Free Possessions by Judith Michael Page A

silent,” Victoria snapped. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
    â€œThey weren’t married then, you know,” Tobias explained to Katherine. “Melanie and Ross, that is. So she never met Craig.”
    â€œSuperb roast beef,” Derek said pleasantly to Victoria. “Perfectly rare. Have you hired a new chef?”
    â€œI hired him,” said Tobias. “But Claude found him.”
    â€œI also found the orchid,” said Claude, touching the plant in the center of the table, its arching stems of white flowers mirrored in the mahogany. “Like the roast, it is quite rare.”
    â€œDo you grow flowers?” Victoria asked Katherine. “Or vegetables? I confess I know nothing about the climate of Vancouver.”
    Katherine put down her fork. She was Victoria’s guest, and hopelessly inferior to all of these wealthy, self-confident people, but she was desperate to learn about Craig. With her eyes on the orchid, she said, “I was trying to find out why Craig ran away fifteen years ago. I thought you would help me. With—”
    â€œMoney,” said Melanie brightly. “And didn’t we all know that was coming. You said I was wrong,” she told Ross. “Well, who’s wrong now? The minute she found out her husband had a wealthy family—”
    â€œNo,” he said flatly. “I invited Katherine, and she came—”
    â€œFor her share of the wealth.” Melanie looked steadily at Katherine’s lowered eyes. “Right? Veteran’s pay. Or maybe—if Craig wanted to come back for a piece of the company, wouldn’t it be smart to send a sweet wife to test the waters?”
    Victoria was watching Katherine. Letting Melanie do the dirty work, Katherine thought. “‘Blow, blow, thou winterwind!’” Tobias intoned. “Melanie, you are cold and unpleasant.”
    â€œOr,” Melanie persisted, “hush money. Not to broadcast Craig’s latest mess and whatever else he did in the last—”
    â€œGod damn it!” Ross pushed back his chair.
    â€œWe don’t know why he disappeared,” Tobias said hastily. “Fifteen years ago. We have trouble talking about it,” he added. “Partly because we don’t know. Claude worked with the police—”
    â€œWe thought he was dead.” Claude spoke directly to Katherine. “It never occurred to anyone that he might deliberately have disappeared.”
    â€œWe’ve thought and thought—” Ann exclaimed.
    â€œLack of information—” began Tobias.
    â€œTrust!” stormed Jason. “Lack of trust! If that young fool had come home and told us what happened—”
    â€œWhat did happen?” asked Katherine.
    â€œHe wasn’t a fool!” Ann protested. “He was clever and dear and gentle . . .”
    So was Craig, Katherine thought.
    â€œThe golden boy,” murmured Derek.
    â€œWho wasn’t a hero,” said Jason. “So he ran away, to keep from facing us.”
    â€œMore likely,” said Ross quietly, “he ran away because he couldn’t face himself.”
    â€œWhy?” Katherine’s voice was frustrated.
    â€œCowardice!” Jason boomed, but Ann cried out, “He died trying to—” as Claude’s courtroom voice rode over them: “It seems he didn’t die.”
    â€œThat is quite enough!” Victoria stood at the head of the table, her eyes blazing. “I apologize,” she said to Katherine. “My family is behaving like a raucous mob.” She swept them with her gaze. “It is unforgivable.” At her gesture, the butler, wheeling in the dessert cart, stopped in the doorway. The room was still. Slowly, Victoria sat down and nodded permission to the butler to circle the table, offering a selection of desserts. The maid poured coffee. When everyone was served, Victoria said to