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Back Fleeced Save as PDF
Chapters (84)
  1. Acknowledgments
  2. FLEECED
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
  15. 13
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  18. 16
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  30. 28
  31. 29
  32. 30
  33. 31
  34. 32
  35. 33
  36. 34
  37. 35
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  39. 37
  40. 38
  41. 39
  42. 40
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  46. 44
  47. 45
  48. 46
  49. 47
  50. 48
  51. 49
  52. 50
  53. 51
  54. 52
  55. 53
  56. 54
  57. 55
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  60. 58
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  70. 68
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  73. 71
  74. 72
  75. 73
  76. 74
  77. 75
  78. 76
  79. 77
  80. 78
  81. 79
  82. 80
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  84. About the Author

But now things could get even worse. After all the money she’d invested into fixing up the apartment and setting up her business, there was the danger that the club might have to close its doors and sell the building. Just when she and Maldwin were getting their respective businesses on track, she’d have to find a new place to live and work. And to think the club could have been saved by the diamonds they’d heard all the gossip about last night and that now were among the missing.

“All that confusion and death,” Lydia said as she picked up her orange-juice glass and tapped it with her long red fingernails. “Do you think people might be afraid to come to my parties now?”

Maldwin fluffed the pillow behind her dyed blond hair. “It was excitement that can only help. No one will ever accuse you of throwing parties that are dull. After all, matchmaking should have an air of mystery.”

“But what if the papers report that some of my guests were disturbed by the arrival of the police?”

“As long as they spell your name right. And the name of my butler school,” Maldwin sniffed. “Miss Lydia, remember what we decided when we joined forces.”

“There’s no such thing as bad publicity.”

“Exactly.” Maldwin walked to the door of the bedroom.

“But Maldwin, I’m worried.”

Maldwin waited.

“If we have to find a new place to live, it’ll be very expensive. My stationery cost a fortune. And people get used to coming to a certain location for these parties. Being in Gramercy Park gave them a certain je ne sais quoi.”

Maldwin flinched. He couldn’t stand it when she threw in her schoolgirl French. Her accent was awful.

“I know, Princess,” he said. “But we must go on. Tomorrow night’s party should attract new members to the club. And hopefully, those diamonds will be recovered and we can continue on as we are now.” He smoothed back his hair and adjusted his pinkie ring. “My students are arriving soon. We’re leaving for a field trip to a town full of antique shops in western New Jersey. I expect we’ll be back later this afternoon.”

Lydia grumbled. “And I’m going to exercise class. Don’t forget. Tonight we have to go to Stanley’s studio for the interview. He wants to air the special on the club and us this Sunday night. How many viewers does he have on that cable show?”

“I’m afraid neighborhood free-access channels do not draw the masses, Princess of Love. But it’s a start.”

“I’ve come a long way from my studio apartment with no closet space,” Lydia mused. “And Maldwin, I don’t want to go back.”

“We will make our businesses flourish, Miss Lydia,” Maldwin said formally, “at any cost.”

They laughed nervously together. He gave a short, courtly bow and shut the door.

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