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CHAPTER ONE
HOW LONG DID it take to exath of the hospital eency roo so long?
“Excusethe ad area “Mygrandured the lie would get her“e; the previous nurse on duty would have called her on it “Is there any way I can find out what’s happening?”
The nurse gave her a sympathetic ss are backed up I’m sure a doctor will be out to talk with you soon”
Easy for her to say She hadn’t found her employer crumpled at the foot of a stairwell
Ana’s cry replayed in her head Frail, weak If only she hadn’t been in the other rooel he needed to wait for his dinner, then Ana wouldn’t be here She’d be having her tea in the main salon like she did every afternoon
Patience couldn’t help her sad, soft chuckle A year ago she didn’t knohat a salon was Goes to sho ed her life If only Ana kne she’d rescued Patience, taking her fro her into a place that was bright and clean
Of course, Ana couldn’t know As far as Patience was concerned, her life started the day she began cleaning house for Anastasia Duchenko Everything she did beforehand had been washed away
The hospital doors opened with a soft whoosh, announcing the arrival of another visitor Ied, and not because of the June heat disrupting the air-conditioning The conversations stilled as all attention went to the new arrival Even the adhtened For a second, Patience wondered if a local celebrity had walked in The air had that kind of expectancy
His tailored shirt and silk tie screamed superiority as did his perfect posture A crown of brown curls kept his features fro too harsh, but only just No doubt about it, this was a e Bet he wouldn’t be kept waiting an hour
The ht to the ad when she heard him say the name Duchenko
Couldn’t be a coincidence This could be the break she needed to find out about Ana She combed her dark hair away from her face, smoothed the front of her tee shirt and stepped forward “Excuse me, did I hear you ask about Ana Duchenko?”
He turned in her direction “Who’s asking?”
For adown at her with eyes the same shade as the blue in a flame, the hue so vivid it couldn’t possibly be real Lit with intensity, they were the kind of eyes that you sere looking deep inside your soul “Patience,” she replied, recovering “I’m Patience Rush”
She didn’t think it possible for his stare to intensify but it did “Aunt Anastasia’s housekeeper?”
His aunt Suddenly Patience realized who she was talking to This was Stuart Duchenko, Ana’s great-nephew, the one who called twice a week Actually, as far as she knew, the only Duchenko relative Ana talked to Patience didn’t knohy, other than there’d been some kind of rift and Ana refused to deal hat she called “the rest of the sorry lot” Only Stuart, who races
“I thought you were in Los Angeles,” she said after he introduced himself Ana said he’d been stuck there for alued over a will
“My case finished yesterday What happened?”
“Nigel happened” Nigel being Ana’s overly indulged cat