Read Online Against the Wind by Anne Stuart - Free Book Online Page A

few palms, doing a few things that are generally unpalatable to those of your father’s lofty ideals. It all boils down to ‘you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.’ If your father wants to help all the waifs and homeless ones of this world, he’ll have to compromise a few principles to do it.”
    “And Father doesn’t agree with that?”
    Helen shuddered delicately, moving away from her daughter to stare out the third floor window. “That remains to be seen. I expect he’ll make up his mind in the next few hours—your father has never been one to be indecisive.” She turned to smile brilliantly at her daughter, ignoring the imprint of her hand on Maddy’s lightly tanned face. “But under the circumstances you can see that it’s highly unlikely that either of us will make it to your birthday party. I hope you don’t mind.”
    It was all so polite, with the feel on the blow still raw on her face, Maddy mused. “No, I don’t mind.”
    “No, I didn’t imagine you would. Eric Thompson will be sufficient distraction. You can’t say I didn’t do well by you this year. Eric Thompson is a very nice-looking young man.”
    “Is he my birthday present?” Maddy said coolly.
    “In a manner of speaking. You’ve always liked him—until you developed this embarrassing crush on Murphy he was quite the center of your universe.”
    “Thank you, Mother.” Maddy’s voice was quiet and cool.
    Helen roused herself from her abstraction. “And of course there’s the car. Though why in the world you’d prefer a Volkswagen Beetle to a Mustang is beyond me. It doesn’t do your father’s campaign any good, you know. It’s always wise to buy American—the voting public notices things like that.”
    “Screw the campaign,” Maddy said.
    This time she had her mother’s full attention, and her smile was coolly self-contained. “You realize that if your father withdraws, as he might very well do, he’ll lose his Secret Service protection?”
    Maddy controlled her flinch. “Is that what you meant by Jake leaving us?”
    Helen hesitated. “No, he’d be leaving us either way. I don’t like the effect he has on you. I don’t know what was going on when I walked in on you—”
    “Absolutely nothing!”
    “—but I’ll have you remember that he’s an adult and you’re still a child. There’s a word for men who like to prey on infants, and it’s not a very nice one.”
    “You’re disgusting,” Maddy spat the words. “Jake and I are friends.”
    Helen smiled like a lizard. “Tell me, darling, do you honestly think Jake Murphy crawling into your bed is disgusting? I find that hard to believe, after watching you panting around him all summer.”
    Maddy held herself very still. “Why are you doing this to me?” she said finally.
    Helen drew herself upright. “You’re my daughter,” she said. “I’m trying to protect you. I’m trying to keep you from making as big a fool of yourself as your father seems about to do.”
    “So if you can’t attack Father you come up here and attack me?” Maddy said with surprising shrewdness. “No, thank you, Mother. I haven’t got anything more to say to you. I’m sure Father will make the right decision tonight. I only hope it’s not the one you want.”
    There was a long silence in the room. “Madelyn,” Helen said, and the smoothness in her voice warned Maddy to beware. “We’ve never been close. I’m not the sort to seek out the company of other women, and I’m not cut out for motherhood. But it’s my responsibility to warn you, however unpleasant that might be.”
    “I don’t need any warnings. …”
    “Oh, yes, my dear, you most certainly do. I can’tpromise that Jake Murphy will be out of this house as quickly as I want him to be, but I can at least guarantee that you keep out of his way. I think in his own way he’s just as fascinated with you as you are with him.”
    “He thinks of me as a younger sister.”
    “Like hell he does. I have eyes