DC By the Book

Excerpt: The Spencer home was like an Ethan Allen showcase, lovely but unloved in. As kids, Rita Jane and Dan had usually played at Dan's house where you could put your feet up on the coffee table and not worry about spilling soda on the sofa. Dan's parents had been public school teachers -- his father had taught science and his mother had taught social studies. Their home swarmed at any given time with cats, dogs, birds, hamsters, and one time they had even had a tarantula. The Spencers has never had a tarantula in their home. Aesthetically, it was a lovely home, a renovated townhouse from the turn of the 20th century located in a desirable section of Georgetown, tastefully decorated with art from around the world.