Amaryllis

'Trent?' Nick called softly.

Lucas glanced back over his shoulders. 'What now, Chastain?'

'Take my advice and marry Miss Lark. Something tells me she's a good match for you.'

Amaryllis felt rather than saw Lucas grow very still. The dangerous tension in him flowed through the room.

'Since when did you take up marriage counseling, Chastain?' Lucas asked.

Nick gave him a smile that would have done credit to a fallen angel. 'In my business you learn a great deal about synergistic psychology.'

Lucas did not hang around to argue. He went through the door, caught hold of Amaryllis's arm, and escorted his small party out of the casino.

'Where on St. Helens did you meet that dreadful man?' Amaryllis demanded as they walked toward the car.

'Chastain's okay so long as you play straight with him. I met him in the islands. He set up his first casino in Port LeConner. He was there when the pirates made their move.'

Dillon glanced at him with sudden interest. 'Chastain was in the Western Islands Action?'

'Yes.'

Dillon whistled softly. 'I never heard his name mentioned on the news.'

'He doesn't like publicity of that kind,' Lucas said.

'He certainly has deplorable taste,' Amaryllis observed. 'It's almost too awful to be real. I think he actually enjoys offending people.'

'I think you're right,' Lucas said.

'Okay, so I panicked.' Dillon slumped in the old- fashioned wire-root chair in Lucas's big kitchen. His hands were stuffed into the front pockets of his trousers. 'I'm sorry, Lucas. I couldn't call Dad. You know how he feels about gambling. I didn't know what else to do except phone you.'

Lucas poured coff-tea into two mugs. 'You actually thought that you could win the stake you need to invest in your friend's fire crystal project?'

'After you refused to give me a loan, I figured it was the only way I could get my hands on that kind of money.'

'Dillon, you know the odds are always in favor of the house.'

'Chastain's place is supposed to be honest.'

'It is. Why should Chastain bother running it in a dishonest manner when the odds are already on his side?'

Dillon's expression turned mutinous. 'I was winning for a while.'

'Everyone wins for a while. Too bad you didn't stop while you were ahead.' Lucas carried the mugs to the table and put one down in front of Dillon.

It was well after midnight. Amaryllis was home, safely tucked up in her own bed. Lucas would have given a great deal to be there with her, but he had resigned himself to the task of dealing with Dillon's problems. Tonight it had become clear that Jackson's younger brother was deter- mined to get himself into trouble. Someone had to do something.

'Go ahead and lecture me,' Dillon muttered. 'I deserve it.'

'Then I won't waste my breath.' Lucas sipped coff-tea.

'It's going to take me a long time to pay you back, you know. I haven't even got a job at the moment.'

'I'll wait.'

Dillon shoved his fingers through his hair in a gesture that reminded Lucas of Jackson. 'Damn, what a mess. If Morn and Dad ever find out about what happened tonight, they'll never let me forget it. It will reinforce their conviction that I can't handle responsibility.'

Lucas said nothing.

There was a long silence while Dillon reflected on his options. 'I could pay you off if I went to work for you,' he finally said tentatively.

'Yes.'

'But we both know Morn and Dad would never go for it.'

'Probably not.'

Dillon met his eyes. 'Are you going to tell Dad about the sixty-five grand I owe you?'

'No.'

'How long will you give me to pay you back?'

'As long as it takes.'

'You really mean that, don't you? Most guys in your position would go to my father and demand that he pay my debt.'

'You're old enough to handle your own debts.'

'My father wouldn't agree with you. And I sure didn't do a very good job handling them tonight, did I?' Dillon's mouth tightened with determination. 'I will pay you back, you know. One way or another.'

'Okay.' Lucas smiled faintly. 'But do me a favor. Keep it legal. And stay out of casinos.'

Dillon groaned. 'That doesn't leave me with a lot of choices.'

Amaryllis regarded Irene Dunley across the width of the restaurant table. 'Thanks for agreeing to meet me for lunch. I know it isn't easy for you to get away from the department.'

'I took a short lunch hour earlier this week,' Irene said. 'Professor Yamamoto said it would be all right for me to take a long one today. She believes the rules of office behavior should be relaxed on Fridays, anyway. Professor Landreth would never have approved, but that's the way things are now.'

'I appreciate it.' Amaryllis glanced at the menu in front of her, not really seeing the selections. Her attention was on the questions she intended to ask Irene.

The restaurant was crowded with downtown shoppers and businesspeople. Amaryllis had deliberately chosen it because it was located a long way from the campus.

'What did you want to see me about, Miss Lark?' Irene looked apprehensive. 'Is it something to do with Professor Landreth?'

'Yes.' Amaryllis impulsively reached across the table to touch Irene's hand. 'Please tell me the truth. Were you the one who called me the other night to tell me I should talk to Vivien of the Veils at the SynCity Club about Professor Landreth?'

Irene's eyes widened in stunned dismay. 'You knew it was me?'

'Not at the time. But during the past several days I've had a lot of time to think about it.' There was no point mentioning Gifford's name. That would only further upset Irene. 'You knew Professor Landreth had a standing appointment with Vivien, didn't you?'

Tears glittered in Irene's eyes. She dabbed at them with her napkin. 'He went to see her once a week. I still can't imagine why. He never associated with people of her sort. I sometimes wonder if she used some form of diabolical talent to hold him in thrall. Do you think that's possible, Miss Lark?'

Irene's pain was so evident that Amaryllis could not bring herself to deny such an improbable explanation. 'Maybe,' she hedged.

'It's the only reason that makes sense. Professor Landreth was such a fine man in other respects. A true gentleman.'

'Oddly enough, that's just what Vivien said.'

Irene appeared not to have heard her. 'He was such an upright, upstanding man. He personified the best in founders' values.'

'We seem to be hearing a lot about founders' values these days.'

'Thanks to that wonderful Senator Sheffield.' Irene put down her napkin. A resolute expression replaced the tears in her eyes. 'We're so fortunate to have a candidate of his stature running for office. He's a man of purpose and vision. He'll put this city-state back on the right path. I only wish that Professor Landreth could have lived to see Sheffield take the governor's office and perhaps, in time, become president of the United City-States. I know the professor would have approved.'

'Irene, why did you send me to talk to Vivien?'

Irene's gaze was clear and purposeful. 'Because I have begun to wonder about the circumstances