Again by Sharon Cullars Read Free Book Online Page A

though the years have passed, the hatred has not. I tremble to think what would happen to us if anyone were to discover our prior assignations. Worse yet, divulge them. Yes, I must find the strength to end that which should never have begun in the first place.
     
    Rhea carefully folded the pages together and returned them to her satchel. What was she chasing? A piece of history? Or a satisfaction to her fervid curiosity? What was the soap-opera fascination that made her read and reread the letters, and now go through stacks of books looking for anything that might bring Rachel forth in her mind as more than a phantom long dead?
    She wished she understood what was driving her, but she didn’t. What she did know was that she would continue searching until she found out who the “gentleman” was and what had happened to him and Rachel, something not found in any of the letters. The last letter was written in November 1879. Had Sarah moved away? Or had Rachel and her great-great-grandmother ceased communication for other reasons?

C hapter 6
     
    D avid took a sip from his Manhattan and watched over the rim as Rick tried to engage their waitress with some stupid comment and an even stupider grin. The woman didn’t look in the mood to be bothered. She barely broke a smile as she set down the teeming plates of buffalo wings, fries and sour cream in front of them, then rushed away.
    After she had gone, Rick looked at David, winked. “I’m wearing her down. I’ll give it another two, three weeks before she finally comes around and agrees to have at least one drink with me.” He took a gulp from his glass of beer.
    David shook his head in mock pity. “Man, you need to give it up. Not gonna happen. At least, not with Ms. Chill over there.” He nodded in her direction where the waitress was taking the order at a nearby table. “Look, back to business. I have to tell you I think we really fucked up going in to see Kershner without Clarence. The man barely heard us out and hardly glanced at the plans. After all, this was supposed to be Clarence’s deal, and Kershner obviously was expecting him to be there.”
    Clarence Debbs was their third partner in Gaines, Carvelli and Debbs, the architectural firm they formed three years ago. Lately though, Clarence had been showing signs of wanting to pull out. David suspected their partner was secretly taking on outside projects, a violation of their agreement. That he hadn’t shown up for this meeting was a not-so-subtle indication of his lack of interest in the business.
    “We have to talk about Clarence, where he stands with the firm, because if he pulls out now—”
    “OK, I’ll talk with him,” Rick said too quickly.
    David realized Rick was holding on to a blind loyalty established from years of friendship. David had no such illusions. He hadn’t gone to private school, then Yale, with Clarence as Rick had. Rick actually was the one to introduce Clarence to David nearly five years earlier, and David had followed both men’s careers as a friendly competitor. Then a couple of years later, Rick suggested the two of them partner up. David agreed to the venture and then had said yes later to bringing Clarence on board, solely on Rick’s word. But he was starting to worry that Rick’s friendship was coloring his judgment. David had too much invested in the business to just sit and watch it flounder because of Clarence’s ambivalence.
    “You better do more than talk with him. If he wants out, we should just let him walk. We’ll buy out his third…”
    “No, no, man. I promise, he’s not going to walk. He’s got a vested interest in our success.”
    “Does he? Because it looks to me like he’s out to fill his own pockets at our expense.”
    Rick’s earlier jovial mood seemed markedly dampened. He poured off the rest of his bottled beer into the glass and gulped it down. “I’ll talk to him. I promise. He’s not going to screw me—us.”
    “We’ll see.” David