Hidden Talents

figures, a man and a woman, that had sprung upright and begun a jerky, clockwork dance.
    “Never mind that, take a look at what's inside the compartment.”
    The compartment of the case was lined with cheap blue velvet. There was a long tear in the satin behind the small mirror on the inside of the lid.
    There was no jewelry inside the case. Instead it was filled with old, yellowed newspaper clippings. They looked so fragile that Serenity was afraid to touch them.
    “What are these?” she asked.
    “My past.” Caleb did not look at the open jewelry case. He kept his eyes riveted to the road. “My grandfather gave that case full of clippings to me the day I turned eighteen. He wanted to make certain I didn't forget my mother.”
    “That was very thoughtful of him.”
    Caleb's mouth twisted. “It certainly was.”
    Serenity carefully unfolded the first of the folded clippings and studied the grainy black-and-white photograph. “This woman was your mother?”
    “Yes.”
    The picture showed a striking platinum blonde dressed in a short, skintight, sequined gown. The dress had a neckline that plunged straight to the navel. The extreme style revealed only the inside curves of her breasts, but it created a sensual illusion that the camera obviously loved. There was a good-natured, provocative quality in the woman's lovely eyes. It was as if she knew men found her sexy and the fact amused her. Beneath the heavy makeup that darkened the full lips and enlarged the eyes it was easy to see the fine bone structure and the glow of youth.
    “Caleb, she was lovely,” Serenity breathed. “And so glamorous. I think you've got her eyes.”
    “So I'm told.”
    Serenity studied the photo with deepening admiration. “Was she a model?”
    “Read the articles.”
    Serenity scanned the headlines on the clippings, most of which were from the Ventress Valley News . VENTRESS HIT WITH BLACKMAIL THREAT. VENTRESS ADMITS AFFAIR WITH PORN MODEL . She picked up another article. CENTERFOLD PIN-UP CLAIMS VENTRESS IS FATHER OF HER CHILD. VENTRESS FILES FOR DIVORCE .
    “Keep reading,” Caleb said quietly. “It's all there. The blackmail scheme, the affair, the divorce, the accident, everything.”
    Serenity started to read more quickly, taking in the whole sad tale in one gulp. She paused over the article that related the blackmail scheme. Her stomach tightened. “Someone tried to blackmail your grandfather?”
    “The blackmailer sent photos of Crystal Brooke to him. The photos included shots of her posing nude. There were also several pictures of her and my father making love on a beach in Santa Barbara.”
    “Dear God.”
    “My grandfather refused to pay the blackmail. The blackmailer sent the pictures to the Ventress Valley News . The editor and my grandfather had been quarreling for years. The pictures got published, and the rest, as they say, is history.”
    “Oh, Caleb, how awful for everyone involved.” Serenity stopped reading and carefully refolded the clippings. “No wonder you went bananas when I told you that someone was trying to blackmail me with nude pictures. It was like having your parents' past thrown in your face, wasn't it?”
    Caleb slanted her a disgusted look. “I didn't go bananas.”
    “Yes, you did. Now I know why.”
    “Damn it, Serenity.”
    “You're starting to lose your temper,” she pointed out. “But I think I prefer that to your zombie mode.”
    “‘Zombie mode.’ What the hell is my zombie mode?”
    “It's when you go all cold and expressionless. You're very good at hiding your emotions, aren't you? You must have had a lot of practice.”
    “I am not an emotional sort of man.” Caleb spaced each word very carefully and distinctly.
    Serenity gently closed the jewelry box. The waltz stopped. “You don't think your reaction was a highly emotional one?”
    “Let's just say the news that there were nude photos of you took me by surprise.”
    Serenity smiled ruefully. “I'll just bet it did. I'm sorry, Caleb. I shouldn't have called you all those nasty things.”
    “You mean straitlaced, conventional, arrogant, and inflexible?” Caleb's brows rose slightly. “Don't worry, I've forgotten all about it.”
    “The same way that I've forgotten that you called me naive and gullible.” Serenity traced a line of faded gilt on top of the jewelry case with her fingertip. “I wonder why your grandfather gave you these clippings. He doesn't strike me as a cruel man. Hard and inflexible,