Chapter 6 - THE FAMILY STOPPED TAKING SIDES
By Sunday afternoon, the wedding guests had scattered.
Daniel remained in Newport.
Chloe moved into a suite at a different hotel with her parents.
Eleanor stayed.
Daniel’s older sister, Margaret, drove down from Boston after hearing what happened.
She surprised him by being angry at everyone.
“You married Chloe after six people told you she treated staff badly.”
Daniel stared at her.
“Six?”
Margaret counted on her fingers.
“The housekeeper. The driver after Nantucket. Aunt Caroline’s caregiver. Me. Grandma. And apparently the wedding people.”
“You never said it was six.”
“I shouldn’t have needed a committee.”
Daniel looked away.
Margaret turned to Eleanor.
“And you dressing like a server was insane.”
Eleanor nodded.
“Yes.”
Margaret blinked.
She had clearly prepared an argument.
Eleanor removed her glasses.
“I was self-righteous. I wanted evidence Daniel couldn’t explain away.”
“You could’ve gotten hurt.”
“I did.”
Daniel hated hearing it stated so plainly.
Eleanor reached for his hand.
He did not take hers.
“I’m angry with you,” he said.
“You should be.”
“You turned my wedding into a test.”
“I did.”
“And if they had been kind to you?”
“I would have apologized to Chloe privately and told you I was wrong.”
Daniel laughed bitterly.
“But they weren’t.”
“No.”
Nobody spoke for several seconds.
That afternoon Chloe called.
She did not apologize.
She asked when Daniel intended to release her father’s investment.
“That’s what you’re calling about?”
“My father has payroll.”
“Then he has a business problem.”
“He has sixty employees.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
There was the first morally complicated thing she had said.
Real people worked for Harold.
Ordinary people with mortgages, health insurance, kids in college.
Withdrawing money might expose Harold.
It might also hurt people who had never stepped over anyone on a ballroom floor.
Daniel called Russell back.
May you like
“Don’t transfer anything,” he said. “But find out exactly what fails if we don’t.”
For once, he wanted facts before loyalty.
