BooksBarbecue
Back Vortex
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

Hardly a pause, then Juliet said, her voice flat, “I imagine many people would say yes to that list and yes to voting for him.”

But you wouldn’t. Mia gave her a crooked grin. “Forgive me, I fear I’ve made him sound like a perfect pet dog.”

“I really can’t add to what you said, Ms. Briscoe.” Then the words burst out of her mouth. “Except if Alex were a dog, he’d be a vicious hunter.”

The words hung naked between them. Juliet opened her mouth, closed it. That’s right, Mia thought, saying any more would only make it worse. Mia said, “Could you tell me what you mean, exactly?”

Juliet shook her head, tried for a disarming smile, but she couldn’t pull it off. She said finally, “What I meant was, when Alex is set on a course of action, absolutely nothing will stop him. He’ll be a dogged opponent, forgive the pun, do anything he sees necessary to get what he wants, as the other candidates for mayor of New York City will soon discover.”

It was a nice save, as far as it went. “I imagine those qualities might make for a strong candidate for mayor, but not so attractive in a husband?”

“Yes, those qualities did have something to do with our breaking up, yes.”

Mia waited, but Juliet said nothing more. All right, she’d move along for the moment. “What do you think of Mr. Harrington’s current fiancée, Pamela Raines Barrett?”

Juliet said without hesitation, “For as long as I can remember, Pammie’s family has been front and center on the political stage, ever since her uncle, Wilson Carlson Barrett, was governor. Even her mother, Marilyn, was an elected judge. I would say without reservation Pamela and Alex are perfect for each other.”

Mia wasn’t deaf to what she’d left unspoken. She throttled back. “I understand you and Ms. Barrett were once very good friends and you were sent to England together for school. Tell me about it.” She pulled out her tablet, sat poised.

Juliet eased, Mia saw it. “Yes, when we were sixteen Pammie and I were sent to England, near Bath, to a posh girls’ school. We are very different people, but as teenagers together in a foreign country, we did well together, we had each other’s backs. I don’t know why Pammie’s parents agreed to England—it was always cold and rained incessantly—but my parents wanted me to study with a famous piano teacher.