Original Sin (76 page)

He looked at her sharply. ‘Who said that to you?’

‘It doesn’t matter. All that matters is that I know.’

‘It’s not true,’ he said his voice rising, trembling.

Brooke realized that she still wanted to believe him, she still wanted to believe that Susie and Grace had been lying, but the look in his eyes gave him away. Guilt.

She felt sick with disappointment.

‘That’s why you’re going to Africa,’ she added, suddenly seeing it clearly. ‘You don’t just want to get away from work, from New York, you want to escape from who you’ve become.’

She looked up and was shocked to see that he was crying.

‘Do you know how bad it gets in the hospital?’ he said quietly. ‘When you try to save a child and you can’t? When a twelve–year–old kid dies of a gunshot wound? When a man who has just got engaged and has his whole life ahead of him gets stabbed in the heart by some crazy homeless guy and dies on a table in front of you?’

‘No, no I don’t and I’m sure it’s tough. But it’s no excuse to drink and take out your frustrations on other people. To
hurt
other people,’ she said, her voice raised and trembling.

‘I was no ogre, Brooke. Katie and I argued and once or twice it got out of hand when I’d had too much to drink. I loved my wife.’

‘Don’t dare try and justify it.’

Matt looked at her, then glanced away, walking over to the window.

‘Katie forgave me, you know,’ he said, staring out. ‘We’d separated but I convinced her I’d changed. We went on a holiday to patch things up, but … well, that’s when she died.’

‘And Susie?’

He slammed his fist against the wall. ‘I lost my wife, Brooke!’ he shouted. ‘Forgive me if things haven’t been too easy for me.’

He turned and stepped towards her. She could see the muscles in his jaw flex as he tried to contain his emotion. He took a deep breath.

‘Brooke, I love you.’

He raised his hand to touch her cheek. His knuckles were grazed. She flinched and moved away.

‘Just go, Matt,’ she said calmly.

She walked over to the door and held it open. ‘Please, just go.’

He walked past her, his face bleached with emotion, then paused in the doorway.

‘But what about us, Brooke?’ he asked.

‘There is no us, there never was,’ said Brooke sadly, and closed the door. And in that moment, Brooke realized she was right. And she knew exactly what she had to do.

CHAPTER SIXTY–FIVE

Sitting at the back of Wendell Billington’s Gulfstream, Liz waved away the stewardess offering her a cold glass of Dom Perignon, wishing this whole damned wedding would just hurry up and finish. It didn’t help that she had always imagined she would be flying on this jet alone with him, side by side as business partners and as lovers, yet instead Wendell had graciously lent the G–5 to the Asgill family to fly from New York to Key Biscayne. She looked out through the small porthole window at the carpet of clouds below and curled her fingers into a fist. In four days’ time it would be New Year and, frankly, Liz couldn’t wait. This year had been ghastly and she needed to move on, leave it all behind her. Okay, so Wendell might have pulled out of financing the Skin Plus spin–off but she would find somebody else, she could meet the challenge – she would
enjoy
the challenge – and as soon as this dreadful wedding pantomime was over she would start looking for backers. She might even meet that investor at the wedding.

Glancing down the aisle she saw Brooke engrossed in a magazine and Leonard asleep in a cream leather chair. She was sleepy herself, although the small bed behind her was occupied by a mountainous linen dress bag that contained her sister’s gown. She groaned silently as Meredith stood up and approached her.
Just
what she needed.

‘You’re quiet,’ said Meredith, taking a seat opposite Liz.

Liz smiled thinly. ‘Well the party hasn’t started yet.’

‘Are you sure it’s not because of Rav?’

Liz almost laughed out loud. She had finally killed off that romantic charade a week ago and her mother seemed to think it mattered.

‘Rav and my relationship had run its course,’ she said politely.

‘Well, it was good of Wendell to let us use the jet, wasn’t it?’ said Meredith, changing the conversation.

It stung just to hear his name. She had spent the whole Christmas period feeling numb, emotionally exhausted. If she was honest, Liz had been deeply hurt by Wendell’s rejection. Somehow he had got under her skin and made her drop her guard, then when she was just softening –hell, even considering a relationship, for Christ’s sake – he had delivered his knockout punch. Liz Asgill wasn’t used to being on the canvas, her first instinct was always to go on the offensive; but this time … well, this time she wasn’t sure she knew how to strike back.

‘Wendell’s just asserting his power and financial position by giving us the jet,’ said Liz caustically. ‘He’s reminding us who’s boss.’

Meredith touched her hand on her daughter’s knee. ‘That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.’

Liz felt her back stiffen. ‘If it’s about the financing for Skin Plus, I have two meetings lined up in the new year,’ she said quickly.

‘What I have to tell you may make you reconsider,’ said Meredith. She sat back in her chair and paused.

‘I want you to be CEO of Asgill’s.’

Liz looked at her mother unblinking, not willing to let one trace of emotion show.

‘What about William?’ she said. Her brother had not taken the jet with them. Liz had thought it strange at the time, but now it was beginning to make sense.

‘He is stepping down. I spoke to him yesterday. It’s a very long story, but suffice to say William wants to spend more time with his family.’

Liz wasn’t sure if she had remembered to breathe. ‘What happened?’ she asked.

‘I can’t go into that now. Problems with Paula, shall we say? And he wants to make his marriage his priority from now on.’

She looked at her mother archly. ‘Ah, for one moment I thought it might have something to do with me being better suited for the job.’

‘Don’t be like that, Liz,’ said Meredith impatiently. ‘I thought this was what you’ve always wanted.’

‘Yes. It is what I always wanted, but I’ve never wanted anything by default.’

‘It’s not default, Liz. You’ve always been good enough – the best, in fact – but the company was your brother’s birthright. Maybe he isn’t as ruthless as you, Liz, but as a family, I’ve always hoped we’d be able to work together, using all our skills and talents to make the company as great as it can be. But you’ve never wanted that. It’s always been like a competition for you.’

‘You
made
it a competition, Mother,’ she replied harshly.

Meredith’s cool face showed a flash of hurt and surprise. ‘Is that really how you feel?’

Liz nodded, feeling a dull ache in her chest. ‘It’s always been about the others,’ said Liz, her voice thick, tears welling behind her eyes. ‘It’s always been about Brooke’s beauty, Sean’s charm, William’s so–called birthright.
What about me?
’ she said, thumping her chest with her fist.

She looked away, angry that she’d revealed the burning sense of injustice she’d been carrying around with her for so long, ashamed that her mother had brought her to the edge of tears.

‘You are my most capable child, Elizabeth,’ said Meredith softly.

Liz turned on her. ‘Then why do you reject me?’ she hissed.

‘Because you don’t need me,’ said Meredith quietly.

Liz turned towards the window, closing her eyes, trying to make sense of all these unfamiliar emotions. It was true that Liz had never needed anyone to succeed in the world, but didn’t everyone need to be wanted? She suddenly felt cold and lonely.

Her mother had rejected her because she felt that Liz didn’t need her. Wendell had wanted her, but discarded her because he didn’t need her.

Liz took a deep breath and turned back to Meredith. ‘I’d want to increase my shareholding,’ she said. ‘Build stock options and bonuses into my contract.’

Meredith nodded. ‘As I’d expect.’

Her mother moved back down the plane to speak to the pilot, and Liz sat back in her seat. She should have felt on top of the world, but she just felt empty. Here she was, being handed what she’d always wanted, and yet somehow the victory felt hollow.
Come on, Liz
, she scolded herself. The business was hers, and the business had always meant everything to her. Just for a moment, she thought of Wendell, and a solitary tear escaped down her cheek. She brushed it away angrily. Yes, business meant everything to her. Because it had to.

CHAPTER SIXTY–SIX

Jewel Key wasn’t just a house, it was a private island off the Florida coast, one of the dozens of sandy dots of land that made up the beautiful Keys. In denim shorts and a T–shirt, Tess walked round the island’s perimeter, watching the small ferry that linked Jewel Key to the mainland shuttle back and forth to transport crates and boxes of food and champagne. On the tennis courts, workmen were erecting a huge marquee, while an army of gardeners were manicuring the lush grounds to perfection. As she walked, Tess could also see Wendell’s security team sweeping the area to make sure it was locked–down in preparation for the arrival of VIP guests tomorrow. She thought of Jemma and the way she had infiltrated the security team at the Venus party with a smile, but that inevitably led her on to think of Sean Asgill, and she shook her head to clear the image.

Tess took off her flip–flops and went to sit on an outcrop of rock that jutted into the jade green ocean. It was late afternoon, and the sun was a soft saffron ball sinking low in the pastel sky. She relaxed her shoulders, trying to empty her mind, but it was impossible to unwind. Tess knew she should be happy – the last few months had been a bumpy ride, but she had made it: the wedding would go ahead the day after tomorrow and her job would be done. A barrage of threats from the Billington legal machine had put the lid on the Olivia Martin story being reported further, and Ted Kressler, having received his two–hundred–thousand–dollar cheque, had crawled quietly back under his rock. Even better, Meredith had made noises about giving Tess her bonus and – should she want it – a full–time role on staff once the wedding was over. She’d been a success. So why did she feel such a failure?

She watched a pelican swoop down from the sky, marvelling that it ever got off the ground with that fat body and ridiculous beak. Tess kept trying to think of other things, but of all the thousands of thoughts churning around her mind, she kept returning to one question.
How did Olivia Martin die?

Hearing a scrabbling sound on the rock behind her, she turned. Her heart lurched as she saw it was Sean Asgill.
Him
. It was inevitable their paths would cross at the wedding, of course, and Tess had been preparing herself for this moment, rehearsing what she’d say to him, convincing herself that she was a professional and that she could deal with it. But right now, she wasn’t so sure.

‘Hey,’ he said, sitting down next to her and sweeping his hand through his dirty blonde hair.

‘Hello.’ She managed a weak smile, although her heart was thumping so hard she felt sure he could hear it.
Be normal
, she said to herself.
Make small talk
.

‘When did you get here?’

‘About an hour ago,’ said Sean. ‘I’m staying here. Are you at the hotel?’

Tess nodded, pointing to the exclusive resort a few hundred metres away on the mainland where tomorrow’s rehearsal dinner was being held. They both watched the pelican land on the water with a splash.

‘Marriage, huh?’ said Sean. ‘It’s a big old scary thing.’

Tess said nothing, biting her tongue.

‘Although I guess maybe not if you’re marrying the right person,’ added Sean casually. She looked at him sideways, wanting to scream at his insensitivity, but then reminded herself that he didn’t know she’d found the engagement ring in his bag. Tess wasn’t supposed to know, so she couldn’t complain. Trying to calm herself, she wondered when he was going to propose to Annabel. Maybe he would fly them both down to St Barts after the wedding and do it on New Year’s Eve. Perhaps he’d even do it on the night of the wedding, during the fireworks display, possibly on this very secluded stretch of white beach.
Stop it, Tess
, she thought angrily,
Stop!

‘So how are you?’ he asked.

‘Busy. It looks like I’ll be staying on in New York after the wedding. Not sure what I’ll do yet, though.’

A trace of a frown appeared between his brows. ‘Oh. Well, good luck with it all,’ he said lamely.

She turned away. The lapping ocean reminded her of their time in Maui and yet here they were, only weeks later, talking like virtual strangers.

‘You’d better get back to Annabel,’ she said, throwing a pebble into the water.