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Violet skimmed the clippings, and realized that Scarlett’s explanation was sounding more reasonable by the second. And after meeting JT’s father, she had no trouble believing the man was ruthless and unscrupulous enough to steal another man’s identity and fortune. But what would this mean for JT? She imagined how devastating this revelation would be to him. Finding out your father had stolen someone’s identity was a far cry from merely worrying that he was making poor business decisions.
With her stomach in knots, Violet set aside the file. “I don’t know what you want me to do with this.”
“You should talk to Charity Rimes. Tiberius tracked her down for a reason.”
“Who is she?” Harper asked.
“She’s the writer doing a story on a series of killings in Los Angeles back in the sixties. I don’t know much about the story other than they never caught the guy. I let the whole matter drop when I realized it wasn’t any of my business. But things have changed. JT married you. That makes him family.” Scarlett extended a second file. “Which brings me to this. I don’t know if you want to read it or not, but since you’re now involved with JT, I thought I should at least give you the choice.”
“Tiberius had a file on JT.” Violet wondered why he hadn’t kept it in his home office. “Have you read it?”
“I was tempted to when I first suspected his dad of stealing Preston Rhodes’s identity, but then I decided it wasn’t my place to know his secrets.” She extended the file to Violet.
The amount of paper contained in the manila folder took Violet by surprise. This wasn’t a simple summary of his unhappy childhood and adolescent acting out. Tiberius had spent time and energy researching his nephew. Probably in preparation for renewing their relationship.
Reading the file would be a shortcut to learning most everything that had gone into developing JT’s character. No doubt she’d learn things about him he wouldn’t appreciate her knowing. But maybe talking about the most painful events would help him to heal. And if he healed, perhaps he could then open himself up to love.
As soon as the thought occurred, Violet reined it in. Was she hoping that if she fixed him he’d be so grateful he’d never want their marriage to end? They’d been married less than two weeks and she was already figuring out ways to manipulate him. Better to let JT tell her what he wished her to know when he wanted her to know it.
“I shouldn’t.” Violet tried to hand the folder back to Scarlett, but she put up her hands.
“Keep it. Burn it. Give it to JT. I don’t care, but I don’t want it back in my possession.” Scarlett glanced at Harper who was glaring at her smartphone. “I’m already the keeper of more secrets than I’m comfortable knowing.”
Violet knew Scarlett was referring to the file she’d found on Harper’s mother. The one with the potential to turn Harper’s life upside down. From her calm demeanor, Violet suspected that Scarlett hadn’t yet decided to share with her half sister what was in the file.
“I have to go,” Harper said, getting to her feet. “I emailed Ashton another round of head chef candidates and he has fifteen minutes of free time to talk about them.”
As soon as Harper left the room, Scarlett fetched another file from her desk. “I wasn’t kidding when I said I’m uncomfortable with the secrets I’m keeping.”
“Are you planning to tell her what you discovered about her mother?”
“I’m going to tell you what’s going on and I want you to help me decide.”
“Very well.” When Violet had first found out about the file on Harper’s mother, she’d sympathized with Scarlett’s dilemma. Now she had a similar problem—what to do with the files on JT and his father. “What did Harper’s mother do?”
“She had a brief affair during an extended period of time where her husband was away on business.”
“Penelope?” Violet couldn’t believe Harper’s uptight mother could have done anything that rash. “It’s so unlike her.”
Scarlett opened the file and displayed the black-and-white photos of a young Penelope Fontaine and a handsome man in a hot embrace.
“Apparently being married to our father could push even the most conservative person into reckless behavior,” Scarlett remarked, sounding more tired than wry.
“I’m sure Harper will be shocked and embarrassed by her mother’s actions, but it was a long time ago.” Violet wanted to reject what her eyes were seeing. “But I don’t understand why you think it will devastate her.”
“Because she was born nine months later.”
It took several seconds for Scarlett’s meaning to penetrate. “You mean...?”
“Harper isn’t a Fontaine.”
“Are you sure?”
“Unfortunately, yes.” Scarlett closed her eyes. Pain raced across her features. “How ca
n I tell her that?”
When Harper found out the truth about her parentage, she’d be destroyed.
