Boundless Love

hed Margaret Whitmo

tea. There was no note and no return address. Only a single glossy print: a boy and a girl on their

Then she folded it once, slid it in

n years

stival smelled of c

hing her son from across the lawn. Julian, nine years old and stiff in his blazer, was crouched beside

" Margaret asked th

larship students

me

's a roofer

ssed the lawn, took her son by th

I was hel

Her voice was low and even. "A Whitmore is gracious to eve

his shoulder at the gi

" he

t she remembered that look

dry in the break room

he almost let it go. Instead,

leasant. "This is Margaret Whitmore's office. Mrs. Whitmo

at

for your supervi

not a r

she noticed, were perfectly steady. That

with brass doors and a doorman who looked

one. She wore navy silk, a pearl choker, and an expression of polite

Miss

a s

u take

thank

argaret folded her hands. "I'll come to the point. My son is engaged to Eden Ashford. The we

, I have no in

ment, with my son, in a manner that would embar

print across the

angely damning, two people kneeling over a scattering of papers. But in the harsh

e said. "We were looking at

ure yo

e follo

et agreed smoothl

th a clear and bitter certain

took

ldn't

ve it t

atters is that it exists, and that it could end my son's engagement, humiliate the Ashfords, and destroy a merg

ike slaps. Ella ke

your son," she

't y

do my job a

ew out a slim envelope. She laid it on the table and pressed it flat wit

tared

ortable for some years. In return, you will resign from Ashford Group effective toda

en a number that large with her own name beside it. It would pay the bill. It would fi

d. Be

Then at Margaret's calm, col

ly, "do you know why my mother

wned. "I fai

t her voice held. "I don't need your money to stay away from your son. If he chooses someone

d toward

mistake," Margar

ay

always think pr

h one hand on t

when you've got nothing else. And I'd rat

le

rgaret Whitmore sat motionless for several seconds, the unc

cup, took a slow, measu

ured. "Then we shall

n the doormat when she came up

Collections Department. She stood in the stairwell for a moment, her pulse tapping in her t

trembling fingers a

hird-party creditor. The full outstanding balance of $38,412.50 is now d

ice. The numbers

en she left for work. Interest. Fees. A tran

name of the new creditor, typeset in neat

E HOLDI

her fingers and fl

hbox sat on the shelf, its lid slightly open, waiting for a girl who would come home