The President's Daughter - Mariah Stewart [131]
“I love her.” That was all the reason necessary as far as Dina was concerned. She closed her eyes and lifted her face to the sun, then asked, “Do you think Celeste knew that Sarah killed Blythe?”
“I’ve wondered about that myself.”
“Gray said that his mother is just devastated about what happened, that she was shocked to hear about what Sarah had done, but . . .”
“But you have to wonder if she hadn’t known all along and covered up for her. After all, she did whisk Sarah out of the country and to a clinic in Switzerland very shortly after Blythe’s death,” Simon noted.
“Maybe Jude wasn’t the only one keeping secrets for the sake of her child,” Dina whispered.
“I doubt we’ll ever know for certain.” Simon leaned the side of his head against hers.
For a few long minutes they stood close together, drinking in the salt air, basking in the warmth of the sunshine, lost in the roar of the surf from below.
“Tell me about Dr. Norton’s wife,” Dina broke the silence. “What exactly happened to her?”
“She committed suicide.”
“Oh, my God! How terrible!”
“It was terrible. She’d lost her son some years before—he’d been kidnapped when he was young. She didn’t leave a note, but everyone pretty much thought that she just could not face one more morning of not knowing what happened to her son.”
“That’s just horrible.” Dina shivered. “Was he their only child?”
“Actually, he was her son. She’d been married once before and widowed. She had a daughter, too, but I lost track of her over the years. Someone told me recently that she’s a composite artist, you know, a sketch artist? She must be in her early thirties by now. But Elisa and Philip had no children together.”
“That’s so sad, Simon. Sad for her, for her daughter. Sad for him . . .”
“He’s never really recovered from it. He’s never been the same.”
They came to the edge of the cliff and looked out across the vast expanse of water. Waves below crashed lustily against the rocks.
“This is incredible. Look out there, Simon; look at all the sailboats. Doesn’t it look wonderful?”
“It does. Did you ever sail?”
“No. I’m one hundred percent landlubber, I’m afraid. Jude’s never been much for water sports.”
“Maybe you can get Gray to take you out one of these days.”
“I just might do that.”
“What did Gray have to say about . . . well, about all that’s happened?”
“He wanted to know how I felt about making the story public.” Dina laid her head against Simon’s shoulder. “I told him I’d be happiest if we just all went on as we were.”
“And he’ll honor that?”
“He’ll decline the nomination for the presidency if he thinks he can’t run honorably.”
“He told you that?”
Dina nodded.
“I hope he keeps his word.”
“He will.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“I trust him, Simon. I think he’s a very sincere man.”
“Not to say that he isn’t, but that’s what they always said about his father.”
“I guess it’s hard to reconcile the man who swore he’d never lie to the American people with the man who sure enough did lie to his wife.”
“Funny thing about Graham Senior. I do think that for most of his life, he acted from the highest moral standards. I think maybe the only time in his life that he slipped was in his relationship with Blythe. I think maybe his love for her was so strong, so overpowering, that he just didn’t have the strength to turn away from her. I think it was bigger than anything else in his life.”
“That doesn’t make it right,” Dina said softly.
“No. But I have to admit that I’m starting to understand how he felt. How love can be so strong and so all-encompassing that you’d give up anything for its sake. While I agree that what Graham did wasn’t necessarily right, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t understand how loving someone that much can change you. Can make you do things you never thought you’d do.” Simon nipped at her ear. “For example, I never thought that rising at dawn would ever become part of my everyday routine.”
“You don’t have to get up with me,” she laughed. “I’ve told you that you could sleep