Read Online The Third Sin by Elsa Klensch - Free Book Online Page A

she married my father.”
    â€œBy all accounts, that was quite a wedding.”
    â€œWell, of course, I wasn’t there, but I’ve seen all the pictures. It was the wedding of the decade in Brazil—possibly the wedding of the century. The ceremony was held in the cathedral and Mother had twenty-four bridesmaids, all of them dressed in flowing white. It was spectacular. Pictures of it appeared in magazines and newspapers all over the world.” Sonya could see that Wade was relaxing as he told the familiar story of his family history.
    â€œWhere did she meet your father?”
    â€œIt was love at first sight, you know. Mother came to East Hampton for the July parties, then went to Manhattan for the celebration of Brazil’s National Day in August. My father, who was going to Rio for the Mardi Gras that year, came to the party and met her.”
    â€œAnd the Braganza diamond? She brought it with her to New York?”
    â€œYes of course,” he answered with a hint of impatience. “My grandfather, Fernando, had given it to her.”
    â€œYour family from Brazil visited often?”
    â€œYes, they did,” he replied. “They bought the two apartments below my father’s penthouse. This apartment was for me and my nanny. The apartment next door was for my Brazilian family when they visited—which was very often. All three apartments are connected—we are one big happy family.”
    Sonya paused. “I heard that some members of your family object to the sale of the diamond.”
    His eyes narrowed. “Who told you that?”
    She ignored the question and pressed him, “Was the agreement that the diamond was to go back to Brazil?”
    â€œThat’s not so,” he said, impatience beginning to give way to anger.
    â€œDo you really have the authority to sell the Braganza? Who does it belong to? Your Brazilian family? Your stepmother?”
    â€œLook, if this is going to be one of those ‘gotcha’ interviews, I’m stopping now.” Sweat was gathering in a ring at his hairline. Sonya leaned forward and handed him a tissue. He took it and roughly wiped his face.
    Sonya asked, “Has your uncle Jorge spoken to you about the sale?”
    Wade flushed. “No.”
    Sonya waited for him to go on. The silence increased his uncertainty.
    â€œI mean, yes, but not about the sale. He is visiting me and staying in the apartment next door. He entirely approves of the auction. Why shouldn’t he? It belonged to my mother, not to him.”
    â€œI’d like to interview him, too, to get the Brazilian point of view of the sale.”
    â€œMy god, leave him alone.”
    â€œHow about your brother, Harold? How does he feel about your selling the diamond?”
    â€œWhy are you asking all this?” Wade started to knead the side of his neck with one hand. “They’re just jealous. They’re greedy and jealous and they hate me.”
    Sensing that he was ready to tell the truth about the family reaction to the sale of the Braganza, Sonya leaned in and said, “Why do you say that?”
    Before he could answer, the macaw squawked in the background, “Bad girl, bad girl.” Wade’s eyes lit up and he shouted in relief, “Kirsten’s here!”
    He ripped the microphone off his shirt as he struggled to get out of the chair. “Kirsten, come here. I need you.”
    Sonya was furious. Two hours ago she had told Kirsten not to come, and now she had interrupted the interview at the crucial time. She turned and spotted her intern in the doorway with Cacao on her shoulder. Beside her was a man in his forties, tall, handsome, and stylishly dressed.
    â€œHi there, Uncle Wade,” Kirsten said, walking into the room. “How’d it go?” she asked as she placed the bird on his shoulder.
    â€œOh, Giorgio,” cried Wade as he ran to the man. “This has been hell.”
    Sonya interrupted to