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POCKETBOOKSNewYorkLondonTorontoSydneyTokyoSingaporeThesaleofthisbookwithoutitscoverisunauthorized.Ifyoupurchasedthisbookwithoutacover,youshouldbeawarethatitwasreportedtothepublisherasunsoldanddestroyed.Neithertheauthornorthepublisherhasreceivedpaymentforthesaleofthisstrippedbook.Thisbookisaworkoffiction.Names,characters,placesandincidentsareeithertheproductsoftheauthor'simaginationorareusedfictitiously.Anyresemblancetoactualeventsorlocalesorpersons,livingordead,isentirelycoincidental.POCKETBOOKS,adivisionofSimon&SchusterInc.1230AvenueoftheAmericas,NewYork,NY10020Copyright©1991byEagleSyndication,Inc.Allrightsreserved,includingtherighttoreproducethisbookorportionsthereofinanyformwhatsoever.ForinformationaddressPocketBooks,1230AvenueoftheAmericas,NewYork,NY10020ISBN:0-671-77680-0FirstPocketBooksPaperbackprintingJune1992109876POCKETandcolophonarcregisteredtrademarksofSimon&SchusterInc.CoverartbyHermineBrindakCoverbackgroundbyM.Angelo/WestLightPrintedintheU.S.A.DedicationAnyonewhoiscloselyinvolvedwithmewhenI'mworkingonanovelcouldtellyouthatitrequirescertainthingstomaintainanysortofrelationship—includingincrediblepatience,extraordinarytolerance,andtheabilitytobelieveI'mactuallyworkingwhenI'mstaringoffintospace.Thisnovelisdedicatedtomyfamilyandfriendswhopossessthosetraitsinabundanceandwhohaveenrichedmylifebeyondmeasure:Tomyson,Clayton,andmydaughter,Whitney,whoseprideinmehasbeenatremendoussourceofpleasure.Andrelief.Andtothoseveryspecialpeoplewhoofferedtheirfriendshipandthenhadtobearmorethantheirfairshareoftheburdenofthatfriendship—especiallyPhyllisandRichardAshley,DebbieandCraigKiefer,KathyandLloydStansberry,andCathyandPaulWaldner.Icouldn'taskforabettercheeringsectionthanallofyou.AcknowledgmentsToRobertHyland,foralifetimeofenormousfavors.ToattorneyLloydStansberry,forprovidingmewithcountlessanswersonthelegaltechnicalitiesinvolvedinthisnovel.Totheextraordinarydepartmentstoreexecutivesacrossthenationwhosharedtheirtimeandexpertisewithme,andwithoutwhoseassistancethisnovelcouldneverhavebeenwritten.Chapter1December1973Withherscrapbookopenedbesideheronhercanopiedbed,MeredithBancroftcarefullycutoutthepicturefromtheChicagoTribune.Thecaptionread,ChildrenofChicagosocialites,dressedaselves,participateincharityChristmaspageantatOaklandMemorialHospital,thenitlistedtheirnames.Beneaththecaptionwasalargepictureoftheelves—fiveboysandfivegirls,includingMeredith—whowerehandingoutpresentstothekidsinthechildren'sward.Standingofftotheleft,supervisingtheproceedings,wasahandsomeyoungmanofeighteen,whothecaptionreferredtoasParkerReynoldsIII,sonofMr.andMrs.ParkerReynoldsofKenilworth.Impartially,Meredithcomparedherselftotheothergirlsintheelfcostumes,wonderinghowtheycouldmanagetolookleggyandcurvywhileshelooked...Dumpy!shepronouncedwithapainedgrimace.Ilooklikeatroll,notanelf!Itdidnotseematallfairthattheothergirlswhowerefourteen,justafewsmallweeksolderthanshewas,shouldlooksowonderfulwhileshelookedlikeaflat-chestedtrollwithbraces.Hergazeshiftedtoherpictureandsheregrettedagainthestreakofvanitythathadcausedhertotakeoffherglassesforthephotograph;withoutthemshehadatendencytosquint—justlikeshewasdoinginthatawfulpicture.Contactlenseswoulddefinitelyhelp,sheconcluded.HergazeswitchedtoParker'spicture,andadreamysmiledriftedacrossherfaceassheclaspedthenewspaperclippingtowhatwouldhavebeenherbreastsifshehadbreasts,whichshedidn't.Notyet.Atthisrate,notever.ThedoortoherbedroomopenedandMeredithhastilyyankedthepicturefromherchestasthestout,sixty-year-oldhousekeepercameintotakeherdinnertrayaway.Youdidn'teatyourdessert,Mrs.Ellischided.I'mfat,Mrs.Ellis,Meredithsaid.Toproveit,shescrambledofftheantiquebedandmarchedovertothemirroraboveherdressingtable.Lookatme,shesaid,pointinganaccusingfingeratherreflection.Ihavenowaistline!Youhavesomebabyfatthere,that'sall.Idon'thavehipseither.Ilooklikeawalkingtwo-by-four.NowonderIhavenofriends—Mrs.Ellis,who'dworkedfortheBancroftsforlessthanayear,lookedamazed.Youhavenofriends?Whynot?Desperatelyinneedofsomeonetoconfidein,Meredithsaid,I'veonlypretendedthateverythingisfineatschool.Thetruthis,it'sterrible.I'ma...acompletemisfit.I'vealwaysbeenamisfit.Well,Inever!Theremustbesomethingwrongwiththechildreninyourschool....Itisn'tthem,it'sme,butI'mgoingtochange,Meredithannounced.I'vegoneonadiet,andIwanttodosomethingwithmyhair.It'sawful.It'snotawful!Mrs.Ellisargued,lookingatMeredith'sshoulder-lengthpaleblondhairandthenherturquoiseeyes.Youhavestrikingeyesandverynicehair.Niceandthickand—Colorless.Blond.Meredithstaredstubbornlyatthemirror,hermindmagnifyingtheflawsthatexisted.I'malmostfivefeetseveninchestall.It'saluckythingIfinallystoppedgrowingbeforeIbecameagiant!ButI'mnothopeless,IrealizedthatonSaturday.Mrs.Ellis'sbrowsdrewtogetherinconfusion.WhathappenedonSaturdaytochangeyourmindaboutyourself?Nothingearth-shattering,Meredithsaid.Somethingearth-shattering,shethought.ParkersmiledatmeattheChristmaspageant.HebroughtmeaCokewithoutbeingasked.HetoldmetobesureandsaveadanceforhimSaturdayattheEppinghamparty.Seventy-fiveyearsbefore,Parker'sfamilyhadfoundedthela