Indiscretions - Elizabeth Adler [155]
“Venetia. How are you?” He held on to her hand for a moment longer.
“I’m fine.” Her voice sounded small, even to her own ears, and she coughed. “Just fine,” she repeated, louder.
Fitz sat back in his chair, his eyes on her, saying nothing, and Venetia glanced away uncomfortably…. She couldn’t bear this. She had thought she’d got over the worst—why did he have to come back and remind her all over again?
“Vennie, do you remember that I made you a promise,” asked Fitz, “that night we had dinner together in Barbados?”
She remembered every word they’d said that night. “About Jenny, you mean?”
“Yes. About Jenny. I didn’t forget that promise, and one of the reasons I’m here is to tell you what I’ve been able to find out.”
She waited, her eyes fastened on him, forgetting herself in the unexpected announcement that he had news about her mother.
“It’s both bad news and good,” said Fitz. “I had someone look into her business affairs and I’m afraid they uncovered some very strange facts.” He hesitated—there was no way he was going to tell her about Rory Grant, no way—ever. Death had cloaked Jenny in dignity, and she would keep that. “It’s better, Venetia, if I don’t go into great detail; let it be enough to know that your sisters’ suspicions were correct. Money belonging to Jenny found its way into the wrong pockets.”
Venetia remembered that day at the Malibu beach house, Stan and Bill explaining so very reasonably just how Jenny had managed to lose her fortune. “Bill Kaufmann?” she whispered.
He nodded. “And Reubin—among others. I’m sorry, Vennie.”
“I’ve known them since I was a little girl,” she said, bewildered. “Why would they do that to us, Fitz?”
He shrugged. “Who can say why? Hollywood is a strange town. Values become distorted, friendships are different—not for everyone, of course, but there are always the weak and the unscrupulous, and when there’s that much money around, it becomes a temptation. Don’t try to understand it, Vennie, just feel glad that your mother had the sense not to get you involved.”
Fitz thrust his hands into the pockets of his jeans and began to pace the floor restlessly. “Anyway, I’ve managed to recover some of the money for you. Again, it would be better if you didn’t ask me how. Just believe me when I say it was a better way than dragging your names—and Jenny’s—through the courts.”
“Yes,” said Venetia, believing him.
“There’s a million and a half dollars waiting for you and your sisters in the First National and City Bank in Los Angeles.”
“A million and a half,” repeated Venetia, stunned.
“It’s not nearly as much as you were entitled to, but believe me, it was the better way to go. If you like, I can have cashier’s checks drawn up for you tomorrow.”
All that money, thought Venetia. Paris would be able to open her Haven Boutiques; India and Aldo would have enough to pay back their bank loans and run their hotel—maybe they’d even have their babies now, sooner than they had planned, but not, she knew, too soon for India. And me? What shall I do?
Fitz was leaning against the desk, hands in his pockets, watching her.
“You don’t know what this will mean to my sisters,” she said.
“And you?”
“And me,” she replied quietly. “Thank you.”
“What will you do now, Vennie?”
Venetia lowered her gaze. She couldn’t say she was hoping that he might tell her what she was going to do, and that it would be with him. She gripped her hands together tightly, entwining her fingers, trying to concentrate on what he was saying.
“You talked of opening a restaurant,” he said. “Maybe this would be a good time—you’ve got the money behind you and the flair. My London office can help you, with the legal end, leases and such.”
“Thank you.”
Fitz sighed. “You’re not making it easy for me, Vennie.
“I had thought there was more between us than just business.” Their eyes met in the silence.
“It was a warm tropical night,” he said finally. “There was a big lazy moon over the water, a gleaming white yacht—and an older man who took advantage of a situation he’d dreamed about for years.”
Venetia gazed at him, puzzled.