May 28 The Templeton house was ablaze with lights. Chinese lanterns were strewn all around the gardens and the lawns. The pool reflected the colored shades with a mesmerizing beauty. The people in attendance were decked out in splendor, too, the men in tuxedos, the women in silks and satins and velvets, some demure, some startling, all created by the most famous designers. It was a Washington society party, and society was there in force. The president wasn’t in attendance, so the place wasn’t crawling with security, but there were a number of congressmen present, so Amber knew that some of the men moving around the room were probably security. She hadn’t really wanted to come to this party, but her father had asked her, and despite her wealth and popularity and importance, Helen Templeton was one of the nicest women Amber had ever met. It was just that she was anxious to leave—she and Josie and Myra were due to start their vacation late the next day, and she still hadn’t packed.
