Prologue
Clare Prentice sat on the edge of the examination
table, the blue hospital gown tied at her neck. Her fingers
folded the edge of the gown in pleats where it lay across
her thighs. She shivered as the air vent above her came on
and she pulled the gown closed where it gaped against her
bare back.
Although she was in the office for her scheduled
physical, she was also waiting to hear the results of the
needle biopsy. Ever since she found the lump, all she could
think about was the death of her mother two years earlier
of breast cancer. She didn't know how much heredity played
in the disease, but she had to admit that there was a
leaden feeling in her stomach when she thought about it.
She twisted the engagement ring on her finger, trying
to concentrate on happier thoughts, but fear crowded out
any belief in the future. She was sorry she had insisted on
coming alone when Doug had volunteered to come with her.
Perhaps it was her need to feel in control that had made
her refuse his support. In five months they would be
married and then she would feel that he should be at her
side, but for now she felt her medical problems were her
own to solve.
She'd waited a year after her mother died before she
accepted Doug's proposal. He'd been so patient but now that
she had agreed he wanted to move ahead so quickly that at
times she balked. She had agreed to the big wedding even
though she would have preferred something much more
private. His mother had explained since Clare had no family
to provide for her, she and Doug's father wished to welcome
her into the Kitridge clan in great style.
She wondered what her mother Rose would have thought
of the lavish arrangements. Rose hadn't been pleased when
she started dating Doug. She disapproved of the public
lifestyle his family lived and was clearly upset after
Clare's picture appeared in the newspaper when she
accompanied him to some society function. Despite her
grumbling, Clare hoped Rose would be looking down on her
with approval on her wedding day.
Footsteps sounded in the hall and Clare straightened
up as the door opened. Dr. Paula Craig squinted over her
bifocals as she bustled into the room.
"You look like the living dead." Dr. Craig dropped
Clare's medical folder on the desk and settled on the stool
facing Clare. "I don't mean to make light of this, but I
can see you've worked yourself into a real panic. I have
all your tests here and you're fine. You're absolutely
fine."
Clare didn't realize she was holding her breath until
she heard the whistling sound of her exhale. "Are you sure?"
"What kind of a doctor do you think I am?" the older
woman grinned as she brushed a hand across her close-
cropped gray hair. "Of course I'm sure. I've looked over
all the reports. Mammogram, ultrasound, breast MRI and the
needle biopsy. You have nothing to worry about."
Clare sagged, pressing her knees together to keep her
legs from shaking. It took a moment before she could speak.
"You're right, Dr. Craig. I've been imagining the
worst. I remember what mother went through and I was just
plain scared."
"I suppose you couldn't help but think about Rose. She
died so young. Fifty-seven. But in your case the news is
all good." She reached out and patted Clare's
knee. "You'll make a beautiful bride and if you keep up
your healthy lifestyle you'll live to be a crabby old lady
like me. When's the wedding?"
"In July." Clare could feel the joy beginning to seep back
into her body as she thought about the possibility of a
full life ahead with Doug.
"Five months. That's good. Before you get married I
recommend you do a little research into your family
history. It would be good to know if there are any medical
issues in your background."
"That could be hard," Clare said, biting her lip. "My
father died before I was three and I have no memory of him
at all. Neither he nor my mother had any family that I know
of."
"I don't mean your father and Rose, dear," Dr. Craig
said. "You need to look into the medical history of your
biological parents."
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