Emily and the Stranger by Beverly Barton

Author:Beverly Barton [Barton, Beverly]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Contemporary, Fiction, Romance, General
ISBN: 9780373078608
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 1998-04-30T16:00:00+00:00

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Chapter 11

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Emily and Nikki had felt somewhat obligated to attend Zed Banning's annual big bash since Zed had tried in every way possible to help Emily after the devastating truth about Mitch came out. And he had hand-delivered their invitation to this gala affair.

Emily had invited Charles to be her escort, which had pleased not only Charles, but Uncle Fowler, as well. Now that she was no longer seeing Mitch Hayden, her life seemed to be back on track. The same old safe but boring track it had been on before she'd moved out of Uncle Fowler's home. Her uncle was already talking about her wedding to Charles. And no matter how many times she told him that she wasn't going to marry his young protégé, he didn't listen.

Zed held his black-tie party at the Neptune Room of the Ocean Side Hotel. It was reported that Zed owned the hotel, which his construction company had built on the Gulf about seven years ago.

Emily wasn't overly fond of loud music and huge crowds, but she agreed with Nikki that good manners dictated that they at least put in an appearance. Emily just wished that Nikki had chosen a different date. "I feel sorry for Rod, mooning around over you all the time. I just think he needs to realize you aren't the only woman in the world. It'll be good for him, and for you, too." How could Emily argue against such reasoning?

The moment the four of them entered the room, Emily wished they hadn't come. The lounge was packed with people dressed to the nines. Beautiful women and wealthy men. Zed's friends, acquaintances and business associates.

She had been raised with money and social position, but her family hadn't been wealthy enough to expose her to the upper echelon of high society, where multimillionaires and billionaires rubbed elbows with movie stars and world leaders. And even though Uncle Fowler's inherited wealth did give him entrance to this world, he seldom ventured into it.

"Some shindig, huh?" Puckering her lips, Nikki sucked in her cheeks. "Reminds me of the parties Mother and Warner used to give."

"Let's make a pact tonight," Emily whispered. "Neither of us is going to talk about or even think about the past."

"I promise," Nikki agreed.

"I suppose, if one is as wealthy as Mr. Banning, one can afford to throw away good money on these frivolous affairs." With his long, thin nose turned up in a snobbish manner, Charles Tolbert glanced around the room. "A vulgar display of wealth." He tsk-tsked loudly.

Emily frowned at him. "If you'd rather not have come with me tonight, I would have understood." She patted his arm with a mock show of concern. "I know how you dislike attending parties when you don't know anyone."

She wasn't fond of large social gatherings, either, preferring smaller more intimate parties with friends. But Zed Banning had been more than kind to her in recent weeks. Not accepting his hand-delivered invitation would have shown a lack of good manners.

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