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at forty-four. It was a very big surprise to my father."

She looked at me.

I was afraid to speak, afraid she might stop. "Soon after she announced she was pregnant,

your father came into our lives. He was always a sly

one, looking for some opportunity. My father was just

as sly in some ways. He drew him in like a spider,

giving him bigger and bigger investments to handle. "Howard proposed to me and my father. . . my

father came to me and practically begged me to marry

him. My mother left for a while and gave birth to you

and Howard and I adopted you," she said quickly. "I

guess it was all part of the deal. I guess you could say

my father sold you and me to Howard in a neat little

inheritance-wrapped package. And don't think your

father didn't throw that back at me when this all happened," she added with fury in her eyes. "He threatened to tell everyone about your birth, our marriage. It was pure blackmail. Otherwise, I would hav

e seen him put in some jail cell and had the key thrown

away."

"My grandmother was really my mother?" I

asked incredulously.

She spun on me.

"You wanted to know everything. Now you

know. You see why God told Adam and Eve not to

eat of the Tree of Knowledge? Sometimes, you're

better off in ignorance."

I stared at her.

"We're . . . sisters? Is that what you're telling

me?" She took a-deep breath and looked out the

window again.

"Half-sisters. Toward the end of his days, my

father told me he was convinced he wasn't your

father."