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"Do you" Nora paused for a breath Tears lined her eyes She knew then she had to survive this night sley’s "Do you know his name?"

"Nicolasa fine French name for my nephew" She said the name with relish and in the French pronunciation--Nee-coh-lah "I’ whether or not to ed within Nora Kingsley’s son Nora had once carried Kingsley’s child, and she’d chosen not to have it To this day she never regretted that decision, but now she foundup in her heart like an ar for battle She would live and she would find hied And perhaps she ive hi sosley’s child in her arsley’s son But she would fight to the death to protect him from this woman and whatever sick, sordid plans she had in sley’s son if you value your life," Nora said quietly and within her tone must have penetrated even Marie-Laure’sabout him" Marie-Laure waved her hand dis him simply caused me to wonder about my brother for the first time in years After all, I was under the ined, a cover for his true inclinations And yet, there was living proof that my brother, in his twenties, had bedded wo about?"

"So you started investigating?"

Marie-Laure nodded as Fat Man pointed at the floor Nora sank to her knees again, listening avidly After the revelation about Nicolas, she knew she had to hear it all What other secrets did Kingsley have? More secrets than he even knew he had?

"I did I even ca this was his territory I learned a great deal on that excursion He had no idea I followed him, watched him, studied from a distance Loversh he tries not to show anyone he cares for her"

"He has ene on how much she matters"

"I know he has enemies," Marie-Laure said with a s I kneould see watching o fro football--I mean, soccer, excuse me--on the field of a school"

Nora’s stosley only ever played soccer these days with

"You saw him with Søren"

"Oui I saw him with my husband My husband had become a Catholic priest, I learned, and my brother was still in love with hiedy to me, my brother lovelorn even thirty years later Lovelorn for a man he couldn’t have for so many reasons For surely if he was a Catholic priest, he’d taken a vow of celibacy It made so much sense to me then My husband, not interested at all in women, had become a priest Froion of priests entirely not interested in women"

Nora’s hands started to shake as Marie-Laure continued her story She didn’t like where it was heading

"Still" Marie-Laure continued, "I couldn’t stop watching hi And so I kept watching I watched his home from the little copse of woods that shielded it"

Nora’s breaths quickened

"Lovely little rectory, so quiet and alone He seeiven up love and e and children to serve a God who couldn’t care less what the little ants under His feet did with their days I liked that he’d become a priest It comforted me to know he slept alone in his bed with no one to touch him, to make love to hiht ofto be touched by a man who cared as little for my love as God cared for him Then I saw her"

Nora remained silent She didn’t have to ask who Marie-Laure saw

"I saoht, and walk to the side door and enter without knocking, enter as if she owned it An hour later he and she e blankets, a bottle of wine, a candle and--"

"Binoculars," Nora coht of the meteor shower We wanted to watch it"

"I watched you watch it I watched you two lay down blankets and stare through the opening in the trees up at the heavens I saw your head resting on the center of h your hair as you two talked and laughed for an hour as stars fell out of the sky I watched you"

Nora closed her eyes and one tear ran down her cheek She reht last summer She’d only been back with Søren a feeeks, and yet already it felt as if she’d never left him It had been his idea to watch the natius had been an astronohttiht picnic, the two of them in Søren’s backyard where they could hide behind the trees It was a risk for theether outdoors, but one Søren had been willing to take After the last star had fallen fro and deep, whispering against his lips the apologies she’d been hiding in her heart I’m sorry I left you I’m sorry I had to I’m sorry I hurt you I’m sorry I lied about you I’m sorry I tried to hate you all this ti It was only because it iven her with a kiss and the words, "I’ll forgive because you’ve asked iveness You did what you had to You had to leave to become who you were meant to be All that matters now is that you’re here, Little One" And then he’d lit a candle and pushed her flowing su wax over her thighs and hips and she’d subood it felt to surrender herself to hihtand then with only the stars to witness, he’d made love to her until dawn