There was no hesitation. ‘Yes. Oh, yes, my love!’
He picked her up and carried her into the bedroom, and moments later they were in bed, naked, and Jan was saying, ‘You don’t know how much I’ve missed you, darling.’
‘I must have been out of my mind …’
Jan pressed close to his naked body and moaned. ‘Oh! This feels so wonderful.’
‘It’s because we belong together.’ Oliver sat up. ‘Let’s tell your father the news.’
She looked at him, surprised. ‘Now?’
‘Yes.’
And I’m going to have to tell Leslie.
Fifteen minutes later Jan was speaking to her father. ‘Oliver and I are going to be married.’
‘That’s wonderful news, Jan. I couldn’t be more surprised or delighted. By the way, the mayor of Paris is an old friend of mine. He’s expecting your call. He’ll marry you there. I’ll make sure everything’s arranged.’
‘But –’
‘Put Oliver on.’
‘Just a minute, Father.’ Jan held out the phone to Oliver. ‘He wants to talk to you.’
Oliver picked up the phone. ‘Todd?’
‘Well, my boy, you’ve made me very happy. You’ve done the right thing.’
‘Thank you. I feel the same way.’
‘I’m arranging for you and Jan to be married in Paris. And when you come home, you’ll have a big church wedding here. At the Calvary Chapel.’
Oliver frowned. ‘The Calvary Chapel? I – I don’t think that’s a good idea, Todd. That’s where Leslie and I … Why don’t we –?’
Senator Davis’s voice was cold. ‘You embarrassed my daughter, Oliver, and I’m sure you want to make up for that. Am I right?’
There was a long pause. ‘Yes, Todd. Of course.’
‘Thank you, Oliver. I look forward to seeing you in a few days. We have a lot to talk about … governor …’
The Paris wedding was a brief civil ceremony in the mayor’s office. When it was over, Jan looked at Oliver and said, ‘Father wants to give us a church wedding at the Calvary Chapel.’
Oliver hesitated, thinking about Leslie and what it would do to her. But he had come too far to back down now. ‘Whatever he wants.’
Oliver could not get Leslie out of his mind. She had done nothing to deserve what he had done to her. I’ll call her and explain. But each time he picked up the telephone, he thought: How can I explain? What can I tell her? And he had no answer. He had finally gotten up the nerve to call her, but the press had gotten to her first, and he had felt worse afterward.
The day after Oliver and Jan returned to Lexington, Oliver’s election campaign went back into high gear. Peter Tager had set all the wheels in motion, and Oliver became ubiquitous again on television and radio and in the newspapers. He spoke to a large crowd at the Kentucky Kingdom Thrill Park and headed a rally at the Toyota Motor Plant in Georgetown. He spoke at the twenty-thousand-square-foot mall in Lancaster. And that was only the beginning.
Peter Tager arranged for a campaign bus to take Oliver around the state. The bus toured from Georgetown down to Stanford and stopped at Frankfort … Versailles … Winchester … Louisville. Oliver spoke at the Kentucky Fairground and at the Exposition Center. In Oliver’s honor, they served burgoo, the traditional Kentucky stew made of chicken, veal, beef, lamb, pork, and a variety of fresh vegetables cooked in a big kettle over an open fire.
Oliver’s ratings kept going up. The only interruption in the campaign had been Oliver’s wedding. He had seen Leslie at the back of the church, and he had had an uneasy feeling. He talked about it with Peter Tager.
‘You don’t think Leslie would try to do anything to hurt me, do you?’
‘Of course not. And even if she wanted to, what could she do? Forget her.’
Oliver knew that Tager was right. Things were moving along beautifully. There was no reason to worry. Nothing could stop him now. Nothing.
On election night, Leslie Stewart sat alone in her apartment in front of her television set, watching the returns. Precinct by precinct, Oliver’s lead kept mounting. Finally, at five minutes before midnight, Governor Addison appeared on television to make his concession speech. Leslie turned off the set. She stood up and took a deep breath.
Weep no more, my lady,
Oh, weep no more today!
We will sing one song for the old Kentucky home,
For the old Kentucky home far away.
It was time.
Senator Todd Davis was having a busy morning. He had flown into Louisville from the capital for the day, to attend a sale of Thoroughbreds.
‘You have to keep up the bloodlines,’ he told Peter Tager, as they sat watching the splendid-looking horses being led in and out of the large arena. ‘That’s what counts, Peter.’
A beautiful mare was being led into the center of the ring. ‘That’s Sail Away,’ Senator Davis said. ‘I want her.’
The bidding was spirited, but ten minutes later, when it was over, Sail Away belonged to Senator Davis.
The cellular phone rang. Peter Tager answered it. ‘Yes?’ He listened a moment, then turned to the senator. ‘Do you want to talk to Leslie Stewart?’
Senator Davis frowned. He hesitated a moment, then took the phone from Tager.
‘Miss Stewart?’
‘I’m sorry to bother you, Senator Davis, but I wonder if I could see you? I need a favor.’
‘Well, I’m flying back to Washington tonight, so –’
‘I could come and meet you. It’s really important.’
Senator Davis hesitated a moment. ‘Well, if it’s that important, I can certainly accommodate you, young lady. I’ll be leaving for my farm in a few minutes. Do you want to meet me there?’
‘That will be fine.’
‘I’ll see you in an hour.’
‘Thank you.’
Davis pressed the END button and turned to Tager. ‘I was wrong about her. I thought she was smarter than that. She should have asked me for money before Jan and Oliver got married.’ He was thoughtful for a moment, then his face broke into a slow grin. ‘I’ll be a son of a bitch.’
‘What is it, Senator?’
‘I just figured out what this urgency is all about. Miss Stewart has discovered that she’s pregnant with Oliver’s baby and she’s going to need a little financial help. It’s the oldest con game in the world.’
One hour later, Leslie was driving onto the grounds of Dutch Hill, the senator’s farm. A guard was waiting outside the main house. ‘Miss Stewart?’
‘Yes.’
‘Senator Davis is expecting you. This way, please.’
He showed Leslie inside, along a wide corridor that led to a large paneled library crammed with books. Senator Davis was at his desk, thumbing through a volume. He looked up and rose as Leslie entered.
‘It’s