Marriage, Manhattan Style

Eleven

Elizabeth awoke to silence. She’d slept deeply, and it took her a second to figure out why she had a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. But then she remembered. Reed was leaving, and the pain came flooding back in force.

Morning sunshine fought its way through the bedroom curtains, confusing her. Lucas usually woke her up by seven. Lucas. Her gaze flew to the bedside clock, and she discovered it was nearly ten.

What was the matter with Lucas?

She sprang out of bed and jogged down the hall in her wrinkled nightgown.

His crib was empty. Panic clawed at her throat. But then she heard it. The gurgling sound of his voice. And then Reed’s voice.

“The trick,” Reed intoned, “is to make sure your foundation is solid. That means we use the red blocks first.”

Lucas cooed in apparent agreement.

Elizabeth made her way down the hall. She stood in the doorway for a minute, watching the colorful tower go up before Reed spotted her.

“Good morning,” he said, no inflection in his voice.

“Why didn’t you wake me?”

He usually headed into the office first thing.

“You were tired,” he said, keeping his attention focused on Lucas and the blocks.

“I could have-”

“You were tired.” There was a snap in his voice this time, and his annoyed gaze met hers.

She cleared her throat. “I can take it from here.”

“No problem,” he said. “I wasn’t planning to go into the office today.”

Elizabeth blinked, trying to make the words compute.

“I’ve invited my parents for dinner.”

Raw panic hit her system. “You did what?” Anton and Jacqueline here? In the middle of this? Her gaze flew around the slightly messy room.

“I invited my parents for dinner,” he repeated.

“Why?” she wailed. “Rena’s off. Did you call a caterer?” She rushed toward the kitchen. Was the Alençon tablecloth ironed? Did they have fresh candles? What about a centerpiece?

“I told them we’d send out for pizza.”

Elizabeth stopped in her tracks, turning to stare at Reed. “Is that supposed to be a joke?” She really wasn’t in the mood.

“No joke. They want to meet Lucas.”

“You are planning to serve Anton and Jacqueline Wellington take-out pizza?” They were the reigning king and queen of New York society.

“I did warn them.”

“You can’t do this. I’ll be mortified. They’ll think I’m the worst hostess in the world. They already don’t like me.” Not that it mattered. They weren’t going to be her in-laws much longer.

Reed came to his feet. “You worry too much.”

“No. I don’t worry nearly enough.”

“I’ll grab a six-pack to go with it.”

“You absolutely will not. I’ll going down to Pinetta’s to pick up some filets. Do we still have that black labeled merlot in the wine rack?” Where was her purse?

Reed grasped her arm to stop her. “You’re in your nightgown.”

Elizabeth glanced down. She took a breath. “I’ll change first…of course.”

“You’re not changing.” He gave his head a shake. “I mean, you’re not rushing out for filets. I told them pizza, and we’re serving pizza.”

“Why are you doing this to me?” Was he punishing her for leaving him? She searched his expression. “Do you hate me that much?”

He instantly let go of her arm, his gaze fixing on the wall behind her. “I don’t hate you, Elizabeth.” He seemed to gather his thoughts. “You’re busy. You’re exhausted. And you’re upset. I’ve chosen this moment to take a stand against my father. If he wants to visit Lucas on short notice, he can do so while noshing on take-out pizza and sipping a beer.”

The fight went out of Elizabeth. “So this is about you and your father? Not about punishing me?”

Reed’s eyes narrowed. “Punishing you?”

She swallowed. “For leaving you.”

He stared down at her while Lucas clattered blocks in the background, and a muscle ticked to life near his temple. “I would never, ever do a single thing to harm you. You are my wife, and I will protect you until you force me to stop. Understand?”

Her chest tightened painfully, and Elizabeth felt teary all over again. “Yes,” she whispered. “We can serve pizza.”

Reed could tell that Elizabeth was nervous.

He’d relented and allowed Elizabeth to order a centerpiece and use a tablecloth. And he would admit that it was entertaining to watch his mother tackle a slice of pizza on Wedgewood China with sterling silverware. She had pronounced it delicious. Elizabeth obviously hadn’t believed her.

She was still jumpy after dinner when his mother climbed onto the floor in her linen pantsuit to play with Lucas. Elizabeth rushed to her side when Lucas grabbed a handful of Jacqueline’s silk blouse, aiming it toward his mouth.

Jacqueline calmly untangled Lucas’s chubby fingers and gave him a toy, which he immediately stuck in his mouth. Jacqueline laughed, but Elizabeth didn’t relax her vigil.

Reed handed his father a second glass of German beer and sat down in the other wingback chair.

“Your mother and I have been talking,” Anton began, setting his tall glass down on the round table between them.

Reed braced himself. He let his gaze rest on sweet, adventurous Lucas and elegant, compassionate Elizabeth-both of whom he loved to distraction. Somehow, some way, he was going to protect them from his father’s narrow-mindedness. Even if he had to send them to live in France.

Anton’s voice went gruff. “I was out of line the other day.”

Reed turned to stare at his father’s stern profile. Anton was also fixating on the cluster of people on the carpet.

“Excuse me?”

“About Lucas,” said Anton. Then he cleared his throat. “I was out of line to suggest that you shouldn’t adopt him.”

Reed couldn’t believe his ears. “You’ve changed your mind?”

“As I said. Your mother and I were talking.”

Reed’s mother? His mother had actually changed his father’s mind about something as significant as the heir to the Wellington dynasty? Reed looked at Jacqueline with new respect.

Anton lifted his glass from the table and took a sip. “The baby makes your mother happy.”

“Lucas,” Reed prompted.

“Lucas,” Anton acknowledged.

“He makes Elizabeth happy, too,” said Reed, wondering if he should take a page from Lucas. A sappy smile. A big hug. A clap of his hands. Maybe Reed had been trying too hard as a husband.

“You should go to California,” said Anton.

Reed turned his attention back to his father. “To do what?”

“Talk to the Vances. They want something. Find out what it is.”

“They want Lucas,” said Reed.

Anton shook his head. “They say they want Lucas. You find out what they really want.”

“You’re not suggesting this is a shakedown.” It was preposterous to suggest that the Vances would use Lucas to get money. They obviously loved him.

“Your mother tells me babies are wonderful. But she also tells me that once you’ve raised your own, you want grandchildren. You don’t want to start over.

“The Vances want something.” Anton nodded to Elizabeth and Lucas. “This is your family. You go find out what it’s going to take to fix the problem.”

Reed considered his father for a moment. “You get a lot of advice from Mother.”

Anton shot him a censorious look, and Reed braced himself for the fallout. But then his father’s expression unexpectedly softened. “Yes. Well. That’s just the way it is. The jet’s at JFK. I took the liberty of clearing the schedule for tomorrow.”

It took Reed all of thirty seconds to realize that the Vances weren’t looking for a bribe. They loved Lucas, and they only wanted what was best for their grandson. After finessing his way around the issue for a good thirty minutes, in desperation, Reed had decided to put all his cards on the table.

He told the Vances about his and Elizabeth’s infertility, of the strain it had put on their marriage, of her deep love for her brother, and her passionate desire to adhere to Brandon and Heather’s final wishes.

He didn’t brag about his wealth, but he didn’t downplay it, either. Lucas would live in the finest areas of New York. As he grew, he would have access to private schools, culture, travel, a thousand experiences that would enrich his life.

Then, lastly, he admitted the problems he and Elizabeth were facing in their marriage. But he pledged to the Vances that he was going to do everything in his power to keep his family intact. As the words poured out of him, he knew they were absolutely true. He was going to fight tooth and nail for Elizabeth. He loved her, and he would find a way to win her back.

Margarite Vance cracked first. She admitted her deep fear that Reed would take Lucas away from them. Unlike Reed, they weren’t wealthy, and California was a long way from New York. They didn’t want to be parents, but they desperately wanted to be grandparents. They wanted to be a part of Lucas’s life, to watch him grow.

Reed had immediately pledged his jet, his corporate account at a dozen Manhattan hotels, his parents’ guest rooms on Long Island, and he offered to send Elizabeth and Lucas to California as often as possible. He explained that he would like nothing better than for the Vances’ house to be Lucas’s second home when he and Elizabeth needed to be away.

In the end, the Vances had enthusiastically agreed not to contest the will. Reed had wanted to promise a visit for the weekend, but he knew he needed to talk to Elizabeth first.

On the flight home, he grew more and more eager to talk to Elizabeth, and he thought of more and more things he wanted to say.

But, at the airport in New York, he was met by Collin and Selina. They both fell into step with him as he marched toward his limo at the passenger pickup.

“Go away,” he told them, determined that for once Elizabeth would come first.

“We need to talk to you,” said Collin.

“I don’t care,” said Reed. He was going home, and nothing was going to stop him. He’d pay the damn ten million dollars if that’s what it took.

“It’s important,” said Selina.

“So is my life.” Reed pushed open the airport door, coming out onto a floodlit, rain-soaked sidewalk.

“This is about your life,” said Collin.

“We have information,” said Selina.

“I have a marriage to save,” Reed countered, spotting his driver. He marched out from under the awning. The driver rushed forward with an umbrella, relieving Reed of his briefcase.

“We can tell you in the car,” Collin offered.

Reed heaved a sigh. “We’re going straight to the penthouse. I’m not going to the office, or the police station, and we’re not stopping for anything but traffic lights.” He looked pointedly at the driver. “And even those are optional.”

The man grinned. “Yes, sir.”

He glanced back at Selina and Collin who were rapidly developing a drowned rat look.

“Get in,” he grumbled.

“It’s important,” Selina repeated, as they settled into their seats, an apology in her tone.

“It’s always important,” said Reed. “That’s the problem with my life. If I was deciding between Elizabeth and the things that weren’t important, I wouldn’t have a problem, would I?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “But every day, nearly every hour, something that is vitally important grabs my time and attention. I spend my evenings with you two and with Gage and Trent, because if we don’t work this out, I might be going to jail. A blackmailer might extort money. Somebody might even die.

“And so I do my part,” Reed continued. “But you know what? It stops here. I’m going home to Elizabeth. You two tell me what I need to do to make that happen.”

Selina glanced at Collin. “Do you want to tell him or shall I?”

Collin gestured that Selina should go ahead.

“It’s the Hammond and Pysanski connection.”

“Don’t tell me. It’s getting worse?” Reed absolutely could not get a break.

“I spent the last two days in Washington,” said Selina. “I found out that each of Hammond and Pysanski’s purchases were made in the forty-eight hours following the committee’s shortlisting of the project in question.”

“How many companies on the shortlist?” Reed couldn’t help asking. Had Hammond and Pysanski bought into the shortlisted companies on spec?

“Usually three to five,” said Selina. “But it looks like the unofficial decision coincided with the shortlist. Because they bought into the right company each and every time.”

Reed was dumbfounded. “So, Kendrick is guilty.”

“At first I thought it was Kendrick, too. But then I found this.” Selina pulled a sheet of paper out of her briefcase. “One of the senator’s aides, Clive Neville. With each transaction, the day after the Hammond and Pysanski stock purchase, ten thousand dollars was deposited to Clive Neville’s account.”

“A payoff?” asked Reed.

Selina nodded. “But you and Gage bought your shares a week before Hammond and Pysanski,” she said. “Before the shortlist.” She smiled at him.

“So it’s over?” Reed asked.

Collin slapped him on the shoulder. “It’s over.”

The limo came to a halt in front of 721 Park Avenue.

Reed handed the bank printout back to Selina. “Well done, team. I hope you don’t take this the wrong way. But, goodbye.” Reed beat the driver to the door handle and stepped out into the rain.

“You know,” said Hanna, topping up their wineglasses with a merlot, “there is another option.”

“No, there’s not.” Elizabeth was out of options to save her marriage. All that was left was to save herself. Reed was never going to change. That’s why she was taking such drastic action.

Hanna set the empty bottle on the coffee table and leaned back at the opposite end of the sofa. “You could tell him you were wrong, that you love him, and that you want your marriage to work out.”

“Yeah,” came a deep, male voice, and Elizabeth nearly dropped her wine into her lap. Hanna’s eyes went wide, and she twisted toward the penthouse foyer.

“You could do that,” said Reed, dropping his keys and sauntering into the room.

“Reed.” Hanna swallowed around a dry rasp.

“Hello, Hanna.”

“I am so sorry,” she offered in obvious embarrassment. “I was…We were…”

Reed shook his head. “Don’t be sorry. If I thought you’d convince her, I’d leave and let you go at it.”

“She won’t convince me,” said Elizabeth with conviction. It was nearly ten o’clock, and today was just another example of Reed’s hectic schedule. He’d flown to Chicago for a meeting. Clearly, he’d spent the entire day there. Just as clearly, he’d had more important things to do than tuck Lucas into bed.

Maybe it was her own fault. Maybe she simply wasn’t interesting enough to come home to. Maybe she should have gotten a job years ago and become a more interesting wife for him.

Then again, how would he know whether she was interesting or not? The man wouldn’t even show up for a conversation.

Reed picked up the wine bottle, raising his eyebrows when he saw it was empty. “Shall I open another?”

Hanna struggled to get to her feet. “I should really go, and let you two-”

He forestalled her with his palm. “Stay put. You’re obviously on my side. It looks like you two have a head start, but I’d love to joint the party.”

Hanna gave Elizabeth a questioning look, which Elizabeth answered with a shrug. It wasn’t like she and Reed had any big plans for being alone. In fact, it was probably better to have Hanna here as a foil until bedtime, or at least until Elizabeth got slightly intoxicated.

“Bring on another bottle,” she told him.

Reed gave her a genuine smile, and the force of it shot all the way to her toes. She immediately rethought her strategy on getting intoxicated. It could be dangerous to be around him without all her faculties intact. She set her wineglass down on the table.

Reed headed for the wine rack in the dining room.

With him out of the room, Hanna hit Elizabeth with an expression of stark curiosity.

Elizabeth held her palms up in a gesture of confusion. She’d never seen Reed in a mood like this.

He strode back into the living room with an open bottle of wine and three fresh glasses. “The eighty-two Chateau Saint Gaston,” he announced with satisfaction.

Elizabeth blinked.

Hanna choked. “Did you just open a ten thousand dollar bottle of wine?”

Reed pretended to study the label. “I do believe I did.” He poured them each a glass of the Saint Gaston.

Still standing, he held his glass aloft. “A toast,” he said.

“Please don’t,” begged Elizabeth. She didn’t know what he had in mind, but she didn’t like the reckless look in his eyes nor the cocky set to his mouth.

“A toast,” he said in a softer voice, looking straight into her eyes. “To my gorgeous, gracious, intelligent wife.”

“Reed,” she pleaded.

“I lied to you today.”

So what else was new?

“I wasn’t in Chicago.”

Something shriveled up inside Elizabeth. The man lied recreationally. She couldn’t have cared less whether he was in Chicago.

She waved a dismissive hand. “Whatever. Salute.” She lifted her glass to take a drink.

“Uh, uh, uh,” he tisked. “This is a ten thousand dollar bottle of wine. Let’s have a little respect.”

She heaved a frustrated sigh. Maybe she should just go to bed, get to sleep before he decided to join her there. Maybe, just maybe, she’d feel stronger in the morning.

“I was in California,” he continued.

Elizabeth waited for the point.

“Ironically, on the advice of my dear father, I went to see the Vances.”

She froze. “No.” He hadn’t compromised their case. He wouldn’t.

“And while I was there,” he said, “I realized that you, dear Elizabeth, are absolutely right, and I am completely wrong.”

He perched himself on the armchair cornerwise to her. “I promise I will never lie to you again.”

Elizabeth searched his eyes. They were warm and soft and loving, but she didn’t know what to say. “Thank you,” she tried.

His lips stretched into a smile before he tipped his glass and took a sip.

Elizabeth followed suit, but she couldn’t taste a thing.

“I love you,” Reed said to her.

“Hey,” Hanna put in, coming to her feet. “I really think I’d better-”

“Drink your wine,” Reed ordered. “I might need you later.”

She sat back down.

“Where was I?” he asked.

“Are you drunk?” asked Elizabeth, trying desperately to make sense of his behavior. This wasn’t the Reed she knew.

“Oh, yes. Now I remember. The Vances are not going to contest the will.”

Elizabeth was afraid she hadn’t heard that right. “What?”

He nodded his confirmation, slowing down his words. “The Vances are not going after custody of Lucas. And, no, I’m not drunk.”

A pulse of optimism hit Elizabeth for the first time in weeks. “How did you…?”

“Skill, intelligence and guile. Plus a really fast private jet.”

“Quit messing around,” Elizabeth ordered. This was a serious conversation, not a joke.

“Oh, I think I’ll mess around a little longer.” He took another sip of the wine, holding his glass back to study the legs. “Worth every penny.”

“Go, Reed.” Hanna applauded in a reverent tone.

“Thank you,” said Reed. “Now, will you help me convince her I’m worth sticking with?”

“He’s worth sticking with,” Hanna said to Elizabeth.

“Traitor,” Elizabeth muttered, but even she was running out of excuses to leave him. He might have lied about Chicago, and he might have been gone all day long, but he’d done it for Lucas, and he’d done it for her.

“She told me you were great in bed,” Hanna offered.

“Hanna!” Elizabeth was horrified.

“Well, that’s one in my column,” said Reed.

“Damn straight,” said Hanna.

“There’s one more thing.” He sobered, all traces of joking gone, his attention fixed completely on Elizabeth. “I’ll be home evenings from here on in. Or I’ll work part-time. Or I’ll sell my companies. Or we can move to freakin’ Biarritz if that will make a difference.”

Elizabeth’s throat thickened up. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying that I’m prepared to put as much effort into my marriage as I put into my business.”

Elizabeth was speechless. Her heartbeat sped up and her chest went tight. She stared at Reed in utter astonishment. “Seriously?”

Hanna stuck out her foot and nudged Elizabeth in the knee. “I think the word you’re looking for is yes!”