hour.” Serena was breathless at the thought. A hundred an hour? Would she get any work? “Okay, we'll put your book together for you. You come back tomorrow, Serena. Get plenty of rest, do your hair and nails and face to perfection. Wear something simple and black, and be here at nine thirty. Tomorrow we send you out with your book, and you start work. But I warn you, we're only going to use you for the big jobs, at a hundred dollars an hour, you're going to be bypassing a lot of the less important work. What that means is that you're stepping in at the top, you're in the big leagues, and you're going to have to be perfect. Anything less and they'll laugh both you and me right out of this town.”
“I'll do my very best.” The green eyes were filled with terror, and she felt twenty-seven going on two. “I promise.”
“Don't promise. Just do it.” Dorothea Kerr's eyes hardened as she stood up. “If you don't, princess or no, you'll be canned.” And with that, she turned on her heel and left the room.
36
It was a month later when Margaret Fullerton saw the first ad. A full page in The New York Times for a new line of cosmetics. They had done a rush job to get Serena in on the shoot, but it was a sensational picture. Margaret Fullerton had the page folded on her desk the next time Teddy came to dinner. She didn't say anything until coffee was served in the library downstairs, and then gingerly she took the newspaper page off of her desk, touching it as though it might be poisoned.
Her eyes raised slowly to her son's, and she looked at him for a long moment with slowly simmering anger.
“You didn't tell me she was in town. I assume you know?” Her eyes drove into her son's. She knew that he had remained in touch, and that he was excessively fond of Vanessa. Many times he had tried to soften Margaret toward the child, but to no avail, and Margaret was sure that Serena would have let him know she was in New York. “Why didn't you tell me?”
“I didn't think you cared.” It was something of a lie, but his eyes didn't waver.
“The child is here too?”
“Yes.”
“Are they living here?”
“They are.”
And then, with a look of disdain, “As I suspected, the tramp is still incredibly vulgar.”
Teddy looked momentarily stunned. “Mother, how in God's name can you say that? She's not only gorgeous, she's elegant as hell, and aristocratic. Look at that picture.”
“She's nothing but a whore and a model. This, my dear boy, is all artifice, and in an extremely vulgar profession.” But she had noticed with some interest that the line of cosmetics was owned by a company for which she served on the board of directors. “I assume you've seen her.”
“I have.” His heart was pounding with restrained anger. “And I plan to see her again, her and Vanessa, as often as I can. That child is my niece and Serena is my brother's widow.”
“Your brother had eminently regrettable taste in women.”
“Only in the one previous to Serena.” Match point. Pattie had all but destroyed Greg, and he was now an obvious alcoholic. “You know.” He glared down at his mother as he stood up. “I really don't think I want to sit here while you do a hatchet job on Serena.”
“Why? Are you sleeping with her too? Undoubtedly you and half of New York by now.”
“My God!” It was a roar from Teddy. “What do you have against her?”
“Everything. She destroyed my son's career, and indirectly she killed him. Isn't that enough? Your brother is dead because of that woman, Teddy.” But there was no grief in her eyes, only fury and vengeance.
“He was killed by the war in Korea, for chrissake, or doesn't that count? Are you so hellbent on your vendetta that you can't admit the truth? Haven't you done enough to her? If it were up to you, she would have starved after Brad died. She has supported that child for almost four years alone, worked herself to the bone, and you have the nerve to look down on her, and if it's any of your goddamn business, she's still faithful to my brother.”
“How would you know that?” The older woman's eyes narrowed with interest.
But Teddy was beyond wisdom or control. “Because I've been in love with her for years. And do you know