The Windsors have been living on the Windsor Hill estate in Crestwood, South Carolina, for generations. Now, on the anniversary of her daughter Emily's death, Sarabess Windsor fears she may be the last to carry the family name—unless she can locate her second daughter, Trinity, the child she gave up for adoption. Sarabess enlists the help of her lawyer, Rifkin, and his son, Jake, in tracking down Trinity. But finding her will stir up buried secrets, past wounds, and loves old and new. And for Trinity, Sarabess's quest will have lasting—and surprising—repercussions. . ..

UPCLOSE AND PERSONAL

At last a Zebra paperback on sale in April 2009!

Prologue

The hour was late, the middle of the night to be precise, and the silence was so total it was ominous. The woman standing at the window stared out at the dark night. Here and there she could see tiny pinpricks of light, but she had no idea what they were. She could also see her reflection in the dark window as well as the entire room behind her.

The woman closed her eyes and wondered if she would ever sleep again. How long could a person go without sleeping? She should know the answer. Why didn't she know? When she opened her eyes she could see the reflection of a woman standing in the middle of the open doorway. She was still as a statue.

The woman knew the figure in the open doorway wasn't going to speak until she was spoken to. Strange how she knew that and didn't know how long a person could go without sleep. "Did you do as I asked?"

The woman waited for a response. None came. "Grace, I'm speaking to you. Did you do what I asked you to do?"

Five seconds passed, then five more seconds before the woman said, "Yes."

The woman at the window turned. She peered at Grace, and said, "You sounded unsure. You can't lie to me, Grace. I gave you enough money to put your four boys through Ivy League colleges. When you told me your husband had medical problems I gave you enough money to buy a small lake house so you could both retire. With the additional money you demanded, you can both live quite comfortably for the rest of your lives. Now, I am going to ask you again, did you do what I asked you to do?"

The woman turned back to the window. She stiffened when she heard the single word, "Yes."

"Thank you, Grace. I'll be leaving in a few hours. Thanks to you, I'll be able to leave with a lighter heart. I don't ever want to see you again. I don't want our paths to cross again. It will be best if you never return to this state again. When you leave you will follow all my instructions to the letter. Do we understand each other, Grace?"

"Yes, ma'am, we understand each other."