know? It is
'Miss', isn't it?"

"Yes, it is, and my virginity is still intact. His name was Mike...
Mike Casey. I met him during the war. He was a Navy pilot and I loved him
so very much. He... He asked me to marry him. He had his whole leave
ahead of him. He had just completed advanced pilot training and was going
out to the Pacific to join his carrier. But I wanted a big church wedding
and a white gown and the full array, so I said we should wait. He was
killed in action." Suddenly, Emily's face crumpled and she began to cry.
She began to sob and tears began to pour from her eyes. Now it was Mary's
turn. She held the older woman close. April came running from the dining
room. Still holding Emily, she told April to get the butler.

The man came in and carried Miss Emily to her bedroom and laid her on
her bed, still weeping uncontrollably. Mary shooed April away and
undressed the woman, slipping her under the covers nude. She was amazed at
the beauty of the elderly woman's figure. She stripped off her own clothes
and got into bed with her. She took her in her arms and just held her
close. Finally, sheer exhaustion caught up with her and Emily fell asleep
in Mary's arms.

It was nearly six o'clock when she awakened. Emily was shocked. She
was undressed in bed and in the arms of another woman. She looked at Mary
Jefferson and remembered. Then she took her fingers and gently stroked the
lovely body beside her. Mary's eyes opened quickly. She smiled at Emily
and suddenly looked startled. She jumped out of bed like she had been
stuck with a pin and started to look around for her clothes.

Emily said softly, "Mary Jefferson, get your lovely black ass back in
this bed this second. You'll catch your death!"

Mary got back in the bed but remained as far from Emily as she could.
Emily grinned and moved close to her to hold her in her arms again. She
whispered, "That does it! Mary Jefferson, I have a proposition to make to
you. You have a small apartment. I have a very large one. It's too
large, really. I want you, April and Ronnie to come and live with me." She
pretended to glare and said, "And if you call me Miss Hardwick one more
time, I'll kill you! The name is Emily."

With that she slipped out of bed and went to a jewelry box. Opening it,
she took out a tray revealing a cavity below. She scooped up the contents,
brought them back to the bed and turned on a light. Then she gathered up
armfuls of pillows and with a grin threw them at Mary's head.

Her eyes were full of love as she said, "Mary, I haven't done this in
nearly fifty years. I was in college. I would get a letter and my
roommate would climb into bed with me while I read it to her. May I?
Please?" Mary looked and again was startled by Emily's figure. Remarkably,
it was almost girlish, with skin that was still as smooth as satin. She
climbed into bed and Mary came close.

She carefully unfolded the first letter and began to read. There were a
series of letters from a young man going to war. He described daily
activities and told her what it was like to serve aboard an aircraft
carrier -- in Mike's case, the _Enterprise._ In each letter he recalled
caressing Emily's full breasts and telling her that he couldn't wait to
take her to his marriage bed. Each letter had an intimate detail of their
very short time together.

She came to the last one. Mike told her that a major battle was in
prospect. "The brass say it's one we have to win." They were gathering
near a small island he was sure she had never heard of if he told her its
name nor would she ever hear of it again. "Darling," he said, "If anything
happens to me, I'll wait for you, dear Emily. I'll wait for you forever.
You are the love of my life." It was signed, "With all my love, forever.
Mike."

"He was wrong about one thing, Mary," Emily said softly with her voice
breaking. "The island was Midway. I was named as the next of kin in his
will." She took out three small boxes. "This is what the Navy gave me.
The boxes contained the Navy Cross, the Air Medal, and the Purple Heart.
She looked at Mary and said, "Please help me, Mary. Will you?"

"Help you? By living with you?" Mary asked, puzzled. "How can that
help you?"

The woman looked at Mary and shook her head. There was great warmth in
her eyes as she shook her head saying, "That's not it at all, Mary. The
truth is, it's the money. There is only one thing left for me to do, and
that's to make arrangements for an heir."

As she sat there resting against the pillows, Mary realized what a
beautiful young girl Emily Hardwick must have been. There would have been
no problem now, but for events in 1942 off Midway Island in the Pacific.
Emily would have had many children by the love of her life, Mike Casey, but
it was not to be.

Emily continued: "I have been advised to create a foundation but I don't
want to. I've searched for years for an individual. I even ran
advertisements. I've talked with young women of every conceivable kind and
description. All were bright, well-educated, and wanted me to create a
foundation so they could direct it and do good works." She grinned -- an
improbable event, making her look very cute in spite of her age -- and
said, "It translates into supporting all the trendy causes.

"I want someone to enjoy the money and use it with judgment. I want
someone who will add something to the world. Mary, I think you're the
person I've been searching for. Please tell me about Tom. That's what
triggered the water works for you."

Mary told her about a career soldier who loved his country. He had been
killed in the early days in Vietnam saving a trapped patrol. "All I have
are some letters and some medals. Tom won the Distinguished Service Cross
along with the Silver Star, the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart." She
smiled warmly at Emily and said, "I think the DSC and the Navy Cross are
equal in rank." She looked at Emily and said, "What would you like me to
do?"

Emily gave her a brief outline. The next day the Jeffersons moved in to
Emily's apartment. April was skeptical about Ronnie but she found that
Ronnie loved Emily. He finally settled on calling her Aunt Em. When April
returned from work, she usually found Ronnie and Aunt Em playing on the
floor. She soon decided that the woman loved her son dearly.

Emily found Mary Jefferson to be a perfect companion. She insisted that
Emily get exercise so the two women joined a health club. In no time,
Emily was feeling better than she had in years. The real fun came with the
charitable and artistic organizations. Emily was a board member of all of
the most prestigious arts organizations in Chicago and was avidly courted
by many others striving to move up in rank. Mary began to accompany her to
all of the meetings, concerts, recitals, and openings. Emily was utterly
delighted. She found that Mary had even less tolerance for nonsense than
she did. The two women quickly developed a shorthand. One would raise a
thumb, the other would nod, and they would both get up and walk out.

What passed as modern art was the worst of all. They joked that they
had never seen even half of an exhibition and more commonly only about
one-quarter. One day they went to a gallery opening. Mary took one look
at pictures of homosexual men coupling and she turned around and walked
out. On the sidewalk the two women encountered a man sketching. He looked
at Emily and his charcoal started to fly over his pad. They were walking
down the street towards where their car was waiting. when he came running
after them with his sketch in his hand. He said, "Ladies, I have something
for you. It's a gift. Please at least look at it."

Mary looked at him, prepared to tell him to leave them alone as their
chauffeur-bodyguard ran towards them. Mary glanced at the sketch and then
looked at it more closely. She then looked at the man who was tall and
thin with sandy hair and warm brown eyes. The sketch, done in just a few
strokes, caught the look of eagles in Emily's eyes. Mary showed it to
Emily and asked the young man, "Do you do anything besides sketches?"

He grinned and said, "I try. Unfortunately, people aren't too
interested in what I do. If... If you could give me a dollar or so for
the sketch, I would appreciate it. It's not necessary, though."

"Where do you live, young man?" Mary asked. He told her and she gave
him her address. Then she gave him twenty dollars and said, "Please bring
your tools over to the apartment. I would like to commission a portrait."
He thanked them profusely and said he would be there in about an hour.

The two women returned to the apartment. Almost exactly one hour from
the time they separated, the receptionist in the lobby announced two
visitors for Mrs. Jefferson. They came up and the butler showed them into
the library where Emily and Mary were playing gin rummy. It was the artist
along with a female companion. Mary looked at the girl closely and rang
for the butler. She ordered club sandwiches to be served to the guests
immediately.

The butler was embarrassed to tell her that the cook was off for the
afternoon. Mary excused herself and left the two young people talking with
Emily. She went to the kitchen and returned in a few minutes with two
crocks of French onion soup. She set places for the guests at the card
table and held the girl by her shoulder. When the girl smelled the aroma
of the soup, she almost fainted.

She returned with refills and then with two massive ham and cheese
omelettes with soufleed potatoes, a salad and a loaf of french bread. She
noticed that the food just evaporated.

When they were finished, the girl stood up. Emily and Mary could see
tears rolling from her cheeks. She said, "Thank you so much. We have not
been introduced. I'm Kerry Casey, Jim's model. He's Jim Vance, who I
think is the finest artist in the world." She smiled wryly and added,
"Unfortunately, I may be the only person alive who holds that opinion. We
were starving to death when we arrived here today. I like to think that
Jim is perceptive. Clearly, he's not the only one." She held out her hand
to Mary and asked, "To whom do I owe my life?"

Mary introduced herself and Emily. At the mention of the name,
Hardwick, Kerry's eyes widened. "Are you Emily Amelia Hardwick?" she asked
softly.

Emily nodded and looked at the girl strangely. "Are you Jack Casey's
girl?" she asked. The girl said she was. Emily continued, "Mary, Jack
would have been Mike's nephew if he had lived. Just think: I would have
had this lovely girl as a grandniece." The girl was about five feet six
with dark hair and lovely blue eyes. She was wearing blue jeans and a
loose shirt.

While they were talking, Jim had been studying Emily. He moved her
chair slightly and began to sketch. Kerry went around behind him and the
two spoke quietly. He continued working for four hours until six o'clock.
As he began to put away his materials, Emily stretched and came around to
look at the canvas. Her eyes widened and she gasped. Although it was not
nearly finished, the outline of the painting was very clear. She was
sitting in the chair with shelves of books behind her, the way they
appeared in the library. There were things in the painting, though, that
were not present in the room. On a bookshelf Jim had sketched in a small
shadow box. In it were a naval officer's cap device, gold Navy pilot's
wings, the Navy Cross, the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.

But sitting next to her on the table in his picture was a book of
matches. There was nothing on the table she had been sitting beside. She
looked at it closely and gasped, then ran from the room. Mary was amazed.
Jim had caught the piercing look in her eyes, but so much more.

Mary whispered, "Jim, it's perfect! She is a lady, isn't she?" Jim just
nodded and Kerry held his hand tightly.

Emily reappeared in the library with a matchbook in her hand, still
visibly shaken. She said softly, "Maybe you should use the real one." She
put it in his hand and then broke down in tears, going to Mary who seated
her on the sofa and comforted her. Finally she regained control and said
softly, "Jim Vance, how could you possibly know? That matchbook in your
picture shows the logo the Pump Room used in 1942. You showed this match
book. Open it, please, and look at it." He did as she added, "Mike was
educated as an engineer. I used to tease him about his very neat
printing." Inside the cover of the matchbook was neatly printed, "LTJG
Michael P. Casey, USNR, Scout Bomber Squadron 8, FPO, San Francisco,
California." She said, "He used this matchbook to write his address for me
the last day we were together."

Suddenly the anguish disappeared and she looked at Mary with excitement
in her eyes. She looked like she had shed fifty years of age as she said,
"Dear Mary, Mike is so close to me now! I can feel him and hear him. I'll
be with him soon, I just know it!" Her eyes sparkled as she asked, "Can I
lose my virginity in Heaven, do you suppose? Oh, God, I love him so!" Mary
just held the older woman tightly and then suggested she take a nap before
dinner. Emily left the room, leaving Mary alone with the young people.

Mary said, "Do you two drink? I believe we're finished for today,
aren't we?" They said they did, and she relayed the order to the butler who
served them drinks along with a platter of canapes. Jim looked at Mary and
saw tears flowing down her cheeks. She said, "We haven't talked about a
fee, Jim. How much do you charge for a portrait?"

Before he could answer, Kerry said, "It's five hundred dollars, Mrs.
Jefferson. If it's possible, we would like an advance payment of one
hundred dollars with the balance when the commission is accepted." Mary
nodded and went to the desk drawer. One of the first things Emily had done
was to make Mary a signatory on her bank account. She carefully wrote out
a check and gave it to Jim. It was for $1,000.

He looked at it and choked. Finally he was able to say, "Mrs.
Jefferson, there has been a mistake. This check is for one thousand
dollars!"

Mary replied, "You're right, Jim, there has been a mistake. The mistake
was Kerry's. The fee will be five thousand with 20 percent in advance.
Jim Vance, that portrait is priceless. Frankly, I'm sure Emily is going to
be angry at me for cheating you so badly."

She smiled at the two young people and asked, "Could you stay for
dinner? I have a feeling you don't have much to