by Nancy Madore
“Have you thought about what you’re going to do once we find the man who killed Ritter?” Asmund persisted. “How are you going to get that ring from him? You can’t do it all by yourself.”
Beth just looked at him. She hadn’t thought about that, actually.
“At some point you’re going to have trust us,” said Isabella.
Beth didn’t tell them that she was starting to trust them already. “I can’t think until I’ve had my morning coffee,” she said. “Why don’t I make us some breakfast?”
Back in the kitchen, Beth flipped on the little television that was sitting on the counter next to the coffee pot. She listened to the news absently as she scooped out the coffee grounds. Next stop would be aspirin and then she would work her way over to the eggs.
“Billionaire philanthropist, Jeremy Nasterson, ventured out into the public eye today to meet with prominent charity maven, Nadia Adeire,” said the reporter on the screen. “Ms. Adeire is the founder and CEO of BEACON, which is hosting the controversial masquerade ball to raise money for the victims of the devastating earthquakes that hit California last month. The two met at a posh restaurant in downtown DC to discuss the red carpet event, which some are calling excessive and inappropriate at a whopping fifty-thousand dollars a plate. The lavish extravaganza boasts such performers as—”
At this point, Beth glanced at the television screen to find the camera trained on a white haired man in his sixties with a small blotch of Purpura on the left side of his face. The coffee filter slipped from her hands, spilling coffee grounds all over the floor.
“Asmund!” she cried. “Isabella! Hurry! Hurry!”
In her excitement, Beth forgot that Isabella was still chained to Wayne’s office, but the soul of Asmund took only seconds to appear. Pointing to the television, Beth watched as he took in the contents on the screen. Both faces of his soul seemed to have suffered a terrible blow.
“Nadia!” he gasped.
“What is it?” asked Beth. “Do you…know them?”
“It’s him!” said Asmund. “It’s the man we’ve been looking for.”
“Are you certain?” asked Beth, though she thought so too.
Asmund couldn’t seem to drag his eyes from the television screen. “I’m certain,” he said. His expression was tragic.
“Isn’t this good news?” asked Beth. “We know who has Wayne’s ring.”
“Yes,” said Asmund. “We know who has Wayne’s ring. We must make a plan to get it back.” At last he dragged his gaze from the television screen to look at Beth. “I must speak to Isabella,” he said.
A few minutes later Beth brought them coffee. There were grim expressions on both their faces.
“Isabella and I must attend that event,” Asmund told her.
“Are you crazy?” exclaimed Beth. “Do you have any idea how much it will cost to get in?”
“This will be our only chance to get Wayne’s ring,” said Asmund. “It is a small price to pay to recover the life of my friend.”
Beth suddenly remembered the money Wayne left her. “Actually, I have the money!” she said excitedly. “But—” She looked at them uncertainly. This was the moment of truth. Could she really trust them?
“If you free Isabella, she will get the money,” he said. “She will handle everything.”
Beth poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down on the couch.
“Listen to me,” said Isabella, sitting down next to her. “If you ever want to see Wayne again, you will let us go to that masquerade ball.”
What if you bring him back and he refuses to see me? The question remained unspoken on Beth’s lips, but it had been lingering, in the back of her mind, for a while now. Wayne had been planning to leave her when he was killed. And yet, if what he said in his letter was true, he would welcome the opportunity to see her again.
“What is his real name?” asked Beth.
“I told you—” began Asmund.
“I would never endanger him,” she said. “I swear to you that I will take the name to my grave.” She raised her head a notch to emphasize her resolve. “I’ll trust you if you trust me.”
Beth could see that she had taken him by surprise. He appeared to be deep in thought, as if weighing all the alternatives. His expression, in turns, went from hard to yielding. He seemed to be saying to himself, ‘Which would my friend prefer that I do?’ Beth wondered if overpowering her was one of the possibilities he was considering. Isabella was also watching him with interest.
Finally, Asmund turned tortured eyes on Beth. She held her breath.
“His name is Ephippas,” he said.
Beth closed her eyes. “Ephippas,” she breathed. The name struck her like a lightning bolt, sending energy coursing through her veins. Yes, it was right. It fit. She felt a new awareness of the man who had played the role of her husband so well. She longed to see his soul, in all of its glory.
Beth opened her eyes. “Both of you are free to go,” she said. “But I will keep Asmund’s rings with me until you bring me the rings of Ephippas.”
“Then we are not free to go!” exclaimed Isabella, clearly disappointed. She and Asmund exchanged a look, which seemed to calm her somewhat. She even managed a small smile.
“Well, my new friend,” she said to Beth, “it seems as if we’ll be spending even more time together.”
“What do mean?” asked Beth.
“Like you, I have no intention of walking away without those rings.”
Beth couldn’t resist a small smile herself. “Why don’t we work together?” she suggested.
“It’s gotten us this far,” agreed Isabella.
“In fact, I think I would like to go to the ball with you,” said Beth. Just saying these words sent a strange sensation through her. She felt like Cinderella—except that she was the one who was searching for her prince. “I will buy my own ticket.”
Beth suddenly remembered something Asmund said in the kitchen. “Who was that woman with Jeremy Nasterson?” she asked him.
A terrible look came into his eyes. “She was my daughter,” he said, “in another life.” His voice expressed so much pain that Beth was instantly filled with compassion. It occurred to her that it must be very difficult for these souls to start over again and again.
“It’s not a coincidence that she’s with him, is it?” asked Beth.
“I’m afraid not,” he said.
“Are you…will you be…taking…a new body?” stammered Beth awkwardly.
“I don’t think so,” said Asmund. “To do so would tax me, and for the moment, I’m content as I am. Nor will it be necessary for you to purchase a third ticket for the masquerade ball.”
“Why not?” she asked, preparing to argue the point if he suggested she not go.
“Because I’ll be attending as I am,” he replied. Beth just stared at him, but for the first time, Asmund appeared to relax the tiniest bit. “The body I want will be waiting for me when I get there,” he told her meaningfully.
Beth gasped with understanding. “Jeremy Nasterson?” She looked from Isabella to Asmund. “That’s brilliant!”
“You will need to purchase the tickets as quickly as possible,” he told Isabella, who nodded in response. “If I know Nadia, they’ll be sold out in no time.”
Beth tried to absorb everything that just happened in the last hour. She had found Wayne’s second ring. And she was going to a masquerade ball, of all places, to get it. But the masquerade was a whole month away.
“So what are we supposed to do in the meantime?” she asked.
“There’s plenty to do,” said Asmodeous. “I’m going to go online and try to revive some of Ephippas’ contacts.”
Isabella took her arm. “And you and I have some shopping to do,” she said.
Chapter 48
Washington, DC
The chill of the morning had thawed into a perfect specimen of Indian summer. The sky turned a dazzling blue as the afternoon sun twirled and shimmied in a
nd around the array of rich, autumn leaves. A mischievous breeze played with Nadia’s hair as she and Will walked down the street hand in hand. Looking into the faces of the people she passed, Nadia thought she could see, reflected in their expressions, the sense of peace that kept eluding her. And yet, she felt happy—at least on the surface. It was a glorious afternoon. She found herself enjoying the day in spite of the many dark shadows that lurked all around her. For the moment, she wanted to relish this time with Will. In spite of what lay in her future—or, possibly, because of it—Nadia wanted to make the most of today.
She smiled in anticipation of what Will might have planned next. She was deeply impressed with his resourcefulness so far. “I can’t believe you chartered a boat,” she said, still feeling the soothing effects of the water.
“I figured you have probably seen DC from every perspective except that of the Potomac River,” he said. “Did you enjoy it?”
“It was amazing,” she told him. “And there couldn’t have been a nicer day for it. The gods were definitely in our favor!” The instant the words were out of her mouth she froze—and turned to look at Will. He had done the same. They both laughed. “I have no idea what made me say that,” she insisted. But the little slip had shaken her more than she was willing to admit.
“What do you have planned next?” she asked to change the subject.
“That’s the third time you asked me that,” he said. “Don’t you like surprises?”
I used to, before you kidnapped me and opened my eyes to what was really happening in the world, she thought. She said—“Sometimes.”
“Well, the wait is over,” he announced, leading her up to the doors of a little bistro that was tucked into one of DC’s many little side streets. “We’re here.”
Nadia’s eyes grew wide as she read the sideboard. “Wine tasting!” she exclaimed. “What a perfect idea.”
“I’ve arranged to have us seated outside,” he murmured close to her ear, causing a little shiver of delight to run down her back. He gave the hostess his name and she led them to a table in a courtyard that was surrounded by the cherry blossom trees that Maryland is so famous for.
“This must be an incredible sight in the spring!” exclaimed Nadia.
“We’ll come back then,” said Will.
Their eyes met—and held—for the first time that day, and Nadia felt her cheeks growing warm. “I’m so glad you were the one who planned our afternoon,” she said. “It wouldn’t have been nearly as nice if we’d left it to me.” His gaze was so intense—she was compelled to look away.
Will took her hand in his and held it there. “You have that look in your eyes again,” he said. “As if you’d like to run away.”
Nadia looked at him. “What?”
“Don’t you?” he chided gently.
Nadia tried to brush his words off with a little laugh. “No!” she denied, but she wasn’t very convincing. She hadn’t even realized that that was what she was doing, until he said it. There was a pause, during which time neither of them spoke. “What look?” she finally asked.
His blue eyes almost seemed omnipotent. She recalled how, upon first meeting him, she had found his stare oppressive—more oppressive, even, than the chains they had used to restrain her. She had dubbed him ‘Blue Eyes,’ without the slightest thought to it being a compliment. Back then, his eyes were cold, unyielding and cruel. But now she had observed a host of other sentiments there, from concern, to laughter—to lust.
“I don’t know how to describe it exactly,” he said. “It’s like you’re afraid. Like you want to escape. You had that look right before you walked away from me in Alaska.” He let this sink in a moment before he added—“And you have it again now.”
A nervous laugh slipped through Nadia’s lips. She did want to escape. He was right about that. But she had no idea what she wanted to escape from.
“Okay,” she said, forcing her eyes to stay connected with his. “Let’s say you’re right.” Unwanted tears filled her eyes with this tiny admission. The desire to look away, or to run away—or to do anything that might save her from this awkward moment—nearly overpowered her, but somehow she managed to hold her ground. She remained there, in her chair, eyes locked with his. But she couldn’t seem to bring herself to say any more.
What was it that made it so hard for her to open up?
Will squeezed her hand. “It’s okay,” he said. “The last thing I want to do is to make you feel uncomfortable. I just want you to know that you can trust me.”
Nadia concentrated on her breathing until she felt calm enough to speak again. “I know,” she said. But even as she spoke the words, she wondered if they were true. Did she trust him? She supposed she did, to a degree. But not entirely—not enough to tell him what she was planning.
She was once again filled with an overwhelming sense of guilt. She owed him the truth. Or, if not the truth, then, at the very least, some indication that she was not the woman he believed her to be. Not only was she keeping secrets from him—secrets that she knew would horrify him—but she was also actively pretending to be what he wanted. It was a farce. And yet, she couldn’t seem to stop, because she loved him.
She loved him.
Did he love her?
There was only one way to find out—and that was to tell him the truth. What would he say to her if she did? Could he accept a belief system that was different from his own? Would he understand the anguish she’d suffered over the decisions she had made?
“What is it?” he asked. “You look so…distraught.”
Nadia tried to smile. “I just…there’s just so much I wish I could say to you.”
Will seemed surprised by this. “Nadia, you can say anything to me!”
“Can I?” she asked. “Anything?”
There was alarm in Will’s blue eyes now, but when he spoke his voice was low and warm, like a caress. “Whatever it is we’ll work it out together.”
In that moment Nadia believed him. She closed her eyes, which caused the tears that had been lingering there to slip down her cheeks. She took a deep breath. “It’s about Jeremy Nasterson,” she began.
“I’m so sorry!” cried the waitress, interrupting them so abruptly that Nadia jumped. “We’re super understaffed today,” she continued, oblivious of Nadia’s discomfort. “Who would’ve guessed it would turn to out to be such a nice day?”
Nadia quickly brushed the tears off her cheeks as the waitress launched into the various different wine tasting packages that were available.
Will glanced at Nadia. “Do you want to stay?” he asked so discreetly that even she had to strain to hear him.
She nodded her head. She was suddenly dying for a glass of wine.
Will chose the package that featured a sampling from local wineries and the waitress left.
Something happened during the short span of time that had passed since the waitress first appeared. The panic—or whatever it was that made Nadia think she had to confess everything to Will—had passed. Suddenly it did not seem like such a good idea. In fact, it was probably the worst thing she could do. She tried to think of a way to extricate herself gracefully from that earlier conversation.
Will’s eyes, as usual, were watching her too keenly. “I think I know what’s bothering you,” he said. “I could see how uncomfortable you were this morning.”
“You could?” she asked, suddenly afraid of how much his perceptive eyes could see.
Will nodded. “It’s obvious that you dislike Jeremy Nasterson very much.” Nadia stared at him in alarm. It wasn’t just that Will had seen through her façade with Jeremy Nasterson, but that her feelings had been ‘obvious.’
“You don’t think…Jeremy noticed, do you?” she asked, too alarmed to even bother denying the fact.
“No, I don’t,” he said. “I think he’s too full of himself to worry about what anyone else is thinking.”
Nadia didn’t know what to say. She just stared at Will in astonishment.
“I felt so bad for you,” he went on, “because I’m pretty sure I know what you were thinking. And it’s all my fault.”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
Will sighed. “I just kept thinking of all the negative things Clive and I accused you and BEACON of when we first…you know.” His smile was almost a wince. Nadia could see that he genuinely felt bad. “We were pretty critical of what you do, and I could see this morning that you were embarrassed. You didn’t want me to meet Jeremy Nasterson, did you?”
Nadia tried to find her voice. “Uh…well—”
“It’s okay,” he interrupted. “I don’t blame you. You thought I would judge you.” He paused for a moment, as if he was having trouble finding the right words. “I was wrong, Nadia. And I’m sorry. I’ve seen how hard you’ve been working on this masquerade ball. And I know why this cause is so important to you. You’re doing a good thing, taking money from people like Nasterson to help the victims of California.” He leaned back in his chair. “I hope you got a hefty donation out of him.”
Nadia did her best to smile. “He wrote a check for three hundred thousand,” she said.
“Well there! You see?” he said, clearly impressed. His eyes were shining with pride when he spoke again. “Don’t ever let anyone make you feel bad about what you do,” he said. “Especially not me.”
It was too much. The tears rushed forth again and Nadia bent her head in an effort to compose herself.
“My God!” he exclaimed. “So I was right then? That’s what’s been bothering you?”
Nadia forced herself to nod her head in agreement, even though it made her feel even worse. Here she was, plotting an act of violence, right under his nose, and he was apologizing to her!
She was once again reminded of his mother. She wondered what the woman had gotten herself involved in. She wished she had more details but she wasn’t about to ask. For Will, it seemed, history was destined to repeat itself.
“Are you going to be okay?” asked Will.