Page 41 of Close Up

Vivian winced. Lyra was smart. She might be preoccupied with engagement party plans at the moment but that didn’t mean she wasn’t paying attention.

“It is weird,” Vivian said.

“I don’t like this. I still think I should be there with you.”

“Trust me, if I were in danger, I couldn’t be anyplace safer than the Burning Cove Hotel. There is a lot of security here. I promise I’ll let you know if anything changes, Lyra. Meanwhile, don’t worry about me. And whatever you do, don’t wire Mother and Father. They would both be frantic.”

Lyra sighed. “Sooner or later you’re going to have to tell them everything.”

“I know. I’m choosing later. I just don’t want to deal with Father telling me he warned me that I wouldn’t like living on my own.”

“I understand, believe me.”

“Your turn. How is the planning going for the engagement party?”

“Fine.”

The sudden cool note in Lyra’s voice aroused all of Vivian’s sisterly intuition.

“What’s wrong, Lyra?”

“Nothing.”

“Don’t give me that. This is Vivian you’re talking to. Your sister.”

“I’m fine, Viv, really. It’s just that I’m feeling a little overwhelmed by all the details. Speaking of which, I’d better get off the phone. Got a meeting with the dressmaker today. Call me tomorrow even if you don’t have any news, all right?”

“Lyra, do you want to talk?”

“Not just now. Bye, Viv. I love you.”

“Love you, too. You know if you need to tell me something, anything—”

There was a click. Lyra was gone.

Vivian set the receiver down in the cradle. She went into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of iced tea. Nick looked up when she walked outside and sat down in a wicker chair.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“You mean aside from the fact that my house was burned down last night and my name popped up in the private journal of a paid assassin?”

He raised his brows. “Aside from those issues, yes.”

“It’s my sister. I can’t be certain because she’s a pretty good actress, but I think she’s upset and hiding something from me.”

Nick folded the paper and set it aside. He picked up his tea. “Why would she hide anything from you?”

“For the same reason that I’m hiding things from her. Because she doesn’t want me to worry. Her tone of voice changed when we talked about the engagement party coming up next month.”

“So, something to do with the party?”

Vivian considered that. “More likely something to do with the fact that she’s going to be married to the man of her dreams.”

“Bridal jitters?”

“Maybe. Yes, I think so.”

“She wouldn’t be the first person to have second thoughts,” Nick said.

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