Nora corrected. “But yes, formerly Winchester.”
And she didn’t choke on it. There might be hope for her yet to work through all her anger and disillusionment with her father.
The worker smiled. “There’s a private room set up for the family if you’d like me to show it to you.”
“Oh, yes. Of course.”
How could she have missed that Sutton’s wealth and influence had extended even to the hospital? It had been a long time since Nora had lived the life of a socialite, and even longer since she’d wanted to. But the lure of a private place, away from the crowded hospital, called to her.
Amanda punched in the code on the keypad outside the room and then promised to write it down for her. Nora pushed open the door and nearly gasped, but not over the sumptuously appointed room. Her mother’s house had far more antique rugs and dark, heavy furniture than this place. No, her attention was firmly on the long table lining the wall that held enough food for four Winchester families. The empty bags under the table sported the logo for Iguazu, a new, trendy Argentinian fusion restaurant so hot that Nora had even heard of it back home in Colorado. A couple of uniformed delivery people were still setting up the warming mechanisms for the silver serving trays, so the food had obviously just arrived.
“What is all this?” Nora asked Amanda.
“Someone sent it for the family. Oh—” Amanda rummaged in her pocket “—there’s a note for you.”
Intrigued, Nora accepted the envelope and scooped up Declan with her other arm as he eyed the blue flame under the rolltop chafing dishes. “Thank you.”
Amanda wrote down the keypad code on a sticky note and cheerfully waved as she exited behind the delivery people. Nora sat in one of the overstuffed wingback chairs and wedged Declan in tight so he couldn’t squirm away, then ripped open the envelope.
The typed note was short and to the point: Good food can make anything more bearable.
In closing, the note contained only a simple statement—Cordially Yours. No signature.
Nora’s eyes narrowed as she read over the phrase again. It tickled the edges of her memory and then came to her all at once. It was a phrase that had been a bit of a joke between Nora and a friend—Reid Chamberlain.
Wow. That was a name Nora hadn’t thought about in years. Reid, his brother, Nash, and his sister, Sophia, had gone to the same private schools as the Winchester girls, practically since birth. Reid and Nora were the same age and had often been in the same class. Their parents ran in the elite circles of Chicago society, so it was only natural that they’d seen each other socially, and at boring grown-up events. What else was there for kids to do but bond?
It would have made more sense for Nora to become friends with Sophia, but it hadn’t happened that way. Reid had always been the object of her fascination.
They’d spent a good bit of time getting into trouble together, playing make-believe in the cupboards of each other’s kitchens until the servants chased them out, or getting up a game of hide-and-seek across the expansive Chamberlain estate grounds with their siblings. She’d loved it when they hid in the branches of the same tree, giggling quietly behind their hands when Nash or Gracie stood directly below, frustrated over not being able to find them. For a while, she’d had a bit of a crush on Reid.
But that had been before he grew into his looks and body, both of which put him firmly in the sights of every teenaged socialite-in-training in the greater Chicago area, shoving Nora to the back of the pack. Then Reid had started running with a crowd that worshipped at the altar of money, prestige and fast cars. She didn’t blame him. Ninety-nine percent of the people in her life subscribed to the philosophy of whoever has the most toys at the end wins. They’d grown apart. It happened.
Last she’d heard, Reid Chamberlain had only increased his wealth and prestige through a series of brilliant moves in the hotel industry. He dominated the Chicago market along with a host of other cities.
Surely Reid wasn’t the one who’d sent the smorgasbord. They hadn’t talked in years and the joke involving cordially yours hadn’t been a code of any sort, just something they’d said to each other when they mimicked how grown-ups talked when trying to impress other grown-ups. Lots of people could use the phrase on a regular basis.
Nora texted Eve and in a few moments, the rest of the Winchesters barreled into the private room to see the anonymous gift for themselves. Since she hadn’t eaten in forever, Nora fixed a plate for Declan with a few French fries, his favorite and likely the only thing from the table he’d eat, and then took full advantage of the generosity of their unknown benefactor for herself. The dishes held layers and layers of steaming, mouthwatering food: Argentinian asado-style steak thick with chimichurri sauce, a tray of empanadas, a variety of grilled vegetables and cheeses.
Nora took a bit of everything, intending to go back for more of the dishes she liked the best. Eve and Gracie followed suit as they chatted about the identity of their anonymous friend, but even after a round of seconds, the spread looked like it had barely been touched.
“This food is delicious,” Nora commented. “But it won’t last long and there’s so much of it. We should share it with the staff.”
“That’s a great idea,” Gracie said enthusiastically. “They all work so hard. I wonder how often any of them get to eat at a place like Iguazu, where you have to know someone to get a table. I’ve only been there once and that took some doing. I’ll mention it to Amanda so she can spread the word.”
You needed an “in” to eat at Iguazu? Nora’s intrigue meter shot into the red. Who would have sent food to the Winchester family from such an exclusive place? One of Sutton’s associates? People tolerated Sutton because he was powerful, and sure, lots of them had sent impersonal gifts over the years, but rarely did anyone go out of their way to do something difficult or thoughtful. Even more impressed with the gesture, Nora fingered the note in her pocket.
Nurses, doctors and hospital staff streamed into the room in short order, exclaiming over the feast and thanking the Winchester women for their generosity. Crowd noise increased as people found seats and socialized. Nora’s temples started to pound as the long day of travel caught up with her.
On the other side of the room, Declan had climbed into Gracie’s lap, and she laughed as he stole French fries off her plate, apparently not having stuffed his little face enough with those his mother had given him. Declan was in good hands with his aunt, providing Nora with the perfect opportunity to grab a few minutes to herself.
Nora caught Gracie’s eye and nodded to the door, then held up her palm with her fingers spread, mouthing, “Five minutes?”
Gracie smiled and waved her off.
Gratefully, Nora ducked out and went to the ladies’ room to splash some water on her face. Belatedly, she realized there was probably a private bathroom in the area she’d just left. It had been a while since Nora had lived in her family’s wealthy orbit. She’d never really embraced the privileged lifestyle anyway, even choosing to go to the University of Michigan, a public college, much to her mother’s chagrin. But that was where she’d met Sean, so she’d considered it fate.
Out of nowhere, Reid popped into her head again. He’d gone to Yale, if she recalled correctly. Not that she’d spent a lot of time keeping track of him, but the private high school they’d attended had been small enough that everyone knew everyone else’s business.
