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stop taking responsibility for her mother’s behavior. Or apologizing for herattitudes. To her mother, servants were servants and anyone not a family member was a potential servant.
    It wasn’t a race thing, it was a privilege thing. Or maybe it was both, Ashley didn’t know anymore, she was suddenly so tired. Nonnie’s sagging couch and the beautiful crazy quilts Ashley had helped her make when she was a kid beckoned.
    She sought some refuge, wondering if after surviving kidnapping by pirates, she’d be done in by her own mother.

Chapter 5
     
    Standing over the old stove in the galley kitchen, Brody stirred the chicken soup. The noodles whirled in a small hurricane caused by his spoon. He took his time, watching the noodles because he could hear, very clearly through the white swing door, what was happening in the living room.
    “Did they hurt you?” Patty asked, and he winced. Not her best opener, though in her defense, a warm bedside manner had never been Patty’s strong suit.
    “No, actually, I fell down the stairs. Ran into a door.”
    Brody smiled. Jet-lagged and concussed, Ashley still had it in her to go a few rounds with Patty Montgomery.
    “Harrison led me to believe you were in shambles, but clearly if you can be sarcastic you must be feeling better.”
    “I’m … sorry. For the most part no. They didn’t hurt me. This … this happened at the end.”
    “Your brother and father worked very hard to get you free,” Patty said. “It hasn’t been easy.”
    “I don’t imagine it was.” Ashley sounded so tired and he wondered, as he had a million times in the year he worked for the family, if Ashley hadn’t been switched at birth when she was born.
    It was the only thing that made sense.
    “Why were you even out there?”
    “It’s a vacation spot, Mom. The Seychelles are full of rich people doing what we were doing, hiring boats fora tour of the islands. We had no way of knowing the crew had connections to the pirates—”
    “No, I don’t suppose you did. You never do seem to see the potential mistakes until you’re making them.”
    “I was kidnapped. I didn’t go running into their arms. I didn’t ask to be beaten and kicked. I can’t believe you are finding a way to make this my fault.”
    “I’m not,” Patty replied with a heavy sigh that said
Of course it’s your fault.
“But we need to talk about what we’re going to do next.”
    “Next?” Ashley asked. “I’m going to have some soup and take a nap.”
    “Your friend who was kidnapped with you—”
    “Kate? Someone has heard from her?”
    “Your brother. She’s making an announcement to the English press on Monday. I’m sure she’s going to mention your name. Now, in an effort to control the negative fallout to this … announcement, you are going to give a press conference here, tomorrow morning.”
    He glanced at the door. She had to be kidding. Ashley was in no shape for a press conference. Despite her brave face, she was running on fumes, and the real horror of all that had happened to her hadn’t even set in yet. The next twenty-four hours were going to be a brutal emotional mess for her.
    “You’re not serious.”
    “I am.”
    “I can’t … no.”
    “There is no no, here, Ashley. Your father’s approval rating is dismal, your brother’s election is in three months, and should people hear of this from outside sources we will lose our chance to control the story. Your ransom was a lot of money, and people have questions. So, we have to get in front of this now, or risk Harrison’s run for Congress.”
    “Mom, please—”
    “It will be brief. Noelle has a draft of your comments. You will read the statement, answer a few questions—”
    “Questions? Mom, I have a concussion!”
    “Just a few.
The Times, The Wall Street Journal,
and of course
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
We are still waiting to hear back from the international press. Fifteen reporters, tops.”
    “Mom—”
    “Twenty