My unattached existence made me the ideal equalizer of bumps and scratches in our corporate armor.I never counted Dallas among my favorite cities.That...surely wasn't Dallas' fault. It always seemed to bask and sparkle in the southern sun whenever my plane landed. It was big, and shining — overwhelming in the long honored Texan way. But it would never touch the strings of my heart. My loss, I'm sure.It seems, though, that everything the city lacked was made up for by the Belmont hotel. Whenever. " I can't keep up with all these new political parties. Whatever happened to the old certainties, Eric?" The electorate is perverse, my lord. They would prefer to be represented by a rabble of pretty much identical pinko political parties rather than by a sensible choice between a strong Conservative government and a weak coalition of Greens and Socialists." You were never one of those who liked it when the Tories merged with the Liberals, were you?" It only served to further compromise an. The conversation had been simple. Phil asked about Kat's visit with me, and she reeled off a dozen things she'd done. Then she'd steered the subject in another direction by asking about people I'd never heard of and they brought her up to date on them and others. At ten I had decided that going to bed precipitously was probably the best way to avoid Caitlin wanting to "say goodnight" to me in some dangerous way, so I just stood and told them I was bushed and was hitting the sack.I wasn't tired. I am going to stop this nonsense for once and all. In fact I want you there. I am going to put to rest those "ghosts" and you," he lightly swatted Smeralda's bottom, "are going to marry me. If being your lover allows you to pull this stunt on me, we'll see what happens when I put my ring on your finger. Impatient little witch!" Rachel!" Smeralda's cry echoed in the cavernous hall. Rachel shook her head as she followed her father and the struggling Smerelda down the stairs, through the house,.