Page 51 (1/2)

"Don’t you re and in love, Mos you told ? It’s the same with Nolan and me I’h," Nolan interrupted harshly "If you’re looking for so and working at Mom’s Place--"

"What’s Mom’s Place?"

"A very nice diner," Maryanne inserted quickly "We do a brisk lunch trade and carry a limited dinner menu"

Heras a waitress?"

Miserable, Maryanne nodded "But I’ lots of freelance work None of the feature articles I’ve written have sold yet, but it’s too soon for that I just found out the co a couple oftheht have warneda waitress," Nolan muttered under his breath

Samuel drew a hand across his eyes, as if that would erase the i on tables "Why would you choose to quit the newspaper to work as a waitress?" Asking the question seemed to cause him pain

"It’s honest work, Dad I don’t understand why you’re acting like this You’re race to the family name"

"But your education is being wasted," herher head "You could have any job in publishing you wanted"

That , but when she was looking on her own her employers were more interested in her job skills than who her father was

"I’m afraid I’m the one who started this," Nolan interrupted "I wrote a column about Maryanne," he said bluntly "It was unfortunate, because I was out of line in so that wasn’t true," Maryanne hastened to say "He made me stop and think about certain aspects of my life, and I decided it was ti your faed with defeat The long hours her parents had spent travelling were telling on theh they couldn’t quite believe, even nohat she’d been doing for the past month and a half

"I did it for another reason, too" All three of the at her as if they suspected she’d lost her ether and I discovered how lanced at thehis brow, obviously searching for a way to stop her "I’ to you, but I couldn’t see any way around it I didn’t want to worry you," she said, stepping next to Nolan and wrapping her ar here with Nolan" There, she’d said it! "I won’t be returning to New York with you"

"Maryanne, sweetie, you can’t go on living like this!"

"I have a wonderful life"

Her father was pacing again "You’re in love with this h to defy you for the first time in hter to Nolan "What about you, young hter?"

Nolan was quiet for so long it was all Maryanne could do not to answer for hier and did exactly that "He loves me He may not want to admit it, but he does--lock, stock and barrel"

Her father continued to look at Nolan "Is that true?"

"Unfortunately," he said, gently res You’ve raised a wonderful daughter--but I don’t love her, not the way she deserves to be loved"

"Nolan!" His nae "Don’t lie Not now, not to my family"

He took her by the shoulders, his face pale and expressionless She searched his eyes, looking for so to ease the terrible pain his words had inflicted

"You’re sweet and talented, and one day you’ll make some ht now You love me You’re intimidated because of who my father is But don’t you understand thatto me?"

"It rarely does to those who have it Find yourself a nice rich husband and be happy"

She found his words insulting If she hadn’t been so desperate to straighten out this mess, she would have confronted him with it "I won’t be happy without you I refuse to be happy"

His face was beginning to show signs of strain "Yes, you will Now, I suggest you do as your family wants and leave with them"

Every word felt like a kick in the stomach, each more vicious than the one before

"You don’t mean that!"

"Damn it, Maryanne," he said coldly, "don’t make this any ether We never have I live in one world and you live in another I’ve been telling you that from the first, but you wouldn’t listen to me"

Maryanne was too stunned to answer She stared up at hin that he didn’t

"Sweetie" Her mother tucked an arm around Maryanne’s waist "Please, co here"