Michael."
Jarret and Ethan spoke at the same time. "Why?"
Jay Mac's head tilted to one side, and his sandy brows drew together. His forehead was ridged, his expression puzzled. "You really don't know, do you? Michael never told you about Rennie."
Jarret looked at Ethan, waiting for his reply. What the hell was going on?
"I'm not certain what you mean," Ethan said.
This time when Jay Mac Worth threw up his hands he was clearly frustrated. "That's just like her," he said, more to himself than his guests. "And Rennie would have done the same thing. They've been playing these sorts of games with people since they were children. One would think that now, at twenty-four, they wouldn't take so much delight in it, but obviously some things never change. God only knows when she would have thought to tell you."
"Tell me what?" Ethan asked, impatient.
"Tell him what?" Jarret asked, intrigued.
"Michael and Rennie... they're identical twins."
Ethan's mouth had opened a fraction. Now it snapped shut.
Jarret whistled softly. "Twins. Imagine that." His black brows rose a little as the full implication set in. "Houston and Dee might stumble on the wrong sister."
Jay Mac's gaze shifted from one man to the other. "Precisely. And that fool Hollis Banks can't protect her. I'm not sure anyone can"—he looked significantly at Jarret now—"if Rennie decides to draw attention to herself to save Michael. And that, gentlemen, is just the sort of maggot Rennie's gotten into her head." He pushed away from his desk and stood. He took off his spectacles, folded them, and put them in his breast pocket. "I'd be willing to pay ten thousand dollars to stop that wedding."
"I don't want your money, Mr. Worth," Ethan repeated.
He held out his hand to Jay Mac, shook it, and turned to go.
Jarret Sullivan followed suit, but on the point of leaving he turned back to Jay Mac. There was the suggestion of dry amusement in the line of his mouth. "About that ten thousand dollars," he said. "I could be very interested."
Chapter 1
The bride was not blushing. The hint of color in her cheeks was the result of sheer exasperation. Her dark emerald eyes were bright, not with anticipation, but with impatience. Her full mouth was set in a flat line that was both serious and forbidding. Narrow shoulders were braced stiffly, her slender figure at attention. Even her wildly curling hair had been tamed, the vibrant auburn color smoothed over her scalp and twisted into plaits at the back of her head. She had the look of a woman prepared to do battle, not walk down the aisle.
Everyone was hovering. Rennie closed her eyes and gratefully accepted the peace darkness momentarily afforded. She tried to think of something other than the vows she would soon be exchanging. It was impossible. She could only imagine herself in the main chapel, in front of dozens of guests, saying the words the priest prompted.
And she would say them, she thought. There was no backing out, even if she wanted to. She didn't want to. Hollis Banks was the perfect life partner. Partner. Not husband. Her choice of words did not surprise her. Her marriage was a business arrangement, and she could admit it to herself, though pride and good sense kept her from admitting it to anyone else.
Rennie opened her eyes. They were still hovering. This time it made her smile.
Skye Dennehy was on her knees in front of her sister, making last minute adjustments to the hem of Rennie's gown. Her small oval face was flushed, and tendrils of flame red hair were curling away from the smooth chignon at the back of her head. She mumbled around a mouthful of pins, and no one paid her the least attention.
Maggie fiddled with the bouquet, arranging and rearranging the orange blossoms to display them to their best advantage. Her small, delicate features were taut, her mouth screwed comically to one side as she concentrated on her work.
Mary Francis, her beautiful face framed in the cornet of her habit,
Jarret and Ethan spoke at the same time. "Why?"
Jay Mac's head tilted to one side, and his sandy brows drew together. His forehead was ridged, his expression puzzled. "You really don't know, do you? Michael never told you about Rennie."
Jarret looked at Ethan, waiting for his reply. What the hell was going on?
"I'm not certain what you mean," Ethan said.
This time when Jay Mac Worth threw up his hands he was clearly frustrated. "That's just like her," he said, more to himself than his guests. "And Rennie would have done the same thing. They've been playing these sorts of games with people since they were children. One would think that now, at twenty-four, they wouldn't take so much delight in it, but obviously some things never change. God only knows when she would have thought to tell you."
"Tell me what?" Ethan asked, impatient.
"Tell him what?" Jarret asked, intrigued.
"Michael and Rennie... they're identical twins."
Ethan's mouth had opened a fraction. Now it snapped shut.
Jarret whistled softly. "Twins. Imagine that." His black brows rose a little as the full implication set in. "Houston and Dee might stumble on the wrong sister."
Jay Mac's gaze shifted from one man to the other. "Precisely. And that fool Hollis Banks can't protect her. I'm not sure anyone can"—he looked significantly at Jarret now—"if Rennie decides to draw attention to herself to save Michael. And that, gentlemen, is just the sort of maggot Rennie's gotten into her head." He pushed away from his desk and stood. He took off his spectacles, folded them, and put them in his breast pocket. "I'd be willing to pay ten thousand dollars to stop that wedding."
"I don't want your money, Mr. Worth," Ethan repeated.
He held out his hand to Jay Mac, shook it, and turned to go.
Jarret Sullivan followed suit, but on the point of leaving he turned back to Jay Mac. There was the suggestion of dry amusement in the line of his mouth. "About that ten thousand dollars," he said. "I could be very interested."
Chapter 1
The bride was not blushing. The hint of color in her cheeks was the result of sheer exasperation. Her dark emerald eyes were bright, not with anticipation, but with impatience. Her full mouth was set in a flat line that was both serious and forbidding. Narrow shoulders were braced stiffly, her slender figure at attention. Even her wildly curling hair had been tamed, the vibrant auburn color smoothed over her scalp and twisted into plaits at the back of her head. She had the look of a woman prepared to do battle, not walk down the aisle.
Everyone was hovering. Rennie closed her eyes and gratefully accepted the peace darkness momentarily afforded. She tried to think of something other than the vows she would soon be exchanging. It was impossible. She could only imagine herself in the main chapel, in front of dozens of guests, saying the words the priest prompted.
And she would say them, she thought. There was no backing out, even if she wanted to. She didn't want to. Hollis Banks was the perfect life partner. Partner. Not husband. Her choice of words did not surprise her. Her marriage was a business arrangement, and she could admit it to herself, though pride and good sense kept her from admitting it to anyone else.
Rennie opened her eyes. They were still hovering. This time it made her smile.
Skye Dennehy was on her knees in front of her sister, making last minute adjustments to the hem of Rennie's gown. Her small oval face was flushed, and tendrils of flame red hair were curling away from the smooth chignon at the back of her head. She mumbled around a mouthful of pins, and no one paid her the least attention.
Maggie fiddled with the bouquet, arranging and rearranging the orange blossoms to display them to their best advantage. Her small, delicate features were taut, her mouth screwed comically to one side as she concentrated on her work.
Mary Francis, her beautiful face framed in the cornet of her habit,
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