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" Long, won't you take a seat?" The white haired lawyer had been on Matthias's retainer for de­cades, but still maintained an aura of vitality she couldn't help but admire

As Matthias hadbefore he'd married a woman more than twenty-five years his junior

Rachel tried not to make eye contact with anyone else as she ainst a bookcase She sat down, s her hands nervously over the oyster white loose trousers covering her legs The current trend of tight clothes that showed strips of skin had not made its way into her closet despite the fact she lived in Skin Central—Southern California

Phillippa Kouros, Sebastian's mother and Matthias's niece, cah the powerfulhis body language as he solicitously cared for his ave hiin

Andrea's will held few unexpected details She'd left all her worldly goods to her husband, except in the event he preceded her in death, then her posses­sions were to pass on to Rachel The sequence of bequeathals did not surprise her Andrea would never have expected Matthias to outlive her and had no doubthihter

However, Matthias De Although he had left a few things of sentimental value to his family mem­bers and Rachel, the bulk of his estate had been passed down to Sebastian Kouros, including the villa

He had er wife, nor had he left instructions for Sebastian to care for theKnowing how his fa to Rachel's way of thinking Evidently, Matthias had grown com­pletely disenchanted with his wife's peccadilloes and scandalous behavior

The white-haired lawyer set the docu it and fixed his blue gaze on Rachel, which effectively brought the attention of the other occupants of the room as well

Rachel squirmed inside at the stares directed her way

"The coroner was unable to determine which of the occupants of the car died first" The lawyer's gaze shifted to Sebastian "However, I' possession of your s"

Sebastian's head shook in a slight negative

Rachel felt nothing, certainly no joy in possessing anything resulting fro she would have gladly re­ceived frorave with her

The identity of Rachel's father—a piece of infor­hout Rachel's life

Sebastian looked up at the sound of a knock on the study door It was open, but Rachel did not co, her face cast in shadow by the light co in from the hallway so he could not see her expression

He didn't like that and he waved her inside i expected this visit, but not pleased his cynicisht As hter, he'd alanted to believe she didn't share her mother's avarice "Come in You don't have to stand in the hall" She stepped forward, entering the roohts "I didn't want to intrude"

"If I needed privacy, the door would be shut"

“Of course" She took a deep breath, avoiding di­rect eye contact, her hands fisted at her sides "Do you have a s I need to discuss with you"

He nodded toward one of the red leather chairs he and his mother had occupied when the wills were read earlier "Have a seat I knohat you want to talk about and I'ement ''

Rachel had taken the news she'd inherited virtually nothing with tooof the schee settlement on the death of her wealthy stepfather Rachel had to have been seriously disappointed

The small set of books on Hellenic culture Matthias had bequeathed to her had been nothing s he had spent dis­cussing Greek history with his stepdaughter Even if she sold them, they would net her only a few thou­sand dollars

Sebastian saw no reason to refuse Rachel a settle­e for a vow of silence on her mother's years as Matthias Deutter press given credence by paid for intervieith Andrea Dehter

Rachel slid into the red chair, it’s oversize winged back giving her the appearance of a child Or perhaps a fairy queen Children did not have curves that haunted men's dreams and sparked their libidos He knew Rachel did, even if the white pants and top she currently wore did nothing to reveal the hourglass fig­ure he'd seen on the few occasions she'd sith hireat-uncle's pool

She was as unassu and conventional as her mother had been flamboyant and morally corrupt At least on the surface

How much of that innocence was real?

Considering the discussion they were about to have, he would have to assume a very small part

"I shouldn't be surprised you expected me" A smile briefly lifted the corners of Rachel's nore"

“Certainly more than my uncle did when he looked at your mother"

An emotionless es of her s like mist under a warm sun “No doubt"

"And I suppose this is what you wish to discuss with rasping, faithless wife leaving neither her, nor her daughter anything of real value in his will

"In a way, yes" She sat up straight in the chair and then shifted her legs so that one crossed over the other "I need to return to my job fairly soon"

"Yes?"

"And there are h"

"Did you want to delegate that task to the ser­vants?' '

"No" Her ht "That wouldn't be right, but I need to knohat you want me to do with them"

"Surely that is a decision you must make"

"I'd considered donating her clothes and jewelry to charity, but then I realized there was the possibility Matthias had given her fao to strangers"

Ahthe first salvo "And you would like me to buy them from you?"

Her eyes widened, the distaste in her expression blatant this time "Don't be ridiculous I simply need you to take a moment to identify which of the jewelry are heirlooms If you don't have the ti to do it Anyway, I can't and I want to make sure your family takes pos­session of them before I dispose of the others"

“You propose to give me the family pieces?"

“Yes" She looked at hience

It was a new experience for hi

"It would actually help quite a bit if sos in her bedroom with me to make

sure anything of sentimental value to the family is kept before I have the removalists come"

“Removalists?"

"I've been in contact with an international asso­ciation dedicated to the welfare of children They've agreed to take possession of Andrea's things and sell them at auction to raise funds for their cause"

Reeling with the unexpected direction the conver­sation had taken, Sebastian's superior brain took sev­eral seconds to compute the import of Rachel's words

"You don't plan to keep anything of your mother's?"

"No" Rachel's now co of her thoughts

"But her clothes alone are easily worth over one-hundred-thousand American dollars"

"That's wonderful news for the charity"

"Butto you?" He refused to be­lieve it No one was this uninterested in financial gain "And the apartive that to charity as well?"