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I’d slipped the drawing into my desk drawer, unsure what to do with it, and set about trying to make amends as best I could. Which meant working all day with Human Resources and making use of Moore’s personal courier service seeing as Brian was busy driving the Moore women on their shopping spree.
Then I finished my workday by sending an email to my brother informing him of my marriage and that I would not be taking any questions about it at this time. I may have also vaguely threatened the well-being of his cat if he chose to ignore my wishes and try getting in touch. But that is neither here nor there.
Because if what Henry says is correct – Alice is not a Moore.
I find my usual mantle of detachment ill-fitting. ‘If I choose to revoke the foster paperwork, as I believe you’d like me to do, what would happen to Mary?’
He shrugs, unconcerned over the fate of an abandoned six-year-old. ‘Child services will figure that out.’
Henry Farrier is one of many exceptionally competent lawyers from his firm. Which, during the legal issues with my father, was what mattered when I hired them. And yet, right now, I’m thinking I need to refine my standards.
‘That is not what I asked.’
He pauses at my tone, which isn’t as impassive as it was a moment ago.
He adopts a look of pity, one that suits him less than his hair plugs. ‘The child will probably remain with Ms Alice Truman as long as she can find a satisfactory place to live and retains her job.’
The deal was we’d remain married until Mary was safe from foster care. If I come forward now and say we aren’t married, then besides the scandal and gossip, Alice and my deal is off. Whether she retains fostering Mary or not, there is no incentive for her to sign the contract, no hold I have over her to remove her from my life.
‘Hmmm.’ I turn my chair to face the floor-to-ceiling window behind me, needing a moment to think.
For once, Henry is smart enough to remain silent.
It’s hard to see where the lights on the skyscrapers end and the stars begin. And the more I look, the more it blurs until my eyes refocus on my own reflection. So different than the one in the women’s dressing room mirror just hours ago. My hair is perfectly styled, my tie still tight and straight. My suit, though worn all day, has barely a wrinkle. The only mar is the bruise on my eye, but even that is fading.
This reflection is the one I know. The one I’m used to. The one I could get back to if I just…
‘Mr Farrier.’
In the window’s reflection, he shifts in his seat behind me. ‘Yes, Mr Moore?’
‘I want you to draw up a new contract.’
* * *
Alice
‘I’ll hide!’ Mary jumps off the kitchen counter stool and races down the hall as soon as the words ‘hide-and-seek’ leave Emily’s lips.
I want to hug this woman. I want to thank her for being so amazing. For giving Mary much needed love and attention during such a traumatic time. For instructing Brynn to send everything to the house after I emerged from the dressing room some ten minutes after Thomas. For entertaining Mary while I tried to handle the deluge of calls from Bell, Leslie and George after news of the marriage circulated the Facebook Group, all of which I let go to voicemail and answered with, ‘I’ll explain later.’ Which might actually be a lie because of the non-disclosure agreement I told Thomas I’d sign.
But seeing as I also want to cry on Emily’s shoulder and ask her if her son suffers from multiple personality disorder, I settle for asking a question that hopefully won’t give anything away.
‘Emily?’ I wait for her to catch my eye. ‘Why are you being so nice to me? To Mary?’
She looks amused at my question. ‘Should I not be?’
‘No, I… What I mean is, I suddenly married your son and brought a child into his home. I’m just confused as to why you aren’t upset.’
‘Is it sudden though?’ Emily shrugs, still smiling. ‘I felt it was long overdue.’
I wonder if it’s a Moore trait to be so irritatingly confusing.
Emily pats my hand resting on the countertop. ‘While I may not have been allowed to be the mother I wanted to be to Thomas…’ She pauses, frowning. ‘No, I can’t lay all the blame on my ex-husband. I should’ve never given up or backed down on being able to spend time with Thomas.’ Shaking herself out of her memories, she squeezes my hand before releasing it to adjust the diamond bracelets on her wrist. ‘But that doesn’t mean I don’t know my son. Know how stuck in his ways he is, and worse, how stubborn he can be when he thinks he’s right.’ She winks at me. ‘He may get that last part from me.’
I chuckle thinking about all the ‘necessary purchases’ Emily made on Mary’s and my behalf today.
‘So where other mothers may worry when their child does something out of the ordinary, quite frankly I was tickled pink. I thought there was something going on between you two. And, as I said, I do love being right.’
