Marry Me (34 page)

****

The Mannings took themselves off, and the rest of the guests dispersed as well, though most looked like they would rather stay and watch.

Seth went in search of the plantation manager, who found an empty office. He'd seen enough in Sylvia Vining's face to know they were in for a terrible confession. Bad enough to find out Amy had been sabotaging Julia, but now Mrs. Vining was about to change everything. Seth followed everyone into the room, wishing to be anywhere else. The truth could set you free, he knew, but the telling of it could leave devastation in its wake.

Everyone else must have felt the same way. Grace and Sarah were huddled together on a small couch. As if sensing impending doom, Amy had stationed herself inside the doorway, with Meredith propping up the other side.

Meanwhile, Julia had strolled over to the window and was staring outside. He studied her, trying to get a read on what she was feeling, but she'd closed up tight as a drum. He doubted the view had captured her attention.

No one said anything, so finally Seth strode to the center of the room and took control. “Sylvia, you're obviously very troubled.”

Amy couldn't stand the suspense anymore. “Mother, what is going on?”

Mrs. Vining gazed at Grace with deep sorrow. “Something I should have confessed long ago.”

“Confessed?” Amy repeated. “What are you talking about, and who is Thomas?”

“That would be my father,” Julia said, without turning from the window.

“What does he have to do with anything?”

“We had an affair,” Mrs. Vining said.

The words might have been dynamite going off. Even though Seth had sensed the truth, he still wasn't prepared for the blow. Neither was anyone else. Julia's shoulders jerked a little, but otherwise she barely reacted. It was as if she'd known all along, though how could she not? Julia knew Thomas Richardson better than anyone. The other occupants of the room didn't have the benefit of Julia's experience though, and they gasped in shock. Sarah put a hand to her mouth, and Meredith and Amy turned white.

Tears formed in Mrs. Vining's eyes. “I don't know how it happened. He was so charming. So different from other men.” She turned to Grace. “You understand.”

Grace seemed to have aged ten years in the last few minutes. “I know.”

“If it makes you feel any better, it wasn't a fling. At least not for me. I loved him.”

Grace's hand trembled as she brushed a lock of hair back from her face. “Were you carrying on an affair our entire marriage?”

“No. Oh, Grace, I wish I could make you understand.”

Julia finally spun away from the window, her lips curling in a furious snarl. “Good luck with that. Weren't you the one who went on and on about being the moral compass in this town?”

Sylvia turned, her face stripped of its arrogance. “Your father came into my life at a very vulnerable time. I married very young. I was only nineteen and madly in love with my husband, but it didn't take me long to realize the feeling wasn't mutual.”

“Your husband didn't love you?” Julia asked.

“More to the point, Steven married me for a position in my father's company,” Mrs. Vining said. “I'd been offered up as the price for promotion as it were.”

Meredith shifted in the doorway. “You never told us any of this.”

“It's not the sort of thing you talk about with your children,” Mrs. Vining said. “But you knew, Grace. Maybe it was never said out loud, but I'm sure you guessed.”

“I wondered,” Grace said, looking down at her lap.

“In public Steven played the role of the perfect husband, but at home it was as if I didn't exist. My only purpose was to entertain his clients, and of course produce sons to carry on the name. I couldn't even manage that. He was terribly disappointed when I had two girls.”

Julia threw up her hands, as if her patience had run out. “Your story is sad and tragic, but can we skip to the part where you betrayed Grace with her husband?”

“Julia, let her speak,” Grace said, in a gentle reprimand.

Julia pinched her lips together and faced the window again. Everything in him cried out to go to her, but Seth sensed she'd rebuff him right now. Instead, he tried to listen with as much compassion as he could. Tried to contain his own anger and frustration as he watched Sylvia Vining rip his future apart.

“Thank you,” Sylvia said. “Julia is right, though. A sob story doesn't explain my behavior or excuse it. However, I hope you will find it in yourself to understand when I tell you that I found out Steven had been keeping another woman on the side throughout our entire marriage. I didn't know, until I saw them together one evening when he was supposed to be working.”

Amy looked near tears. “You never said a word.”

“Again, not something you tell your children,” Mrs. Vining said, clucking her tongue. “In any case, finding out I'd been a fool for my entire marriage was devastating.”

“Yes, I can imagine.” Grace's words were seeped in irony.

Sylvia flushed at the pointed barb. “It was right after I found out that I ran into Thomas. I was sitting in the park crying, and he walked up and sat beside me.”

“And gave you a shoulder to cry on?” Julia ventured.

Mrs. Vining absorbed the sarcasm with a level look. “As a matter of fact, that's exactly what he offered. He let me cry and talk. I told him about everything. My farce of a marriage, the other woman, how I'd never felt loved in all my life. He understood.”

“He should have,” Julia said. “My father was always on a never ending quest to find the love of his life. Too bad for him that his soul mate was never the woman he was married to.”

“Julia!” Seth barked out, throwing a warning glance in Grace's direction. Lord knew, he was furious too, but Julia was going to say something she'd regret if she didn't get control of her temper.

At his harsh tone, Julia flinched and her cheeks flushed. “Grace, I'm sorry.”

Grace smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes.

“I'm the one who owes apologies,” Mrs. Vining said. “I responded to my grief by betraying one of my dearest friends. The thing is, Thomas understood me. At first all we did was talk. He was the only person I
could
talk to. I didn't have to pretend my life was perfect with him. There was no image to uphold, no standard I needed to live up to. Then somehow it became more. I knew it was wrong. That I was going against everything I believed.”

“How long did it last?” Meredith asked.

Amy seemed incapable of speaking at this point. She couldn't even look at her mother, keeping her gaze focused on a dark knot in the wooden floor.

“Six months,” Mrs. Vining answered. “Until I found out I was pregnant.”

This time Julia gasped. “Pregnant? Was it my father's baby?”

“I knew it wasn't Steven's. He hadn't touched me in years.”

“What did you do?” Meredith asked.

“I told Thomas. I suppose in some corner of my mind I hoped he'd declare his love for me and—”

“Let me guess,” Julia said. “He'd whisk you away, and the two of you would live out your days in some kind of fairytale romance?”

Mrs. Vining chuckled, but it wasn't a happy sound. “Sadly, I did have some notion of that. He did no such thing, of course. He was horrified, both at the thought of a baby and the realization that I'd fallen in love with him. Turns out I was only another conquest for him. I was furious. At him and at myself. There was a terrible scene, and I threatened him. I told him I would go to Grace and confess everything.”

“If he didn't claim your baby?” Julia asked.

“No, the scales were lifted from my eyes by then. I told him he had to leave and never come back because you deserved better, Grace. I couldn't do anything about my marriage, but I could do something about yours.”

“Wait a minute.” Julia finally left her post by the window. “Are you saying my father left because of you? He didn't leave to be with another woman, he left to get
away
from one?”

“That's right.”

“I don't understand,” Meredith said. “You never had another baby.”

Sylvia's eyes filled. “No, I didn't. I lost the baby only a couple weeks after Thomas left. Punishment for my sins, I always imagined. I never said a word to anyone until today.”

“Steven never knew?” Grace asked.

“No, he wouldn't have noticed. Now that he's passed it hardly matters. I don't care what happens to me. I only wanted happiness for Amy. The kind I never found.”

At the mention of her name, Amy finally came out of her shock-induced state. “Well, how do you think I'll find that happiness now?” she shouted, her face flushed with anger. “The news will be all over town within hours. Who could ever want me knowing what you did?”

Meredith shifted in the doorway. “Amy—”

Amy spun around. “What? Don't get angry? Don't feel betrayed because the woman who raised me is nothing but a fake and a liar?”

“Just calm down,” Meredith said.

“No. I'm through being calm. And I'm through listening to
her
!” Amy cried, pointing an accusing finger at her mother.

Pushing past her sister, Amy flung the door open and ran out.

After a long moment, Meredith went and knelt at her mother's feet. “Come on, I'll drive you home.”

Sylvia nodded and stood up, pausing by the love seat where Grace was seated. “I know I did a terrible thing, but I hope some day you'll find it in your heart to forgive me.”

When Grace didn't respond, Sylvia quietly left the room.

Meredith hesitated. She opened her mouth, but couldn't seem to find the words to say.

Julia didn't have the same trouble. “Why aren't you angry with her?”

“Maybe because I know a little something about betraying everything you believe in,” Meredith said, with a sad smile. “Seems my mother and I aren't so different after all.”

With one last apologetic glance, Meredith followed her mother out of the room. Everyone else sat in stunned silence, unsure what to say or do.

Seth tried to gather his emotions. If Thomas Richardson were here right now he'd beat him to a bloody pulp. He had to hold it together, though. Couldn't afford to let loose and punch a hole in the wall like he wanted.

Instead, Seth walked over to Grace. “I think it's time we went home.”

Grace nodded. He could tell she was trying to act normal, but it was a failed effort. Her face reflected utter defeat.

Taking his outstretched hand, she stood, swaying a little. “I thought I was done being hurt by him.”

“He only has that power if you let him,” Seth said, slipping an arm around her waist. “Remember, you went on to have a wonderful life after he left, with a husband who adores you.”

Grace leaned against his side, as if unable to hold herself upright anymore. “I know, but how do I put something like this aside? It shouldn't matter, but it does.”

“Put
him
aside. Don't waste one moment thinking about Thomas Richardson. He's a miserable man who continues to seek happiness in ways that are doomed to fail. All we can do is feel sorry for him and pray his heart will be opened to the truth.”

“You're right. I just don't know how I'll ever—” Grace broke off with a gasp as she remembered Julia. “Oh, honey, I'm so sorry.”

“What do you have to feel sorry about?” Julia asked.

“You must be upset as well.”

Julia's shrug of dismissal didn't fool Seth for a second. He knew her heart had to be splintered into a million pieces. “Surprised maybe. Like you, I thought I was done being hurt by my father. Seems it's a skill he'll always possess.”

Sarah rose to her feat. “Maybe we shouldn't get into this now. We're all upset. We need to regroup, and then we'll figure out what to do.”

“She's right,” Seth said. “Nothing good will come about today.”

They all filed out of the room, he and Sarah bracketing Grace like bookends. As they crossed the threshold, Seth glanced over his shoulder. Julia stared back at him with eyes hollowed by sadness. Her throat worked as she swallowed. She didn't cry, though. Perhaps there were no more tears left in her to shed over her father.

Then she turned her back on him.