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The call was from August. Lia answered immediately.
“August?”
“Can you come over right now? I have good news for you.”
“Good news?”
“Very good news. You won’t have to worry about David anymore.”
Lia was so stunned she couldn’t speak at first.
“What are you saying, August?”
“I’m saying your prayer worked.”
He rang off, and in record time she was on the road to London.
Did she dare to hope August was right? What had he meant when he said it had been taken care of?
For the first time since getting her license, Lia wished she’d let her father buy her that Jag or an Audi or anything that went faster than a 1980 Metro. But finally, she turned onto August’s street. She ran to the front and didn’t bother to knock. August was expecting her, after all. She went in, calling out his name as she did.
“In the living room,” August said.
Lia ran down the entry hall and burst into the living room—where she came to a quick stop when she saw August had company.
A woman stood by the fireplace, facing the mantel, her back to Lia. She was tall and elegant with enviable curves and thick black hair worn in a loose knot with tendrils galore trailing over her shoulder. She was dressed in a skirt suit of spring pink. A wrap of faux ermine was draped over one shoulder and one arm.Venus in furs...that was Lia’s first thought as she looked at the woman, and she couldn’t remember where that phrase came from—was it a book or was it a song?
August also wore a suit—three-piece gray with the jacket off and his sleeves rolled up. A suit? And the woman dressed so fashionably, as well? Lia wondered what the occasion was.
“So sorry,” she said. “The door was open. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“You didn’t,” August said.
She waited in the doorway, afraid to go into the living room, afraid to leave. She kept waiting for the woman to turn around and greet her, but she didn’t. Lia could only catch the smallest glimpse of her face, but she was a great beauty, that was obvious.
The woman said something then in a low sultry voice and August replied to her. They were speaking Greek, which Lia recognized but didn’t understand. A great beauty. Greek. And powerful enough to make August nervous.
“You’re August’s mother,” Lia said. “How do you do?”
The woman didn’t answer. Perhaps she didn’t speak English. Lia looked at August for help. He smiled, but it wasn’t a happy sort of smile.
“Lia,” he said. “I had a talk with my mother. She’s agreed to take care of your situation with David.”
“What does that mean?”
“It’s for the best if you don’t know. Nothing illegal, though, I promise. But my mother has connections. She’ll pay Mr. Bell a visit in the morning. You’re not going to get arrested. You won’t be in the papers. By tomorrow evening, it’ll all be over. You can relax.”
Lia wasn’t relaxed, not at all.
“But how?”
“How will they do it?” August asked. “Like I said, nothing illegal. That’s all you need to know.”
“No.” She lowered her voice. “How did you talk your family into helping me?”
August had been persona non grata in his family ever since he’d refused the marriage his mother had arranged. There was no way they’d do anything for him, not like this...not helping one of his patrons. They’d been so furious at him he’d had to change his name. How had he talked them into helping her?
Then Lia knew.
