Free What I Did for Love by Tessa Dane Page A

look. “But you spent time with him that day you met him.”
    Of course Bredon knew what had happened. Information isthe coin of the realm among people like Bredon, to prevent being blindsided by opponents, by financial enemies, by competing bidders. Financial success depends on many kinds of informants, as well as a good reading of markets, and strong nerves when there are big risks. I wondered how much he knew.
    “I went to the Balthus show with Rand, and then we went to dinner,” I told my brother, who nodded, pretending to be not-too-interested, pretending to eat, as I was pretending to eat.
    “He got a phone call, and sent me home in his car,” I continued.
    My brother nodded, and I realized that Marilisa had told him everything she had seen.
    “I was a bit mussed up,” I said with pretend primness, “but I was home by midnight.” Finally I had got a smile from my brother.
    “He sent me roses,” I added, since he already knew that too.
    Bredon seemed to concentrate on his meal, not looking at me. I think he was considering asking me if I intended to see Rand again. How could I? I would be going out with a man who had caused my brother such grief. I knew that Bredon was torn, as I was. He did not want to interfere with my happiness, yet it must have been difficult for him to think of me with Rand. I was not going to cause my brother more suffering. We had had too much of that.
    “I won’t be seeing him any more anyway,” I said, using a careless tone. “I still haven’t got myself organized now that the semester is over, and then I wanted to vacation with Robin.” I sipped my wine and tried to look empty-headed and indifferent. “If Robin’s family is okay, I want us to go exploring Paris. Just for a couple of weeks.” I shook my napkin over my lap for no reason, just to have somewhere to look as I invented these plans. In reality, trekking around a foreign city
was
the kind of thing I had done in the past, going off with a friend, growing familiar with a new place. It was an escape for me after our parents died, and Ihad explored Rome with a high school classmate and her mother, and the next vacation time the three of us had gone to Florence for two weeks.
    Bredon studied me, probably wondering if I was being truthful. But one thing I can always do is act. My mother loved it when I would pretend to be someone else, making her laugh with my airs and my imitations of other people. My father would just look perplexed. Where did this daughter come from?
    I looked at Bredon with a warm, steady smile, not a care in the world, happy just to be here, at this moment. It worked. To my great relief. I hardly knew what I had eaten, having pushed most of it around on my plate. Generally a high-end restaurant chef will take offense at such behavior, but Bredon was golden, and if this pair of Cooper children had not eaten a meal, not even half a Gallic eyebrow would be raised. My brother’s generosity, and quiet separate gratuities to the youngest and poorest of the staff, the immigrant boys sending money home to their families, had them adoring him. Bredon’s special feeling for these young men, alone in a new world, resonated to our own orphaned status, a world without mother and father. I loved my brother’s compassion. It was also the reason he suffered so much at loss and betrayal. It was the reason for the steeliness of his exterior, to conceal a tenderness his competitors would gladly have used. To the world, Bredon seemed armored against all hurt, able to taken on any challenge, and in the world of high finance this was key for success.
    “Do you want to come to my place for some coffee?” I asked Bredon.
    “No, Dray, thanks, but I’m kind of wiped. I need to get some sleep before I start phoning Indonesia.” He grinned. “I figure a couple of hours’ sleep, and then I’ll make my first calls.”
    “I’m going to be praying very hard,” I said. I meant it.
    “I appreciate that, kiddo. I hope