Notorious--A Novel by Diana Palmer

Author:Diana Palmer
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HQN Books
Published: 2021-04-05T19:09:36+00:00

TEN

There was a very brief conversation, during which Madame Dupont made her late daughter-in-law’s aunt understand the gravity of the situation. Gaby stood to lose everything if the hated cousin had his way. And that wasn’t their only problem. Gaby’s grandfather was all set to have his conviction overturned, and if he was successful, he could convince a jury that Gaby had lied under oath. She could actually go to jail.

Gaby’s maternal great-aunt, Mrs. Rose Bartwell, finally gave in. She knew Gaby and she was fond of her. Perhaps, she thought, she was wrong to isolate herself from her relatives. She said this to Madame. She agreed to get in touch with the crime boss she knew, the New Jersey mobster who was, fortuitously, in town visiting in-laws in Jacobsville, Texas. She would ask him for a contact in Chicago that Mr. Everett could speak with.

Before she hung up, she passed along a tidbit of gossip. Gaby’s cousin Clancey, who was married to Texas Ranger Colter Banks, was pregnant. Gaby already knew this, and so did Madame, but it wasn’t mentioned. Rose said that everyone was delighted for them. Clancey was a character, and she had many friends in Jacobsville since she’d married Colter. She was the guardian of a little brother, Tad, whom both Clancey and Colter loved very much. Clancey was still working for the Texas Department of Public Safety that also employed Colter.

“Rose will get in touch with her contact,” Madame said after she ended the conversation.

“Bless her heart,” Gaby said with some relief.

“Family is family,” her grandmother replied quietly. “We may disagree, even fight, but when the chips are down, we take care of each other. And she was your mother’s favorite aunt, as I recall.”

“Will she call you back when she’s spoken to the man she knows?” Mr. Everett wanted to know.

“I’m certain of it. And I will tell you immediately.” She hugged Gaby one more time. She looked at the younger woman’s outfit with disdain. Gaby was wearing black leggings and black loafers with a bulky white knit sweater that reached to her hips. Her long chestnut hair was in a braid, and she looked very young and very ordinary.

“You have a closet full of couture,” Grand-mère began sadly.

“Yes, well, we don’t want Mr. Chandler to uncover the grisly truth about me, now, do we?” she asked gently.

Her grandmother sighed and smiled. “Of course we don’t. But will it take much longer, this job you’re doing for him?”

Gaby’s heart jumped and dropped at just the thought of leaving Nick’s apartment for good. It was a surprise and not a nice one. Why should it bother her? He raged around for no reason, yelled, cursed, was generally unpleasant. Then she remembered him in her arms, the wetness at her throat as he poured out his tragic past. Deep inside that tormented man was someone she wished badly to know. She didn’t want to leave.

And what a time to discover it, when she had less than two weeks’ worth of sorting left.

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