by Marie Astor
“Precisely. It’s vulgar and it shows a lack of real dedication. He doesn’t really care for any of the causes; he just thinks he can buy his way into society by flashing his wallet. Now the truth comes out. For all we know he made all those donations to cover up his shenanigans. The man is a fraudster.”
“Don’t be so quick to judge, Viola. We don’t know anything about what really happened there. But I agree with you that right now Allyson Roberts is not the ideal match for Ron.” The truth of it was that Richard Graystone had welcomed Ally as a daughter-in-law because she would have increased his son’s bank account. The Graystones were far from poor, but the difference between old money and new money was that old money tended to dwindle if not occasionally refreshed with new blood—this was something that Viola failed to understand, despite the lesson she should’ve learned from her own family’s unfortunate circumstances. The law firm earned respectable income, but it didn’t generate anything near the revenue of Roberts Enterprises. Of course now, because of the scandal, Roberts Enterprises’ profits were bound to plummet. Still, things could always turn around, and for now Richard thought it would be sufficient simply to put a damper on the relationship and see how things played out.
“And what are you going to do about it, Richard?”
“I’m going to let things cool a bit.”
“How exactly do you propose to do that? By standing here and arguing with me when you should be knocking some sense back into our son?”
A self-indulgent smile appeared on Richard Graystone’s face, crinkling the corners of his eyes. Viola’s unflinching nature was the source of both exasperation and tenderness to him, and right now the latter won. He had tortured his wife enough. Despite her rigid facade, she was quite helpless underneath. Operating behind the scenes was his specialty. “Oh, there are ways, Viola. There are always ways.”
Chapter 5
Ally shut the door behind her and pressed her back against it. No matter how much it hurt, she refused to cry. She was going to get a hell of a lot tougher from now on. Until now she had been putting Ron on a pedestal; in her eyes he could do no wrong. He seemed so responsible, so understanding, so committed, and he still was, but not to her.
As if on cue there was light tapping on her front door. She heard Ron’s voice on the other side of the door, “Ally, it’s me. Please open up. Please let me in and let me explain.”
A part of her wanted to fling the door open and fall right into his arms. Why not let him explain? Why not let him make her feel that everything was okay? Because it wasn’t, that’s why. No amount of passionate assurances Ron was going to shower her with could erase the betrayal she felt.
“Ally, please! I know you’re there. I can see that the light is on. Please open the door and let me explain.”
Ally shut her eyes tighter, wishing Ron would just give up and leave. Where was his fervor when it was really needed? Why did he sit through the entire dinner letting Viola insult her? The picture of Ron’s face during his mother’s tirade appeared before Ally’s eyes. She had never seen him look so helpless and lost. Maybe she was being too hard on Ron. Viola Graystone was a very domineering figure, and Ron did speak up—even if it had taken him the entire dinner to muster up his courage.
“Fine, if you don’t open up the door, I’m going to sleep right here on your doorstep,” Ron declared. “And you needn’t worry—I’ve left my spare key at home, and I won’t try to get inside unless you want to talk to me. Your doormat will do just fine for a mattress,” he added, no doubt hoping to make her feel guilty.
In spite of herself Ally laughed. She had little to smile about in her present situation, but Ron’s antics did the trick. Maybe she was being too hard on him. He did go after her after all, and he was even willing to brave sleeping on her doormat. She had no idea how serious Ron was about his threat, and she didn’t intend to find out. The last thing she needed was a nosy neighbor poking around her yard, or worse, calling the police at the sight of Ron sprawled on her doorstep. Slowly, Ally opened the door. “Come in,” she said quietly.
“Oh, Ally!” Ron leaned in to hug her, but she moved away.
“You said you wanted to talk, so let’s talk.” Ally motioned for him to take a seat on the couch in the living room.
Obediently, Ron followed. “Do you have anything to drink?” he asked. “I’m parched from chasing after you.”
Without acknowledging his last remark, she grabbed two beers from the kitchen and popped the caps off the bottles. She didn’t really want a drink, but it would keep her hands busy while talking to Ron.
“Thanks, babe.” Ron took a long swig of his beer. “Ah, that feels good. This heat is ungodly and it’s not even summer yet. Boy, am I glad we’re moving back to Boston—” he cut himself short. “Ally, I’m sorry.”
“I’m sorry too, Ron. I’m sorry that my father is in jail, and I’m sorry that you’re stuck with me, having to deal with it all.”
“Ally! That’s not what I meant—”
“So I’m just going to come out and say it. I’m not going to pretend that it’s easy for me, but I want to be fair to you, to both of us. I’m not going to ask you to choose between your loyalty to me and to your family. But if you want to be with me, if what we had together means anything to you, then I have to ask you to grow a backbone.”
“Ally!”
“How could you sit there and let your mother say those things to me? I would’ve never done something like that to you.”
“Ally! She means well. It’s just her way of dealing with the world. She comes off as hard as nails, but she really isn’t. She’s just worried about you, about us. Look, I’m not defending her; the way she acted tonight was wrong. But you can’t expect me to pick sides.”
Why not? Ally wanted to ask. If I had to, I’d pick your side in a minute. But then it was all much more complicated than that, especially when your last name was Graystone. Slowly, Ally stood up.
“Where are you going?” Ron asked, alarmed.
“I’ll be right back.” She headed to her bedroom, each step taking an enormous amount of willpower.
Once inside her bedroom, she pulled open the top drawer of her dresser and took out a velvet jewelry box. She opened it and looked at its contents for several moments. Inside was an antique gold flower-shaped diamond ring Ron had bought in an antique store. Ally had admired the ring in the window when they had passed by it sometime before. Not a conventional choice for an engagement ring, but Ally loved it. She had not taken the ring off since the night Ron had proposed, today being the only exception as she had not wanted to blindside his parents with the news of their engagement. Ally snapped the box shut and walked back to the living room. She could hardly believe what she was about to do. It almost felt like she was sleepwalking or watching some other person masquerading as herself, but it was her all right. Without saying a word, she handed the box to Ron.
“Ally, you don’t mean this. You don’t want us to end, do you?”
She lowered her eyes. A part of her wished she could say yes. If only she were strong enough, but she wasn’t. Still, she knew she had to do something to get Ron to man up. “I’m giving it back to you for safekeeping,” she murmured, clasping his fingers and closing them around the box. “You see, I may not like the way your mother treated me tonight, but I do agree with her. I think we shouldn’t reveal our engagement just yet. I’ve never been a very good liar, so I think for now it’s best to put our engagement on hold.”
“On hold? What does that mean?”
“It means that we’re hitting the pause button until this terrible misunderstanding around my dad blows over.”
“And then what?”
She was surprised he even had to ask. “Then, if you still want to marry me, you’ll give the ring back to me. I know we can get through this. The question is, are you strong enough to do it? And do you want it bad enough?”
“Ally! Why do you even ask? You know I do.”
“Then th
ere’s nothing to worry about. It’s like that old saying goes: if you love something, let it go so that it can come back to you. I’m letting you go, Ron,” Ally said bravely, thankful that her voice wasn’t quivering. And I hope to God you’ll come back to me, she wanted to add, but didn’t.
Ron sighed. Whether it was relief or despair, Ally couldn’t quite tell. “I’m not going anywhere, Ally. I’m right here,” he whispered, taking her arm.
His lips found hers, and he kissed her gently at first, and then more passionately. He pulled her closer toward him; his caresses grew more intense, eliciting a powerful physical reaction from her. It would be so easy to give in, but she wasn’t going to, not tonight. Firmly, Ally pulled away from him.
“Not tonight, Ron. I think you’d better go back to your parents’ hotel. They are probably worried sick about you.”
“I guess I deserve that,” Ron said sheepishly.
“I’m not trying to punish you, Ron!” Ally retorted, shocked by the shallowness of his response. Was this merely physical pleasure for him? She might not like talking about sex, but that didn’t mean that she didn’t like the act of sex itself. Up until tonight sex with Ron had been the most powerful sensation her body had ever experienced. It was far more than the physical pleasure, which was intense to say the least. It was the closeness that she felt between them as their bodies united and became one ecstasy-driven being. But tonight she felt a wide gash between them, and it was going to take more than carnal pleasure to heal it. She hoped that Ron understood that.
“I’ll be going now.” Ron got up and headed for the door. “I will call you tomorrow.”
“Ron?”
“Yes?”
Ally deliberated; she hated having to say what she was going to say next, but she knew it had to be done. “Please tell your mother I’m sorry for the way I acted tonight.” She didn’t really feel sorry, but she was saying it for Ron. Truth be told, she probably could’ve handled Ron’s mother in a much calmer manner. Apologies were the price one paid for having a hot temper.
“You have nothing to be sorry about, Ally. It was a difficult night for all of us. We’re going to get through this together.” Ron held up the box with her engagement ring. “I’ll make sure this is safe and sound.”
Chapter 6
The next morning Ally was in the middle of packing when she heard a loud knock on her front door. Please don’t let it be Ron, she thought. She was in no state to face him right now. She had woken up this morning filled with regrets for the way she acted yesterday. She had displayed an impressive bravado, but underneath it she was scared of losing Ron. Last night her actions had seemed validated by her hurt pride and self-righteousness, but today she was no longer sure it had been the right reaction. If faced with him this very minute, she feared she might take back every single word she had said to him last night, and while it would take away her fear of loneliness, it would do nothing to quell her concerns about his loyalty. The knocking on the door grew louder and Ally hurried to the foyer. She took a look though the peephole and felt instant relief: it was only Maddie.
Ally flung open the door. “What a nice surprise. I didn’t know you were stopping by.”
“If you had answered any of my calls or emails, you wouldn’t be so surprised.”
“Sorry. I’ve had a lot on my mind.”
“I’ll say.” Maddie made her way inside, looking around suspiciously. “You started packing?”
“I figured I might as well. It’ll keep my mind off of things.”
“So you’re still moving to Boston?”
“Yes. Why do you sound so surprised?” Ally already knew the answer, but she decided to ask anyway. The longer she could postpone the dreaded subjected of her and Ron’s engagement, the better.
“Ron told me.”
“I figured.” Ally lowered her eyes.
“I think you did exactly the right thing,” Maddie declared. “Not that you need my opinion, but Ron can be an indecisive wishy-washy—”
“You don’t have to bash Ron for my sake, Maddie.”
“I’m not bashing him for your sake. I’m bashing him because he’s an indecisive jerk. He needs to stop letting Mom boss him around and decide for himself.” Maddie plopped herself on the sofa. “I heard that dinner last night was intense.”
“Intense doesn’t begin to describe it.” Ally sighed, taking a seat next to her friend.
“Any word from your dad?”
“Nothing today. I keep checking my phone for messages. I wanted to fly out there to see him, but Uncle Otto told me to stay put.”
“That’s probably a good idea. You should listen to him.”
“I no longer know what makes sense. It feels like a horrible nightmare. I know that my dad would’ve never done the things they are accusing him of—he prides himself on quality work. My father spent countless sleepless nights to make sure that the Pollux maintenance contract would go off without a hitch. And now they are claiming that Roberts Enterprises is responsible for Pollux plants’ breaking down? I don’t believe it.” Ally frowned. She had been wracking her brain over what could have gone wrong with the Pollux project, but without being on the ground and knowing the details of each and every part of the project there was no way for her to achieve any other result except exhausting her brain. She wished she could get access to the invoices and order records to trace each and every shipment and installation. The answer had to be in there. Somewhere, somehow there had to have been a glitch in the process. And then there was also the possibility that Pollux mishandled the equipment and put the blame on Roberts Enterprises. Negligence was not unheard of. Why should Pollux be above suspicion? These were the questions she had wanted to ask Uncle Otto, but had held back instead. She was sure there were forensic investigators working on the scene, and they were bound to get to the bottom of things.
“What are you going to do about Ron?” Maddie asked.
Ally sighed. If only it were that simple. “I’m going to let Ron decide what he wants.”
“Then you’re going to be waiting for a very long time for him to make up his mind. Take it from me—I’m his twin. I know him better than anyone.”
“Jeez, Maddie, thanks for telling me that now. Don’t you think you should’ve mentioned it to me before you set me up on a date with your brother? And don’t deny it—you’ve been plotting to get us together ever since we became friends.”
Maddie’s face reddened. “The truth is, Ally, that I might have done you a disservice. I thought you could change Ron, and I think you still can. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a good guy, but he’s just too passive. He lets Mom and Dad run his life and he worries too much about what things look like. I thought he could get away from it all if he had you by his side, but now things have changed, and he needs to step up to the plate. You need to be able to count on him, and if you can’t do that—”
“So what do you suggest I do?”
“Come to New York with me. Let it get through his thick scalp how much he needs you.”
“I can’t go back to New York! Uncle Otto told me to stay put, and didn’t you just tell me to listen to him?”
“I meant for the time being, but after graduation you should come with me to New York.”
“I’m supposed to start with Lorman & Matherson in Boston after graduation. Should I just blow them off and come have fun with you in New York to make Ron jealous?”
“Did you get the offer letter already?”
“Not yet, but they made a verbal offer. The letter is just a formality. It’s supposed to come any day now.”
“I see.” Maddie looked away. “If anything changes, my offer remains open indefinitely.”
“Thanks, Maddie. I really appreciate it, but as much as I’d like to, I can’t. More than anything I need to have a job right now. I don’t want my father to have to worry about me on top of everything else he has to deal with. And as for Ron . . . he’ll just have to decide for himself. I don’t want him to be obliga
ted to do anything he doesn’t want to do.” Ally was amazed by how brave she sounded. If only she felt as resolute on the inside as she managed to look on the outside.
Just then Ally’s telephone rang. She read the name Lorman & Matherson on the caller ID screen.
“I’d better get this!” Ally exclaimed, grabbing her phone.
“Hello, may I speak to Allyson Roberts?” a formal female voice asked.
“Speaking,” Ally replied calmly. Inside she was jittery with excitement. Despite what she had said to Maddie, she had been worried sick about the letter. Nothing was ever final until all the i’s were dotted and all the t’s were crossed.
“Hello, Ally. This is Angela Whitman from Lorman & Matherson.”
“Hi, Angela.” Ally felt relieved. Angela had been coordinating Ally’s interviews at Lorman. This had to be good news.
“We regret to inform you that Lorman & Matherson will not be able to extend you the offer of employment.”
The shock of what she had just heard was so great that Ally thought she might have misheard things. “But I had a verbal offer from the head of the department,” Ally retorted.
“Lorman & Matherson is aware that a verbal offer had been made to you. However, given that the needs of the department have changed, the position for which you were being considered has been downsized. We thank you for your time and interest in Lorman & Matherson and wish you all the best in your future endeavors.”
Ally heard a click on the other side of the receiver. She stared at the phone in her hand.
“What is it? What did they say?” Seeing the shock on Ally’s face, Maddie rushed to her friend’s side.
“Looks like I’m out of a job. Apparently their plans changed, and the position I was applying for no longer exists. But I really don’t think that’s the reason.” It was scary to think how quickly the world around her was collapsing. Her world had come apart the moment her father’s name appeared in the papers with those terrifying accusations next to it. Ally had hoped to keep it together by being independent and strong, but now it was becoming clear to her that she was being seen as a mere extension of her father.