Chapter 6 - Patricia’s Rules
Patricia Vale had one rule for family scandals.
Contain them before they develop a vocabulary.
She moved fast.
Within minutes, she had two waiters clearing broken pastries from the dessert table. She had the quartet begin playing again. She had a staff member redirect guests toward the silent auction room with champagne and soft lies.
“An unfortunate misunderstanding,” she whispered.
“A child startled.”
“Richard under pressure.”
“A difficult divorce.”
But some scenes cannot be folded back into politeness.
Claire sat with Lily in a small side lounge off the ballroom. Evelyn sat beside them, holding Lily’s tiny hand. Howard Lane stood near the door like a guard even though no one had asked him to.
Lily had stopped sobbing, but her breath still hitched every few seconds.
Claire checked the back of her head again with gentle fingers.
“Does it hurt?”
“A little,” Lily whispered.
Claire swallowed the rage rising in her throat. “We’re going to have a doctor look at you, okay? Just to be safe.”
Lily nodded.
Then she looked toward the closed door. “Is Daddy mad at me?”
The question broke something in every adult in the room.
Evelyn looked away.
Howard closed his eyes.
Claire pulled Lily closer. “No, baby. You did nothing wrong.”
“But I messed up the cupcakes.”
“Cupcakes can be cleaned.”
Lily’s lip trembled. “People were looking.”
Claire kissed her forehead. “They were looking because he was wrong. Not because you were.”
The door opened without a knock.
Patricia entered first.
Richard came behind her, his face carefully rearranged into regret.
Not remorse.
Regret.
There was a difference.
“Lily,” he said gently.
The child immediately pressed into Claire.
Richard’s jaw tightened for half a second.
Patricia noticed.
Claire noticed Patricia noticing.
“We should handle this privately,” Patricia said.
Claire stood, keeping Lily behind her. “We’re going to the hospital.”
Richard scoffed. “That is unnecessary.”
“You don’t get to decide what is necessary anymore.”
Patricia stepped closer. “Claire, think very carefully. If you turn a tense moment into a medical report, you will damage your daughter’s relationship with her father permanently.”
Claire stared at her.
Then she said, “No, Patricia. Richard did that.”
Richard’s mask slipped.
“I barely touched her.”
Lily flinched at his voice.
Howard Lane spoke from the corner.
“That is not what I saw.”
Patricia turned sharply. “Howard, this is a family matter.”
Howard looked at Lily.
“No,” he said. “It stopped being that when the child started crying in front of fifty people.”
Patricia’s face went pale with fury.
Claire picked Lily up carefully.
The little girl wrapped her arms around her mother’s neck.
Richard stepped aside only because Howard did not.
As Claire walked out of the side lounge, Patricia called after her.
“You have no idea what you’re starting.”
May you like
Claire did not turn around.
“Yes,” she said. “I do.”
