Page 18 of Passion and Privilege

I wasn’t really concerned with the size of his bank account. “I guess that’s why he spends so much time in his office,” I mused aloud. “Managing that kind of money must take a lot of energy.”

“And he had a really messy and very public divorce from a well-known socialite,” she went on. “It got really ugly. There were rumors but neither of them has ever publicly said anything about the divorce.”

“That’s good,” I said, nodding.

“And he used to be a bit of a partier, a bad boy even,” Amber added with a grin. “He was very naughty.”

“It’s hard to imagine that, given the man I’ve met,” I muttered. “I wonder why he left the city behind for Sleepy Hollow. If he’s used to bright lights, big cities, and bigger parties, I would imagine he’s going to be awfully bored here.”

“Maybe he just wanted a change of pace,” Amber suggested. “Or maybe there’s a deeper story waiting to be revealed.”

Chapter Nine

Timothy

I STEPPED OFF THE PRIVATE jet onto familiar ground back in New York. The hum of the engines faded behind me as I made my way to the waiting car. Bennet stood beside it. My bags were quickly loaded into the trunk by the driver.

“Welcome home,” Bennet said as we climbed into the back of the car.

“I assume the house is still standing?” I asked dryly.

He chuckled. “Only one minor incident, but it was quickly resolved.”

“Resolved or repaired?”

“I honestly don’t know,” he said, shrugging. “I heard shouting and there was a lot of commotion. When I made it downstairs to see what was happening, there were a lot of very wet people, but they were laughing. Catherine assured me all was well. I didn’t ask questions. I don’t know anything about plumbing, so even if they had explained, I wouldn’t have understood.”

“I get it,” I said, nodding, settling into the seat and staring out the window. It was good to be home. Gloriana Manor was still in a state of disrepair, but it was home. While I was away for the week, I had actually found myself missing the place. I stared at the many pictures of the house on my phone, letting my imagination run wild. I had seen the kind of work Catherine could do. I was really hoping she could pull off the impossible. I couldn’t wait to see polished wood and a clean, welcoming home.

My phone buzzed inside my jacket pocket. I quickly pulled it out, checked the screen, and groaned. “Shit,” I sighed when I saw it was Regina, my ex-wife. Talking to her was never the highlight of any day. Today, I was exhausted from the week away and the flight back. She was the last person I wanted to talk to. To be fair, she would be the last person I wanted to talk to any day of the damn week.

“What’s going on, Regina?” I asked with my usual weariness when I had to talk to her.

“Your daughter,” she hissed. “That’s what is going on.”

“What does that mean?”

“This is your fault,” she snapped. “You screwed this up. That kid is off the rails.”

“I don’t see how you can put that on me. You chose to run off to Berlin. You chose to send her to that stupid boarding school. She’s mad at you for forcing her to go. You should have just let her stay with me. But no, you had to have your way. You wanted to be alone with your new husband and shipped your kid away.”

The whole thing still pissed me off. I refused to pay for the boarding school and Regina was furious. I wasn’t going to pay because it wasn’t what Paisley wanted. Regina was a selfish bitch that wanted her only kid out of her hair but not with me. She chose to drag Paisley to live in Berlin. The poor kid was obviously acting out. She was in a foreign country with a new stepfather in a new home.

“Don’t you dare lecture me. I have given that girl everything. She’s spoiled.”

“And?” I asked.

“And she stole Jim’s car! She took his new Rolls Royce for a joyride and crashed it!”

I sat up a little straighter. “What? Is she okay?”

“She totaled it,” Regina went on. “Do you know how much it cost? He’s livid!”

“Regina! How is Paisley? Is she okay?”

“She has a broken wrist, nothing major,” Regina said dismissively, as if the injury were inconsequential in the grand scheme of damaged possessions.

My frustration simmered beneath the surface. In that moment, my priorities were clear. The well-being of my daughter superseded any disputes over material wealth. I could buy them ten Rolls Royce’s.