First Impressions

it’s a downright
coup.
”
    Shane’s fingers froze on the handle. Straightening, she looked Anne dead in the eye. “What are you talking about?”
    “Only your fantastic luck, Shane. After all, the man’s
rolling
in it. I imagine you’ll be able to turn this little shop of yours into an antique palace if you want a hobby.” She gave a quick, brittle laugh. “Leave it to cute little Shane to land herself a millionaire the first time around. If I had a bit more time, darling, I’d insist on hearing the details of how you managed it.”
    “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Cold panic was beginning to rush through her. She wanted to turn and run away, but her legs were stiff and unyielding.
    “God knows why he decided to dump himself in this town,” Anne went on mildly. “But it’s your good fortune he did, and right next door too. I suppose he means to keep it for a little hideaway once the two of you move to D.C.”
A fabulous house,
she thought on a flash of envy.
Servants, parties.
Carefully, she kept her tone gay. “I can’t tell you how thrilled I was to learn you’d hooked up with the man who owns virtually the biggest construction firm in the country.”
    “Riverton,” Shane repeated numbly.
    “Very prestigious, darling Shane. It does give me cause to wonder how you’ll fit in, but . . .” She shrugged this off and aimed her coup de grâce. “It’s a shame about that nasty scandal though.” Shane merely shook her head and stared at Anne blankly. “His first wife, you know. A terrible tangle.”
    “Wife?” Shane repeated faintly. She felt the nausea rising in her stomach. “Vance’s wife?”
    “Oh, Shane, don’t tell me he didn’t mention it!” It was exactly what she’d hoped for. Anne shook her head and sighed. “That’s disgraceful of him, really. Isn’t it just like a man to expect some wide-eyed girl to take everything on face value.” She clucked her tongue in disapproval, thinking with inner appreciation that Vance Banning was going to take his knocks on this one. She didn’t think of Shane at all.
    “Well, the very least he might have done was tell you he was married before,” she continued primly. “Even if he didn’t go into the nasty business.”
    “I don’t . . .” Shane managed to swallow the sickness and continue. “I don’t understand.”
    “A spicy little scandal,” Anne told her. “His wife was a raving beauty, you know. Perhaps too much so.” Anne paused delicately. “One of her lovers put a bullet in her heart. At least that’s what the Bannings would have everyone believe.” The shock in Shane’s eyes gave Anne another surge of gratification. Oh yes, she thought grimly, Vance Banning was going to get back some of his own now. “Hushed it up rather quickly too,” she added, then brushed the matter away with the back of an elegantly gloved hand. “An odd business. Well, I must run, don’t want to miss my plane.
Ciao
, darling, and don’t let that handsome gold mine slip away from you. There are plenty of women just dying to catch him.” Pausing, she touched Shane’s cap of curls with a finger. “For God’s sake, Shane, find a decent hairdresser. I suppose he thinks you’re . . . refreshing. Get the ring on your finger before he gets bored.” She brushed Shane’s cold cheek with hers, then dashed off, satisfied she’d paid Vance back for his threats.
    Shane stood perfectly still, staring after her. But she didn’t see her. She saw nothing. Trapped in the ice of shock, the pain was dormant. That would have surprised Anne had she given it any thought. As a woman who knew nothing of emotional pain, she would assume Shane would feel only fury. But the fury was surrounded by pain, and the pain lay waiting to spring out.
    The sun bounced glaringly off the melting snow. A breeze, chill and sharp, whipped through her carelessly unbuttoned coat. In a flash of scarlet, a cardinal swooped over the ground to roost comfortably on a low branch. Shane stood absolutely still, noticing nothing. Sluggishly, her mind began to work.
    It wasn’t true, she told herself. Anne had made it up for some unexplainable purpose of her own.
President of Riverton?
No, he said he was a carpenter. He
was
, she thought desperately. She’d seen his work herself . . . He’d . . . he’d worked for her. Taken the job she had offered. Why would he—how could he—if he was everything Anne had said?
His first wife.
    Shane felt the