Until You

"And what are you?" Conor's mouth twisted. "You lied your way into marriage, cheated your way into this country, found that pig, Winthrop, molesting your very own flesh and blood, and you did nothing except punish the girl by sending her away."

"Ah, I see. You have chosen to believe Miranda's version of the story."

"She told me what happened."

"She is a liar and a tramp!" Spittle formed in the corners of Eva's mouth. "She is the one who lured Hoyt to her bed."

Conor's laugh was brutal. "You can't really believe that."

"Why would I not believe my husband? The blood in his veins is as blue as the sky."

"And the blood in Miranda's veins is yours." A muscle knotted in Conor's jaw. "That's why you didn't believe her, isn't it? You believe in the sins of the fathers... only in this case, it's the sins of the mothers."

"What I think is none of your concern, Mr. O'Neil."

She was right. His only concern was Miranda's safety.

"Tell me why Edouard de Lasserre's been threatening Miranda," he said.

"Because I would not do as he demanded."

"Which was?"

"Do you know anything about the manufacture of cosmetics, Mr. O'Neil?"

"No."

"Papillon makes perfumes, colognes, lotions and sprays which contain fragrances. To make them, we import huge quantities of fresh flowers." She smiled a little. "Colombia does not only export drugs. It exports magnificent flowers. The flowers must be hurried through customs or they wilt and die. Because of our reputation and my husband's connections, Papillon has been granted something called a 'line release.' It means shipments we receive from Colombia may come into the United States without being searched by U.S. Customs."

"And?" Conor said, wanting to hear it from her lips, even though the picture was coming together with breathtaking swiftness.

"And, de Lasserre wanted me to permit him to use our shipments to smuggle in cocaine. He said it would be profitable for us both."

"But you didn't want to risk it."

"Certainly not. I have everything I could possibly want. A successful business, a magnificent home, a husband with a fine old name."

"And a daughter you don't give a crap about," Conor said through his teeth.

"If you think to shame me," Eva said coldly, "I assure you, you cannot. Miranda is the one mistake of my life."

"What you mean is that she's the reminder of who you really are, Mrs. Winthrop." Conor smiled tightly. "Go on. De Lasserre asked you to smuggle drugs and you said no. What happened next?"

"You know what happened next. He sent me a threatening note and then he began sending notes to Miranda. He thought he could make me change my mind, you see." She shrugged her shoulders. "The man is a fool."

Conor's hands fisted. He jammed them deep into his pockets.

"Let me be sure I understand this. He's threatening Miranda to get at you."

"Yes. He assumed that since I had bought him off when he married the girl, I could be coerced into giving him what he wanted again."

"Five hundred dollars," Conor said, very softly. "You really put a high price on her, didn't you?"

"It was not five hundred, it was twenty-five thousand. I am not without feeling," Eva said stiffly. "Besides, I knew the marriage was an error."

"For Miranda, or for you? It wouldn't have done much for your reputation, would it, if word got out that she'd run off with a piece of sleaze like de Lasserre?"

At the other end of the room, the door eased slowly open.