Page 16 of Even Beneath the Stars

"It’s short for Nathaniel."

"Even worse."

"And he's a dukepretendingto be a pirate," Mom corrects. "His brother pushed him overboard in the Amazon to steal his fortune, but Nate survived, and now he’s sailing home to reclaim it."

Silas shakes his head. "Dude would’ve been better off becoming an accountant."

"Shhh!" I hiss. "You guys, I'm trying to watch the show."

"Just saying." Silas twists to look over at my mother. "Not like he's gonna get any action anyway, with a name likeNate."

Ha!" My mother points at him with her dog-eared bodice ripper. "That's where you're wrong! He is!In the galley… right now with Clarissa."

Silas chuckles. "Nate, you dog."

Mom fans herself dramatically. "Things are gettingspicybelow deck."

"Oh my gawwwd…" I groan. "Guys, seriously. Can you not?"

"Try telling that to Nathaniel the horny Duke." Silas smirks. "Boning Clarissa against the butcher block."

Mom dissolves into squeals of laughter, still fanning herself with the book for some reason.

I hurl popcorn at Silas, but he just catches most of it in his mouth. "Out at sea, by candlelight, no less," he croons in an obnoxious, corny voice.

Mom wheezes.

"Mom!" I call over her cackling. "Don't encourage him."

"When the waves are a-sloshing…" She giggles.

"Don't come a-knockin'!" we all chime in. Even me, because if you can't beat 'em…

The shrill ring of my phone cuts through our laughter.

It's an unknown number.

"Hello?" I'm still chuckling as I answer, helping Silas retrieve popcorn from the couch cushions.

"Yes, hello… Is this Maggie LeClair?" A friendly but formal-sounding woman asks.

"Uh, yes. That’s me." I slap a hand over the receiver, gesturing frantically for Mom and Silas toshut upas they continue dissecting Nathaniel and Clarissa’s torrid love affair.

"Oh, hi, Maggie! This is Denise Semble. I got your number from the manager at the Welsford."

The Welsford? What the heck?

Mom and Silas are still clucking in the background like a couple of middle schoolers, so I escape down the hall, shutting my bedroom door. "Uh, okay…?"

"I'm Jacee Rockwell's personal assistant," she continues. "We met a few times at the kid's club when I picked Finn up."

No doubt there’s something appropriate I should say here, but I have no idea what that might be. I am so confused right now about why Jacee Rockwell's personal assistant would be contacting me. "Right. Yeah. I remember."

I sit on the bed, ram-rod straight.

"Wonderful!" She sounds pleased. "Well, Maggie, I'm calling because I have a job proposition for you."

"Oh my God… I think I want to do it." I clutch the throw pillow against my chest.

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