Secrets of Hallstead House by Amy M Reade Read Free Book Online Page A

Stephan. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Marks.”
    He shook my hand warmly. “It’s Stephan, please. And I’m very glad to know you. It seems Alex here is in very capable hands.”
    I liked Stephan immediately. He was about sixty-five years old, tall, with white hair and blue eyes behind rimless glasses. He was dressed casually but impeccably—the collar of an oxford shirt peeked out from underneath his sweater.
    Next Alex turned to Will and held out her hands to him. He took them in his and kissed her cheek. “Hi, Aunt Alex,” he said. “You look great.”
    “Thank you, dear. This is Macy Stoddard, my new nurse. You two have a lot in common. She’s from New York City too.”
    He smiled at me and held out his manicured hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Macy,” he said.
    Will was one of the most handsome men I’d ever seen. Dressed like a model in jeans and a black turtleneck, he was well over six feet tall and had wavy dark brown hair. His eyes were a piercing black and his chin was strong and square. He looked like he was in his late thirties.
    “Alex,” I said, “if you don’t need me for anything right now, I’ll leave you three to talk.”
    “That’s fine, Macy. I don’t need anything. I’m sure you’ll have a chance to become better acquainted with Stephan and Will later on. Vali is planning dinner at seven.”
    I hoped that meant that Alex would be joining us in the dining room, but I found out when I went downstairs for dinner that Vali had already taken Alex a tray. I would definitely mention to Alex the following day that it might do her good to eat in the dining room with other people.
    Dinner was slightly more formal than it had been the night before. Candles were lit on the table and very soft jazz music played in the background. When I walked into the dining room, Stephan and Will were seated at the table, talking in low voices. I hesitated to sit down and interrupt them, but Stephan stood up to pull out my chair and invited me to have a drink from a bar that stood in the corner. I had just accepted a glass of white wine when Vali appeared to serve the first course, a crisp green salad topped with pears and candied walnuts. It was delicious. As we ate, Will asked me about New York.
    “Where do you live in the city?” he began.
    “I have an apartment on the Upper West Side,” I answered. “Near Columbus Circle. And you?”
    “I have a place in Gramercy Park, not too far from our offices. It’s a four-story brownstone,” he remarked.
    Bit of a braggart , I thought.
    “Gramercy Park is a beautiful neighborhood,” I said.
    “Yes, it is. Many of the homes have important historical significance. In fact, the building next to mine houses an art society that’s over two hundred years old.”
    I turned to Stephan. “Do you live in Manhattan, too, Stephan?” I asked him.
    “Yes, I do,” he replied. “I live right in midtown, in a small, quiet neighborhood called Tudor City. It’s right across the street from the United Nations.”
    “Stephan could live anywhere he chose, couldn’t you, Stephan?” Will laughed. “But he picked some quiet little street that no one’s ever heard of.” He shook his head in apparent disbelief.
    “Actually, Tudor City is an area that many people are familiar with. We just don’t like to advertise ourselves,” Stephan replied, looking pointedly at Will. “People don’t move there because they want an address that everyone recognizes. They move there for peace and quiet. It’s like an oasis in the middle of New York City.”
    “It sounds very nice,” I said blandly, then changed the subject. “How often do the two of you get up here to Hallstead Island?”
    “A bit too often for my taste,” Will stated.
    “Not often enough,” Stephan said simultaneously.
    Just then, Vali appeared with small bowls of soup. As she cleared away the salad plates, Will looked up at her. “Vali, my love, you’re looking beautiful this evening.” She