"Look, I understand about family schisms, but in this case - "
"You don't understand Clarise Harper. She dropped her surname years ago, choosing to go legally by her first and middle names. That's how entrenched in the Harper name she is. She never married. My opinion being she never found anyone soft or stupid enough to take her on. "
Frowning, he hitched a hip on the table. "Is this your way of telling me you don't want me contacting her, because - "
"I hired you to do a job, and don't intend to tell you how to go about it, so don't get your back up. I'm telling you she's chosen to banish me and mine from her plane of existence, which is just fine by me. The one good thing I can say about her is once she's made up her mind on something, she follows through. "
"But you don't have any objection to me talking to her, involving her. "
"None. Your best bet is to write her - very formally - and introduce yourself, being sure to use the doctor part, and any other impressive credentials you might have at hand. If you tell her you intend to do a family history on the Harpers, and play up how honored you would be to interview her, and so on, she might agree. "
"This is the one you kicked out of the house, right?"
"In a manner of speaking. I don't recall telling you about that. "
"I talk to people. She's not the one you chased off with a Weedwacker. "
Amusement, very faint, ran over her face. "You are talking to people. "
"Part of the job. "
"I suppose. No, I didn't chase her with a Weedwacker. That was the gardeners. And it wasn't a Weedwacker, come to that. It was a fan rake, which was unlikely to do any serious damage. If I hadn't been so mad and thinking more clearly, I'd've grabbed the loppers those idiots had used on my mimosa trees. At least with those I could've given them a good jab in the ass as they skeddadled. "
"Loppers. Would those be . . . " He made wide scissoring motions with both arms.
"Yes, that's right. "
"Ouch. Back to your cousin. Why'd you give her the boot?"
"Because when I invited her, to my lasting regret, to a family barbecue here years ago, she called my sons disreputable brats and stated - she without chick or child - that if I were a proper mother I'd've taken a switch to them regularly. She then called Harper a born liar, as he was entertaining some of his young cousins with stories about the Bride, and told him to shut his mouth. "
He angled his head. "And still she lives. "
Temper had brought a flush to her cheeks, but his comment had a small smile curving her lips. "She was on shaky ground already as she constantly criticized my parenting, my housekeeping, my lifestyle, and occasionally my morals. But nobody stands on my ground and attacks my children. While I did consider murder, knowing my quarry, I was certain banishment from Harper House was a more painful punishment. "
"As I believe I said before, you're a hardass. I like that. "
"Good thing, 'cause that's not going to change at this late date. In any case, on her way out the door, she cursed my name and said it was a black day when Harper House came into my grasping, incompetent hands. "
"She sounds delightful. I'll write her tomorrow. "
"Just don't mention you're working for me. "
"It wouldn't be hard for her to find out. "
"True enough, but the less you mention me the better. Anything else on your mind?"
"Other than wondering how you manage to work all day and still look amazing, no. Nothing that springs, anyway. "
She waited another moment, nodded. "You're not going to mention it. "
"What would it be?"
"The visit my son paid to you last night. "
"Oh. " Because she was watching his face, she caught the flicker of surprise that moved over it before he picked up the glasses he'd taken off and began to polish them with his sweatshirt. "He told you?"
"Yes. He was angry, so he acted rashly. "