Scarlett Promise (The Scarletts

by Brenda Barrett

  Any response now would be a lie.

  She changed the subject; that would be safer.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Lisa woke up to the banging of her door Monday morning. She glanced at the clock. It was just seven o'clock.

  "Come in," she croaked. She knew it was Ricky.

  He came to the doorway, already dressed in his track suit, with his hair looking tousled and his whisky-colored eyes looking tired. "Rise and shine. Francine is under investigation."

  "What?" Lisa rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and blinked. "Why?"

  "Because she was awarded the contract by the committee. Apparently there were no other bidders to consider; Raybourne had squashed them. So this looks really fishy and all contracts awarded under Raybourne Cross for the past five years are under investigation.

  Come on." Ricky indicated with his head. "It's the talk of the town." He moved away from the door.

  Lisa jumped up and pulled on a halter-back dress that she had laying at the foot of the bed. She hurriedly washed her face and brushed her teeth. All the while her mind churned.

  Francine would want her to stay put, especially now. She couldn't go to New York with Nathan. She couldn't have gone anyway. She needed her documents from Miss Vera.

  She left the bathroom and walked down the stairs rapidly. Ricky had the television in the kitchen blaring; he was on the phone too.

  He looked up when she appeared in the doorway and covered the phone. "Francine will be giving a statement at ten."

  She nodded and swallowed. The announcer was talking about the various committees that Raybourne Cross had sat on in his capacity as minister of government and senator. It was quite an impressive list. There was also a rundown of the various businesses that had benefited from government contracts under his stewardship.

  One businessman came on and said that he was told outright by Raybourne Cross that if he could not pay him then the committee would forget his bid.

  He looked into the television camera with a smile on his face. "I am an honest man. I could not deal with that kind of foolishness."

  "But isn't it true that you are suing the estate of Raybourne Cross for money you paid him to push through for the same contract but you were outbid by someone else?"

  "No comment." The smile slipped from his face.

  Lisa sighed. She wondered how Nathan was taking the news that his father was being outed in the media as a crooked politician.

  Ricky hung up the phone and turned down the television. "I told Francine to come clean."

  "And will she?" Lisa sat down on one of the bar stools at the counter.

  "Maybe." Ricky shrugged. "Maybe not. She said she has a plan. Francine hates the publicity. That's the reason you are here in the first place. She said after the press conference she'll be here to lay low for a while."

  Lisa nodded. "Yes, I guess that is a good idea. I think I should go check on Nathan, see how he is taking this."

  "Yeah." Ricky nodded. "I did what you said and invited Troy Scarlett to come by. I told him I wanted to clear the air. He'll be here in a while. I kinda wanted you to be around."

  "Okay." Lisa nodded. "I'll just pop over to Nate’s and then I'll be back."

  Ricky nodded. "Thanks."

  "No problemo." Lisa hopped off the stool and grabbed a tangerine from the fruit bowl.

  She walked around the back entrance as usual but she was pleasantly surprised to see that Nathan was already there.

  His hands were thrust into his pockets and he was standing still, unmoving, just staring out at the water.

  Lisa walked up to him slowly.

  He didn't even shift to acknowledge her presence.

  She stood beside him and cleared her throat. "I am guessing you heard the news about your dad?"

  Nathan turned to her, raking his eyes over her coldly. "Did you know my dad, Lisa?"

  "What?" Lisa shivered at the lack of warmth in his eyes. What was this about?

  "Answer." Nathan's voice was clipped and cold.

  She wanted to say no. She really wanted to say no but she decided against lying. She was getting tired of hiding that night from him.

  "I...I...met him once." She sounded guilty. She cleared her throat and tried again. "It was a coincidence a... a...an unfortunate mistake."

  "So you were one of his 'special friends'." It was not a question. It was a statement of fact couched in the most biting, bitter way.

  "No, I..." Lisa wrung her hands. All of her fingers were vibrating with nerves. "It was the night my grandmother kicked me out. I had nowhere to go, so I..."

  Nathan inhaled raggedly. "I don't want to hear."

  "No, Nathan. Nothing happened. You came by, you saw me, your dad was supposed to be my first customer but he died!" Tears were streaming down her face unchecked.

  "That was you!" Nathan turned to her now. His face looked shattered; he raked his eyes over her.

  "That creature in the blonde wig and that flimsy little outfit was you?"

  "Yes," Lisa sighed, "it was."

  "So you let my dad touch you." He looked sick at the thought of it.

  "No, I didn't." Lisa shook her head vigorously. "He never got the chance; he was on the phone and then he..."

  "So Madison was right." Nathan shook his head. "You overheard him fixing a deal with Francine; that's why you are here."

  Lisa swallowed. "The point is, nothing happened."

  "But it could have." Nathan turned to her. "It would have if he hadn't died. You would have allowed my father to...Just go." Nathan turned back to face the sea.

  "What does this mean?" Lisa asked fearfully. "What do you mean?"

  "I mean," Nathan spun around, "that you are not the girl I thought you were."

  He rubbed the back of his neck. "You are a good actress. Maybe you should be doing acting classes instead of photography. And to think, I was going to ask you to marry me because I thought we were so compatible."

  "Nathan!" Lisa held out her hand, her voice breaking, "I didn't sleep with your father and I wasn't acting. I love you. I really do, and we are compatible!"

  "I don't care if you slept with him or not, Lisa." Nathan spun around and looked at her with contempt. "What matters is that you thought of doing it for money. You know what? I can't...process this. Maybe I never will. Goodbye."

  ****

  Lisa didn't know how she reached inside the house so fast. The tears in her eyes blurred her vision and she could barely make out the outline of the back door.

  She shouldn't have told him. Her heart felt as if it was being manipulated by a tight cruel fist.

  She paused at the kitchen door to take a breath and swiped her hand across her eyes.

  "Lisa!" Ricky called from the living room. "Can you come here a minute?"

  "Not now, Ricky." Her voice was choked up and sounded muffled even to her ears.

  "Lisa!" Ricky hadn't heard her response. "I know you are in there. I want you to meet Troy Scarlett."

  Lisa swallowed. She didn't want to face anyone now. She wanted to go upstairs, fold up, and cry her eyes out. But to outright defy Ricky now would be insulting to Troy Scarlett.

  "I am coming. I just have to wash my face." Maybe this would be a good distraction; anything to take her mind off the utter disgust she had seen in Nate's eyes.

  Disgust that she couldn't even blame him for. She had intended to sleep with his father for money. She would have done it, if he hadn't died.

  She was disgusting but God had intervened. How else would she have met Francine and Ricky?

  How else would she be here now, right now, learning a skill for herself to do something that she found so fascinating?

  How else would she have even met Nathan? Even though right now he couldn't stand to look at her.

  She headed for the bathroom downstairs and splashed cold water on her face. That quote which Francine had sniffed at was right. Sometimes the wrong choices bring us to the right places.

  It was right for her. T
hat night, though totally abhorrent because of what she was going to do, had ultimately ended up right for her.

  She moved closer to the mirror. Her eyes weren't swollen...yet. She hadn't been crying that long anyway. Tonight she might scream in her pillow about the unfairness of life but for now, no.

  It would be ungrateful to do so, not after everything God had done for her so far. She was not going to ascribe any of what she had gone through to luck or coincidence. No, greater forces were at play. Instead of focusing on the fact that Nathan found her disgusting, she was going to focus on the positives.

  She inhaled deeply and exhaled. She would meet Troy Scarlett. She would sit and watch as Ricky tried to get absolution for the mistakes that he had made against Troy Scarlett's family.

  Maybe one day, too, she could get some absolution from Nate? Preferably soon, because she ached in her chest. Her chest had loosened up some but she still felt heavy.

  She walked to the living room and then poked her head in. "Hello."

  "Hey, come here," Ricky said. He was sitting in his favorite leather chair; Troy Scarlett was in one of the settees. He was dressed semi–formally, as if he was on his way to work and though he was sitting, she could see that he was really tall and really goodlooking.

  Remarkably so.

  Lisa came farther into the room and nodded at Troy.

  Ricky did the introductions smoothly. "Troy Scarlett, meet my, er, housekeeper, Lisa Barclay."

  Troy stood up and walked toward her and shook her hand. He towered over her and he smelled really good.

  Calvin Klein for men. Nate's favorite cologne.

  "Hello." Troy's voice was really smooth and slightly husky.

  "It’s nice to finally meet a Scarlett," Lisa grinned, "after hearing from all and sundry that I look a lot like you guys."

  Troy nodded. "Yes, you do. Very much. "

  "Say, can I ask you a question?" Lisa walked to the settee and sat across from where Troy had been sitting.

  He sat down and nodded. "Sure."

  "Is your grandfather called Pops and did he have a boat?"

  "Yes and yes." Troy chuckled. "Why?"

  "Because I am doing a photography course over at Villa Ingles and my exhibition is Wednesday, where I'll be judged and dissected. I am absolutely dreading it because I had to choose one photograph over the hundreds that I took this week. I chose a picture of a boat that had Pops written on the side."

  "Red with some flaking paint, yellow at the side." Troy almost whispered the description.

  "Yes! That's the one. So it is his boat." Lisa stood up. "I am going to get the picture that I took. I want your opinion. I want to know if it did justice to your Pops' boat."

  Troy nodded.

  Ricky cleared his throat. "Ahem."

  "I won't take up much of your time." Lisa grinned, "I promise."

  She ran upstairs and got the picture from where it was leaned up at the side of her wardrobe.

  The requirements were to have three pictures. This one was her major piece. She carried it downstairs carefully. Nate had helped her to choose the right frame.

  "Ta-da!" She walked into the living room and placed in the settee across from Troy.

  Ricky hadn't seen it either, and they both gasped.

  Ricky was holding his head tightly and Troy was blinking rapidly, as if he had something in his eyes.

  "What's wrong with it?" She almost wailed the question.

  "It's, ah," Troy's voice was husky, "I haven't seen it for a while now. I haven't been down that side of the beach, especially since Pops died."

  "Oh no. Pops is dead." Lisa sank down beside the picture. "I am sorry. I was picturing him just getting off the boat, you know. I imagined he was a jovial fellow, maybe with dreadlocks and a warm grin. I could even picture him hauling fish out of the boat and giving me the thumbs-up as I photographed his boat from all angles, trying to get the best composition."

  Troy smiled. "Sounds like Pops except for the dreadlocks. He had red hair and eyes your color. Your picture looks very nice. I like how vivid the colors are and I like how you emphasized the Pops at the side. I would buy it if you had it on sale, take it from someone who spent quite a few years hanging out in that boat. You make it come alive."

  "Oh, thank you!" Lisa clapped. "I wish you were one of the judges."

  Troy shook his head. "It wouldn’t be fair to the others. Your picture has sentimental value to me."

  "And now over to you silent, Ricky." Lisa looked at Ricky and grinned.

  "I had a memory of that boat just now."

  "You did?" Troy asked before Lisa could.

  "Yes, a very clear memory. I was lonely and unhappy. My mother and I had come to Jamaica for holiday but my mom spent most of her time in Kingston, leaving me in Treasure Beach. I hated it. I hid from the nannies and went to explore the place for myself. I needed to make friends. I was eleven years old, an only child. I never had friends.

  "So I saw four children in a boat. They were laughing and having a whale of a time. I thought, in my childhood logic, that I would go and make friends."

  "That was us," Troy said quietly, "Yuri, Marla, Terri and me. We thought you were the pompous kid who had everything. You called Pops' boat dirty and then you invited us to your villa."

  Ricky nodded. "But Yuri refused. And I couldn't understand it. Why would anybody want to be playing in a boat when I had a swimming pool and ice cream? Yuri was a puzzle to me. I went home that day quite disturbed about it."

  Troy nodded. "And Yuri became an obsession."

  Ricky sighed. "Do you want to tell me more? I can handle it."

  "You became closer to Yuri then. Plotting behind the scenes to keep him close."

  Ricky winced. "I know about the accident. I remember it clearly."

  "Yes, there was that." Troy nodded. "You practically imprisoned Marla here."

  Ricky swallowed. "What else did I do?"

  "You evicted my father from his farm while he had ripe melons on the twenty-odd acre farm; they all rotted."

  "So that is what eviction meant..."

  "Huh?" Troy asked.

  "I had a revenge book--found it yesterday." He pointed to the book which was on the table beside him. "It makes for very disturbing reading. I am hoping that I did not carry out half the things I had planned for your family."

  "You tried to kidnap Marla, who was pregnant with Yuri's child; you tried to break up my marriage; you actually paid a guy to seduce my wife and videotaped it."

  Lisa gasped. "Ricky!"

  Ricky closed his eyes and muttered. "Told you I was evil."

  He opened them and looked at Troy worriedly. "Did I seduce your sister and ruin her reputation too?"

  "No!" Troy laughed, "You couldn't; Terri doesn't like you. She wouldn't touch you with a barge pole."

  "Well, that's a relief," Ricky murmured. "So I just need to apologize to a few persons then? Including you."

  Troy nodded. "Yes, but the thing is, we all bounced back. And since you don't remember, I don't think the apology will have much weight. The Ricky who did those things, is...well, not you in the true sense of the word. You have me really curious about your therapy. I did some reading the other day; only a few persons lose their memories for good. "

  "Maybe I am one of the few. I might never remember enough for my apology to have weight," Ricky said passionately. "I don't even remember what your wife looks like, or even Marla, who was my wife for what... five years? I passed Yuri in a restaurant in Kingston. I didn't recognize him."

  "Relax, Ricky." Troy inclined his head. "Take it slow. Obviously Pops' boat triggered a memory; your brain works like that. It will all come back some day. I kind of understand your panic though. The same thing happened to me a couple of months ago. I lost a few years of my memories, only temporarily, but it was scary.

  "You'll get them back. They are a part of who you are. The good and the not so good. And when you do get them back, I am sure things will have changed for you. You ha
d the opportunity to see yourself objectively."

  "Say that again," Ricky mumbled.

  "My family was mad at you, but we aren't bitter. None of us. I can't speak for any other of my family members but I can tell you now that I forgive you. My marriage is stronger than it was before. We came through fine. My dad went into farming with my cousin Reuben. They are using greenhouse technology. My sister is married and happy. Marla and Yuri are happy, nauseatingly so."

  "Good," Ricky muttered. "This is a relief."

  "You must have been a very unsuccessful evil villain." Lisa chuckled.

  Troy looked at Lisa intently as she laughed.

  Lisa sobered up quickly. "Sorry, I tease Ricky sometimes."

  "No. I don't mind, it’s just that your laugh is so familiar, like my sister's." He pulled out his phone, his eyes hardly leaving Lisa's face. "Can I take a picture of you?"

  Lisa shrugged. "Why not? You were gracious enough to tell me about your grandfather."

  Troy smiled and took the picture. "I am just going to send it to my sister, Terri. Tell her I have found another lady that has Pops' coloring and laughs like her."

  "Tell her hi," Lisa said, grinning.

  "Sent," Troy said. "I will tell her hi as soon as she gets the pic..." He didn't complete his sentence before the phone rang.

  He sat up straighter and looked at Lisa in alarm. "Say that again."

  "Yes, she lives here in Treasure Beach with Ricardo Mills, as his housekeeper.

  "No, I am not joking. She is sitting in front of me.

  "I don't know how it happened. Yes, I'll find out."

  He covered the phone and looked at Lisa. "Do you know a Peter Scarlett, Lisa?"

  Lisa shook her head. "Nope. Only heard of him because he is in Ricky's revenge book; they are supposed to meet at the Spot."

  Troy frowned as he listened to the person on the line and then he lowered the phone and handed it to Ricky.

  "This is my brother-in-law Zack, who is also a lawyer. He wants to talk to you."

  Ricky took the phone and spoke at length to Zack, who was obviously grilling him about the Spot and the date.

  He couldn't get anything much out of Ricky, who had to confess with a sigh that his mind was like Swiss cheese.