When I pull up to the gate, the guard sees I'm driving a rental car and seems alarmed. Members are given black Mercedes equipped with bulletproof glass and other safety features, so the rented black Lexus I'm driving indicates I'm an outsider who shouldn't be here.
"Call whoever you need to," I tell the guard, who's already on his phone. There's a camera at the gate, and I look directly at it so the person viewing it will know it's me.
"Pearce," a voice says from the speaker. I'm not sure who it is, but I'm guessing it's Gerald Finnick, the owner of the estate. Years ago we went to Yale together. I've always found him to be rather dull so I usually try to avoid him at meetings and social events. "What a surprise. We weren't expecting you."
"I was already here for business and decided to attend."
"Let him through," he says to the guard.
I drive past the gate and follow the path that leads to the back of the house. Gerald has hosted meetings in the past so I know where to go. An attendant is waiting to park my car. I give him my keys then enter through the door that leads to the meeting. It's underground, like most of our meeting locations.
It's odd, but I'm not at all nervous like I thought I'd be. Perhaps because I'm older now and no longer intimidated by these people.
"Pearce." Gerald meets me at the door. "I have to say, I'm rather stunned you showed up. You haven't attended a meeting in years."
"I could use a drink," I say, not addressing his comment. "Could you direct me to the bar?"
"Yes, of course. It's right over there." He points to the left side of the room, where a group of men are gathered with drinks in their hands.
"Thank you, Gerald." I stride over to the bar, ignoring all the looks I'm getting. Wide eyes. Dropped jaws. It appears that blending in will not be an option. I knew my presence would come as a surprise but I didn't expect to get so much attention.
"Bourbon, neat," I tell the tall, blond associate who's tending the bar. She must be new. I've never seen her before. She can't be more than 21 or 22. She reminds me of Shelby back when she was that age. Young. Naive. Selling herself in exchange for whatever dream they promised her would come true. I've asked William many times to end the use of associates but he hasn't been able to do it. He couldn't even convince them to bring it up for a vote.
"What's your name?" she asks, smiling, as she hands me my drink.
"I won't be using your services, but thank you for the drink." I turn away from her.
I hear her talking behind me. "I'm Crystal if you change your mind."
It's hard to believe I used to be with those girls. It seems like that was someone else. A man I no longer know.
Moving away from the bar, I take a sip of my bourbon. It's only noon but when I'm around these people I need a drink. But not too many. I need to remain alert and aware of everything going on around me, such as the man approaching me on my left.
"Pearce." It's Paul Sythe. I went to prep school with him. He runs a law firm now. "What are you doing here?"
Paul is someone who's very direct, which some of the members consider to be rude.
"Hello to you as well, Paul." I swirl the bourbon in my glass.
He comes around in front of me. "Pardon me. I didn't mean for it to sound that way. I'm just surprised."
"And why is that? I'm still a member, aren't I?"
"Yes, but—"
"As far as I know, members are allowed to attend meetings. I was in the area and decided to drop in. It's as simple as that."
"They didn't know you were coming?"
"I think that's evident from the looks I'm getting." I take another drink, wishing Paul would go away. I've never liked him. He's a gossiper who spreads rumors about people that aren't true. He does it to get attention because people tend to ignore him. He's short and small and doesn't have any distinguishing characteristics that make him stand out, so he succumbs to gossiping in the hopes that it'll make people take note of him.
"How's your family?" he asks, digging for information.
I don't take the bait. Instead I say, "Good seeing you, Paul," and then I walk away.
I make my way through the room, ignoring the stares, until I'm stopped by Alister Cormack, a man who used to play golf with my father. Alister was on the board of Kensington Chemical for many years until I took over and replaced him with someone else. That displeased him to the point that he rarely spoke to me after that.
"Why are you here, Pearce?" he asks, standing in front of me. He doesn't even attempt to hide his anger. He must have something on the agenda he wants to get passed and assumes my presence might hinder that.
"That seems to be the question of the hour," I say, smiling at him. "You don't look happy to see me, Alister. May I ask why?"
He huffs. "You have some nerve showing up here! You haven't attended a meeting in years and yet you're still allowed the benefits of membership? The status? The money? The connections? Membership is a privilege and you are most definitely not worthy."
"Believe me, I would be more than pleased to give up my membership but unfortunately that's not allowed."
"I suppose you plan to comment on the topics of today's meeting."
"It's my duty as a member. To challenge those who think they know better than the rest of us. We all know people like that, don't we, Alister?"
He's fuming now, his face getting red. It probably isn't wise for me to be inciting hostility in him, or anyone else here, but when I get around these people, I can't always help myself.
"Do you truly think anyone cares about your opinion?" he asks.
"Yes. I do. And those who don't can choose not to listen. Either way, I'm still allowed to express myself."
His eyes narrow and he mutters something under his breath. I'm feeling a bit amused and elated that I got to him this way. He's usually able to hide his temper better than this.
I glance around the room, seeing if there's anyone here I'd actually like to talk to. My eyes abruptly stop on a man who just walked in. He looks familiar but he's turned to the side, talking to Gerald, so I'm unable to tell who it is. Gerald points in my direction and the man whips his head toward me and we lock eyes.
My pulse immediately spikes. Warning lights go off in my head. What the hell is he doing here?
Chapter Seven
Pearce
Alister must notice my reaction because I hear him say, "You didn't know your brother-in-law was attending?" A harsh laugh erupts from him and I glance over to see him sneering at me. "Perhaps you should leave, Pearce. We wouldn't want a family squabble to disrupt the meeting."
"Former brother-in-law," I say, correcting him. "And actually, I'm happy that Phillip is here. It will give us a chance to catch up." It's a lie. I feel sick that he's here, my mind racing to figure out why he would attend a meeting in Connecticut when he lives in Paris, France. He's never attended a meeting here. Not once. He rarely even comes to the States. When I was married to Katherine, Phillip and Caroline only came to visit us twice, so Katherine made us fly to Paris to see them every year or she'd go there by herself.
I haven't seen Phillip since I divorced Katherine. He looks much older now, his hair completely gray, but he still has that smirk on his face that everyone in Katherine's family seems to have. He's walking toward me now, his head held high, so I do the same, meeting him in the middle of the room. He's a small man, five foot eight and on the thin side, so at six foot five, I tower over him.
"Phillip, what a pleasure to see you again," I say, taking the opportunity to speak first and establish the upper hand.
He lets out an unamused laugh. "No need to pretend, Pearce. We both know you're not pleased to see me."
"On the contrary. We've always gotten along, wouldn't you agree?"
"Well, yes, but—"
"Then I see no reason for that to change. The fact that I'm no longer married to Katherine has no bearing on whether or not we maintain a cordial relationship. But I am curious as to why you're here."
His
smirk appears. "Katherine didn't tell you?"
My muscles tense, knowing he's about to tell me something I'm not going to like. But I hide my apprehension and simply say, "Katherine and I don't speak anymore. We have no need to."
"You share a daughter."
"Who Katherine has no interest in. We have nothing to discuss in regards to Lilly."
"I see." He grins. "Well, since Katherine didn't tell you the news, I will. Caroline and I have moved back to the States."
I tightly clench my glass of bourbon and force myself to smile. "To New York?"
"Yes. We bought a house not too far from my parents and just a half hour away from Audrey."
"That's wonderful news. How long have you been back?"
"A little less than a month. Caroline misses Paris but she's thrilled to be close to her mother again. And Katherine, of course."
"And how is Audrey? I haven't seen her for years." I can't stand the woman and couldn't care less how she's doing but I'm trying to buy time to figure out the right questions to ask to ascertain the real reason Phillip moved here. I know it's not just to be closer to family.
"She keeps busy, attending events, organizing fundraisers. But she hasn't been the same since Leland died. It was such a tragedy, one she'll likely never recover from."
He's lying. Audrey didn't even cry at her husband's funeral, and the next day she went to a spa where she stayed for a week, getting massages and manicures, likely not giving her dead husband even a thought. She told all her friends she was at a retreat for grieving spouses, one of many lies Audrey's used over the years to keep up appearances and not harm her social standing.
"I still can't believe he died in that crash," Phillip says. "He was always so fastidious in checking his plane."
"He certainly was." I shake my head. "It's such a shame."
Phillip is eyeing me, as if waiting for me to supply him with more of a reaction. It's obvious he's aware of my involvement in the crash, or at least assumes I was involved. It's good he thinks that. Perhaps it will make him fear me, knowing what I'm capable of.
"So is this your first meeting since the move?" I ask.
"Actually no. I attended one—" He stops suddenly and fakes a smile. "Pardon me. I misspoke. What I meant to say is that I met with some of the members informally for dinner a few weeks ago. I'm still trying to get to know everyone."
Another lie. I can tell by his eye twitch. I'd forgotten about that. His eye twitches when he's highly stressed, which means whatever he almost said to me was something important. Something he didn't want me to know.
What is he hiding? Is he planning something? Some kind of revenge for what he thinks I did to Leland? Did Caroline put him up to this?
"Who did you have dinner with?" I ask.
"Pearce, you know I'm not one to gossip. And last I knew you weren't either. Caroline and Katherine do enough of that for the both of us."
"Telling me who you had dinner with isn't considered gossip. And I only asked so that I could perhaps recommend other members you might want to get to know."
"Thank you for your offer but I don't need your help." He smiles. "I'm quite capable of making the right connections on my own." He pats my shoulder in a condescending manner. "Good seeing you, Pearce."
The right connections for what? What the hell is he up to? He strides off to the bar as a voice comes over the speakers.
"Everyone please take your seats. The meeting will begin shortly."
I find a spot in the very last row and watch as Phillip seats himself near the front. The meeting starts and all I can think about is Phillip and why he's here. Why would he move here? What were his motives? His true motives? I wonder if Katherine would tell me. After being married to her all those years, I know what to say to make her slip up and reveal things she didn't mean to tell me. But if I called her about this, she'd tell Phillip, which would give him the upper hand and let him know that his comments affected me. I don't want him knowing that. I need to remain aloof, as though I'm not at all suspicious of him or his sudden return to the States.
The meeting continues and I force myself to pay attention, but nothing that's been said is of any interest to me. It's just the same dull topics that have been brought up for years. News about our political involvement. Updates on our investments. Recent business deals.
Then just as the meeting is about to wrap up, the man leading it says, "There is still one spot left on the new member committee. Anyone who is interested should talk to Alister. As you know, he'll be stepping down from his role on the committee later this month but is actively involved in finding his replacement. He'll be presenting us with candidates at the next meeting."
"Don't do it," the man next to me says. It's Rolan Crenshaw. He's in his nineties and a bit senile. He's not competent enough to carry out assignments anymore so he doesn't need to continue coming to these meetings. I think he only does so because it's an excuse to get out of the house. "It's a pain in the ass," he says in a low scratchy voice. "Takes too much damn time. I don't know why the hell we're letting in all these new people. Should've never been allowed if you ask me."
He clearly doesn't remember that I'm the one who came up with the idea to allow outsiders to join. I spent years trying to get it approved by the members, and it finally was. If it weren't for me, it never would've happened.
"I suppose you're right," I say, agreeing with the old man so he'll move away from me.
He coughs and sits up straight again, then coughs some more.
Between his talking and coughing I've been unable to hear what's being said in the meeting.
"I believe that's it for today," the man up front says. "Oh, one last thing. I'd like to officially welcome Phillip Chambers to our group. He recently moved to New York after living in France for many years. He and his wife, Caroline, are pleased to be back and will be hosting an event at their home once they've had time to get settled. For those who don't know, Phillip was a very active member of our European group, serving on numerous committees and planning several big events, and he's committed to continuing that level of involvement here in the States. He's already serving on our new member committee, and I'm sure in the coming months, he'll become even more involved in our activities. Before you leave today, please be sure to say hello to Phillip. This concludes the meeting."
New member committee. Why would Phillip join the new member committee? He despises the fact that we allow outsiders in. Just like my father and Leland, Phillip believes the group should be limited to the descendants of those who founded it. So why would he volunteer to be on a committee that actively seeks out people from the outside to become members? Or is he trying to shut the committee down? Change the rules so that outsiders are no longer considered for membership? It's quite possible that's what he's doing. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if that's the reason he moved here. To join that committee and shut it down.
Everyone begins to leave, some gathering to make plans to go out later. The members often go out for dinner or drinks after a meeting. I never did. I had no interest in socializing with these people, but now I do. I need information. I need to know if what I suspect to be true really is, and if it is, I need to stop it. We can't go back to closed membership. Doing so would make them come after Garret again. The organization needs members in order to continue their existence and do their assignments, and if they can't obtain members from the outside, they'll go after our sons. Membership will stop being an option and be a requirement, as it was before the rule changed.
"Alister," I say, catching him before he leaves. "I'd like to be on the committee."
He laughs. "Not a chance in hell, Pearce."
He walks off but I grab his arm. "I am volunteering for a position on the committee. You can't ban me from doing so. It's against the rules."
"Then I'm breaking the rules because I'm not letting you take my place on that committee."
"That's not for you to decide. I've offered my services and my name must now go o
n the list of possible candidates."
"You don't even show up to the meetings. You're not even qualified."
"I started the damn committee! It was all my idea. Now put my name on the list."
"Fine." He yanks his arm free, his eyes narrowed. "But they'll never vote for you."
"Then you'll get your wish, won't you?" I step back. "Goodbye, Alister."
He walks off, joining up with some of the other men as they leave.
I quickly scan the room for Phillip. He's off to the side, chatting it up with a group of men who all seem to be sucking up to him, nodding and smiling at whatever Phillip is rambling on about.
Those comments made about Phillip at the end of the meeting made him sound like some kind of hero, someone to revere, a future leader. It made me ill listening to it, but my fellow members ate it up, believing it all and seeing Phillip as someone they need to get close to. It's like being in high school again, where people clamor to be friends with whoever will get them to the top of the social ladder. In that regards, Phillip could be useful to them. His wife, Caroline, knows how to work the high society world much better than Katherine ever did.
"Phillip," I say, joining the circle of men who've surrounded him. "May I have a word with you?"
"I'm sorry, Pearce, but I'm in the middle of a conversation. I don't want to be rude and make these men wait around while I excuse myself to speak with you."
He's smiling, putting on an act, trying to convince these men that he does indeed care about their time. I've never liked Phillip and this just confirms it. He's a skillful liar and a master manipulator. No wonder Caroline married him. He fits right in with the Seymour family.
"I'm sure they wouldn't mind. I only need a moment."
"Then go ahead. Say what you need to say."
Lilly and Reed: A Kensington Family Novel Page 7