Yet as they headed down the hallway, a man abruptly burst from the stairwell, his breathing labored as if he'd ran up the fifteen flights. Edward's first thought was there was a fire—except they were on the fifteenth floor. The man should have continued downward, not enter this floor. The second thought was the realization he knew the man. It was the strange cowboy from the horse farm, the one that knew Elinor.
As if in confirmation, the man barreled down the hall straight to where Elinor stood at her doorway.
"Brandon!" Lucy called. Apparently, she knew him.
The man barely acknowledged her, gave Edward a nod, then called out Elinor's name. Less than a minute later, Elinor was running with him, both entering the stairwell as if there really was a fire.
"What was that about?" Lucy demanded.
It was comforting to see Lucy wasn't all-knowing after all. But that comfort was short-lived as Lucy dropped the outrage and re-snuggled up to Edward.
"Well, well, doesn't she get around?" Lucy cooed.
Edward no longer cared about reaching the elevator and ripped his arm from her grasp.
"We're going to South America." He stormed for the elevator.
A shrill laughed followed him. "That's your reaction? To flee when you find your girl loves someone far more wealthy and handsome than you?"
He jabbed the call button. "I thought you wanted a wedding in Machu Picchu."
He had the satisfaction of seeing her jaw drop in a gasp. "Eddie, you can't be serious."
"Pack your bags. We'll leave tonight." He stepped into the waiting elevator, but Lucy remained in the hallway, arms folded.
"What of your mother?"
"You said you loved me, didn't you?"
"Just because another girl dumped you doesn't mean any other girl will leap into your arms."
"Then this relationship is over."
The elevator doors began to close, but Lucy slapped a hand against them, jerking them open.
"You can't do what you want. Remember what I have on you."
"Did you know extortion is a federal crime?"
"So is insider trading. You'll end up in jail with me."
"If you're in there, it will be worth it." He jabbed the button to close the elevator doors, having no wish to ride down with Lucy. He half expected her to jump inside anyway, but she remained in the hallway, a smug smile on her lips.
"Eddie, Eddie, Eddie. You're so going to regret this."
And the elevator doors slammed shut.
Chapter 23
Edward packed his bags. Despite what she had said, he was hoping it was a bluff and that she'd end up at the airport with him to use the two tickets he'd just bought.
His phone rang. Lucy never called his phone. Neither did Elinor. The two women he wanted to hear from.
It turned out to be his mother. "My office, now." The line went dead.
Dread formed in his stomach. He was about to learn Lucy's backup plan, wasn't he?
It took twenty minutes before he stood in his mother's pristine white office, the empty room engulfing him like a prison. His mother sat in her big chair, fingers laced, her entire body facing him while tightly controlled rage contorted her features.
"You were like a son to me," she began.
"Mother, I am your son."
"A real son wouldn't steal from his own mother."
Edward sighed. So, Lucy had stolen funds and framed him for that as well? "You know me, Mother. I wouldn't do that."
"Then why did you just buy a one-way ticket to Peru?"
She shouldn't have known about that. He had paid the ticket in cash, leaving no paper trail. Then again, Lucy had known.
"It's not what you think."
His mother leveled a glare at him, then tapped a button on her desk. "Bring her in."
Edward wasn't surprised when Lucy stepped in. Gone was the smug look, the fitted clothes, and the jewelry. Now she wore a worn-out t-shirt and jeans with scuffed shoes, her face smeared with mascara by the tears rolling down her cheeks, her face a perfect picture of a frightened child.
Lucy swiveled the fake crying eyes toward him and mouthed, "I'm sorry," as if they had both been found out.
"This sweet girl," his mother began, "tells me you promised to marry her and have been diverting funds from my accounts to her for over four years. And now you've planned to run away with her and the money to South America."
"I'm so sorry," Lucy sobbed behind him, "I just felt so guilty! I couldn't let you do that to your own family!"
"What do you have to say for yourself?" His mother demanded.
Edward had a lot to say, but none of it would make any difference. Lucy probably had four years to plan this moment. She probably even had spliced conversations to prove her point.
"Fanny and Frank had nothing to do with this," he decided to say. If he was going down, he wanted to ensure they didn't go down with him. "This was just me and Lucy."
The rage broke free of its constraints on his mother's face and she rose to her feet. "Get out. The police are waiting downstairs."
He nodded, then turned around, leveling his own hate on Lucy. She just sniffled at him, but it turned to a terrified gasp when he grabbed her arm. She was coming with him even if he had to drag her out.
"Edward!" His mother barked. "Unhand that young woman!"
"She's as guilty as me, Mother."
"But she's earned clemency for telling the truth. Now, unhand her!"
Lucy, her head turned so only Edward could see it, shot a smug grin at him. "Enjoy prison," she whispered before shaking herself free from his grasp.
Edward held still for a moment, the hate boiling inside. Then he faced his mother.
"If she doesn't come with me, Mother, she will ruin you and everything you and Dad worked hard to build."
His mother just pointed at the door.
Edward complied and brushed past Lucy, refusing to give her or his mother another glance.
* * *
The charges were exorbitant and the bail set so high, even Edward's mother would struggle to post it if she had been in the mood. But since his entire family believed he was guilty—his siblings had sent him texts of horror and shame minutes before the police confiscated his phone—Edward expected to rot in jail for a very long time.
Yet, the very next evening, he found himself walking out of the jailhouse, his bail posted. Lucy's backup plan must have failed and his mother had deciphered her true character. Except his mother was nowhere in sight. Neither were any of his siblings. Instead, he found the strange cowboy.
"Edward Ferras?" the man asked as Edward strode up to him.
"Yes. And you?"
"Brandon. We've met before."
"Yes, at that horse farm in Connecticut. But, why did you post my bail?" And how in the world did he afford it? The man wore casual jeans paired with a polo shirt, his shoes were at least two years old, and the watch on his arm must have been bought at some supermarket.
"Elinor believes you're innocent."
Two things shot through Edward's mind. Elinor was too much of an angel and the cowboy knew Elinor far too well if he was willing to fork up that amount of money on just her word.
"Do you have a lawyer?" Brandon asked.
He'd rather talk about Elinor, but he acquiesced to the business at hand. "I believe the state will get me one."
"I have a friend who knows a lawyer."
"Thanks, but I'm afraid I don't have the funds for your friend's lawyer—"
"I'll cover it. Do you have a place to stay?"
Edward wanted to demand how the cowboy would cover it. Brandon acted as if he could whip money out of thin air. But prying into a stranger's financials—especially when said financials were being used to help Edward out—was probably the worst way to handle this situation.
Stifling his pride, he focused on the latest question. "I'm not sure. I have family, but..." He doubted any of them would take him in, not if it threatened their standing with their mother.
The next possibility was with Elinor, but he didn't know if she'd want him considering she had this overly wealthy, chill cowboy at her beck and call.
"Harv's willing to take you in if you want."
"Harv?" The horse therapy guy?
"He's only an hour from here. The police said it was fine. They work with him a lot." Brandon indicated a rental car in the parking lot. "Get in."
Edward opened his mouth to demand more questions, but the cowboy had already slipped into the driver's seat. Since Edward was standing like a fool on the sidewalk, he headed for the passenger seat—except found someone else in it.
"Take the back," the new stranger said after rolling down the window a crack.
Edward complied and found himself sitting in the back seat with two total strangers. On the plus side, they looked like brothers so at least he was only dealing with a family. On the negative side, that meant Elinor had two wealthy, handsome guys at her beck and call. Why did he ever think he had a chance with her?
The stranger in the passenger seat turned and extended his hand. "Hi, I'm Rick."
"Hi." He accepted the handshake. "Are you the lawyer?"
"No, my fiancé's godmother is. She gave me a recorder." He pulled a small recording device out of his suit pocket. Unlike the cowboy, Rick dressed like he had money. "Just start telling us whatever you think is relevant to your case. We have about an hour before we get to Harv's place."
"Uh, I'm sorry, but...why are you doing this?"
"You're innocent, aren't you?"
"Yes, but—"
"Innocent people shouldn't go to jail. And the way Elinor described your accuser, you're going to need a lot of help to get yourself out."
"Elinor?" Relief washed over Edward. She hadn't believed Lucy after all. Had even deduced the corrupt personality deep within.
"Yeah, do you want to talk to her? I bet she'd want an update." He pulled out his phone. "I'll call Anne. She should be near Elinor—"
"I have Elinor's number," the cowboy handed Rick his phone.
The relief in Edward died once he saw Elinor's name on the cowboy's phone. It even had a picture of her smiling sweetly. He couldn't help remembering the last time he had seen Elinor, a strained smile on her face, obviously not happy to see him.
"Uh, do you think she'd be too busy?" Edward asked, not really wanting to hold a conversation with the girl of his dreams while the other two men she had in her life could overhear.
"Trust me, she'll want the diversion." Rick pressed a button, then handed him the ringing phone. "Waiting in a hospital is torture."
"Hospital?" Edward managed to get out before Elinor's sweet voice came over the line. Except she gushed out the cowboy's name.
"I'm so glad you called!"
"Uh, it's me, Edward." He expected a groan, but instead, there was a gasp, then she gushed his name better than the cowboy's.
"You're okay!"
Edward hoped the grin on his face wasn't noticeable to the two in the front.
"Are you still in jail?" she continued. "I'm so sorry I can't come and see you."
"No, your friend, Brandon, posted my bail."
There was a gasp. "He did? Wow, I had no idea he had been planning to do that. But, that's who he is. So kind and giving."
The opposite of himself, Edward couldn't help thinking. The next thought confirmed his selfishness when he remembered Rick had mentioned she was in a hospital and she had mentioned she couldn't see him. Was she lying on her death bed? And he hadn't bothered to ask!
"What about you?" He asked. "Are you okay? Rick said you're in the hospital."
"Yes, I am, but it's not for me. I'm fine."
The car slowed down as if to park.
"You need to focus on yourself," she continued. "Brandon and Rick—Rick is with you, right?"
"Uh," Edward began as Brandon parked the car and both men abruptly exited.
"We'll be right back," Rick called out before shutting his door.
"Uh, yes, Rick and Brandon are here," Edward decided to say as he watched the two enter the nearest building. The men probably had other errands than just picking Edward up from jail.
"Listen to them," Elinor said. "They can help you."
Edward hesitated for a second. "Sorry, but I don't think that's a good idea."
"What do you mean?"
"Elinor, you don't know the mess I'm in. The type of person I'm dealing with."
"You mean Lucy?"
"How did you meet her?" The question had been killing him for days now.
"She's a cousin of my mother's boss in Portland."
He inwardly groaned. The world was too small sometimes.
"Why did you give her my dad's ring?"
Now he groaned out loud. "She showed it to you?"
"The first time we met. She knew it would hurt me."
"That was not what I intended. I gave it because I was afraid—" he stopped, not wanting to confess that everything had been done for her sake. Maybe if he had a chance with her, but her heart wasn't his. She had the overly wealthy, annoyingly kind Brandon. He was just the penniless nobody that had lost her ring.
"Afraid of what?" she pressed. The ring being passed to Lucy must have really hurt her. And here he had thought he was trying to protect her. He was so useless.
"I'm sorry I gave her the ring. I will try to replace it one day." Then she might forgive him.
"I already have it."
"What?"
"Lucy gave it to me. In celebration of being friends, she claimed, but I could tell she knew the ring had once belonged to my family."
Edward blew out his breath in frustration. His life was already ruined. Might as well dig a deeper hole. "I didn't want Lucy anywhere near you. That's why I gave the ring. I thought if I didn't show how much I valued it, she wouldn't try to hunt down its owner. I was just...trying to protect you."
There was silence on the other end. What he'd give to be able to see her face.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Edward asked. "Lucy didn't...blackmail you or anything?"
"No, I figured from the start that she wasn't someone to trust."
It was like she'd stabbed him in the heart. If she knew Lucy wasn't any good so quickly, then she must think poorly of him for falling for her trap.
As if confirming his dismay, she continued. "Everything's going to be all right, Edward. Brandon and Rick, you can trust them."
Because neither of them would fall for Lucy. Edward just wanted to sink into the car seat and never come out again.
"Edward?" She asked, the worry evident in her voice.
"Why are you helping me?" It was out before he knew it. Such a pathetic, wimpy question from the lame man she couldn't stand, no doubt.
"Because...because we're friends."
Friends. Of course. She was being nice because that's who she was. And she had the unfortunate happenstance of meeting him.
"I'm not a good friend. I haven't helped you. I got you kicked out of your home, lost your ring, and ignored you for months—you should hate me, Elinor, not help me."
There. The truth was finally out.
Elinor was silent for a long moment. "Edward, what you say isn't true. You saved my employees without earning a dime from the transaction, you understood my family's pain with my father's stroke, you devoted time to a broken man who barely can hold his side of a conversation, and...and you gave me a reason to smile during the worst time of my life."
Was this how she saw him? Or was it...
"You're turning this into a stepping stone, aren't you?"
She laughed. "I guess I am. But then, you're trying to efficientize this by eliminating what's not working. All I'm saying is, don't eliminate yourself. You still work, Edward, even if it doesn't look like that."
If she had been next to him, he'd have kissed her. The girl was too good. No wonder Brandon was willing to fork over so much money to help her. And how was Edward ever going to compete with that?
Speaking of the competi
tion, both men were returning to the car. Edward abruptly straightened.
"Uh, I got to go."
He half hoped she'd protest, but she immediately agreed, wishing him well. He thanked her and ended the call just as the men resumed their seats.
"Ready?" Risk asked, turning to Edward.
"Yeah." He handed him the phone. "What did you do in the store?" They had come out empty-handed so they obviously weren't there to shop.
"Errands," Rick replied as he returned the phone to Brandon. Then he picked up the recorder. "You still up to telling us all you know?"
Edward still didn't think any of this would work, but Elinor seemed to think he wasn't a lost cause yet, so he nodded. He would keep trying for her sake.
Chapter 24
Harv and Star were all smiles when the three of them showed up at their door and Edward deduced very quickly that the four of them were the best of friends, swapping stories and inside jokes as if they had all grown up together, like a well-knit family.
"Not by blood," Harv said when Edward asked if they were all related. "But we're a part of the navy family."
"The military?"
"Yep. We all served together at some point."
"The two brothers," Edward indicated Rick and Brandon who were heading back to their car, Star following them with boxes of food, "joined at the same time?" He couldn't help wondering how that affected their parents.
"Brothers?" Harv laughed, hitting his cane against the wooden floor. "They're nothing alike. Brandon's from the West coast, Rick's from the East. Rick would demand to be in the front lines while Brandon would be in the back running the comms. But they both will have your six, you can count on that. Now," Harv indicted for him to follow as he limped over to the hallway. "I can see you brought nothing with you."
"Uh, no." Edward stared down at the clothes he'd been wearing for two days. "This is all I've got, I'm afraid."
"I keep some spares for Brandon and Rick when they show up. You're shorter than them, but if you roll up the pants and tuck in the shirts, they'd still fit, I'd bet. Go down this hallway to the laundry room. Once you grab the spares, meet me out back."
Smitten With Sense: A Modern Sense And Sensibility Retelling (Pemberley Estates Book 4) Page 18