“I’m a genealogist. I’ve researched most of my ancestors who came from England. They were all as poor as church mice. However when you dig back in those old English lines, you come across fascinating information about the families who descended from kings, lords, earls and the like to build new fortunes in America.
“Every time I come across information like that, I keep it in a special research file for my writing. Most of the wealthy arrivals had banking and shipping interests. Upon reaching our shores, it was common for them to buy large tracts of land on the East Coast.”
“I see,” Drew murmured. “When you filled out the art sheet, did you suggest Ms. Bennett put the picture of a ship and lighthouse on the wall of the hero’s office?”
“No.”
“What about the dog in the picture?”
“No.”
“Will you explain why you inserted a scene in your book where the hero comes across an ancient burial ground and has it designated as an official archaeological site?”
“Yes. When Frontenac came to the Eastern seaboard on an exploration expedition for the King of France, he discovered this was a land filled with the bones of hundreds of thousands of men, women and children who’d died in great battles of extinction long before the white man came here.
“The State of New York is really one massive burial ground. Every so often a farmer is digging in a field and finds the remains of bodies thrown in haphazard piles, the points of their weapons of war still embedded in their bones.
“In Manhattan Merger my hero heads a corporation that develops land, but he’s a man who respects the first inhabitants of this land. That’s why I have him heading a foundation for the preservation of all ancient artifacts, mounds, burial grounds, observatories found in New York.”
“Did you know of the name Payne Sterling when you wrote your novel?”
“I had no knowledge of his name or existence until yesterday when I received a phone call from the company attorney, Ms. Carlow.”
“One last question. Why leukemia?”
“Years ago our daughter died of leukemia. That was something my husband and I couldn’t fix. It was the first thing that came to my mind when I was considering what kind of illness to give my hero.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Wrigley. You may be seated. If Ms. Bennett will please take the stand one more time.”
While Payne sat there mulling over Ms. Wrigley’s answers, the adorable looking artist whose figure transformed the skirt and blouse she was wearing, walked to the front of the courtroom and sat down.
“Ms. Bennett? You’ve done seven other covers with this man’s picture. Why is that?”
“Red Rose Romance has nine lines of books. Each line has a different readership. Of course there are crossovers, meaning peop
le who read more than one line.
“If a certain face is popular, it is used more than once because it sells more books. Every time this man’s face appeared on a cover, the sales climbed, so I was asked to do more pictures. I’ve been told Manhattan Merger is the biggest seller to date.”
“How did you happen to put a ship on the wall of the hero’s office?”
“It seemed logical that a man whose ancestors crossed the ocean and built a shipping empire would have such a picture to remind him of his heritage and his love of the sea.”
“How did you happen to paint that particular ship?”
“I did research to find the right kind of vessel for the time period Ms. Wrigley mentioned in the book.”
“Why the lighthouse too?”
“One of my favorite living artists is Thomas McKnight. He did a surrealistic painting of a lighthouse on Nantucket. I adore that painting.”
Payne happened to love that painting too.
“While I was working on the cover for Manhattan Merger, a lighthouse just sort of slipped in there while I was painting the ship.”
“Explain the reason you put a dog in the picture on his desk.”
“In Ms. Wrigley’s novel, there’s a part where the hero has just found out he’s dying of leukemia. Memories of his past life flash through his mind. One of them is running along the beach with his dog when he was a boy.