Kiss and Tell by Carolyn Keene Read Free Book Online Page B

time Nancy and Sam got to him. Esme was dancing with Bob Samuels, while Bess was gliding across the floor in the arms of Todd Gilbert.
    â€œCara!” Giancarlo cried when he saw Nancy.“Did you get my note?” he whispered, his voice low.
    â€œI certainly did,” Nancy replied. “But I’m not convinced you meant me to have it.”
    â€œWhat?” Giancarlo blinked several times, and held his hand to his chest. “You doubt my affections? You think I would lie?”
    â€œWe think you got the wrong girl,” Sam told him. “Our guess is you meant to give that note to Kim.”
    â€œYou haven’t shown a single bit of interest in me until just now,” Nancy pointed out. “Kim is wearing exactly the same costume. Why would you pledge your undying love to me? Kim seems more likely.”
    Just then the song ended, giving Giancarlo an excuse not to answer. He peered past Nancy to the dance floor, and called out, “Esme! You promised me the next dance. Excuse me,” he said, kissing Nancy’s hand. “I thought you would be flattered at my note. Obviously, I was wrong. I give these notes to women sometimes, to keep their lives full of romance and longing, but I never meant for it to cause trouble—for me, or for you.” Nancy took his speech to be a plea for her not to tell Esme.
    â€œI understand,” she said.
    â€œGrazie,” said Giancarlo. With that, he strode onto the dance floor and took a radiant Esme in his arms.
    â€œBushwah,” said Sam after Giancarlo was gone. Distractedly he ran his hands through hisdark brown hair. “Or, as they say in the streets of Little Italy, baloney. The guy’s a liar. He meant for Kim to have that note, and we all know it.”
    â€œI couldn’t agree more,” Nancy said, her eyes on Giancarlo. “What’s going on between Kim and Giancarlo, and does Esme have any idea?”
    â€œAnd does it have anything to do with the threats against Esme?” Sam finished.
    Bess arrived, breathless from her dance with Todd. “It’s hard to believe those things I’ve read about Todd and his temper,” she announced. “As far as I’m concerned, Todd Gilbert’s a dream.”
    â€œThat’s not what Esme thinks,” Nancy said.
    â€œI know, and he’s really worried about that,” Bess confided. “Todd’s sure Esme’s going to paint the most unflattering portrait of him and their time together. He’s begged her not to, but she’s adamant about telling the truth.” Bess took a pad and pen from her evening bag and started scribbling madly.
    â€œWhat are you doing?” Nancy asked.
    â€œTaking notes,” Bess said.
    â€œFor what?” asked Sam.
    â€œFor the romance novel I’m going to write,” Bess told them. She scanned the room and wrote more. “Esme told me that if you’re going to write, the best thing is to write from experience. So I’m writing down what I remember from the conversation I just had with Todd.”
    â€œWhen you’re done with that,” Sam told her, “Nancy’s got some good material to add to your novel.”
    â€œReally?” Bess asked, her nose in her notebook.
    â€œGiancarlo wrote me a love letter,” Nancy announced and produced the paper.
    Bess stopped writing to read it. “Wow!” she said, glancing up at Nancy with incredulity on her face. “This is unbelievable! Let me copy it down, okay?”
    â€œWe should give you the background, Bess,” Sam told her, laughing lightly. “Don’t you want to make sure you have the note in its proper context?”
    Bess tapped her pen on her notebook. “You bet I do. Shoot.”
    Nancy explained her suspicions about Giancarlo’s meaning to pass the note to Kim. Bess’s eyes traveled the room, first to Giancarlo, who was standing with Esme by the refreshment table, and then to