Secrets (30 page)

“She took some college tests and made it in the top two percent in the nation,” Mrs. Turner said proudly.

Cassie looked at Jeff and smiled. “I have an idea how to solve it all.”

Jeff looked at her with interest. “How?”

“Give me your phone. I need to call Althea.”

“She still alive?” Mrs. Turner asked. “She must be over a hundred now.”

“She's alive and imprisoned in a huge house and she needs help setting up a library for budding young actors. She will be thrilled to help a descendant of her beloved Hinton's. And there's a fabulous university in Williamsburg that—” Cassie waited for the name.

“Lisa,” Mrs. Turner said.

Cassie started punching buttons on Jeff's phone. “Lisa can go to school there, earn money working for Althea, and as for the baby—”

Jeff grinned. “We know a couple who will take the baby. They're not blood relatives, but they're good people. Lisa could meet them. They want a child more than they want life.”

“Yes,” Cassie said, smiling. “And I'm sure that Roger will shell out for the college expenses. He can afford it, now that he's given up his boat.”

Jeff laughed. “I'm going to miss that boat that I never went on,” he said.

Cassie stopped punching buttons. “You never went on the boat? But Elsbeth told me all about your last trip and the fish you caught.”

“I've never been fishing in my life,” Jeff said, looking down at his iced tea glass.

Cassie could only stare at the top of his head. “Are you telling me that you had your five-year-old daughter tell lies?”

“Yes and no,” Jeff said, his voice full of apology. “I just told her not to mention that we hadn't gone on a boat and she made up the rest of it. She's a great storyteller, isn't she?”

Cassie narrowed her eyes at him. “There are going to be some
big
changes made in your house—my house. Do you understand me?”

“I look forward to it,” Jeff said, grinning. “Now call Althea and get this settled so we can go home and get married.”

Mrs. Turner laughed at them. Jeff was grinning, and Cassie was frowning at him. “The world never changes,” she said.