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BOOK ONE

Chapter One

Thursday, September 10, 1992 8:00 PM

The 727 was lost in a sea of cuiant silver feather The pilot's worried voice came over the speaker

"Is your seat belt fastened, Miss Cameron?"

There was no response

"Miss CameronMiss Cameron"

She was shaken out of a deep reverie "Yes" Her thoughts had been drifting to happier times, happier places

"Are you all right? We should be out of this storm soon"

"I'er"

Maybe we'll get lucky and crash, Lara Ca end So It's the Fates, Lara thought You can't fight the Fates In the past year her life had spun wildly out of control She was in danger of losing everything At least nothing else can go wrong, she thought wryly There is nothing else

The door of the cockpit opened, and the pilot came into the cabin He paused for a er The woman was beautiful, with shiny black hair swept up in a crown, a flawless coed clothes after they had taken off fro a white, off-the-shoulder Scaasi evening gown that accented a slender, seductive figure Around her throat was a diamond and ruby necklace How can she look so da around her? he wondered The newspapers had beenher for the past month

"Is the phone working yet, Roger?"

"I'm afraid not, Miss Cameron There's a lot of interference because of the stor into La Guardia I'm sorry"

I'ht Everyone is going to be there Two hundred guests, including the Vice President of the United States, the governor of New York, the mayor, Hollywood celebrities, famous athletes, and financiers frouest list herself

She could visualize the Grand Ballroo held Baccarat crystal chandeliers would hang fro dias for two hundred guests, at twenty tables The finest linens, china, silver, and ste, and in the center of each table would be a floral display of white orchids mixed hite freesias

Bar service would have been set up at both ends of the large reception hall outside In theof a swan, and surrounding it, Beluga caviar, gravlax, shri iced A ten-tier birthday cake would be in the kitchen waiting Waiters, captains, and security guards would all be in position by now

In the ballroom a society orchestra would be on the bandstand, ready to teht away in celebration of her fortieth birthday Everything would be in readiness

The dinner was going to be delicious She had chosen the in with, followed by a cream of mushroom soup under a delicate crust, fillets of John Dory, and then the main course: lamb with rosemary and pommes souffles with French beans and a rapes would be next, followed by the birthday cake and coffee

It was going to be a spectacular party She would hold her head high and face her guests as though nothing rong She was Lara Cameron