Passion's Promise by Danielle Steel Read Free Book Online

dreadful!" At least she hadn't said it was divine.
    "What's dreadful about it? It's as good a ball as any of the others." Marina was quick to the fiesta's defense.
    "But crippled children? I mean really, who could stand to look at them?" Marina looked at her, annoyed.
    "Tiffany darling, have you ever seen an arthritic at the Arthritis Ball?"
    "No . . . I don't think so. . . ."
    "Then you won't see any children at the Crippled Children's Bafi either." Marina was matter-of-fact, and Tiffany seemed appeased, while something slimy turned over in Kezia's stomach.
    "I suppose you're right, Marina. Are you going to do the ball, Kezia?"
    "I don't know yet. I haven't decided. I'm a little tired of the benefit circuit, frankly. I've been doing that stuff for a hell of a long time."
    "Haven't we all," Marina echoed ruefully and nicked ashes into the waiter's silent butler.
    "You should get married, Kezia. It's divine." Tiffany smiled delightedly and lifted another glass of champagne from a passing tray. It was her third since Kezia had joined them. A waltz was beginning again at the far end of the room.
    "And that, my friends, is my bad luck dance." Kezia glanced around and inwardly groaned. Where in hell was Whit?
    "Bad luck? How comer
    "That's how come." Kezia nodded quickly in the direction of the approaching Baron. He had requested the dance, and had looked high and low for her for half an hour.
    "Lucky you." Marina grinned evilly, and Tiffany did her best to focus.
    "And that, Tiffany my love, is why I don't get married."
    "Kezia! Our valtzl" It was useless to protest. She nodded gracefully at her friends and departed on the arm of the Baron.
    "You mean she likes him?" Tiffany looked stunned. He was really very ugly. Even drunk she knew that much.
    "No, you idiot. She means that with creeps like that hounding her, who has time to find a decent guy?"
    Marina knew the problem only too well. She had been scouting a second husband for almost two years, and if someone halfway decent didn't hurry along pretty damn soon, her settlement would fizzle out and her tits would fall again, and she'd get waffles on her ass. She figured she had about a year to hit it lucky before the roof fell in.
    "I don't know, Marina. Maybe she does like bun. Ke-zia's a little strange, you know. Sometimes I wonder if all that money coming to her so young affected her. I mean, after all, it would affect almost anyone. It's not like you can lead a normal life when you're one of the wealthiest . . ."
    "Oh for chrissake, Tiffany, shut up. And why don't you go home and sober up for a change?"
    "What a rotten thing to say!" There were tears in Tiffany's eyes.
    "No, Tiffany. What a rotten thing to watch." And with that, Marina turned on her heel and vanished in the direction of Halpern Medley. She had heard that he and Lucille had just broken up. That was the best time to get them. Frightened and bruised, scared to death to manage life on then- own, missing the children, lonely at night. She had three children and would be more than happy to keep Hal-pern busy.
    He was an excellent catch.
    On the dance floor, Kezia was whirling slowly in the arms of the Baron. Whitney was engaged in earnest conversation with a young broker with long, elegant hands. The clock on the wall struck three.
    Tiffany went to sit dizzily on a red velvet banquette at the back of the room. Where was Bill? He had said some-thihg about calling Frankfurt. Frankfurt? Why Frankfurt? She couldn't remember. But he had gone out to the lobby . . . hours ago? . . . and things were beginning to whirl. Bill? She couldn't remember if he had brought her tonight, or was he out of town and had she come with Mark and Gloria? Had she . . . damn, why couldn't she remember? Let's see, she had had dinner at home with Bill and the children . . . alone with the children? . . . were the children still at the Vineyard with Mother Benjamin? . . . was. . . . Her stomach began to spin slowly with the room and she knew she