Grand Passion

years earlier and had slowly rotted into the ground.
    Five years ago Andromeda and Daystar had conceived the notion of turning the abandoned site into a commune for women. Initially they had leased the grounds and buildings. But three years ago, together with Cleo's assistance, they had pooled their limited resources and purchased the old resort at a foreclosure sale.
    Andromeda and Daystar, who formed the core of Cosmic Harmony, had not always been involved in metaphysics and philosophies of self-realization. They had, in fact, started out as members of a Seattle bridge club that had met every Tuesday for years. As time went past, each had found herself on her own due to divorce. The bridge club had been the only thing that had remained stable in their lives.
    Andromeda's name in her former life had been Mrs. Hamilton R. Galsworthy III. She had helped create Cosmic Harmony six months after her husband, a doctor who was Board Certified in Gynecology, had run off with his aerobics instructor. Dr. Galsworthy had had an extremely capable lawyer who had managed to ensure that Andromeda did not get more than a token amount in the divorce settlement.
    Andromeda had explained to Cleo that she bore no ill will toward her ex-husband, who wound up being divorced by the aerobics instructor within a year. “It was really very sad, dear,” Andromeda had once explained. “The poor man was sixty at the time, and they say she had him doing an hour of high-impact aerobics twice a day. With ankle weights, no less. He hasn't been the same since, I'm told. One assumes his karma finally caught up with him.”
    But there was no going back for Andromeda, not even when Hamilton R. Galsworthy III, M.D., showed up at her door, a broken man, offering to come home. Andromeda had already launched herself on a new path of cosmic enlightenment. In addition, she and her bridge partner, also recently divorced, had discovered that their friendship for each other was a stronger, more enduring bond than the relationship either had had with her ex-husband.
    Andromeda sipped a cup of herbal tea in a slow, ceremonial manner. “I wanted to speak to you about one of our new guests,” she said to Cleo. She was nearly sixty, a cheerful elf of a woman with a halo of curly gray hair and bright, inquiring eyes. When she moved, the small bells attached to the hem of her gown tinkled merrily.
    Lately, every move Andromeda made had an air of carefully cultivated grace and ritual about it. She was currently studying the traditional Japanese tea ceremony and its implications for daily living. It was the latest in a never-ending series of such philosophical explorations for Andromeda.
    “We got twenty-five new arrivals last night,” Cleo responded. “Another Seattle company is sending some of its employees through one of Herbert T. Valence's three-day motivational seminars.”
    “Oh, dear. Another one of those, eh?” Andromeda shook her head. “Hard to imagine that anyone really believes there are five easy steps to wealth, power, and unlimited success.”
    Cleo grinned. “I get the feeling good old Herbert does. The guy must be making money hand-over-fist with these seminars.”
    “True. He does seem to be doing rather well, doesn't he? This is the third seminar he's booked in here this winter,” Andromeda observed.
    Cleo laughed. “Just be grateful he's decided the inn makes a suitable setting for his uplifting and inspiring messages.”
    “I am, dear. I am well aware that the inn is doing very nicely this winter because of Mr. Valence. However, when I mentioned the new guest, I was not referring to one of the seminar attendees.”
    Cleo smiled wryly. “Let me guess. You're talking about Jason's friend, right?”
    “Yes. Are you certain he was a friend of Jason's?”
    Cleo glanced at Andromeda in surprise. “He says he is. He certainly knew about Jason having stayed with us from time to time during the past eighteen months. And he knew about the arrangement Jason and I had worked out.” Cleo wolfed down the last of the muffin. “At least I think he did. I offered him the same deal, and he took it.”
    “He's working for you now?”
    “Uh-huh.”
    Andromeda frowned delicately. “I told you when Jason first started to show up around here on the weekends that he was not exactly what he seemed.”
    “I know, but I liked him. You said you liked him, too. We both agreed we could trust him.”
    “Well, I knew he was not a threat, of course. In his