Excerpt of Conspiracy Of Silence by Martha Powers

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."