Chapter 6 – The Price Of Staying Silent

“Monday?”

Caroline looked from the floor plan to Victoria.

“That’s three days from now.”

Victoria lifted her chin.

“The construction schedule was prepared weeks ago. Nothing has been finalized.”

“Then why does it say my ovens have to be removed?”

“Because the space must eventually be cleared.”

“I’m still paying rent.”

Dominic looked at the drawing again.

“Not another piece of equipment gets touched.”

Victoria made an impatient sound.

“You can’t simply issue orders to contractors without discussing the financial consequences.”

“Then I’ll discuss them.”

“With whom?”

“With whoever signed the contracts.”

He held out the paper.

“And I suggest you stop making decisions about my daughter’s business.”

Victoria’s expression changed.

For a moment, she looked less like the woman who had humiliated Caroline and more like someone whose carefully constructed life was coming apart.

“You trusted me to manage this project.”

“I trusted you to tell me the truth about it.”

“I did tell you the truth. The building needs investment. The tenants were offered compensation. The conversion will bring in more revenue.”

“Was Caroline offered compensation?”

“Yes.”

Caroline shook her head.

“I received a check for my deposit and a letter telling me to leave.”

“Which you refused to accept,” Victoria replied.

“Because I didn’t agree to leave!”

Dominic put the floor plan down.

“Victoria, enough.”

She looked at him sharply.

“Do you think money appears in those accounts by magic? Do you think those contractors rearrange their schedules because someone has a sentimental attachment to an old building?”

Caroline flinched.

Victoria saw it.

But she continued.

“I’ve spent months dealing with people who expect your name to fix every problem. I’ve worked twelve-hour days to make this project successful.”

“And I appreciate the work,” Dominic said. “But none of it gives you the right to take her business away.”

Victoria looked at Caroline.

“You’ve always had the luxury of making mistakes without wondering where you’ll sleep.”

The words surprised me.

Caroline seemed surprised too.

Victoria looked away.

“My father owned a dry-cleaning shop. When I was nineteen, the landlord sold the building. We had sixty days to leave.”

Her voice became quieter.

“My father spent thirty years building that business. We lost everything because he couldn’t afford to fight the new owners.”

Dominic stared at her.

“You never told me that.”

“Because I didn’t want to be the woman you felt sorry for.”

For a moment, nobody spoke.

Then Caroline asked a question that made Victoria look directly at her.

“Did anyone help your father?”

“No.”

“Then why would you do the same thing to me?”

Victoria opened her mouth.

Nothing came out.

I saw something like shame cross her face.

It disappeared almost immediately.

“Your situation is different.”

“Because my father has money?”

“Because your father owns the company.”

Caroline gave a weary nod.

“That’s exactly why it’s worse.”

Dominic looked toward me.

“Rachel, would you bring some coffee?”

I understood that he wanted a little time.

I went into the adjoining service pantry.

My hands were shaking as I filled the pot.

There was a message on my phone from the hospital billing department.

My mother’s next payment was overdue.

I stared at it for a few seconds before putting the phone away.

I couldn’t afford to lose this job.

But I also couldn’t forget Caroline holding that key as though she’d been carrying a piece of her childhood around in her purse.

When I returned, Victoria was waiting beside the doorway.

“Rachel.”

I stopped.

“Yes, ma’am?”

She spoke quietly enough that the others couldn’t hear.

“You’ve been very involved in matters that don’t concern you tonight.”

I looked toward the dining room.

“I was asked to bring coffee.”

“You know what I mean.”

I said nothing.

Victoria took a breath.

“I understand you have family responsibilities. Medical expenses, I believe.”

My stomach dropped.

She knew.

Of course she knew.

The household office handled every request I’d made for payroll advances.

“You’re a good employee,” she continued. “It would be unfortunate if tonight affected your position here.”

I looked at her.

“Are you telling me to keep quiet?”

“I’m suggesting you remember why you’re here.”

She walked away before I could answer.

I stood beside the coffee cart for several seconds.

Then I went back into the dining room.

Dominic was reading the property notice again.

“Rachel,” he said, “you’ve been in charge of sorting the wedding correspondence, haven’t you?”

“Some of it, sir.”

“Do you remember any letters from North Pier?”

Victoria turned sharply.

“Dominic, this is inappropriate.”

I felt my pulse in my throat.

I knew what speaking would cost me if he believed Victoria instead.

But I also remembered something.

Three weeks earlier, Victoria had asked me to put several business envelopes into the locked wedding-planning cabinet.

One had arrived by registered delivery.

Another had been marked for return.

There had been a green envelope among them.

An envelope with Caroline’s name.

“Yes, sir,” I said.

“I remember one.”

Victoria’s eyes narrowed.

“What exactly do you remember, Rachel?”

I looked directly at Dominic.

“Miss Sinclair asked me to file a delivery receipt with the property correspondence. But the envelope wasn’t from a contractor.”

Caroline leaned forward.

“Who was it from?”

I swallowed.

“Sunday Table Bakery.”

Victoria stepped toward me.

“That’s enough.”

Dominic stood.

“Rachel. Finish what you were saying.”

I looked at Caroline.

“The envelope was marked personal and confidential. I remember because I asked whether it should go into the family correspondence instead.”

“What did Victoria say?” Dominic asked.

I could barely hear my own voice.

“She said it was a business matter. And that you weren’t to be disturbed with it.”

Caroline stared at Victoria.

Then she reached into her purse.

Slowly, she removed a small registered-mail receipt.

“I sent Dad a copy of my lease after I got the termination notice.”

She held it up.

“I wanted him to see what was happening.”

Dominic looked at her.

“I never received it.”

“I know.”

Caroline turned the receipt toward him.

“The delivery confirmation says somebody signed for it.”

She pointed to the signature.

Dominic read the name.

Then he looked at Victoria.

“Why did you sign for a letter addressed to me and never give it to me?”

Victoria crossed her arms.

“Because I’d already taken care of it.”

Caroline’s face went pale.

“Taken care of what?”

Victoria hesitated.

Then she said:

“Your father’s company had already approved the surrender of your lease.”

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