Carol had accepted that it would be difficult for her to earn Brian's favor. So, she decided it would be a good idea to visit Brian's mother, Kate Grace.

Kate was a brilliant, gorgeous woman. She was also highly intelligent, having completed years of postgraduate study, she was highly respected in her field and recently returned from a fellowship at a European university.

She had chosen to divorce Simon many years ago, after learning of his affairs with other women. Although Simon had exerted himself to make up with Kate, he had been unable to change her mind.

As Simon felt guilty about it, he had always treated Brian very...