Read Online Undercover by Danielle Steel - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Danielle Steel
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asked him directly. He was sad about Paloma and the baby, but had a sense of justice about Raul, none of which he could explain to the little girl, but she had seen the far-off expression in his eyes in an unguarded moment as he drifted in time and space to the camp in Colombia where he had had a life for three years as Pablo Echeverría. A part of him would always be that man. And now Pablo was as dead as they were.
“Of course not,” Marshall said, smiling at her. “So when are we going swimming in the ocean?” He had promised to take her that afternoon. Brad had gone fishing with his father on a friend’s boat, and Marshall had been assigned to stay at the house with Amelia and her mother. He didn’t mind at all.
“You looked sad,” Amelia insisted, watching his face intently, but he seemed fine now. “I want to look for shells on the beach, and build a sandcastle with you.”
“Okay, let’s go,” he said, communicating with other agents in the detail on the radio he wore. They needed three agents on the beach, and one to replace him at the house. And a few minutes later he and Martha, the children’s nanny, headed to the beach, with shovels, pails, and molds to make the castle, and by the time the first lady joined them, Marshall had built a very creditable castle, and they had a bucket full of shells. The first lady looked pleased. She hadn’t been feeling well recently, and seemed to be resting a lot, and there had been rumors about her health. Everyone was concerned. She was wearing a bathing suit that day, with a white cover-up over it, through which he could see her shape, and suddenly he noticed that there was a familiar bulge that he had last seen when Paloma was pregnant, and he realized that the first lady was expecting another child, although there had been no announcement yet, but he had just seen it for himself. She looked four or five months pregnant and had done a masterful job of concealing it until then. He didn’t say anything, but she saw that he had observed it, and she smiled.
“We thought it best to keep this quiet as long as we could, to keep it out of the press. We’re going to tell the kids this weekend,” she said as Amelia ran down to the water’s edge with Martha and her bucket.
“Congratulations,” Marshall said quietly, and thought of Paloma again. At forty-two, given the stresses of the life Melissa led, he suspected it might not be such an easy thing, and he wondered how Amelia and her brother would take the news. Amelia was the star and the baby in the family for now, and might not welcome the competition. But two days later, Amelia told Marshall herself.
“We’re having a baby,” she announced matter-of-factly, as they built another castle on the beach. “I want a girl. If it’s a boy, I think we should send it back. My mom says I can help take care of her.” She didn’t seem upset about it all—they had obviously handled the announcement well. She had turned seven and liked the idea of being a big sister. He was surprised to find he was looking forward to it too, although the memory was bittersweet for him. He and Amelia played games trying to pick out names for it, and he teased her by reminding her it might be a boy, at which she always made a face.
The following week the news was announced in the press. The president and first lady were expecting a baby in November, shortly before Thanksgiving, and the first lady was going to curtail some of her activities in the coming months. Marshall thought they were wonderful parents and was happy for them. The president seemed very pleased.
By the time they moved back to Washington at the end of August, Melissa was six months pregnant, and it was very evident. It gave a touching, human quality to the first family, and Phillip’s popularity went up in the polls again. He was a sure win for the next election the following year. The decisions he had made in the last three years had been sound, the country was
“Of course not,” Marshall said, smiling at her. “So when are we going swimming in the ocean?” He had promised to take her that afternoon. Brad had gone fishing with his father on a friend’s boat, and Marshall had been assigned to stay at the house with Amelia and her mother. He didn’t mind at all.
“You looked sad,” Amelia insisted, watching his face intently, but he seemed fine now. “I want to look for shells on the beach, and build a sandcastle with you.”
“Okay, let’s go,” he said, communicating with other agents in the detail on the radio he wore. They needed three agents on the beach, and one to replace him at the house. And a few minutes later he and Martha, the children’s nanny, headed to the beach, with shovels, pails, and molds to make the castle, and by the time the first lady joined them, Marshall had built a very creditable castle, and they had a bucket full of shells. The first lady looked pleased. She hadn’t been feeling well recently, and seemed to be resting a lot, and there had been rumors about her health. Everyone was concerned. She was wearing a bathing suit that day, with a white cover-up over it, through which he could see her shape, and suddenly he noticed that there was a familiar bulge that he had last seen when Paloma was pregnant, and he realized that the first lady was expecting another child, although there had been no announcement yet, but he had just seen it for himself. She looked four or five months pregnant and had done a masterful job of concealing it until then. He didn’t say anything, but she saw that he had observed it, and she smiled.
“We thought it best to keep this quiet as long as we could, to keep it out of the press. We’re going to tell the kids this weekend,” she said as Amelia ran down to the water’s edge with Martha and her bucket.
“Congratulations,” Marshall said quietly, and thought of Paloma again. At forty-two, given the stresses of the life Melissa led, he suspected it might not be such an easy thing, and he wondered how Amelia and her brother would take the news. Amelia was the star and the baby in the family for now, and might not welcome the competition. But two days later, Amelia told Marshall herself.
“We’re having a baby,” she announced matter-of-factly, as they built another castle on the beach. “I want a girl. If it’s a boy, I think we should send it back. My mom says I can help take care of her.” She didn’t seem upset about it all—they had obviously handled the announcement well. She had turned seven and liked the idea of being a big sister. He was surprised to find he was looking forward to it too, although the memory was bittersweet for him. He and Amelia played games trying to pick out names for it, and he teased her by reminding her it might be a boy, at which she always made a face.
The following week the news was announced in the press. The president and first lady were expecting a baby in November, shortly before Thanksgiving, and the first lady was going to curtail some of her activities in the coming months. Marshall thought they were wonderful parents and was happy for them. The president seemed very pleased.
By the time they moved back to Washington at the end of August, Melissa was six months pregnant, and it was very evident. It gave a touching, human quality to the first family, and Phillip’s popularity went up in the polls again. He was a sure win for the next election the following year. The decisions he had made in the last three years had been sound, the country was
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