Eli threw up his hands, his voice rising indignantly. “What is it? Please somebody tell me! What is wrong with her, Kate? Why won’t she talk to me?”
A tight knot twisted in Kate’s belly, and a sense of foreboding crept over her. “Stay calm, everyone.” Kate stood and gave Eli’s arms a squeeze, her eyes meeting his still flashing ones with what she hoped was reassurance, and went after D'arcy. She knocked softly on the bathroom door.
“D'arcy? It’s Kate, open up.” The sobbing inside subsided gradually. Kate waited. After a moment, the door slowly opened a crack.
Kate pushed her way in, glancing around. D'arcy sat on the toilet seat, her shoulders hunched, her eyes sunken in smudged shadows, looking miserable. “Come sit with me in the bedroom.” She led the way through the connecting door, and sat on her bed. D'arcy followed despondently, and slid down beside her, mopping at her streaked mascara and dripping nose.
Kate sighed heavily, her stomach dense as a heavy stone. “I was sure you would have told him, Darcy. I’m trying very hard to understand why you are so afraid to trust Eli with your news.”
D'arcy kept her eyes downcast. “I… think… now I’m afraid of what he will do when he finds out I kept it from him for all this time. My reasons… my feelings are so complicated, so confused I don’t know if… I’m just so emotional.” She lifted her wet eyes to Kate’s imploringly. “I’ve made such a mess of everything.”
“I know D'arcy. I know. But you know how important this is. You’ve got to tell Eli… no matter why you kept it a secret, you cannot put it off any longer. Believe me. It’s going to get better. You’re doing so well. Really.” Kate sat quietly, stroking D’arcy’s back while she waited for her to regain her composure.
After a few minutes of silence, D'arcy stood up sharply, determination in her movements, and bent to examine herself in Kate’s dresser mirror. “Oh my God! I look a mess.” She licked the corner of a tissue and dabbed at her eyes, distressed.
Kate offered her make-up for repairs, and D'arcy patched herself up, and combed her hair sleek again. She stood up tall, smoothing her sweater over her swelling abdomen, and firmed her chin, though it quivered. They returned to the others in silence.
Kate broke the silence that awaited them like an empty theatre. “D'arcy has something important to say.”
“Eli,” D'arcy turned to face Eli, her fear palpable. “I’ve kept something from you, that you should have known long ago.” Her voice quavered and she stopped.
Kate kept her eyes focused on Eli, who kept his face impassive, though she could sense his apprehension in his ebony eyes. The only sign of his tension was his Adam’s apple sliding up and down his slender neck as he swallowed silently. She knew he feared something terrible, that D'arcy was ill, or wanted to go ahead with divorce, and felt sorry for him in his state of prolonged ignorance.
D'arcy bit her lip, hesitated, then whispered, her voice watery. “I’m pregnant.”
After a moment during which Eli sat, his eyes vacant, his face blank, his reaction was sudden. Jumping up, he gasped “What? What? How could… ? D’arc…” He darted a furtive glance around, perhaps seeking refutations or reassurance in the surprised expressions of Sharon and Simon. When his eyes met hers, Kate gazed back steadily. She wouldn’t pretend she hadn’t known. “I can’t believe… ” he sputtered stepping closer to D'arcy.
Simon sat very still and tentatively glanced over to meet Kate’s eye. Raising his brows, he nodded his ‘aha.’ He did not look exactly smug— but he seemed to feel vindicated. She recalled that he had maintained all along that D'arcy kept a secret; at last he was proved right. His instinct hadn’t failed him. Kate acknowledged his insight with a tilt of her head and a small knowing smile. His gaze returned to Eli, who looked stunned.
Eli looked hard at D'arcy. “When? How?”
“I’m already four months pregnant,” she said with emphasis. “I didn’t plan it!”
Eli agitation was evident. His jaw moved, but no sounds emerged. No one made a sound. At last he looked hard at her— meeting her eye, his brows pinched together. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
She sobbed again, shrugging. He also seemed overwhelmed, his face twitching uncontrollably while he processed the earth-shattering news.
“I– Excuse me.” He said, his voice cracking like a choirboy’s, and he spun and swiftly strode away, out the yellow door into the hall. Kate prayed he would go no farther. D'arcy crumpled and wept soundlessly, and Sharon quickly moved beside her to comfort her. Kate looked up sharply, widened her eyes and jerked her head for Simon to follow him.
While the men were outside, and Kate could only hope that Simon would work his usual magic on Eli, Sharon gushed her surprise and congratulations while Kate endeavored to calm the distraught D'arcy, who wailed that her fears were justified by Eli’s reaction, and that all their hard work was for nothing.
All conversation came to a halt when Eli and Simon reentered the loft, and the three women looked up anxiously. Eli lifted his chin, smiled and strode with resolve over to D'arcy, and sat down beside her, calmly taking her hands in his and facing her. He leaned in and kissed her tenderly, whispering, “I’m so incredibly happy.”
D'arcy visibly let go of the tension that held her upright, slipping into a softened posture, her face slackened with relief, like a balloon with a slow leak. Her chin continued to quiver through a watery smile.
Eli leaned back, draping his arm over D’arcy’s shoulders. “Well. Where were we?” he said, his steady gaze directed on Kate.
Kate raised her brows slightly in response, casting her eyes from person to person around the room. She waited an additional few moments to be certain the hullabaloo was in fact over. Just like that.
“Okay. Well. I believe we were about to discuss the importance of family in a successful marriage, and, specifically, how you two would like to see that expressed.” She smiled in invitation, a challenge to them all to embrace a more frank discussion than they had yet had.
She couldn’t quite believe it, but somehow she knew, they’d crossed an invisible threshold of some kind, like the crest of an alpine ridge, and could see a new vista unfold and stretch out on the other side. The end was in sight.
This was Kate’s chance to guide her clients into their future, stronger and better for having done the work of mediation. She felt both a sense of victory, and vindication.
From the corner of her eye, Kate saw Simon lean back against the sofa, folding his arms across his chest, his eyes roaming over her. She felt contentment radiating from him, and she shared the moment of elation, knowing that they’d accomplished something important together. Though she caught his smiling eyes from time to time, she did not dwell there, but somehow, without words, there was mutual understanding.
Alas, that understanding applied only to their shared work, and not their relationship.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Kate was ecstatic over Eli and D’arcy’s last session. Eli’s reaction to D’arcy’s shocking news didn’t surprise her, at least not initially. What did surprise her was how quickly he’d pulled himself together and embraced such a profound change to his own life. But, that was the new Eli, or seemed to be. She still wondered what Simon had said to him in the corridor.
As for her, she could taste the end of the case. The rest was routine, really, although finalizing the agreement was a kind of long drawn out coaching process that gelled all of the lessons they had learned, and was important in its own way. The challenge for her would be to keep a cool, civil distance between herself and Simon, and this would achieve both her ends. Sharon, hopefully, would abandon her threat of pursuing a formal complaint with the Society once she had received a copy of Kate’s letter, and she and Simon could delay addressing their relationship until the case was over. It would be hard. It was difficult enough to resist his warm, compelling eye contact on Tuesday when D’arcy’s secret was revealed. She’d wanted to smile and throw her arms around him in her delight, and to ackn
owledge his sensitivity and insight. But that wouldn’t do. At all costs, she must tamp down the aching sense of loss and longing that burned inside her ribs.
She sat at her paper-strewn desk suspended between joy and despair. The flat platinum sky pressed down heavily, obliterating any sense that Christmas was coming, making her exuberant decorations seem tawdry and falsely optimistic.
She stood up and moved to the window, staring absently through the rain-splashed glass at the view over the grey city. The buildings and the water beyond were partly obscured in the distance by low clouds, fog and falling rain. Mist obscured the condos across False Creek, altering the landscape until it was unrecognizable: close and claustrophobic. She placed her slender fingertips gently against the cold glass, and then pushed her palm against it for a moment. Turning back to her desk, pensive, she pressed her cold palm against her warm one, relishing the contrast. She picked up the Administrator’s response that sat on top of the papers on her desk, fingering it thoughtfully and her eyes fell on her carefully worded response underneath. Sharon should have it by now.
Briiing. Briiing. Briiing.
Kate reached for the phone.
“Good morning, Kate,” Sharon said.
What impeccable timing.
“Well. We’re very nearly at the end of D'arcy and Eli’s case. I never would have believed it, but it seems they’re on the road to a true reconciliation,” Sharon admitted.
Kate was suspicious. “Yes. I’m pleased, obviously. Eli came through in the end, despite the shock.”
“And despite his unreliable and, in my opinion, untrustworthy character.”
“You can’t still believe that.”
“I never felt comfortable around him. To each his own, I suppose. But D'arcy, now, that I never suspected. I was getting rather frustrated with her distracted, emotional behavior.”
“She had her reasons, I guess.” Surely Sharon didn’t call just to rehash.
“I’ve even begun to wonder if the two crazy kids deserve each other, for all the mess they’d made of their marriage.” Sharon’s brittle laughter grated on Kate’s nerves. “D'arcy seems happy, and Madame Duchamp is satisfied, too.”
“I’m pleased to hear it. What can I do for you, Sharon?”
“Just a bit of unfinished business, Kate. You can’t tell me you and Simon haven’t been seeing each other all along. You’re so adept at hiding it. But all those puppy dog eyes and coy smiles— I haven’t missed a thing. If you thought I had, you were sorely mistaken. I really feel this flirtation is unacceptable.”
Kate drew a slow breath. “I made my case quite clearly in my response to the Society. I believe–”
“Yes. I got my copy Tuesday afternoon. But I’m not sure you understand the problem.”
“Which is?”
“Once the case is over, you still have to leave him alone.”
WTF? Tension snapped through Kate, stiffening her neck, tightening her grip on the phone. She spoke through clenched teeth. “Do I?”
“Ever since this case began, I’ve been having a hard time persuading Simon to spend time with me. It’s almost as though he wants to sever ties with all his old friends and acquaintances. I worry about him. I don’t think he’s really over the whole separation thing. I know he’s terribly lonely, poor thing. No one in our circle of friends has known Simon longer, or understands him better, than I do.”
Though Kate doubted that, it did concern her that he’d cut himself off. Am I really the cause of that?
“It’s what’s best for Simon. How could you know how vulnerable he is? You’re an outsider. He’s not ready for another relationship.”
Echos of Will’s speech that morning at Simon’s house. Everyone sure felt he needed protection from relationships with women.
Unless it’s with you, I suppose. Kate kept her voice steady. “What do you want me to do, Sharon?”
“You must promise not to see Simon again once the case has concluded. In toto. You have to see that.”
“Pardon me?” Even though Kate had vowed to keep her distance for now, she wasn’t going to take orders from Sharon, or bow to her threats.
“If you give me your solemn word, I’ll drop the complaint. It’s simple. That’s all I want.”
Blood pounded in her ears. She could hardly believe what she’d heard. “That’s blackmail, Sharon. I would have thought you were above that.”
“Not blackmail. An understanding between friends. So… your word?”
“My word is… that I will continue to act upon my own council, as usual, and not be bullied by you. That’s my final word.” How dare she? Kate's hands trembled and she gripped the edge of her desk, struggling to take deeper breaths, to stay calm.
“You’d better hope the board executive can find it in their hearts to pardon you, for the sake of your reputation. Otherwise I imagine the whole interlude will be terribly embarrassing for you, especially with your award coming up after Christmas.”
“Haven’t you done enough damage?”
“Not as long as you and Simon insist on mixing business with pleasure. I found your response to the Administrator very enlightening. But I doubt very much he’ll dismiss the complaint. You know he’ll refer to the Executive now, don’t you? Ethics are not arbitrary or negotiable. You can’t expect to work in this business and write your own rulebook.”
“Don’t even pretend that you’re concerned about ethics.”
“I intend to see this through to the end. I’ll be sending notice to the Administrator of my intent to proceed. In fact, the letter is sitting right here on my desk, ready to go. I wanted to give you one last chance.”
“How considerate of you.” Kate’s voice had become hard and flat. There was a moment of silence, neither woman speaking.
Kate thought for a moment, and despite her misgivings, continued. She owed it to Simon to get this woman off his back, at least, even if she couldn’t save herself. “You’re sadly mistaken. I know it may have seemed like there was something going on from time to time, but Simon and I were simply renewing an old acquaintance, that’s all. You can do what you want to me, but it won’t matter in the end. You won’t get what you want.”
After a long pause, Sharon said, “What do you mean?”
“Simon can’t be having a relationship with me. Or. You. Sharon. I have reason to believe he and Rachel are… or will soon be… getting back together.” She swallowed, her throat suddenly dry and painfully tight. “That’s what Simon and I have been talking about. I’ve been coaching him.” It was a small lie, if it was for a good cause.
Sharon’s response was quick and shrill. “They’re nearly divorced! They’ve been separated for two years. You know that.”
“Perhaps they were too hasty. People have second thoughts. They have a daughter. They’re a family, Sharon, whatever their differences have been. That’s no small consideration. I saw them together. They sure didn’t look separated to me.” As Kate elaborated on her fib, something she couldn’t help but worry about, the less plausible it seemed to her. Kate could hear Sharon’s quick breathing.
“You’re lying. You’re trying to dissuade me from pursuing this complaint. It won’t work.”
“Couples reconcile all the time, Sharon. Look at D'arcy and Eli. Look how bitterly they fought just a few months ago. But they love each other. People don’t give up that easily on a commitment that’s supposed to last a lifetime. After all, you were the one who told me Simon and Rachel were the golden couple, so ideally suited to each other. As their friend, you should be happy for them.” Kate waited through another tense silence. It turned out, when motivated, she was a better liar than she though possible. She hated herself for feeling smug and satisfied at Sharon’s discomposure. Kate wasn’t a vindictive person, but this horrible woman deserved it.
“Well. If it’s true, of course I’m very happy for them. But it won’t change my decision to file a complaint against you.”
Her eyes burned as tears of frustration
welled. She held her voice as steady as possible for her parting words, knowing how true they were. “As you wish. There’s nothing I can do to stop you.”
~*~
The following Tuesday, Kate was uneasy —excited to be finalizing D'arcy and Eli’s agreement, jittery awaiting a response from the Committee to Sharon’s complaint. All things needing to be cleared up before Christmas, which was now only nine days away, heralding at least two weeks during which almost no business could be conducted. She was running hot and cold, her stomach churning, as though she was being consumed from the inside out. It was like enduring one long unending panic attack, and she felt as frayed as the old armchair Oscar favoured as a scratching post. Anything left unresolved would eat her alive by January.
And, if she was completely honest with herself, Kate was edge, wondering what would happen between Simon and herself once all, or most, of the obstacles were out of the way. Would he still insist on being with her? Or would he realize his duty to his family and agree to work on reconciling with Rachel? Would he tell her to mind her own business? Still, first things first, and until then, she must try not to be distracted by him.
“Good morning, everyone,” Simon said as he joined the others around her long dining room table, their papers spread out in front of them.
“What delectable flavours are you tempting us with today, Kate?” Simon asked, eyeing the plate of cranberry-studded scones without shame, smiling broadly. She felt his energy pulling at her, as though their unspoken understanding kept them close. Closer than was wise. She could hear it in his alluring, warm voice, and had to resist the temptation of his compelling blue gaze or she would forget herself.
“You’d better be careful, Simon, or you’ll soon be putting on as much weight as me,” laughed D'arcy, patting her bulging middle. Eli, who sat very close, threw back his head to join in the laughter, and reached out to give D’arcy’s rounded belly a loving pat, tossing a warmhearted, self-conscious grin at Simon.
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