Cam grinned but her eyes were serious. “The things I love about you make me crazy.”

“Funny how that works.” Blair kissed her. “Let’s gather the troops and go out to breakfast. Then let’s go to the White House.”

“Thanks for seeing me, Luce,” Blair said. While she’d been waiting, she’d counted two senators, three deputy directors, the White House press secretary, and a handful of lobbyists pass in and out of Lucinda’s office. “Things look hectic.”

“It’s never a problem to meet with you.” Lucinda relaxed into a chair in the seating area as if she had all the time in the world.

Blair was instantly on guard. “I wanted to clear up a few things about yesterday and inform you of some new plans.”

“All right. Would you like something to drink? Pastry?”

“No,” Blair said carefully, trying to read what was behind Lucinda’s calm façade. She’d never been able to, and she still couldn’t. “We just had breakfast. Thanks.”

“Oh, that’s right. Cam’s here too, isn’t she. Meeting with Averill.”

Blair didn’t see that the statement required an answer. Lucinda knew everything that was happening in the White House. In the country for that matter. Hell, most likely in the entire world. So she obviously knew that Cam was meeting with the presidential security adviser. “I suppose you know all the details there.”

Lucinda nodded, without actually acknowledging anything.

“I’m not going to help you with Diane.”

“You’ve forgotten that I know Diane,” Lucinda said evenly. “I’ve known her almost as long as I’ve known you.” She held Blair’s eyes. “She could be in trouble.”

“Don’t use my friends to blackmail me into doing something I know is wrong,” Blair said sharply.

“But I expect that Cam will explain all that to you.”

“Or my lover.”

Lucinda sighed. “Blair, next to your father, you’re my favorite person in the world. But you really can be a right pain in the ass sometimes.”

Blair smiled. “I’m not going to suggest how I come by that trait— considering my role models.”

“I’m not exaggerating when I say that Diane may be in danger. If I know that she was involved with Valerie Lawrence, other people do too. Other people may think she can help them find Valerie.”

“She’s with me, and for the time being, I intend to keep her with me.”

“That might be a good idea,” Lucinda mused. “If she’s with you, she’ll be under surveillance by our people.”

“She’ll be safe,” Blair snapped. She jumped up, too agitated to continue to sit and pretend they were having an ordinary conversation. “God, Lucinda! Is this what it costs to keep my father in office? People you know, people you love, become pawns?”

A hint of color flared on Lucinda’s cheeks. “Sometimes it costs a great deal more than that, Blair. It goes without saying that being under surveillance by the best security team in the world will keep her safe. It also might help us, and I’d be a fool, or worse, to suggest otherwise.”

Blair closed her eyes for an instant, and when she opened them again, she gave Lucinda an apologetic look. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t do what you do, and I know how necessary it is.” She sat down again. “As soon as Cam settles whatever she needs to do in this new position, I’m taking the whole team and Diane back to where we’ve been staying for the last month.”

Lucinda raised an eyebrow. “Cameron intends to go back with you?” She held up a hand. “Never mind. I’m sure Averill will discuss that with me.” She crossed her legs, her black skirt rising to reveal the barest hint of shapely thighs. “Let me give it some thought, but that just might be an excellent plan. Of course, you’re going to have to tell me where it is.”

“Just you?”

“For now.”

“Whitley Point.”

“Tanner Whitley’s place?”

Blair nodded.

Lucinda laughed. “Oh my God, you and Diane and Tanner together? I feel for your security team.”

“Tanner’s married,” Blair said, grinning. Lucinda had been around for most of her wild prep school years and was aware of some of the trouble the three of them had gotten into. Of course, most of the time they’d been successful in pulling off their fairly frequent disappearing acts. “Which brings me to the other thing I wanted to discuss with you.”

“Oh?”

“Cam and I intend to get married this fall.”

“That may be problematic, since same-sex marriages aren’t legally recognized anywhere in the United States.”

“Neither is my sexual orientation,” Blair said, “but that hasn’t stopped me, and it never will. We won’t have any difficulty finding someone to perform the ceremony, legal or not.”

“That will be difficult to keep quiet,” Lucinda said.

“It wasn’t my intention to keep it quiet.” At Lucinda’s look of surprise, Blair went on, “I’m not planning on taking out an ad in the New York Times, but I’m not going to sneak around with this either.”

“The first person outside of your immediate circle who gets a hint of this will go straight to the papers with it. A caterer, a dressmaker, even someone you think is a friend…this is going to be news, Blair, and people will pay for this kind of information.”

Blair flushed. She hated the thought that her life was tabloid material. “I can’t stop that. I’ve never been able to.”

“Well, at least consider the timing.” Lucinda sat forward. “We’ll be facing midterm elections soon and then swinging directly into the presidential reelection campaign. Your timing couldn’t be worse for something like this.”

“Something like this,” Blair said flatly. “Something like this would be my life, Lucinda.”

“I know,” Lucinda said gently. “I know, and I know how much of your life has been overshadowed by your father’s career. I’m not going to apologize for that, but I do know.”

Blair rubbed her forehead. “Don’t switch sides on me now, Lucinda. Just stick with the hard-ass routine.”

Lucinda smiled. “You’re going to expose your personal life to international scrutiny. To say nothing of fueling every right wing fanatic in this country. Do you really want that?”

“What I want is to do what feels right for myself and my lover and our relationship without worrying about the politics of it.” Blair sighed. “Don’t tell me you can’t figure out a way to spin it.”

“Probably. At least give me time to work on that.”

“I’ll postpone hiring a fl oat.”

“Thank you.” Lucinda glanced at her watch and then rose. “I’ve got a budget meeting, so I’ll get back to you on this.”

“I’ll let you know before I leave town.”

“Good. By the way, there’s a fundraiser in Boston this weekend that I need you to attend.”

“I can’t do it, Luce. There’s just too much going on right now.”

“I understand.” Lucinda walked back to her desk, sat down, and drew a file toward her. “It’s for stem cell research. One of the primary investigators at Harvard will be there, and I just thought you might want to show your support.”

“Damn it.” Blair had no doubt that proponents of stem cell research, including major pharmaceutical companies, were lobbying hard in Washington to prevent legislation aimed at restricting the source of tissues used for the studies. Her father couldn’t publicly issue a statement in favor of the research, but she could, as the daughter of a woman who died of breast cancer. Her presence at the fundraiser would send a clear message as to the White House’s position. Despite the fact that she didn’t like to be used as a White House front person, she happened to believe in this research. She yanked open the door. “I’ll be there. E-mail me the details.”

“That’s wonderful. Thank you.”

Blair closed the door without answering. As usual after leaving Lucinda, she was never certain if she’d won or lost the skirmish. She walked briskly past Paula and Felicia and pulled out her cell phone.

“How’s it going?” she asked when Cam answered.

“I’m going to be here most of the day. You?”

“Bloodied, but unbowed.”

Cam laughed. “What about the rest of your plans? Any changes?”

“No. And you don’t have to say it. I’ll be careful.”

“Thanks. I’ll see you later, then.”

“All right. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Blair closed her phone, smiling. She wondered what the national security chief thought about that.

Chapter Eight

“Are you ready for some serious shopping?” Blair held up Diane’s coat. She hoped that the diversion would take Diane’s mind off Valerie, but knew it wouldn’t. She’d been there too many times herself, not knowing what was happening with someone she loved, not being able to help or protect them.

Diane smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. Her smooth, milky complexion was even paler than normal, and lines of tension marred the sleek planes of her face. Diane was ordinarily so poised and kept her emotions so tightly reined that to see those cracks in her composure made Blair’s heart ache. It also made her angry. Angry at Valerie for involving Diane when she must have known something like this could happen, at the political system that so effortlessly ignored the human consequences of its policies, and even at herself, for not knowing the best way to help her friend.

“The Shops at Georgetown?” Blair suggested.

“Let’s start on M Street and finish up inside.”

“Done.” Blair grinned when she heard Stark muffle a groan. Many of the trendy boutiques on M Street in Georgetown fronted a portion of the four-story mall that housed over seventy shops and restaurants. It was the best shopping in DC. She hooked her arm through Diane’s as they stepped out into the foyer and pushed the button for the elevator. “I’m glad you’re here.”

“So am I,” Diane whispered.

Paula slid into the elevator next to them. “I don’t suppose you could think of a slightly less crowded place for your retail therapy?”

“What, and take all the fun out of it?” Blair feigned shock. She knew from experience that her security agents hated it when she went to large, crowded places where it was impossible for them to set up advance surveillance. But if she let that dictate her movements, she’d never go to a movie or a street fair or a shopping mall. Until the recent attacks, outings such as this had been more an inconvenience than a serious security issue, and that was all the more reason for her not to change her behavior now.

“Fun,” Paula muttered. “More like hell.”

“You never know.” Blair laughed as the elevator opened and they all stepped out. “You might end up enjoying it.”

Paula, busy alerting Hara in the vehicle idling at the curb that they were exiting, didn’t bother to object.

“Oh, goody,” Blair said as Felicia moved up beside her, “girls’ day out.”

“We didn’t think Greg would mind if I took his shift this afternoon,” Felicia said. “Hi Diane.”

“It’s good to see you again,” Diane said, as she climbed into the rear of the Suburban next to Blair. “How’s Mac doing?”

Felicia’s smile widened. “He’s out of the hospital and doing very well.”

“I suppose he’s chafing to get back to work.”

“He’s like the rest of us. If we’re not working, we tend to get into trouble.” Felicia glanced at Stark. “I know he misses being part of the team.”

“The team misses him,” Stark said.

“Hopefully, he’ll be back soon,” Blair said, wondering if Mac would resume his duties as secondin-command and communications officer. That would be up to Paula now. Felicia had taken over Mac’s responsibilities when he was shot during the assassination attempt at the Aerie, but her real expertise was intelligence and data analysis. “Tell him I said hi.”

“I will,” Felicia replied. “Where are we headed?”

“Georgetown Park,” Paula said with a grimace.

Felicia’s eyes widened. “Oh, I should be getting hazard pay. To be surrounded by all that trendy glitter and not be able to window shop. That’s harsh.”

Blair laughed. Even though she loved Mac and enjoyed Greg Wozinski’s dry humor and subtle sensitivity, if she had to have close surveillance twenty-four hours a day, it was so nice to have female agents. They understood about shopping.

Nevertheless, three hours later, Blair found that even Paula was as grumpy as any of the male agents who had ever accompanied her on a shopping excursion.

“I’m just going to try on these dresses.” She gave Paula a winning smile. “I need something for the fundraiser this weekend.”

“It feels like divine punishment that we’re shopping at a place called the White House,” Paula said with a sigh.

“Maybe it’s cosmic destiny,” Blair said as she carried another stack of clothing into the dressing room. “If you see Diane, tell her I’m in here. She went to check out the shoes.”