Secrets Of The A-List Complete Collection, Episodes 1-12. Cat Schield

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ picked up a crystal decanter from atop the eighteenth-century Spanish colonial console, turned it in his hand and set it back down. His chestnut-brown eyes scanned the controlled opulence of the family room. This space, more than some of the many others on the estate, reflected Mariella’s vision by echoing the lush Santiago heritage, from the furnishings to the art.

      Thom always found it amusing that the Diego Rivera was on one wall while the Frida Kahlo hung on the other, truly a reflection of the famously volatile couple and occasionally mirroring Mariella and Harrison’s union. Through the years while he hovered on the fringe of the family, he got an up-close view of the interactions between Harrison and Mariella that could shift from near erotic to World War III in the blink of an eye. They were both passionate about their beliefs and had no problem letting their opinions be known. But no matter what, even a blind man could see the devotion between them. They were a team first and foremost, and Thom wondered if that would ever be possible between him and Elana. From family, to business to the exotic purchases that made their extravagant house a home, they were a team.

      A Persian rug probably easily worth hundreds of thousands, partially covered the teak floors beneath a six-foot rosewood table and a crystal chandelier that glittered like a tree of diamonds. The value of this room alone was easily in the tens of millions, yet it still breathed family. The mahogany mantel as well as the eggshell-white walls boasted photos of the Marshall clan.

      Thom strolled over to one of the inlaid tables and fingered the glided-framed photo of Mariella and Harrison posing on the bow of his yacht named after his wife. There were photos of Luc as a young boy, budding athlete, graduate and successful doctor. Elana’s, on the other hand, simply showed off Elana, smiling for the camera at one party or the other. Another series showed Gabe clinging to Mariella’s hand when he was a small boy, standing off to the side as a teen and in the back as an adult. Thom had never quite understood Luc and Rafe’s clear animosity toward their cousin or why Gabe was often referred to in the tabloids as “the other one.” Gabe, as far as Thom could tell, was a stand-up guy, and he adored his aunt and uncle.

      Thom stopped by an eight-by-ten photo of Rafe standing in the foyer of the Palm Springs home where he’d done the interior design. The photo stood out in it silver frame, but knowing Mariella and her adoration of her younger son, it was probably platinum.

      “Oh... Mr. Scott...”

      Thom snatched his hand away and turned.

      “I didn’t know anyone was here. I can come back.”

      Thom cleared his throat. “No. No. It’s fine, Vanessa. Come in.”

      The housekeeper stepped inside, carrying a dust cloth and furniture and glass cleaner in a small bucket.

      “I will only be a few minutes,” she assured him.

      “No worries. I’m the one in the way. Waiting for Elana,” he offered.

      “Oh.” Her sleek dark brows pulled together. “I didn’t see Ms. Elana this morning.”

      “No. She’s supposed to meet me, but she’s running...late.”

      Vanessa gave a short smile then went right to work. She expertly moved photos, precious glass and sculptures from the mantels and side tables, dusted and replaced each item exactly the way she’d found them.

      Thom stood by the floor-to-ceiling window while Vanessa worked and couldn’t help but notice her efficiency. Even he could see that she in no way fit the picture of a housekeeper but rather a Sports Illustrated cover girl. The standard black uniform did little to camouflage her curvaceous body or her lustrous dark hair and haunting eyes.

      “Do you have family here in California?” he asked.

      Vanessa stopped dusting and glanced at him. “No, Mr. Scott, I don’t. My parents—” her cheeks colored “—they passed several years ago.”

      He held up his hand in apology. “I’m sorry.”

      “Thank you. It’s okay.” She continued dusting.

      “Sisters and brothers?”

      “No. Only child.”

      “So am I,” he said feeling an odd kinship.

      Her eyes sparkled in the light.

      “Sometimes it can be difficult being part of this big noisy family when you’re used to growing up as the only one,” he said and laughed.

      “Yes, the Marshall family is...apasionado, passionate.”

      “That they are,” he agreed.

      She beamed a bright smile and gathered up her supplies. “Can I get you anything?”

      “No, Joy already asked. I’m fine. Thanks.”

      She bobbed her head, hesitated for a moment then asked, her tone almost reverent, “Is...there any news on Mr. Marshall?”

      Thom slowly shook his head. “No. I’m afraid not.”

      “So sad. He is such a fine man.”

      “Yes, he is.”

      “I will continue to pray for him.”

      “We all will.”

      “Enjoy your day, Mr. Scott.”

      “You, too.”

      Thom turned to gaze out the window. He lifted the drape and looked out onto the expansive lawn that glimmered like a sea of emeralds under the spray of the automatic sprinklers. How many times had he and Elana darted through those sprinklers as kids?

      All through his growing-up years, he’d been Elana’s go-to guy. Although Elana had a constant string of suitors, she always made sure that Thom was on her arm for important events—prom, coming-out parties and family galas. As Harrison’s empire grew, so did the public face of the family. Thom was always there, part of the dinners, the parties, some of the getaways. Being a pseudo member of the family, he benefited from the power the Santiago-Marshalls wielded. It provided the perfect cover for him, while at the same time stoking a longing that he could never fulfill.

      His impending wedding to Elana was a blessing and a curse. The pressure from his family for him to settle down grew more intense, and his father insisted that Elana Marshall was the perfect woman for him. Thom cared for Elana. Deeply. But he wasn’t in love with her, not the way a husband should love a wife. What they had between them was an enduring friendship, and that would have to sustain him. There was a part of him that sensed that Elana was not in love with him, either, and that their marriage was only what her family wanted as well. They were both pawns in their family game. But in the end it would work for them both. They would each be what the other needed. They were the best of friends. He hoped that would be enough.

      Thom dropped the curtain back in place and strode toward the door. He could actually use something to nibble on and went in search of Joy. When he entered the foyer, he heard movement down the hall and headed toward it. He poked his head in the door of the library, expecting to see Joy or Vanessa.

      Instead he found a man.

      Rafe turned at the sound of movement behind him. “Thom...what are you doing here?” СКАЧАТЬ