Chương 11
She stared at him.
The concession seemed to make her angrier.
“I hate when you do that.”
“What?”
“Become reasonable after being awful.”
He almost smiled.
Claire had once said the same thing.
He did not mention it.
Vanessa picked up her bag.
“What happens now?”
“I’ll have Ben contact Caroline.”
“Divorce?”
“I said separation.”
“You don’t do temporary things.”
“I married you eleven months after saying I would never marry again.”
That stopped both of them.
Ethan looked at the table.
“Apparently I do.”
Vanessa sat back down.
For the first time since the foyer, he saw fear without control wrapped around it.
“I don’t have anywhere that feels like mine.”
“The apartment in the city is jointly leased.”
“You use it for work.”
“You can use it.”
“You’ll hate that.”
“Probably.”
She gave him a tired look.
“That is the first believable thing you’ve said today.”
He almost laughed.
Then she asked, “Does Maria stay?”
“Yes.”
“Of course.”
“Don’t.”
“What?”
“Make her the reason this happened.”
“She is part of it.”
“She told me what was happening.”
“She also kept Claire alive in that house in a way I could never compete with.”
“Claire is Noah’s mother. There was no competition unless you created one.”
Vanessa’s eyes flashed.
“You created it first.”
Ethan went still.
She leaned forward.
“You put me in Claire’s house. Claire’s bedroom. Claire’s Christmas traditions. Claire’s staff. Claire’s table. Claire’s summer house.”
“Our house.”
“You called it Claire’s house for a year after she died.”
He had.
Not every time.
Enough.
Vanessa continued.
“You wanted me to make you feel less lonely without changing anything that loneliness was attached to.”
Ethan stared at her.
The accusation was not entirely fair.
That was what made it useful.
“I did ask too much.”
“Yes.”
“That doesn’t make what you did to Noah okay.”
“I know.”
“Do you?”
“Yes.”
Her voice broke.
“I do now.”
He nodded slowly.
“Good.”
She looked at him.
“Good?”
“For him, yes.”
Vanessa stood.
“This marriage is over.”
Ethan did not answer.
At the door, she turned.
“I want to tell him I’m sorry.”
“Not yet.”
She laughed once through tears.
“Of course.”
This time when she left, Ethan did not follow.
The separation became public five days later because wealthy people employed too many observers for private grief to remain private.
A gossip account posted a photograph of Vanessa entering the Manhattan apartment with two suitcases.
By lunch, Ethan’s communications director called.
“We don’t need to say anything,” Ethan said.
“Agreed.”
“Then why are we talking?”
“Because the foundation dinner is next week.”
Ethan had forgotten.
The Blackwood Children’s Initiative held an annual fundraiser every October. Claire had helped start it.
Vanessa was scheduled to host.
“Cancel her appearance.”
“That will create a story.”
“There is already a story.”
“We could say she has a family commitment.”
“No.”
His communications director paused.
“No?”
“Don’t lie.”
“We don’t have to lie. A family commitment is broad.”
“Then say nothing.”
“Ethan, reporters will ask.”
“Say it’s a private family matter.”
“And the dinner?”
“I’ll host.”
Another pause.
“You hate hosting.”
“I know.”
“You skipped last year.”
“I know.”
Claire had hosted every year.
After she died, Ethan sent a video message and stayed home pretending it was because Noah had a fever.
Noah had been fine by six.
“What do you want me to say about Vanessa’s title on the program?”
“Remove it.”
“You understand that will be noticed.”
“Yes.”
“Okay.”
The call ended.
Ethan sat at his desk.
He had spent most of his adult life controlling what people knew.
That week taught him there was a difference between privacy and concealment.
He still did not know exactly where it was.
Maria discovered the gossip post that afternoon.
She walked into his study holding her phone.
“This is bad.”
He looked up.
“What?”
“People are saying I broke up your marriage.”
“People don’t know who you are.”
“They do now.”
She handed him the phone.
Someone had found an old charity photograph.
Maria stood behind Claire holding infant Noah.
The caption identified her as the Blackwoods’ nanny.
Comments had done the rest.
NANNY DRAMA?
NEW WIFE OUT AFTER FIGHT OVER LATE SOCIALITE’S CHILD
Ethan stopped reading.
“I’ll handle it.”
“How?”
He looked at her.
“I don’t know yet.”
Maria took the phone back.
“I don’t want my mother seeing this.”
“Does she use that app?”
“She uses every app. She sends me videos at five in the morning.”
Despite everything, Ethan smiled.
Maria did not.
“What if people come to my apartment?”
His smile disappeared.
“Has anyone?”
“No.”
“We can arrange security.”
“I don’t want security.”
“Then what do you want?”
“I want my name out of it.”
He called his communications director again.
There was no clean solution.
If Ethan publicly defended Maria, he confirmed she was involved.
If he stayed silent, speculation grew.
If he attacked the story, people would look harder.
Ben’s advice was simple.
“Ask Maria what she wants.”
“I did.”
“No, you asked and then started solving.”
Ethan disliked that too.
That evening he sat across from Maria at the kitchen table.
“What do you want me to do?”
“I told you.”
“You want your name out.”
“Yes.”
“I can’t remove what’s already online.”
“I know.”
“What would help?”
Maria thought.
“No statement about me.”
“Okay.”
“No calling me loyal or trusted or anything.”
“Why?”
“Because then I sound like your witness.”
He nodded.
“No photographs.”
“Obviously.”
“And if anybody from your company contacts me, I want them to ask first.”
“Done.”
She studied him.
“You’re not going to argue?”
“I’m improving.”
“A little.”
He smiled.
Maria looked down at her tea.
Then said, “My mother already saw it.”
“I’m sorry.”
“She thinks I’m having an affair with you.”
Ethan nearly choked on his coffee.
Maria covered her face.
“She called me at work.”
“What did you say?”
“I said you barely know how many stuffed animals your son owns.”
“That’s cruel.”
May you like
“It convinced her.”
He laughed.
