Fatal Image

Coming back to this house always made her think of her late mother. Bianca Blanchard stood in the massive hallway of Blanchard Manor, a chill moving through her body as she handed her black velvet evening cloak to a nearby servant who'd been hired as extra help for this special evening. Adjusting the tight-fitting bolero jacket of her navy-blue evening gown, Bianca searched the elite crowd for signs of her older sister, Miranda. She'd feel much better if she could talk to her. Bianca hadn't really wanted to come home to the quaint town of Stoneley, Maine, for their Aunt Winnie's sixtieth birthday party, but it would have been rude and downright unforgivable for her to stay away. She loved Aunt Winnie, as did all of the Blanchard sisters, but Bianca didn't enjoy parties. Especially in this house. She never had, and she probably never would. Entering a crowded room had always made her feel claustrophobic, as if she might die of suffocation. Entering the Blanchard house only added to that feeling. In spite of the majesty and castlelike faÇade of the huge stone mansion sitting on the cliffs overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, the painful memories lurking about in the dark corridors, coupled with the sadness and sickness permeating the many rooms of the house, made it impossible for Bianca to put on a happy face and work the crowd. To calm herself, she glanced around at the familiar things she remembered from her childhood. The sweeping walnut staircase opened wide with heavy, ornate balustrades, making Bianca want to run up those stairs and straight to the room she'd once shared with Miranda. That sunny room with the double bay windows on the second floor would be quiet and cozy, not nearly as dark and foreboding as the capacious downstairs parlor to her right and the long dining room to her left. Even crowded with the A-list guests of Stoneley society, the house still echoed with a melancholy that caused shadows to leap out at Bianca. Shadows filled with memories of her mother. But no one here was allowed to talk about that. Bianca steeled herself, pretending she was in the courtroom preparing for opening statements on an important case. She had no problem standing up to ferocious judges or devious white-collar criminals, but she sure had a problem trying to fit in with this high-society crowd. Smoothing her dark brown upswept hair, she looked across the hallway, past the round mahogany table decorated with a crystal vase full of white roses and baby's breath, her gaze moving over the many faces to finally settle on one. Leo Santiago. Bianca smiled, her gaze holding Leo's for a minute. He nodded his head, his blue eyes flashing with the intensity she remembered so well. A smile worked at his full lips as he watched her. "Steady," Bianca whispered to herself, remembering how from the first time she'd met him, she'd always felt an intense awareness of Leonardo Santiago. Even though their paths rarely crossed, Bianca enjoyed the challenging banter that seemed to flow between them almost like a casual flirtation--if she only knew how to really flirt. But flirting with Leo wasn't so very hard, since he was a striking man. He always dressed impeccably, born executive that he was. And with thick sandy-brown hair and electric blue eyes, he could easily pass for a leading man in a romantic movie. Maybe Leo could help her out tonight. She'd learned in high school speech class that a speaker should find one kind soul in the audience and make eye contact often with that person. That method had worked for Bianca with stoic jurors. Maybe it would also help her through an awkward social event. Especially since Leo didn't seem to have a problem making eye contact. Dropping her gaze, Bianca could feel a slight blush moving up her neck. It made sense that her father's right-hand man at Blanchard Fabrics would be invited to her aunt's birthday party. Ronald BlancharWorth, Lenora is the author of 'Fatal Image ', published 2007 under ISBN 9780373874149 and ISBN 0373874146.