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Back Vortex Save as PDF
Chapters (61)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  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
  16. 14
  17. 15
  18. 16
  19. 17
  20. 18
  21. 19
  22. 20
  23. 21
  24. 22
  25. 23
  26. 24
  27. 25
  28. 26
  29. 27
  30. 28
  31. 29
  32. 30
  33. 31
  34. 32
  35. 33
  36. 34
  37. 35
  38. 36
  39. 37
  40. 38
  41. 39
  42. 40
  43. 41
  44. 42
  45. 43
  46. 44
  47. 45
  48. 46
  49. 47
  50. 48
  51. 49
  52. 50
  53. 51
  54. 52
  55. 53
  56. Epilogue
  57. Epilogue
  58. Acknowledgments
  59. About the Author
  60. Also by Catherine Coulter
  61. About the Publisher

“She’s mainly classical, and immensely talented. Cory’s right, I’ve never seen a more beautiful woman.”

“I’m a jazz man, myself. New Orleans.”

“Do give her a listen, Miles, she’s incredible. Let me add, what’s really refreshing is that her beauty doesn’t seem to matter to her at all.”

Miles took a drink of his beer, wiped a bit of foam off his mouth with the back of his hand. “I was told she’s really sensitive, arty, if you know what I mean, so it was a good thing they didn’t marry.”

“I wonder if Alex was afraid she’d upstage him, take the limelight, get all the publicity?”

“No, that’s not Mr. Harrington—music, politics, they’re two entirely different kinds of fame. Seems to me it just wasn’t a good fit.” He paused a hair. “What did she tell you?”

Worried now, are you, Miles? Which meant that Alex was worried. Mia cocked her head at him. “I understand why you could be concerned Ms. Calley might have bad-mouthed him to me.”

“I have no reason to suppose Mr. Harrington would be worried. In fact, he thought you might see her. Understandably, he wouldn’t want to be blindsided. I mean, he is running for a high office. You’re known as an excellent interviewer, Mia, so who knows what she might say to you, out of bitterness, perhaps, or something else—”

“You mean like revenge?”

Miles shrugged. “Who knows? Anything could be possible since Mr. Harrington was the one who broke off their engagement—” Miles’s voice died. He looked down at his USC ring as if it were his consigliere. Evidently the ring didn’t have any wise counsel because Miles took another quick swig of his beer and carefully set the mug on a napkin.

“Is that what Alex told you, Miles? He was the one who broke off the engagement?”

“Well, no, I’m surmising, since he told me she’s quite shy, introverted, not at ease with people. Even a concert pianist, if she’s socially awkward, wouldn’t be comfortable as a politician’s wife.” Miles shrugged.

Mia said, “Otherwise what woman in her right mind wouldn’t want to be Alex’s wife? Have I filled in the blanks correctly, Miles?”

30

Mia

“No, I didn’t mean that, exactly.” Miles sighed. “But yes, Mr. Harrington is an impressive man.” Mia sensed a canned recording snapping on when Miles added quickly, “Mr. Harrington really cares about New York, Mia, he wants to make it better. Just take his budget for minority schools—”

She raised her hand to turn off the spigot. “Before you go on, Miles, let me set the record straight. Ms. Calley broke off their engagement, not Alex. Tell me this—did Alex already know I’d spoken with Juliet Calley?”