"Rachel." I get up and go around the table, pushing her chair back and kneeling in front of her. "Nothing will happen to them."
"You don't know that!" She turns away from me. "You're only saying that to make me feel better. But it doesn't, Pearce. It doesn't make me feel better because I know what they're capable of."
"And I know how to protect us. I have for all these years, haven't I?"
She turns back to me, tears streaming down her face. "You weren't able to protect ME!"
She's never said that to me. We both know it was my fault—that I should've protected her and didn't—but she's never openly admitted it.
I sigh and drop my head. "You're right."
Moments pass, then I feel her hand along the side of my face, lifting it up to hers. "I'm sorry, Pearce. I shouldn't have said that. I'm not blaming you for what happened."
"I deserve the blame. It was my fault you were taken from us. If I had only seen my father for the man that he was and paid more attention to Leland, I would've been able to—"
"Pearce, stop. It wasn't your fault. I'm sorry I said that. It was wrong of me. I'm just upset right now."
"I know you are." I sit on the chair beside her and hold her hands. "But I can't just stand by and do nothing."
"But you don't know what it is you're looking for. I feel like we're not the ones in control here, but that Katherine and Phillip are. Like they're setting a trap and you're walking right into it."
"I know it seems that way but you need to trust me on this. I know that whatever this is, it involves me somehow."
"You said it involves Katherine's son."
"That was only a guess."
"What else could it be?"
"Given that it involves the new member committee, they could be considering offering membership to one of my enemies. Someone who might work with Phillip to get the other members to go against me. To punish me for not participating as much as I should. Or as I've said before, Phillip could be trying to get rid of the committee altogether so that the organization goes back to being a group that is closed off to outsiders."
"Meaning they might try to come back for Garret." She shuts her eyes and takes a deep breath.
"This is why I have to do this. I have to know what they're up to. I know showing up there goes against the rules, but if I say William sent me, any backlash should be minimized." I wipe a tear off her cheek. "I need you to trust me, Rachel. Can you do that for me?"
Her eyes return to mine and she slowly nods.
I stand up, taking her with me and wrapping her in my arms. "I love you, and I love our family and I will do everything possible to protect us."
"What's going on?" I hear Lilly's voice behind me and turn to see her standing there. "Did something happen?"
"No," Rachel answers, wiping her eyes.
"Then why are you crying?"
She smiles. "You know me. I cry all the time, sometimes for no reason at all."
"Did you need something?" I ask Lilly.
"Yeah. I wondered if I could stay with Reed next weekend. There's a concert we want to go to on Saturday and since it won't end until late, I thought I could spent the night there."
"Will his father be home?" Rachel asks.
"Um, no." Lilly chews on her lip. "His dad's going to be out of town but it's not like—"
"No," I tell her. "You can't go there."
"Why? Because his dad is gone? How is that any different than when I'm at college? Reed and I still—"
"It's not about that, although that, too, is a concern. But no, I don't want you going there."
"Then can Reed come here?"
"No. I have to go to Connecticut on Friday so you and Rachel will be staying with Garret."
"Dad, this isn't fair! You never let me see him!"
"You see him plenty, and you will see him when you go back to school. But right now, there are bigger things to worry about than how much time you spend with your boyfriend."
"Like what?" she yells, tears forming in her eyes. "What's so important?"
"Lilly." Rachel reaches out to her but she backs away, her anger focused on me.
"Dad, tell me! What's so important that I can't see Reed?" She's crying now. "Why are you trying to keep him away from me?"
"I'm not. This isn't about that."
"Then what's it about?"
I sigh. "This is one of those times when I don't want you asking questions."
She throws her hands up. "Seriously? You're using that again? That no questions crap?"
"Lilly, I've told you there are people out there who are dangerous and I—"
"Don't!" she yells, hiccuping through her tears. "Don't even bother trying to explain. I know whatever you're going to say is a lie. All you ever do is lie to me!" She storms off to her room.
"Looks like I'm angering everyone today," I say.
"I'll go talk to her." Rachel takes off for Lilly's room.
My phone rings. It's William.
"Hello, William." I go down the hall to my office and close the door. "How are you feeling?"
"Not good. This past week I've been getting worse."
"Did Logan come see you?"
"Yes, and he ran more tests and still couldn't find anything. He thinks I'm overdoing it at the office. I worked a lot of hours last week and was in there all weekend."
"Maybe you should take some time off."
"That's why I'm calling. I hate to ask you this, Pearce, but I was wondering if you could step in for me, just for a few days."
"Step in as CEO?"
"I know it's a lot to ask but I don't know what else to do. There are some important meetings going on this week and I just don't have the strength to be there. Even if you just went and listened in, it would be a huge help to me."
"Of course. I'll do whatever you need. Are you wanting me to leave tomorrow?"
"If possible, yes. I could send the Sinclair jet out there tonight so it's ready to go first thing in the morning."
"That's not necessary. I'll take my own. What about your mother? Would you mind if she came along? She's been worried sick about you. I know she'd like to see you."
"Yes. Fine. Bring her along."
I assumed he'd say no since he doesn't like her doting on him. The fact that he agreed to it tells me how poorly he's feeling and how concerned he is that there's something seriously wrong with him.
"I'll call you back when I know my departure time."
"Thank you, Pearce."
"You're welcome. I'll see you soon."
"Who was that?" Rachel asks, coming into my office.
"William. He's still not feeling well. He's going to take the rest of the week off. He asked me if I'd be willing to step in as CEO. I told him I would. I know it means I'll be gone for longer than I'd originally planned but—"
"You should do it. He needs to rest and I know he won't do it if he's worried about work. So you're leaving tomorrow?"
"Yes, first thing in the morning. I need to call Grace. I'm going to see if she'd like to come with."
"Why don't I call her? I think you should talk to Lilly before she goes to bed."
"I thought it might be best if I give her some time alone. I don't think she wants to see me right now."
"You don't have to talk to her about anything. Just go in there and tell her goodnight and give her a hug. You'll be gone before she wakes up and I know you want to say goodbye before you leave."
I go over and kiss her. "You're right. As always." I smile. "You call Grace. I'll talk to Lilly. Oh, and call Garret as well. Let him know you'll be arriving there tomorrow."
"Pearce, are you sure Lilly and I can't just stay here?"
"I'd feel better if the whole family was together. Rachel, I know this is inconvenient but it should all be over after the meeting next weekend. I'll know what Phillip is up to and hopefully we'll be able to return to our regular lives."
She nods. "I'll call Garret. Go talk to Lilly."
When I get to
her room, I find her lying on top of her bed in her pajamas, headphones covering her ears. I sit beside her and she opens her eyes and tugs her headphones off.
"Yeah?" she says, sitting up, folding her legs in front of her.
"I just wanted to say goodnight. And goodbye. I have to fly to New York in the morning but it'll be early and I don't want to wake you up."
"Why are you going to New York?"
"To help William out. I'll be working at his company for a few days."
"He's still sick?"
"Yes. And the doctors aren't sure what's wrong with him."
"Do you think he'll be okay?"
"I really don't know."
She looks at me, her anger suddenly gone. She puts her arms around me and hugs me. "I'm sorry, Dad. I really hope he gets better."
She knows William is one of my closest friends, one of the few friends I have. If I lose him, I really don't have anyone else. And I know that saddens Lilly. She's always been very empathetic and put the feelings of others before her own. Just moments ago she was yelling at me but she set that aside to comfort me. I couldn't ask for a better daughter.
"I'm sorry I yelled at you," she says.
I smile. "I understand. Fathers can be frustrating sometimes."
"I'm still mad at you," she says quietly as she looks down at her bed.
"I know."
She looks up. "But you're still a good dad." She hugs me again. "I love you."
"I love you too, honey." I choke up hearing her tell me I'm a good father. Before I had children, I was so afraid I wouldn't be. And for many years, I wasn't. I failed miserably, with both Garret and Lilly, until I finally made an effort to do better. But even now, I question how good a job I do, so to hear Lilly compliment me that way is one of the greatest gifts she could give me.
Chapter Fourteen
Pearce
Early the next morning, Grace and I fly out on my private jet. With the long flight and the time difference, we don't arrive until late afternoon. I call Rachel and confirm that she and Lilly are at Garret's house, then go to William's estate to drop off Grace. William is asleep so I talk briefly to Meredith then head to Sinclair Pharmaceuticals. When I arrive, I go to the top floor, which is where William and the other executives have their offices.
William's assistant greets me as I get off the elevator. "Welcome, Mr. Kensington." She smiles. "I'm Sue. William said you wouldn't be here until tomorrow."
"I wanted to stop by and go through the files William left for me."
"His office is right this way." She leads me past her desk down a hall to a large corner office. I've been here before but it was years ago.
"Would you like me to show you around?"
"No, thank you." I go in the office and see the folders sitting on his desk.
"How about a beverage? We have coffee, tea, juice, soda."
"Water is fine."
She walks over to the water cooler in the corner of the room and fills up a glass, then comes over and hands it to me. "Would you like anything else?"
"No, thank you."
"I'll be just down the hall if you need me."
I wait for her to leave, then begin going through the files. After a couple hours, the long day starts to wear on me and I decide to head back to William's house, which is where I'll be staying until Friday. After that I'll stay at my mother's house since the meeting on Saturday is in Connecticut.
"Dinner is almost ready," Meredith says as she greets me at the door.
"Would you mind if I skip dinner and just go to bed? I'm feeling very tired."
"Oh, yes, of course. Go ahead. I guess it'll just be Grace and me for dinner."
"William isn't eating?"
"He doesn't have much of an appetite."
"Would you mind if I go talk to him?"
"He's asleep right now but he'll probably be up later tonight."
"I'll just talk to him tomorrow. Goodnight, Meredith."
"Goodnight."
I go up to the room where I'm staying and call Rachel. It's only a little past seven but I'm exhausted so we keep our conversation short and then I go to bed. As soon as my head hits the pillow, I'm out for the night and don't wake up until six the next morning.
After I'm showered and dressed, I go down to the kitchen where Meredith is making coffee. "Would you like some?" she asks, holding up the pot.
"I'll have some at the office."
"You're leaving now?"
"I need to get there early to prepare for a meeting. Is William still asleep?"
"Yes. I can have him call you when he wakes up."
"Please do. Tell him I had a question about something in one of the files." I turn to leave.
"What about breakfast?"
"I'll pick up something on the way," I tell her.
I'm not hungry but I stop and get a bagel and a bottle of orange juice and take it to the office. I'm feeling off, almost a little lightheaded. I hope I'm not getting sick.
"Can I get you some coffee?" Sue asks, walking into the office.
"Yes. No cream or sugar. Just black."
She goes over to the coffee machine and makes a single cup.
"Thank you," I say as she hands it to me.
It's odd to be in an office setting again. I've been retired for so many years now that I'm not used to this. And I have to say, I don't miss it. I enjoyed the challenges of being a CEO but never liked the rigid schedule or the confines of being trapped in an office building all day. Now I'm free to work whenever and wherever I please. I couldn't go back to an office setting like this.
For the next two hours, I make notes for the meeting I have this morning. William called me at nine but we only talked long enough for him to answer my questions. I'm trying not to bother him too much this week. He needs to rest.
Sue appears at my door just before ten. "The meeting is in conference room 1A. Do you need me to show you where it is?"
"No. I was just down there."
"Okay." She smiles and walks off.
My head is pounding. I rub my temples, hoping that'll help but it doesn't. Sometimes I get headaches when I'm dehydrated so I get a glass of water and drink it down, along with a couple aspirin, then head to the meeting.
The meeting is almost two hours and my headache worsens, to the point that my vision is blurring. I fight through it, and when the meeting ends, I rush back to the office and lie down on the couch that sits on the side of the room.
"Mr. Kensington?" I hear Sue's voice and open my eyes.
"Yes?"
She walks over to me as I sit up on the couch. "I'm sorry to bother you but you have another meeting in five minutes."
"Five minutes? It's only noon."
"It's one fifty-five, Sir."
I check my watch. She's right. I must've fallen asleep.
"Thank for you letting me know. I'll be there shortly."
The nap relieved my headache so at least I'm able to concentrate now. The meeting goes on for two and a half hours and I participate the best I can, despite my lack of knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry. Then I return to my office and type up some notes to share with William later.
At six I leave, exhausted once again. This isn't normal for me. I'm usually not this tired, which leads me to think I'm on the verge of getting a cold or the flu. That, too, isn't normal for me. I almost never get sick.
I'm not really hungry but I agree to have dinner with Grace and Meredith. Afterward, I spend some time with William, then go in my room and straight to bed.
The rest of the week is the same. I go to the office, but struggle to stay awake. By Friday, I'm thinking I should see a doctor. I can't be sick when I go to the committee meeting tomorrow. I have to appear strong, not weakened by illness. As the afternoon wears on, I change my mind about the doctor. I don't have time for that. I'll just stop and get something at the drugstore after work.
"Mr. Kensington," Sue says, coming up to my desk. I check the clock and see it's just after four
. "I have to leave soon to take my daughter to an appointment. Do you need anything before I leave?"
"No. I'm fine," I say, scrolling through the spreadsheet on my computer screen. "I'll see you tomorrow."
She doesn't leave and I feel her staring at me. "Excuse me for saying this, but you don't look so good. Maybe you should go home."
"I'm just a little tired. I'll be fine."
"Would you like some water?"
"Sure," I tell her, just wanting her to leave. I need to finish these reports so I can go home and get some rest.
My head is pounding so I take another aspirin, then get back to work.
At six I return to William's house. After a brief dinner, we meet in the study to discuss tomorrow's meeting.
"I was able to get a copy of the agenda," William says. "The only item being discussed are the two candidates. They'll come in for a brief interview, then a vote will be taken as to whether or not they should continue on in the process."
"So there was nothing on the agenda regarding Katherine's son?"
"No. This meeting is focused solely on the two current candidates."
"Then perhaps attending this meeting is a waste of time."
"As I said before, you never know what topics will come up during the discussions. And by being there, you can ask questions that might give you the answers you're looking for."
"I suppose it's possible, although if Phillip's told the group to keep whatever it is he's hiding confidential then I doubt they'd tell me."
"You'll have to gauge the situation when you're there. There's always at least one weak link in the chain."
I smile. "And I'm an expert at finding it."
"You may not even need to. Ask the right questions and Phillip's response to them may be your answer."
"I still can't imagine this being about Katherine's son. He's too young to be considered. This has to be about something else."
"Well, you'll find out tomorrow."
The next day I arrive at the meeting just as it's starting. I didn't want to get there early. I wanted to take them by surprise when they're all seated and ready to begin.
Lilly and Reed: A Kensington Family Novel Page 14