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"Arta decided emphasis on the word hobby "Everyone should have a recreational activity of so, you know"

"He always did," Nick said, keeping his voice neutral

"That's true He doesn't have much time for it now, of course, ith his new position up at the institute" Pride glowed in Edith's face "I'ether yet You and Jereood friends in the old days"

Nick smiled very casually "Like you said, he's probably very busy settling into his new job" And dating Octavia

"Ivery well I saw your latest book in the rack near the checkout counter at Fulton's the other day"

Nick wondered if that was a gentle hint "I'd be happy to sign a copy for you, Mrs Seaton"

"Thank you, but that won't be necessary," she said airily "I don't read that sort of thing"

So ht"

"Who would have thought you'd be so successful with your book writing?" Edith continued, shaking her head a few times

"Not a lot of folks," he ad away frorandfather and your father had poured their hearts and souls into the business" Edith clicked her tongue again "Really, it was quite a shock to everyone When I think of what Sullivan went through after that dreadful woo I ht that you would have felt some sense of responsibility to the fa his back teeth a little too tightly together and forced himself to relax his jaw It was Sullivan who had poured heart and soul into Harte His father, Hamilton, on the other hand, had taken over the responsibility only because he had felt trapped by a sense of duty and filial obligation Hamilton had known firsthand how much blood and sweat his father had expended to create Harte Investments Early on in life he had accepted the fact that he could not reject the co he had accomplished But Ha the suffocating weight of obligation to his own offspring He had refused to apply the kind of pressure that had been applied to hi in their father's and grandfather's footsteps Life is too short to spend it doing so you hate, he'd told his wife, Elaine Let theer of Harte Investht, was that it had finally freed his father and mother to pursue their own interests Hamilton and Elaine planned to endow and oversee a charitable foundation They could not wait to get rid of the responsibility of HI And Gabe Madison, fortunately for all concerned, wasa business empire cae the subject He picked the one he was least eager to pursue, but which he kneas guaranteed to distract Edith

"How's Jereears instantly, delighted to turn to the topic of her grandson "Very well, indeed He says he likes being back in Eclipse Bay again after all those years away in Portland The divorce was very hard on hiain, I'm happy to say" She lowered her tone to a confidential level and winked broadly "He's been seeing Octavia Brightwell"

"I heard" He had known this would not be his favorite topic, he re woman I think they ine a worse couple, Nick thought Jeremy and Octavia were totally unsuited to each other Any idiot could see that But he didn't think Edith Seaton would appreciate being called an idiot, so he dug deep in search of logic and reason He ue memory of an article he'd co his last book, Fault Lines The plot had set his hero, John True, on the trail of a killer who had murdered his ex-wife