"What was it? Butler Parham saw it while cleaning. Was it something important of yours, like a drawing or a manuscript? He identally threw it away."
The only things Hawthorne could think of were her artworks. She spent her days at home, tinkering with her paintings and seals, which was one thing that gave him peace of mind. Many women in her situation would resort to tears, tantrums, and threats, and while Gwh had her moments, she was mostlyposed, which worried him even more. It wasn''t a normal reaction.
Gwh heard him say he didn''t know what was on the paper and realized it had been a false rm.
"I''m not sure. I don''t know what it could be. You didn''t see it?"
But Hawthorne wasn''t interested in discussing a piece of scrap paper.
"Gwyn, about Patti and me-"
Gwh held up a hand to stop him. "Enough. If you want to confess, go to a priest. If you want to lie, find someone else to listen."
Without another nce, she headed upstairs.
Hawthorne watched her go, about to follow, when his phone rang. It was Patti.
"James wants me to get my hands on the hard drive for yourpany''s project. Hawthorne, do you have it?" Patti was being direct.
"I do. I''ll go to the office and get it for you now."
Patti bit her lip. "Won''t that seem too easy? Will he believe it?" She felt Hawthorne''s trap had too many holes. She added, "James asked if you really trust me. He said if you did, why do you still go home to your wife every night?"
James had actually said that, so Patti didn''t feel like she was stirring up trouble by rying it truthfully.
"What else did he say?"
Hawthorne didn''t doubt her words. He knew she understood that he would believe her, and for now, she had no intention of ying games With him. His wife was too low level. A pampered heiress who couldn''t handle the slightest grievance, always ready to make a man''s life miserable at the first sign of trouble.
"Nothing much, just that he finds it hard to believe I gained your trust so easily."
James''s suspicion was warranted.
These old foxes of the business
world didn''t trust anyone easily, and he and Hawthorne had been rivals for years. The whole Patti affair was an open secret it wasnt just James who couldn''t fathom Hawthome taking her back; no one could. Who would believe that a man so ruthless in business was a fool for love?
"Alright. I''m heading to the office now. Wait for me there."
Upstairs, Gwh heard the sound of a car starting in the courtyard below. She knew Hawthorne had left.
A short whileter, Butler Parham came upstairs holding a box. Gwh recognized
it as the one Hawthorne had brought for her.
"Ms. Everhart, Mr. Everhart had your pearl ne repaired for you."
Gwh''s attention fixed on the word "repaired," and it all clicked into ce. Hawthorne would never give her a defective gift. The pearl ne must have broken and scattered or the floor. No wonder Hawthorne said Butler Parham found a piece of paper under the bed. If he hadn''t been looking for the
pearls, he never would have
stumbled upon her pregnancy report.
The irony was bitter. A man as shrewd as Hawthorne should have known if he''d dropped something under the bed. She was the one living in this room. If he had paid even a sliver of attention to her, how could he not have guessed that paper was a pregnancy report?
Butler Parham opened the box in front of her. Insidey a string of pearls, each one perfectly round, lustrous, and full-bodied-clearly of the highest quality. Even though her rtionship with Hawthorne had hit rock bottom, she couldn''t help but linger her gaze on the ne for a moment.
"Ms. Everhart, I have never seen Mr. Everhart so angry and hurt. I watched him grow up. I can see you''re angry with him, and I can tell he''s desperate,pletely at a loss for how to win back your favor."
Facing the elderly butler, Gwh couldn''t bring herself to say anything that would cause him distress or embarrassment.
She simply said to him, "Just leave it here. I''ll take it."