DianaPalmer Rage of Passion
For my nieceHelen, whosews afine seam
Chapter One
The telegram crumpled in the slender hand, ascrap of badly used timber that would have served better as the tree it once was. Pale-green eyesstared down at it, hated it.
“Is it bad news, Mama?''Becky's soft young voice broke through the an-guish, brought her back to the reality of the hugeempty Victorian house and the plain, withdrawnchild."What, darling?" Her voice sounded odd. Shecleared her throat and helplessly twisted the crum- pled telegram in her hand. "Bad news? Well...yes."Becky sighed. She was so old for six, Maggiesometimes thought. Her life had been disordered
Diana Palmer
from the very beginning. An exclusive boardingschool hadn't made her an extrovert; it had onlyemphasized her painful shyness, made it more ob-vious.'”Is it Daddy again?" Becky asked quietly. Sheread the answer in her mother's worried eyes andshrugged. "Well, Auntie Janet is coming today,"she said with childlike enthusiasm and smiled."That should make you feel better."Margaret Turner smiled back. Her daughter'srare smiles were magic. "So she is, although sheisn't really your aunt. She's my godmother. Sheand your Grandmother Turner were best friends.What a nice surprise for us, meeting her last week.She didn't even know I had you, you lovely littlesurprise, you."Becky giggled—one of those sweet sounds thatMaggie had heard so seldom lately. The boardingschool was taking its toll on Becky, but there'd been no choice about it once Maggie went to work.She had no one to keep Becky after school, andher job meant occasional long hours and Saturdaywork. That left the child vulnerable, and Denniswasn't above taking her away and hiding her somewhere. He was capable of anything wheremoney was involved. And this newest threat, thistelegram, made it plain that he was going to suefor full custody of Rebecca. He wanted Maggie to
Rage of Passion9
know immediately that he'd just given his lawyer the green light to go back to court.Maggie swept back a strand of her short dark hair, which was very straight, curving into her highcheekbones. She was slender and tall, a good sil-houette for the clothes that were such a rage thisseason. Not that she was buying new clothes.Thanks to her ex-husband's incredible alimony suitagainst her—which he'd won—and the fact thather attorneys were still draining her financially,times were getting harder by the day.About all that was left was this white elephantthey lived in and a relatively new car—andBecky's trust Maggie's own father had never ap- proved of her marriage to Dennis, although—at thetime—she hadn't understood why. He'd cut Mag-gie out of his will entirely, leaving everything intrust for Becky. Maggie hadn't known this untilhis death, and she'd never forget the outburst fromDennis at the reading of the will. Her heart already broken, his callous attitude had taken the last of her spirit. After that, she hadn't really felt alive atall. She'd kept going for Becky's sake, not her own.Dennis had tried to break the will. It couldn't be broken, but there were loopholes that would allowthe administrator of the trust to sell stocks and bonds and reinvest them. Maggie could imagine
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rage of passion
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| Upload Date: | 11/28/2009 |
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