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Worthington spoke again before he could answer. “Sir, in times like these, I recall my grandfather’s words. The heart’s uncertainties are only conquered by its own brave declarations. Perhaps it’s time for honesty. Not just with Mrs. Harrington but with yourself, too.”
“Fine, Worthington, you’ve made your point. I know I need to say something. I…just need to figure out the best time.”
Worthington puckered his lips, glancing down at his well-polished shoes.
“And now you want to give your opinion on that.”
“No, sir. I trust your judgment. However, you do tend to…put these matters off.”
Grant slid his eyes closed. “I know, I know. I’m…going to do it.”
“We are all pulling for you, sir.”
Grant polished off the bourbon. “Not all of you. I’m pretty certain Kyle is pulling for himself.”
“Dr. Carter has been fairly well-behaved of late.”
“Yeah, that’s scary. I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop. He’s gone months without pushing a boundary.”
“Perhaps his project with Ms. Lydia was an excellent outlet for his…creative energy.”
“In other words, he’s busy pushing boundaries with Lydia instead of me and Julia?” Worthington nodded, and Grant shook his head. “No, that doesn’t ring true. He’s looking for an in, a new way to get at me or Julia.”
“But he has provided you with some useful information, hasn’t he?”
“Yes, he has. Supposedly. Nothing that puts Lydia behind bars or allows us to dig ourselves out of this mess, but he has passed along some useful information. Tiny tidbits.”
“But he appears to be making inroads.”
Grant tightened his grip on the empty glass. “Setting himself up to be the big hero. What’s more impressive to a woman than being a hero?”
“Being the man she loves,” Worthington answered.
Grant sighed again. “Honestly, Worthington, that’s a big assumption. And anyway, we’ve discussed this. I just…don’t want to jeopardize our relationship before I have to.”
“So, you plan to wait until the last minute?”
“Don’t say it like that,” Grant said with a shake of his head. “I plan to…see if we can get Lydia defeated, then tell her. When my life doesn’t depend on it. Otherwise, maybe she’ll think I’m just saying that because I want her help.”
“I see. And what if Ms. Lydia outlasts your contract?”
“Then…I’ll…sweep her off her feet right before our contract ends.” He poked a finger at his butler. “And don’t tell me to do that now. We have enough on our plates with keeping our eye on this plan with Kyle. Failure is not an option.”
“Not for Ms. Sierra’s sake. She still doesn’t know?”
Grant slid his eyes closed and shook his head. They’d never told his daughter she was the reason Lydia still lived in this house and the reason for Julia’s sometimes odd behavior in taking Lydia’s side.
He hated that his first wife was blackmailing his current wife into submission with the threat of exposing compromising images of his daughter, but that was the state of his life, currently. Hearing a rejection from Julia on top of all of that would prove too much for him. He’d have to hold off on asking her to stay married to him.
“No, she doesn’t,” he answered. “And I think it should stay that way. Sierra would…just complicate things. She’s not great at impulse control, either. I’m afraid she’d melt down, do something stupid, and ruin all the progress we’ve made.”
“Ms. Sierra does have a volatile personality, so perhaps it is for the best.”
“Yes, she does. And…”
Worthington cocked his head in a silent prod.
“I may be a sentimental fool, but…I don’t want to tell my daughter her own mother is willing to burn her.”
