Page 11 of Lawbreaker

“I said...” Tony began belligerently.

“Good thing she only lasted one day,” Mrs. Murdock finished, unabashed. “I was searching out a source of hemlock leaves...”

“I said...” he repeated, louder.

“Oh, never mind,” Mrs. Murdock sighed. “With my luck, poison would only have encouraged her anyway.”

Tony threw up his hands.

The guests started arriving two hours later. Stasia had gone to the enormous room she and Odalie would share for the weekend to take a nap, and Odalie had gone right with her, unwilling to be left alone with Tony. He noticed that, and his even temper began to deteriorate.

“What are you going to wear?” Odalie asked Stasia while they were going through the closet, where a maid had hung their collection of garments.

“I thought this,” Stasia said, indicating the long silk skirt with its pretty glittery blouse that matched.

“Lovely, especially with your coloring,” Odalie replied, smiling. “But surely not with spike heels?”

Stasia shook her head. “Low stacked ones. I’m wobbly from time to time,” she laughed. “What are you going to wear?”

“Is this too dressy?” Odalie asked, displaying the silk couture dress she’d shown her friend at her apartment.

“Not at all. It’s lovely. We can dress down a little after tonight, but we want to make a good first impression,” she added. “At least, I do,” she teased.

Odalie slipped into the dress, which flattered her full figure, and then started to pin up her hair.

“No,” Stasia said firmly. She took the clips away and the brush, and concocted a forties-ish hairstyle, with a wave in front and long, luxurious big curls that fell around Odalie’s shoulders.

“I’ll look odd,” Odalie protested.

“You’ll look unique,” she replied. “It’s gorgeous, so hush. I’m wearing mine the same way. We’ll be twins,” she teased.

“In that case, okay. I didn’t want to stand out.”

Stasia eyed her, taking in her elegant carriage, her lovely face with just the lightest touch of makeup, her pretty hairdo and the couture dress she was wearing with spiked heels that matched. “Wow,” she said. “You’ll have men following you around like puppy dogs.”

Odalie made a face. “The last thing I want,” she scoffed.

“Doesn’t matter what you want,” her friend teased. “You’re a knockout.”

“You look lovely. Pregnancy makes you radiant,” Odalie said with a smile.

“I feel radiant. Well, we should go down.”

Odalie made a face. “Is this trip really necessary?”

Stasia took her arm. “Yes.”

The hall was full of people. Tony was standing there with a male guest, but when he noticed the two women coming down the winding staircase, he turned. His black eyes landed on Odalie. She was a vision, so beautiful that his stomach clenched.

He felt his heart drop with every step she took. She was the most exquisite woman he’d ever seen in his life. He ached to wrap her up tight and kiss her until she couldn’t stand. His teeth ground together. But that was a thought he had to kill, and at once. He didn’t dare touch her. She had a career in sight that she’d worked all her life for. Besides, what did a guy like him have to offer a young woman like that?

Odalie was stifling similar thoughts. Tony in a tux was a sight to make the most sophisticated woman drool, much less Odalie. His olive skin contrasted with the spotless white shirt he was wearing with the tux and black tie, which made him look even more handsome than he ordinarily did. His tall, husky, muscular body was also the stuff of dreams. Add that to his wavy black hair with just a few silver threads and those black eyes, and he was a delight to anybody’s eyes.

She lowered her eyes to the steps because she was staring at him. That would never do. He didn’t like her and couldn’t have made it any more obvious. He tolerated her for Stasia’s sake, but that was all he did, and she’d better remember it. Tony had a mistress. Everybody knew. She wondered if the woman wanted to come tonight, or if he let her mingle with his highbrow guests. She fought down jealousy. She’d never met the other woman. Stasia said she was beautiful and very sweet, that she wasn’t catty or mean or unkind. Stasia also said that the woman had men besides Tony. That was still a puzzle. Tony looked the possessive sort.

Well, that kind of lifestyle was a mystery to Odalie. She tried not to think about it. She didn’t like to imagine Tony with other women.

“Big crowd,” Stasia told Tony with a grin.