Original Sin (81 page)

‘You
murdered
her!’ she howled, slamming her fist onto the leather top of the desk.

‘I’m your brother. I just wanted to fix it,’ he roared.

‘Fix it? You ruined everything!’

Tess was frozen to the spot, wishing more than anything she was back in the safe, secure newsroom of the
Globe
, writing up this story, not witnessing it. She had come here to confront Leonard, to get the truth, but now she was intruding on some horrendous private tragedy. Just then Leonard pitched forward and she saw his hand grip the desk. Instantly she knew something was wrong. Even in the soft light of the study, Tess could see that colour had bleached completely out of his face. He let out a strangled cry, his right–hand side shuddered, and his features contorted in agony. His body was beginning to slide down the leather of the chair. Tess jumped forward, trying to help him back up.

‘Meredith, help me,’ she grunted, but the older woman simply turned and walked out of the room, leaving Tess to pull Leonard’s heavy body back into the chair as best she could. Leonard’s mouth had drooped open, his limbs dangling at the sides of the chair, but his eyes looked alive and frightened. He tried to cry out but his voice sounded as if it had been filtered through a muffler.

Tess ran to the door. ‘Help!’ she screamed, ‘Someone, please!’

Then she snatched up the desk phone and called 911, praying it was not too late.

*

Throughout the night, word spread quickly through the hotels and houses around Jewel Cay that the wedding between Brooke Asgill and David Billington had been called off. The area was packed with media who were there to cover the nuptials and, although the Billington security team had managed to cordon off the area opposite the cay, few of the press missed the medical helicopter swooping down to the Asgill house at around eleven p.m.

When news reports started circulating that Brooke Asgill had been taken seriously ill, Tess hastily arranged a press conference for seven a.m. the next morning to clear up the error.

By six thirty, there were at least one hundred and fifty journalists in the gardens of the Pelicano hotel, gathered around a hastily erected podium.

Tess rubbed her eyes and threw a petrol–strong espresso down her throat. After everything that had happened over the last eight hours, she should have been running off pure adrenaline, especially as she had uncovered the biggest story of her life; but sadness and concern for the family was weighing her down.

She watched the ripple of activity as Liz Asgill stepped up to the podium and pulled out a single sheet of paper from her pocket. She was so calm and composed, it was as if she was unaware of the scores of jostling, shouting reporters and film crews in front of her. With everyone in the family rattled, Liz was the perfect choice for reading the statement.
An earthquake couldn’t unsettle her
, Tess thought. She’d heard the rumour that Liz was taking over from William as CEO of Asgill’s and that seemed eminently fitting. Wasn’t it John Donne who had written that ‘No man is an island’? But not everyone needed someone, mused Tess, watching her. Some men – or women – just needed some
thing
, and Liz had the business.
I hope you’ll both be very happy together
, she thought with a smile.

‘Thank you all for coming, ladies and gentlemen,’ began Liz, with the sincere tone of a seasoned politician. ‘As you all probably know by now, the wedding between Brooke Asgill and David Billington has been postponed. I will now read a short statement from my sister and her fiancé: ‘Due to the sudden hospitalization of Brooke’s uncle, Leonard Asgill, a few hours ago, we have decided that it is not appropriate for the wedding to proceed as scheduled. We thank you for your good wishes and wish Leonard a speedy recovery.’

Liz looked out at the sea of expectant faces. ‘Questions?’ she said.

A pushy blonde with a microphone stood up. ‘Is the wedding postponed or off altogether?’

Liz shot her a withering look. ‘Postponed.’

A tall man in a loud tie waved a notebook. ‘Is the rumour true that Leonard Asgill was attacked by a member of his family?’

Tess laughed quietly.

‘Absolutely not,’ said Liz with the right note of surprise and disapproval. ‘Unfortunately my uncle has not been in the best of health lately. I can’t say anything more at the present, but his condition is stable.’

Suddenly a dozen questions were being shouted out at once. Liz calmly raised a hand. ‘No more questions, please. Both the Asgill and Billington families would be grateful if you’d respect their privacy at this time.’

Tess slipped off as quietly as she could. There was little point staying at the Pelicano, where journalists would persist in asking questions she could not answer. She caught the ferry back across to Jewel Cay and was shown up to the master bedroom. There Tess found Brooke on the balcony, gazing out onto the azure ocean. When she heard Tess approach, she turned, and Tess could see that her eyes were red–rimmed from crying. She walked back into the bedroom and began packing her beautiful clothes into brown Louis Vuitton trunks.

‘Is it done?’

Tess nodded, then looked around. ‘Where’s David?’

‘He’s at the house where his brother is staying,’ she said, not looking up.

Tess examined Brooke’s face. ‘The wedding’s not postponed, is it?’ she said quietly.

Brooke shook her head, then glanced up at Tess. ‘I told him. About Matt.’

‘Oh Brooke … ’

‘It’s over,’ she continued, ‘but we’ll let people know that when the dust settles.’

‘I’m sorry. Sorry about David. Sorry that Matt didn’t turn out to be the person you thought he was.’

Brooke finally met Tess’s gaze. ‘I didn’t break up with David because of Matt,’ she said. ‘I broke up because of me.’

Tess frowned. ‘Hang on,
you
broke up with
him
?’

‘I suddenly realized that I’m not going to be happy with David, or Matt, or anyone, before I’m happy with myself,’ she said, sitting down on the bed. ‘With David, I was smothered, forced into a role I didn’t want to play. Everyone expected so much from David, but no one expected anything from me – except to be the wife, seen and not heard.’

‘Thousands of girls would swap with you, Brooke,’ said Tess with a wry smile.

‘Why does everyone keep telling me that?’ she laughed. ‘And maybe in the past I would have been happy with that too. But things have changed this year;
I’ve
changed this year. Discovering Eileen Dunne’s book, seeing it at the top of the
New York Times’
best–seller list, flying to Hollywood: Tess, I think this is just the start of things. I’m not ready to be a part of someone else, I’m just beginning to be me.’

‘But I really thought you loved each other,’ said Tess sadly.

Brooke smiled at the thought. ‘I think what I had with David was like winning the lottery and finding out your numbers had been for the wrong week. Love isn’t enough to make the relationship work – there’re too many other factors. Family, ambition–’

‘Lust … ’

They both laughed. Brooke reached over and took Tess’s hands. ‘You’ve been a good friend to me, Tess, so thank you, thanks for everything,’ she said, her eyes sparkling with tears.

‘It’ll all work out,’ said Tess quietly, realizing how much she was going to miss her.

Brooke nodded. ‘I know. I feel free, Tess. I feel free. And that’s all the happy ending I need.’

*

Tess walked barefoot out onto the beach, walking past the empty marquee, the canvas flapping disconsolately in the gentle breeze. As she walked, she let her mind run back over the last ten months; all that excitement, all that drama and glamour – and it had all come to this. She had no job, no secure home, and – as the wedding hadn’t happened – no bonus. Meredith had merely whispered ‘thank you’ before retreating back to her room before the press conference that morning. Tess hadn’t been sure if was heartfelt or loaded with irony. Either way, it didn’t really matter. She couldn’t stay working for the Asgills. And the reason for that was right in front of her, sitting on the sand near where the waves lapped onto the shore. Sean. Her heart leapt just a little when she saw him and she thought of his words just twenty–four hours earlier: ‘Come back with me to London.’

She doubted the offer still stood. She wondered whether he would hate her for the damage she had caused to his family. Well, she would return to London anyway, she decided suddenly. If Sean Asgill was one of the pieces of her life that had been missing, then she knew that her home – and maybe even her own family, her mother – was part of the rest. She walked slowly over to where he was sitting, holding a drink that look suspiciously alcoholic.

‘Hi, how was the hospital?’ she asked nervously.

He squinted up at her. ‘They’ve categorized Leonard’s stroke as massive.’

Tess’s heart sank. ‘What does that mean?’ she asked as she sat down beside him.

‘I think it will be a few hours before the doctors work out how extensive the damage is. They’re doing tests to see if there is permanent brain damage. He’s certainly paralysed down his right–hand side, but there’s some signs of speech and they think there’s a chance he may walk again.’

‘Sean, I’m so sorry.’

Sean nodded, his eyes fixed on the horizon. ‘My mom told me what happened in the study.’

He took a slug of his drink and looked at her. ‘She’s also going to tell the Louisiana police.’

‘What do you think will happen?’

He shrugged. ‘I guess it depends whether Leonard wants to confess about Olivia Martin again – whether he
can
confess again. I expect the police will want to speak to you about that, anyway.’

Tess rubbed her eyes. ‘Perhaps he’s had punishment enough.’

Sean looked into her eyes. ‘You know, back in the hospital, there were some moments when I hated you.’

Tess held her breath. She could feel the sun burning her skin, but she dared not move. Sean picked up a pebble and threw it towards the waves.

‘I kept asking myself what I would do if I’d been in your shoes.’

Her heart was pounding now.

‘And the truth is, I would have done the same,’ said Sean slowly. ‘As much as I care for my uncle, however much you wish something wasn’t true, Leonard killed someone. Sure, it was all those years ago and I can understand that he wanted to protect Mom. But it was still wrong. And whatever has happened, you’re not to blame for any of it.’

He took a sip of his drink, which Tess took out of his hand. ‘You don’t need that,’ she whispered.

‘No, I need you,’ he said quietly.

She took his fingers and he pulled her close, stroking her lips with a kiss.

Tess squeezed him as tightly as she could, happiness mixed with relief. He stroked her neck and she winced.

‘Shit, you’re as red as a lobster,’ he said, looking at her burning skin. ‘Come on, let’s get you in the shade. I’m not sure you Limeys are built for this climate.’

They walked slowly along the shore. ‘Talking of which, are you going to stay in New York? I mean, I guess your job is done, isn’t it?’

Tess smiled. ‘Well, when I thought you were going to dump me, I had decided I was going home, but I think I’m officially homeless,’ she said with a slow grin. ‘I’ve no job. I’ve got two journalists on a year–long tenancy in my Battersea apartment….’

‘It just so happens there’s a hot new PR consultancy starting in London very shortly,’ said Sean. ‘I think you know the CEO. I hear he needs an assistant.’

‘
Assistant
.’ She scoffed with a laugh. ‘We’ll be talking director of communications at the very least. Although have you seen my CV lately? Disaster follows me wherever I go.’

‘I know,’ he sighed dramatically, ‘but you’ve got to start somewhere in the big, bad city,’ he said. ‘The pay’s awful but there’s a rent–free flat thrown in. You’ll have a roommate, but I hear he’s a devilishly handsome young fellow.’

The peach morning sun emerged from behind a bubble of brilliant white cloud, and suddenly Tess felt the warmth and light wash over her. ‘In that case, I’ll think about it,’ she smiled, and they walked hand–in–hand back towards the house.

If you enjoyed
Original Sin
why not try
Guilty Pleasures
by Tasmina Perry – out in ebook format January 2012.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tasmina Perry is the international bestselling author of six novels including
Daddy’s Girl
,
Guilty Pleasures
and
Kiss Heaven Goodbye
. Her books have been translated into sixteen languages and she also writes Young Adult books with her husband John Perry under the pseudonym Mia James. She lives in London where she is at work on her next novel and a screenplay.

Praise for Tasmina Perry