“Right.”
Five minutes later, they pulled up in front of the hotel.
“Enjoy Boston, lady.”
“Thank you.” Am I going to enjoy it, or will it be a disaster? Julia paid the driver and went into the hotel. She approached the young clerk behind the desk.
“Hello,” he said. “May I help you?”
“I’d like a room, please.”
“Single?”
“Yes.”
“How long will you be staying?”
She hesitated. An hour? Ten years? “I don’t know.” “Right.” He checked the key rack. “I have a nice single for you on the fourth floor.” “Thank you.” She signed the register in a neat hand. JULIA STANFORD.
The clerk handed her a key. “There you are. Enjoy your stay.”
The room was small, but neat and clean. As soon as Julia unpacked, she telephoned Sally.
“Julia? My God! Where are you?”
“I’m in Boston.”
“Are you all right?” She sounded hysterical.
“Yes. Why?”
“Someone came to the apartment, looking for you, and I think he wanted to kill you!”
“What are you talking about?”
“He had a knife and…you should have seen the look on his face…” She was gasping for breath. “When he found out I wasn’t you, he ran!”
“I don’t believe it!”
“He said he was with A. C. Nielsen, but I called their office, and they never heard of him! Do you know anyone who would want to harm you?”
“Of course not, Sally! Don’t be ridiculous! Did you call the police?”
“I did. But there wasn’t much they could do except tell me to be more careful.”
“Well, I’m just fine, so don’t worry.”
She heard Sally take a deep breath. “All right. As long as you’re okay. Julia?”
“Yes.”
“Be careful, will you?”
“Of course.” Sally and her imagination! Who in the world would want to kill me?
“Do you know when you’re coming back?”
The same kind of question the clerk had asked her. “No.”
“You’re there to see your family, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Good luck.”
“Thanks, Sally.”
“Keep in touch.”
“I will.”
Julia replaced the receiver. She stood there, wondering what to do next. If I had any brains, I would get back on the bus and go home. I’ve been stalling. Did I come to Boston to see the sights? No. I came here to meet my family. Am I going to meet them? No…Yes….
She sat on the edge of the bed, her mind in a turmoil. What if they hate me? I must not think that. They’re going to love me, and I’m going to love them. She looked at the telephone and thought, Maybe it would be better if I called them. No. Then they might not want to see me. She went to the closet and selected her best dress. If I don’t do it now, I’ll never do it, Julia decided.
Thirty minutes later, she was in a taxi on her way to Rose Hill to meet her family.
Chapter Twenty-four
Tyler was staring at Clark in disbelief. “Julia Stanford…is here?”
“Yes, sir.” There was a puzzled tone in the butler’s voice. “But it isn’t the same Miss Stanford who was here earlier.”
Tyler forced a smile. “Of course not. I’m afraid it’s an impostor.”
“An impostor, sir?”
“Yes. They’ll be coming out of the woodwork, Clark, all claiming a right to the family fortune.”
“That’s terrible, sir. Shall I call the police?”
“No,” Tyler said quickly. That was the last thing he wanted. “I’ll handle it. Send her into the library.”
“Yes, sir.”
Tyler’s mind was racing. So the real Julia Stanford had finally showed up. It was fortunate that none of the other members of the family was home at the moment. He would have to get rid of her immediately.
Tyler walked into the library. Julia was standing in the middle of the room, looking at a portrait of Harry Stanford. Tyler stood there a moment, studying the woman. She was beautiful. It was too bad that…
Julia turned around and saw him. “Hello.”
“Hello.”
“You’re Tyler.”
“That’s right. Who are you?”
Her smile faded. “Didn’t…? I’m Julia Stanford.”
“Really? You’ll forgive my asking, but do you have any proof of that?”
“Proof? Well, yes…I…that is…no proof. I just assumed—”