“Nola knows everything,” Caroline said. “She trained the women, and she knew all the men—friends from her social circle, and their friends too ... She would get referrals, and as long as the men had the right pedigrees, they were in. And it was never for money. It wasn’t like she was a society madam or anything.”
“Then, what?” Kate asked.
“She liked the adulation. It made her feel important, in the eyes of Crispin and some of the others, to be able to fulfill fantasies.”
“Not only that,” Conor said, “but when Joe traced 1740 back to that old ad in the Yellow Pages, he found out that Nola’s mother was involved with the original group. Passed down through the generations.”
“They were proud of the lineage,” Caroline said.
“You know, what you did aboardPsychehelped the Feds nail her,” Conor said. “Their negotiating position wouldn’t have been nearly as strong if you hadn’t done that.”
“What did you do?” Kate asked.
“I learned from one of the women who came before me,” Caroline said.
“In what way?” Kate asked.
“I don’t even know her name, but I saw the scratches she had made on the porthole onPsyche, and that gave me an idea. Nola told us all that the men wanted to think of us as princesses,” Caroline said. “Theygave us jewels and expected us to wear them. I had this gigantic diamond ring on my finger while I was chained down—it was probably the same one my predecessor wore before they killed her. I could just reach up to the porthole, and I scratched NOLAFS into the glass—for ‘Nola Finishing School.’”
“Tom and I saw it, but we were looking from the wrong direction. We read it back to front, and some of the letters were backward. We thought it saidSfalon. Or maybe theSwas really a 5,” Conor said. “Even though we didn’t figure it out then, it will help the prosecution nail her—and all of them.”
The conversation had almost finished Kate off. There was just so much she could handle hearing at one time. Her fists must have been clenched, because Conor reached for her hand; she relaxed it, and he kissed her palm.
“Thanks for the visit, Caroline,” Conor said.
“I’d better say goodbye now,” Kate said. “I’m getting a little tired.”
“I understand,” Caroline said. “But, Kate ...” Caroline closed her eyes tight, and tears spilled down her cheeks. “I want to thank you. You kept me going that day. I don’t think I could have survived whatever was going to happen next.”
“You helped me too,” Kate said.
“You gave me something so important,” Caroline said. “You gave me William.”
“How?”
“I think I told you that we were engaged. We were going to be married, when Crispin killed him and took me. I kept William with me, the best I could, while I was in that place. But I was faking it. I felt as if no love could survive that. No matter how good it had been, it was ruined. But then I met you and Conor.”
Kate glanced at Conor, saw him staring, rapt, at Caroline.
“And I’ve learned what they put you through. What Belinda did and how Maeve and Suzanne helped her stop your wedding, how they tried to keep you from trusting and loving each other.”
“They could never do that,” Conor said. “It was tough, but we made it. We have each other.”
“Just like I have William,” Caroline said. “Knowing you has taken away the poison Crispin tried to pour on our love. I hope ... you’ll send me a wedding announcement. I want to know when it happens, and I’ll celebrate you from wherever I am. I hope you’ll have a big, wonderful wedding.”
“Actually,” Kate said, “we’re going to elope. We’re going to do it here.”
She looked at Conor to affirm that, but he didn’t. He didn’t nod. He didn’t say he agreed. He just smiled and thanked Caroline for coming. Caroline leaned over to kiss Kate’s forehead, and she left.
Alone with each other, Conor gazed at Kate.
“Really?” he asked. “If that is truly what you want, to elope right here, I’ll do it.”
“It’s not what you want?” Kate asked.
“No, it’s not,” Conor said.
“Then what?”
