Jonathan was disheartened. So much for a romantic evening with Jennifer, he thought. He glanced at her and saw that she was thinking the same thing. George said in a booming voice, "All right then..see you both at 8 :00 in the lounge!" He turned and sauntered toward the bar.

"Sharon, what was the woman’s name - the one who was murdered?" Jennifer asked, still interested in the story.

"Her name was Gloria Cromwell. No one really knows for sure why she spent so much time here. Some people thought she might have been having an affair with Lowell Cabot, the owner of the Wallingford at the time," Sharon offered.

"What a great mystery. It’s a shame that they never solved the murder," Jennifer said, her eyes gazing off into the distance. Jonathan knew that look only too well. He again changed the topic and soon the conversation turned to business. The foursome enjoyed the four-course dinner that was soon brought to the table.

As the Harts parted company with David and Sharon, they made their way back to the room. They were delighted to see that a new bed had been set up for them. Jonathan sat down gingerly, testing the box spring. "I’m sorry I have to go to this bachelor party, darling. It wouldn’t be right if I didn’t go," Jonathan said, as he got up to change into a sweater and khakis.

Jennifer sat down at the writing desk. "I know," she said, sighing. "I’ll just have to find something to do while you’re gone... Do you think we can stay longer this weekend? With the wedding and reception tomorrow, it won’t leave us any time to enjoy the area."

Jonathan walked over and massaged her shoulders. "I don’t see why we couldn’t extend our visit for a few more days," he said, kissing her cheek.

"Thank you, darling," she said, turning to kiss him back. "You’d better get down to the lobby to meet George and ‘the boys’. Stay out of trouble now, okay?" she smirked.

Jonathan made his way down the hallway to the front lobby. As he passed through a set of doors, a woman stepped out into his path. "Jonathan Hart?" she said smoothly, extending a hand. Jonathan smiled handsomely and furrowed his brow, in the dashing way he did whenever meeting someone new.

"I’m Katherine Belleveau. I’m the owner of Wallingford Hotel," she said, smiling seductively. She was a beautiful woman with wavy, black hair that hung to her shoulders.

Her dark eyes were framed by a porcelain complexion, and she looked much younger than her forty-five years. She wore a low-cut red dress that accentuated her hourglass figure. "I wanted to personally welcome you to the hotel. I hope you’re finding everything to your liking."

"Yes. My wife and I are enjoying our stay. The dining is top-notch," Jonathan said.

"Excellent.... I’m sorry about the bed. I trust we’ve made a suitable replacement."

Jonathan smiled sheepishly. "Yes," he laughed.

"Well, then, it looks like you’re on your way somewhere. I won’t hold you up, but I would like you to be my guest for breakfast tomorrow morning. I have a business proposition for you. Would you entertain the idea?" she smiled demurely.

"Well...I don’t see why not," Jonathan said hesitantly. He was disappointed that he wouldn’t be having breakfast in bed with his wife.

"Oh, by the way, my wife and I found some items - personal belongings it looks like - in our room. They’re very old. We found them under the bed actually. There was a letter-opener and a ring, antiques probably. We wondered if you knew who they belonged to...or if we should turn them over to the historical society," Jonathan said.

Katherine thought for a moment and then said, "May I see them?"

"Well, I left them in my room. I’m late for a bachelor party right now, but I’d be happy to bring them with me tomorrow morning."

"Very well. Meet me here in my office suite at 8:00 a.m."

Jennifer kicked off her shoes and stretched out on the bed, thinking about what she wanted to do in New Hampshire for the next few days. Suddenly, she remembered the pouch that they had found. It was still in Jonathan’s coat pocket. They had forgotten to seek out the manager, as they had intended. Jennifer walked over to where Jonathan’s jacket lay and pulled out the pouch. She went over to the desk and took out the items again. The letter-opened definitely belonged to a woman, Jennifer thought. It had a delicate floral pattern around the handle. She took out the ring and put it on her finger. It was big and rather plain looking, except for its inscription. Jennifer studied it again and then her heart skipped a beat: Could GC be Gloria Cromwell, the very woman that Sharon had told them about?

Jennifer sat, biting her lower lip, excited at the possibility. Perhaps these items were Gloria Cromwell’s and perhaps she was in love with the owner, as Sharon had suggested. Jennifer wondered if Gloria or Gloria’s lover had hidden these items in the bed.

She couldn’t wait for Jonathan to return to share her ideas about the connection. Perhaps they wouldn’t turn the items over just yet.

Jennifer then took a warm, soapy bath and called room service for some hot tea.

As she sipped on the tea, she perused several books in the bookcase above the desk. There were mostly classics - Dickens, Bronte, and Hemingway - nothing Jennifer felt like getting into at the moment. Besides, she was beginning to feel very sleepy and doubted she could even keep her eyes open for a few pages. Wearily, Jennifer took off her robe and slipped into bed. She had wanted to stay up for Jonathan, but her eyes felt so heavy that she succumbed easily.

Jonathan met up with David, George, and several other friends and colleagues in the lounge. George ushered them all into a private function room in the back of the hotel, proud that he was able to secure it for them at the last minute. He intended to have fun, especially since he was free from Carol for the evening. She had been nagging at him about his drinking, and he didn’t care for her attitude. This was a friend’s wedding, after all, he thought, and he had every damn right to enjoy himself. He had quite an evening lined up too.

"Hey, now, no offense David, but it’s great to get away from the wives, isn’t it?!" George said, passing cigars around the room. David laughed politely. Jonathan looked around at the other men. They too were all married, happily, as far as he knew.

A disc jockey set up in the back of the room and began playing some old tunes that were familiar to most of the men. The bar was open and Jonathan noticed that George was already fairly drunk. Thankfully he doesn’t have to drive home tonight, thought Jonathan.

David, Jake Mannington, and Gary Abramson took a seat at a table, talking and enjoying the Sinatra songs in the background. Jake and Gary were engineers at Hart Industries as well, and the three were very good friends. Jonathan found himself moving from group to group, working on his scotch, and catching bits and pieces of conversation. His mind kept wandering back to Jennifer, and he hoped that she would be waiting up for him.

"Oh, hey, I’ve got some more entertainment lined up for tonight," George bellowed across the smoke-filled room. He opened a back door and waved in two scantily-clad women. A few of the men whistled. Many were only too eager to get a close-up look. The women smiled, waved, and blew kisses. They knew their act well and quickly had the men sitting around them as they began dancing. The disc jockey replaced his previous selections with something suitable for the occasion. Jake Mannington got up and started dancing with one of the women, much to the knee-slapping amusement of his colleagues. Jonathan stood near the back of the group, laughing along.

"DJ! Put on ‘The Stripper’!!!" George yelled to the back of the room. Without skipping a beat, the women launched into a strip-tease, bouncing and strutting their way around the floor. George began shouting, "Take it off!" Many of the men joined in.

Jonathan made his way back over to the bar for another drink. By the time he returned, the women were barely covered. Jonathan sat down next to David, who was blushing madly.

The women came over to David and Jonathan and began moving their breasts in front of them. Jonathan smiled at David, both sharing the same thought: they would rather be with their own women than here.

George swallowed down the rest of his drink and shouted, "C’mon Jonathan, give her a squeeze!" The woman dancing in front of him moved in closer and start licking her lips. The guys howled with laughter. Jonathan shook his head, smiling. George continued, "We won’t tell Jennifer! Go ahead and give it to her!" Jonathan winked at the woman politely and shook his head. George didn’t let up. "All right then, pretend it’s Jennifer and give it to her!" he said, pleased with himself.

Jonathan was an easy-going man, but George had definitely crossed the line. He shot George a glance that every man in the room understood. Even the dancer began backing away and seeking out another victim. By the end of the evening, George was so drunk that David and two others had to help him back to his room. At 2:00 a.m., Jonathan returned to the hotel room. Jennifer was fast asleep. He undressed and hopped into bed, hoping that she would awaken. He snuggled close to her and listened to the sound of her breathing. He sighed wearily, thinking about the breakfast appointment he had made with Katherine Belleveau.

The morning sun shone through the windows as Jennifer opened her eyes. She turned and smiled at her sleeping husband. Not wanting to wake him after a long night, she slipped out of bed and showered. Then, she put on a silk teddy and climbed back into bed with him. "Good morning, darling," she said into his ear, as she ran her fingers through his chest hair. Jonathan slowly opened his eyes and smiled at Jennifer. "Mmmmmm."

"Did you have fun last night?" she asked, seductively.

"Let’s see...there was plenty to drink, fine cigars, Sinatra tunes...and oh, yes, dancing naked ladies...yes, I had fun," he said, still smiling. Jennifer sat up, pouting.

"Naked ladies?" she asked. He loved the way her bottom lip dropped when she pouted. "Well, what time did you get back to the room?"

"Oh, two or three I think."

"Well, it’s 7:15 now...do you want to sleep later, or do you want to spend some quality time with your wife?"

Jonathan’s eyes opened wide. "It’s 7:15?! Oh, no, I’ve got to get going," he said, jumping out of bed and running into the bathroom. "I’m sorry, darling," he shouted from the shower, "I have a breakfast meeting with the hotel owner...I just made the appointment last night...do you want to come too?"

"Oh, Jonathan, you didn’t!" Jennifer said, annoyed. She was losing her patience with the constant interruptions in their vacation. "No. I’ll go looking for someone who would like to spend time with me," she said rather icily, but he didn’t hear her with the water running.

Katherine Belleveau was looking forward to her meeting with Jonathan Hart. It had been a remarkable stroke of luck for her that he was staying at the Wallingford. The hotel was in serious financial straits, and Katherine desperately needed an investor to bring the hotel back on its feet. The recession of the 1980’s had hit the hotel industry hard and the Wallingford was no exception. She was sure that the Wallingford could rebound nicely with an infusion of cash. Jonathan Hart had all the right stuff: He was rich, and he was known to bail out struggling enterprises. Katherine knew she had to do whatever it took to convince him to invest. Of course, the fact that he was incredibly handsome made the job even more palatable. At 8:00, Jonathan knocked on her door.

"Good morning," he grinned. Katherine couldn’t help but notice the dashing way that he smiled. She was also flattered that he came to meet her in a suit. Katherine was a smart and conservative business woman who did not tolerate young men who had made their fortunes overnight. She despised their lack of appropriate business attire, as well as their lack of formality. Jonathan Hart was smart and saavy and she knew it.

"Thank you for coming, Mr. Hart," Katherine said, ushering him to a breakfast table set for the two of them. "How was your party last night?"

Jonathan’s stomach growled at the sight of the magnificent breakfast before him.

"Oh, it was fun, thank you."

"I’m glad...You’re here for the Talbot wedding, is that right? You can be assured that everything is ready for this evening’s reception. I’ve seen to it myself."

Jonathan nodded appreciatively, as he reached for a fresh croissant. "The food is incredible," he said as he began satisfying his empty stomach. Katherine handed him some pastries. The way to a man’s heart, she mused. "You had a business proposition?"

Jonathan asked, while sipping his coffee.

"Yes," she paused, measuring her words carefully. "As I’m sure you’re aware, Mr. Hart, the Wallingford caters to a distinguished clientele. We offer the finest service available and five-star cuisine in an old-world setting, which is extremely rare in this country." She poured Jonathan more coffee and continued. "I’ll be honest with you - during the past decade the Wallingford has struggled to meet its high standards. We incurred tremendous debts during the 1980’s and we’ve not been able to get back on our feet. I fear that the Wallingford may not be able to survive the next decade...not without a friendly hand."

Jonathan sat back in his chair and pondered Ms. Belleveau’s plight. It was not the first time that he had been asked to rescue a sinking ship. Jonathan was very shrewd when it came to his investments, and he wanted to consider it carefully. "You need an investor," he stated plainly. She nodded, looking him directly in the eye. "I’ll need to see your financials, of course, and review your profit and loss statements."

Katherine sat forward, allowing some cleavage to show. She liked the way Jonathan Hart operated. She could use a man like this in her life - his head, his wallet, and his good looks. She wondered if his marriage was solid. She made a mental note to find out.

Jennifer dressed and headed down to the restaurant. As she walked down the hallway, she passed the bellboy who grinned broadly at her. "Is the new bed working out?" he asked. "Ah...yes," she replied smirking, feeling the heat on her cheeks. Word travels fast, she figured.

George Stinson spotted Jennifer as she entered the diningroom. He motioned for her to join him and Carol. "Hey, now, where’s Jonathan? Don’t tell me he has a big head after last night?" George asked, winking at her.

Jennifer laughed. "No, he did recover from the party. He has a morning meeting with the owner of the hotel actually,’ she said, taking a seat. Carol was unusually quiet.

Jennifer noticed that she seemed preoccupied.

George raised his eyebrows. "You mean you let him alone with Katherine Belleveau?" Jennifer looked puzzled. He continued, "Katherine is the owner of the Wallingford, and oh, baby!" Carol gave George an icy look. "Don’t worry honey, Katherine only goes for the Big Cheese types."

Jennifer shifted in her chair. She was not happy that she was dining without Jonathan.

Jonathan spent a good part of the morning reviewing the Wallingford’s financial papers. He was actually quite impressed at how Katherine had managed to hold things together for so long. He had to admire her determination. He sat back to stretch his legs and noticed Katherine staring at him.