My mother shows up at five-thirty, wearing a black suit like she’s going to a job interview. Maybe she plans to interview Rachel to figure out if she still approves of her. If so, I’m not putting up with it. We’re not going back to that time when my mother made rude comments to Rachel while giving her disapproving looks. If my mother acts that way, she will be sent home.
“Hello, Rachel,” my mother says as Rachel greets her in the foyer.
“Hello, Eleanor.”
“This is certainly a surprise.” My mother does a quick glance of Rachel’s outfit.
Rachel seems nervous. I told her my mother had nothing to do with what my father did, but maybe she doesn’t believe me.
“So how have you been?” Rachel asks my mother.
“Fine. Have you seen Garret yet?”
“Yes. I saw him last week.” Rachel relaxes at the mention of Garret. “I met his wife and their baby. Have you been out to see the baby?”
“No, not yet.”
My mother doesn’t talk to Garret much, and she’s never been out to visit him and Jade. She doesn’t like Jade because Jade never tried to fit into our high society world. But that’s not Jade’s fault. She was never invited into that world or even exposed to it. Garret kept her out of it. When he was younger, I used to make him go to all the high society events I had to go to when I was his age, and he hated it as much as I did. When he started dating Jade, I stopped forcing him to go to those events and he hasn’t gone to one since. So it’s not Jade’s fault that Garret is no longer part of this world, but my mother still chooses to blame Jade.
We move into the living room and my mother asks Rachel, “Will you be staying in Connecticut?”
She glances at me. “For now, yes.”
“With Pearce?”
“Yes, Mother,” I answer. “Rachel and I will be living together.”
“I see.” My mother smooths her short blond hair. “Perhaps you’ll find a different house. You never cared much for this one, did you, Pearce?”
“No, not particularly. Mother, I assume you’ll be staying for dinner?”
“I suppose I could.” She focuses on Rachel. “Do you still enjoy cooking? I remember how you used to cook every night.”
“Yes, I still like to cook.” Rachel’s giving me this look like she isn’t sure how much to tell my mother. We should’ve discussed this before she arrived.
“Well,” my mother says, “the weather certainly has been nice, hasn’t it?”
She continues to make small talk. She avoids any questions about what happened to Rachel, so I don’t offer up any information. My mother can hear the fake story on the news. That’s all she needs to know.
Later, Lilly comes downstairs and we all have dinner. Afterward, I turn the TV on and see the story about Rachel. It’s on all the cable news channels and is sure to be a top story on tomorrow’s national morning news.
When my mother leaves, she takes Lilly with her. Now that Rachel’s story is out, there will likely be reporters and photographers outside the house tomorrow and I didn’t want Lilly around them. My mother will bring Lilly to the airport in the morning.
Rachel and I go to bed around midnight, and surprisingly, I sleep soundly, despite knowing what will happen in a few short hours. I feel no guilt or uneasiness about what I’m going to do. It’s been a long time coming and I’m going to enjoy every second of it.
We arrive at the private airport at seven a.m. The Kensington jet is on the tarmac, fueled up and ready to go. Leland’s jet is also there, surrounded by guards whose eyes are aimed at the plane, making sure no one can tamper with it.
Leland arrives at seven-thirty in his black suit and tie, his gray hair slicked back. I’m standing near the airport entrance, having a cup of coffee.
When he walks in, I approach him and smile. “Leland. We missed you at the meeting yesterday.”
He did a double take when he saw me, and now he’s trying to hide his shock with a fake smile. “Pearce. What are you doing here?”
“Seeing Lilly off. She’s flying out to stay with Jade and Garret for a few weeks until things settle down. There are reporters and photographers waiting outside the house and I’d prefer that she not be around all that.”
“Yes, I…I suppose that’s wise.” He’s stammering. He never stammers.
“You seem ill at ease today, Leland.” I sip my coffee. “Any particular reason why?”
Before he can answer, Rachel appears from the hallway, walking up to me and wrapping her arm around mine.
“Leland, what a pleasure to see you again.” She smiles.
He stares at her, as though his eyes are playing tricks on him, like she can’t possibly be real.
“It’s been what…” she says, “fifteen years since I saw you last?”
“Yes.” He tries to force out a smile but it only lasts a brief second. “I believe that’s correct.” His eye twitches and he blinks a few times to steady it. “How have you been?”
“Leland,” I say, directing his attention back to me. “We can talk later. I believe you have an important meeting in DC to get to.” I check my watch. “Rachel and I don’t want to keep you.” I smile. “Have a safe flight.”
He glances out at the tarmac, then back at me, his eyes narrowed. “Stop playing games with me, Pearce. What did you do to my plane?
I turn to Rachel. “Sweetheart, would you excuse us for a moment?”
“Certainly.” She walks over to the small waiting area and takes a seat on the couch that faces the TV.
“I know you tampered with my plane.” Leland’s usual cool and collected demeanor is now rattled by pure paranoia, which I find quite satisfying.
“Why would I do such a thing?” I ask calmly.
“You KNOW why!” He nearly shouts it.
I go over and refill my coffee from the pot that’s set up near the reception desk. “I have no reason to seek revenge. Rachel is back and that’s all that matters.” I walk back over to him. “I have no vendetta against you, Leland. You simply did as you were ordered to do. If anyone deserves blame, it’s my father, but he’s dead now, so I no longer have to worry about him.” I take a sip of my coffee.
“You wouldn’t just let this go,” he says, glancing at Rachel. “I know you, Pearce, and I know you’d want revenge.”
“When I was younger, yes. But I’m older now, and not as impulsive or single-minded. I’m better able to step back and see the big picture, and I’m much more forgiving than I used to be. Besides, you’re Lilly’s grandfather. The only one she has left. I wouldn’t take her grandfather away.”
His body stiffens and his jaw moves side to side as he looks out at my plane. “Where is she? Where’s Lilly?”
“My mother is bringing her. She’ll be here any minute now. Why do you ask? Were you hoping to say goodbye to her?”
He’s breathing hard, his eyes darting to the tarmac then back to me. “What did you do to my plane?” he hisses.
“Nothing,” I say casually. “I told you, I have no interest in harming you. Let’s just put the past behind us and focus on moving forward.”
He stares out at his plane, nervously rubbing his jaw. “I checked it. I checked it multiple times. I had cameras on it all night and guards watching it.”
I chuckle. “That seems a bit extreme. But I suppose if it gives you peace of mind.”
“It doesn’t! I know you tampered with it. Just admit it!”
“If I were to tamper with one of your planes, I would’ve done so to the one in New York that’s close to your house. Why would I tamper with this one?”
“Because you know I’d assume you tampered with the one in New York.” He straightens up, his confidence growing. “You’re trying to trick me, Pearce, but it’s not going to work.”
“You truly are paranoid, Leland. I never knew that about you.” I take one last sip of coffee, then set my cup down on the table next to us. “I’ll tell you what. Just to prove my point, let’s switch planes. I�
�ll have my pilots fly Lilly to California using your plane, and you can fly mine to DC.”
“No,” he blurts out.
I raise my brows at his reaction. “I don’t see why you wouldn’t agree to it. I’m ensuring your safety here. Putting your mind at ease. I wouldn’t tamper with my own plane. And I definitely wouldn’t put Lilly on a plane that wasn’t safe.”
As I say it, she walks through the door along with my mother. My mother’s driver is behind them, carrying Lilly’s suitcase.
“Hello, honey,” I say to Lilly. “Look who I ran into.”
“Hi, Grandfather.” She gives him a hug but he doesn’t hug her back. He keeps his arms at his sides and looks down at her like he wants her to stop touching him.
She lets him go and steps back beside me.
Leland’s eyes are on her. “So you’re going to see Garret?”
“Yes. And Jade and Abi.”
“I see.” He glances out the window at the Kensington jet.
“Lilly, go sit with Rachel.” I motion to her. “The plane isn’t quite ready to leave yet.”
“Leland.” My mother nods at him as she goes past him, following Lilly to the waiting area.
“Well,” I say. “Have you made a decision? Lilly needs to get going and so do you.”
He rubs his hand back and forth over his jaw. He looks back at Lilly.
“Is something wrong, Leland?”
His head snaps back to me. “No. Nothing.” He straightens up and clears his throat. “I’ll take my own plane. I’ve checked it multiple times. I don’t know why I’m doubting myself. I never doubt myself.”
“Then I guess we’re done here.” I put my hand out. “Goodbye, Leland. Say hello to Audrey for me when you get back.”
He doesn’t shake my hand. He just walks out to the tarmac, not even saying goodbye to Lilly. I watch as he boards his plane.
As the plane taxis down the runway, Leland’s four security guards walk back to the airport building. One of them comes up to me.
I hold my phone out to him, showing him the balance. “It’s been wired to your account and will be accessible once he’s gone.”
The man nods and motions for the other guards to follow him to the parking lot. Their job is done and they will soon be four very wealthy men.
Those men have worked for Leland for years. But for the right price, loyalty can be bought.
“Dad, when am I leaving?” I hear Lilly ask.
“Not yet.” I walk past the waiting area, down the hall to the employee break room. My pilots are sitting there, as I instructed them to do.
“Mr. Kensington.” My head pilot stands up. “As you suspected, there were some serious issues with the plane. Our mechanics will need time to do the repairs. You won’t be able to take it today.”
“I wasn’t planning to. Do you have the report?”
“Yes, Sir.” He hands me a piece of paper that details what the mechanics found when they inspected the plane. There was a damaged wire near the engine that would’ve sparked and caused a fire soon after takeoff, leading to an explosion that would have killed everyone on board.
It doesn’t surprise me that Leland wanted me dead. Or Rachel. He sees us as a threat. But what is surprising is that he would’ve let Lilly die. I thought he would try to save her. I gave him numerous opportunities to do so, but he didn’t. He left here thinking she would get on that plane, knowing she would die, and he didn’t even care. Hate isn’t a strong enough word for how I feel about that man.
I return to the waiting area. Rachel and Lilly are talking and my mother is reading a magazine.
“Ladies,” I say. “The pilot has informed me that the plane cannot be used today. Something about a wire that needs to be replaced. They’ll have to special order it.”
“A wire?” I hear the worry in Rachel’s voice. This is the part of the story I didn’t tell her. If she knew Leland had tampered with my plane, she wouldn’t have been able to hold back. She would’ve been furious and ended up confronting him about it, thus interfering with the plan.
“It’s nothing serious,” I lie. “But the plane will be out of service until it’s fixed.”
“So I’m not going?” Lilly asks.
“Actually, we’re all going. But we’re flying commercial. I already got the tickets. Come on. Everyone get up. Our flight leaves in just over an hour.”
My mother hugs Lilly. “Have a good trip.”
“You’re coming with us, Mother.”
“Pearce, don’t be ridiculous. I’m not flying to California.”
I put my arm around her. “When I said we’re all going, that included you. You’re going out to see your grandson and the great-granddaughter you’ve never met.”
“But I…I don’t have my bags packed.” She’s flustered, which I knew she would be.
“I’ve asked the maid to pack your bag. It’ll be waiting for us at the airport.”
“Pearce.” She turns to face me, her hands on her hips. “I can’t just leave. I have commitments to attend to.”
“Your family is more important than your commitments. You’re going to see your grandson whether you like it or not. I’m not giving you a choice here, Mother.”
She sighs. “I can’t fly commercial.”
“They’re first class tickets. I’m confident you’ll do just fine. Now let’s go.”
Lilly’s giggling off to the side. She’s never seen her grandmother so flustered before.
“Mother.” I offer her my arm. She reluctantly takes it and I lead her out to the car. Rachel is behind us, her arm around Lilly.
On the drive to the airport, a text message pops up. It’s from William and says, “And so it is.”
He’s telling me Leland’s plane crashed. Instead of having it explode upon takeoff, I had it rigged so that Leland would see it malfunctioning while in the air and try to fix it, then realize he couldn’t. Those final minutes must’ve been hell. Knowing you’re going to die, but unable to do anything about it?
I smile at that.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Six Weeks Later
RACHEL
“Pearce, I still don’t understand why we’re staying here.” I’m lying next to him on the bed, propped up on my side. We’re back in California, at the same hotel we stayed at after I came back to the U.S., in the same suite on the top floor.
“I thought I made that clear just now.” He kisses me, then deepens the kiss as he eases me onto my back. “But since you’re unsure, perhaps we’ll do it again.”
It’s morning and Pearce and I just had amazing sex. We did it last night too.
I smile. “We could have done this at home.”
“The house is being remodeled.” He trails kisses along my shoulder.
“Not until Monday.”
He lifts his face to mine. “Are you saying you don’t like this hotel?”
“No, I love this hotel. It’s beautiful. And it’s special because it’s where we reunited after being apart.”
“I agree. Which is why we’re here.”
“What do you mean?”
He gives me a kiss. “I’ll be right back.”
“Pearce, where are you going?” I call after him, but he’s already gone.
It must be some kind of surprise. Pearce has been surprising me with little gifts or sweet gestures for weeks now. Flowers. Chocolate. Breakfast in bed. Massages. He’s always been romantic, but he’s even more so now than he used to be, maybe because he’s more relaxed living out here in California.
We moved here a month ago. We bought Grace’s house and live there with Lilly. The house had several small rooms that we didn’t need, so the renovations will include knocking down a wall to make a bigger bedroom for Lilly. The master bedroom will also get a makeover, as will the kitchen.
We already put a pool in the back yard, which Lilly and I use all the time. The pool is surrounded by flower gardens and stone walking paths. Benches and lawn chairs are scattered throughou
t so you can sit among the flowers and read a book or just relax.
I love the house, and the yard, and living there with Pearce and Lilly. And I finally feel safe now that Leland’s gone.
It’s been six weeks since Leland died. The day of his death, the story of my return got pushed aside in the media as reporters rushed to the crash site to cover the unfortunate death of Leland Seymour, the well-known billionaire businessman who had connections to many powerful politicians in Washington.
I’m sure the timing of Leland’s death was intentionally set to coincide with the release of my story. I’ve never asked Pearce that, but I’m sure it’s true. He wanted to put the story out there, then have it be quickly forgotten and replaced by other news. But my story wasn’t completely forgotten. It remained in the press for weeks, but was limited to short mentions instead of being a lead story. I had some reporters request interviews, but I turned them all down and eventually the requests stopped coming.
As for what happened to Leland, I try not to think about it. Although I didn’t actually plan Leland’s death, I knew it was going to happen and I was strangely okay with it. I’m not sure what that says about me. I’ve always been someone who has tried to help people, not harm them. But Leland was a threat and had to die, so I tell myself his death was justified. So is that how Pearce felt all those times he got an assignment? Did he find ways to justify what he did? I’m guessing he had to. How else would you live with yourself?
After this incident with Leland, I feel as though I better understand Pearce and how he was able to do the things he did all those years. Someday he may have to do those things again, but I choose not to think about that.
Leland’s funeral happened a few days after the plane crash. Pearce and Lilly went, along with Eleanor. Pearce said Katherine showed no emotion at all during her father’s funeral, and neither did her sister or mother. It was like none of them cared that Leland died. And yet when Lilly went to give her mother a hug, Pearce said Katherine pushed her away, saying she was too distraught to deal with Lilly.
Katherine is now in France, visiting her sister. She’ll be back in September, but Lilly will be in school by then so won’t have time to fly back to see her mother. Katherine could easily fly out here, given that she has no job and nothing to do all day, but I’m sure she won’t. She hasn’t even called Lilly in weeks.
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