An Improper Ever After(39)

I'm nothing if not gracious in the face of such cooperation. I thank the man, telling him I would love it if they would ensure Annabelle Underhill never enters the building again. It's been distressing to my gentle wife, who isn't used to such viciousness from people, you see.

Once that's done, I reach out to Elizabeth for another piece I need to put my plan in motion.

"Elliot! Just the person I was about to call," she says.

My eyebrows rise. "What's up, sis? Need more funds for the poor?" She does hit me up often, and I give generously in support. She's my sister, and I admire what she does to help those who are less fortunate.

"Actually, no … although I won't refuse if you want to write another check. It's about your wife."

I'm instantly focused. "Information about her fall?"

"No, it's something else. She called me half an hour ago to tell me about Annabelle Underhill. She wanted my help."

For a stunned moment, I can't process what she's saying. Then the gears in my brain finally start rolling. "Damn it."

I run a palm down my face. The fact that Belle turned to my sister-but not me-cuts deep. I tell myself we haven't had a chance to talk, but I know that's a lame-ass excuse. She's had plenty of chances to lay it out and ask for my help.

A beat. Then Elizabeth says, "You know about what happened between them at the dinner?"

"Yeah. Paige told me." Suddenly unable to sit still, I get to my feet and start pacing, the phone glued to my ear.




 

 

"Paige? How did she know?"

"She overheard."

"Well, at least it was her and not somebody else. What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to ask you to give me all the photos from Saturday."

"For what?"

"To create a narrative to destroy the bitch, what else?"

"Okay. I'll send you all the digital copies, but that's not the main problem."

I say nothing. I know what she's thinking.

"Elliot, maybe … you should show your wife you're the one she should lean on. Not that I object to helping her, but you are her husband. You should be her first choice."

"She won't do it. She doesn't think of me that way."

"You two were so happy when you left for your honeymoon. What happened?"

I hesitate, then give her a short summary about how I lost it when I found out about Belle's connection to Grayson … who's working for Keith.

"Good god. I had no idea …  Why didn't you give her a chance to explain?"

"I gave her plenty of chances to come clean before I knew about all this. She could've told me then, and I would've believed her because it would have been her telling me. But when truth comes from a private investigator, it's not the same."

"Maybe she had a good reason for not saying anything. Sometimes we do stupid things out of fear … or love."

Love. Belle used to tell me she loved me, and it only added to my sense of betrayal when I found out. The love she professed seemed so manipulative-something she tossed out in case she needed cover to protect herself when I learned everything. But I realize it wasn't any of those things, and I want that love back … even though I'm certain I'm not worthy of it anymore.

"When I finally gave her a chance to make me understand it from her perspective, she told me, but … " I dig my free hand into my hair. "The damage had been done."

Elizabeth is quiet for a moment. "Maybe things went wrong from the beginning. Did Annabelle Underhill give you guys trouble before or after your decision to take her to honeymoon?"

"Before."

"How strongly did you nip it in the bud?"

I clench my teeth. I didn't, because I owed her uncle.

My silence is answer enough. "So from your wife's point of view, you didn't eviscerate Dad's Wife Number Three the first time, and she's coming back to cause trouble again. What's she supposed to think?"

"I didn't encourage her, but I couldn't turn her away, either," I say. "She asked me for help, claiming that her husband was physically abusing her." 

"What? Stanton beats her?"

"She showed me the bruises on her arms." Elizabeth's gasp fills my ear, and I go on. "Trust me, if it hadn't been for that I wouldn't have been so patient with her."

"I never suspected …  I mean, Stanton's always so … gentlemanly. Did you confront him about it?"

"No. She just wanted the name of an attorney who could handle her divorce, since she claimed she couldn't get anybody to help her. So I referred her to the Sterlings' lawyers."

"Good god. I never heard about any of that."

"Well … " I pause, my eyebrows tightening. How can Elizabeth be ignorant of something like this? She's too well connected, too well liked. People talk to her, include her in gossip even when she isn't interested just because they want to share with her. They're lucky she isn't an undercover NSA agent.