Native Affairs

“He seemed—” She stopped.

“Sloshed?” Heath supplied.

“I guess so.”

“And abusive.”

“Yes.”

Heath sighed. “Yes, that was dear old dad. He finally died of cirrhosis while I was in the navy. I sent Elsie a check from my service pay to bury him.”

“I’m sorry.”

Heath shrugged. “Nothing to be sorry about, he’d been killing himself for years with the booze.”

“It’s an illness, Heath.”

“If s a weakness. You’ll never see me go that way.”

“There are all different forms of weakness, Heath. Maybe your father’s was just more obvious than some others.”

“On the soapbox again? Don’t defend him to me, you didn’t know him.”

“I saw enough of him that day to imagine what your childhood with him was like.”

“Even your writer’s imagination isn’t that good,” he said flatly, and A

When Heath pulled into the circle in front of the Imperial Plaza two uniformed valets shot over to the car as if magnetized. The doors swung open and their minimal luggage vanished as the taller man said to Heath, “It’s nice to see you again, Mr. Bodine. Will you be staying with us long?”

“A few days.”

The valet glanced at A

“A pleasure to meet you, ma’am,” the valet said as A

The second man returned from depositing their bags on the steps and looked into A

“Miss Talbot?” he said in astonishment.

A

“Yes?” she said.

“Don’t you remember me? Carlos Sanchez, Luisa’s nephew. I used to drop her off at work at your house sometimes.”

“Oh, yes, Carlos. Of course. It’s been a long time, hasn’t it? How are you?”

“I’m fine. Though my Aunt Luisa died a few years ago.”

“Yes, I know. I heard. I’m very sorry.”

“Thanks. What are you doing back in the Keys? Nobody’s seen you around here for the longest time.”

“She came here to get married,” Heath said, walking around the car and joining them. “A

Carlos stared at Heath and then smiled slowly. “So you two got together, anyway,” he said.

“Anyway?” Heath inquired.

“Aunt Luisa used to talk about how Henry Talbot was trying to break up your romance.”

“With her expert assistance,” Heath said humorlessly, staring at Carlos.

“Yeah, well, she was very devoted to Mr. Talbot,” Carlos said, looking from one to the other nervously.

“Yes, she was,” A

“Sure, sure,” Carlos said, happy to extricate himself from what had quickly become an uncomfortable situation. He and the other valet preceded Heath and A

“Mr. Bodine!” the desk clerk said with a broad smile. “It’s delightful to have you staying with us again. And this must be your wife. What a lovely lady, you have excellent taste. Mrs. Bodine, how do you do?”

A

“These people all greet you like a long-lost relative,” she said to Heath.

“I spend a lot of time in hotels,” he replied shortly.

When they reached the suite, Carlos was already setting their bags on the luggage rest in the foyer. Heath tipped him and Carlos flashed A

Heath slammed the door shut behind him. “Still bowing and scraping before you, aren’t they?” he said disgustedly.

“I don’t know what you mean,” A

“Of course you do. You can’t resist playing lady of the manor with the underlings.”

“I was just being polite to him, Heath. You should try it sometime.”

“I seem to have done all right with my inadequate ma

“Why do you have such a chip on your shoulder? What was I supposed to do, Heath, ignore him? I knew him years ago—his aunt worked for my family a long time.”

“His aunt was your father’s dupe! He thought of her as a convenience, somebody to wash his clothes and cook his food—a peasant from shantytown! She thought she was his friend and she ceased to exist for him the moment he could no longer use her.”

“That isn’t true, Heath. My father left her enough money in his will to retire to a nice place in Miami. It wasn’t his fault that she didn’t live long enough to enjoy it.”

“You’re justifying your father’s behavior to me now?” Heath said incredulously. They were standing in the suite’s foyer, arguing like two barristers.

“I’m not defending him. I’m merely telling you that he repaid Luisa for her loyalty.”

“King Henry doling out the royal favors,” Heath said sarcastically.

“I have more reason to hate him than you do. I’m just trying to be fair.”

“You’re just acting like a princess born to the purple. It must be true what they say—it’s in the blood.”

“It’s in the way you treat other people. You can’t buy—” She stopped.

“What? Class, good breeding, refinement?” he said sneeringly. “Sure you can. I bought you, didn’t I?”

Stung, A

“That’s enough.” He tossed his jacket onto the foyer table and left the suite.

A

She walked desultorily into the parlor with its adjoining bedroom. The rooms were large and light, richly appointed and lushly carpeted, with a balcony overlooking the beach and an ornate bathroom. This was done in the same marble as the lobby floor, with a Jacuzzi tub and gilt fixtures. A

A

She went back into the bedroom and hung the few things she had brought with her in the capacious closet. She had no idea where Heath had gone or when he would be back. So she went to the phone and called her brother to see how he’d been doing, her editor in New York, and Amy Horton. She stretched the conversations out as long as she could. Then, depressed by the events of the day and bone weary from the stress of containing her emotions, she undressed to her camisole and briefs and lay down on the embroidered bedspread.

In minutes she was asleep.

A

A

Heath held her loosely for a moment and she put her head on his shoulder. Then his grip tightened and his mouth came down hard and fast on hers.

A