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Sabeen’s lips curved in a feline smile. “He told me he planned to be back by Sunday.”
Violent impulses stirred in Elizabeth as Vance and Charlie shared a sympathetic look. She neither needed nor deserved their pity. She and Roark weren’t engaged, it was all a pretense. They’d known each other less than a month. It made perfect sense that he’d share more with Sabeen, a woman he’d known for ten years.
So, why did she feel so betrayed?
“And did he also tell you why he was in Cairo?” Ann gave Sabeen her full attention, dismissing Elizabeth in a way that made her grind her teeth.
All the problems with the Gold Heart statue had created tension between Ann and Roark. Elizabeth’s resentment of Roark’s abandonment grew as she took the backlash on her chin. More than anything she wanted to run away from this party and consume a quart of ice cream in her apartment, but she’d lose even more face if she did. Instead, she took her seat beside Vance and composed her features.
Roark’s brother leaned over and muttered, “Roark didn’t invite Sabeen to this party.”
“You don’t know that.”
“He would never have done that to you. She took it upon herself to humiliate you like this.”
Vance’s words boosted Elizabeth’s confidence out of the basement.
“Thank you.”
Sabeen wore a triumphant expression as she took Roark’s seat. Elizabeth let her have the battle. The younger woman waged a pointless war. As soon as the takeover of Waverly’s was no longer a threat, Elizabeth and Roark would part ways, and he would return to his adventures. She wasn’t Sabeen’s competition. The world of antiquities procurement was.
While Sabeen drank glass after glass of wine and bubbled about a gallery opening she’d attended and a cat fight she’d glimpsed between two well-known socialites, Elizabeth nibbled at her salmon and willed the evening to be over.
The waiter was clearing her untouched dessert when she tuned back into what Sabeen was saying.
“And when he explained to me why he and Elizabeth had gotten engaged after knowing each other about a day, of course I forgave him.”
Elizabeth’s blood crystalized in her veins as Sabeen’s words sunk in. The rest of the table seemed equally stunned as they stared her way.
“What exactly did he say?” Ann directed the question at Sabeen, but it was Elizabeth who took the brunt of her displeasure.
“That they’d gotten engaged because of the Waverly’s takeover threat. One of your board members promised his support against the sale if Roark could prove he’d settled down enough to be an asset to Waverly’s instead of a liability.”
“Is this true?” Ann demanded.
Elizabeth was saved from answering by the head of the food pantry stepping to the podium to introduce Ann. Grateful for the minor reprieve, Elizabeth joined the clapping as Ann stood. Elizabeth went cold at the way Ann was staring at her from the raised platform. “You had no right to break Roark’s confidence,” Elizabeth said.
Sabeen tossed her head like a spoiled child. “How was I supposed to know he hadn’t told these people? What’s the big deal, anyway? He’s doing it for them.”
“And what if others heard you?” As soon as the words were out, Elizabeth could tell there was no reasoning with Sabeen.
“No one heard. You’re just mad because you can’t pretend Roark loves you anymore.”
“Do you honestly think I have any illusions about my relationship with Roark? I’m not some foolish child who imagines that I can manipulate him into loving me by destroying everything else in his life that matters to him.”
The tightness in her chest made her heart work hard for each beat. Her chair was too close to the table. The crowd of six hundred attendees sucked the oxygen from the room. Sweat broke out on her skin.
Ann’s strong voice became a roar in her ears as Elizabeth noticed a woman at the next table wasn’t paying attention to the speech, but was staring her way. Had she overheard Sabeen?
Anxiety crawled across Elizabeth’s skin. If Roark had been here they could have faced down the gossip together. He’d have kissed her passionately in front of everyone and shut down the rumors that they weren’t really engaged. Alone, Elizabeth couldn’t rally the conviction to deny Sabeen’s claim. All she could do was sit and try to keep her panic from showing.
But that took all her energy and by the time Ann’s speech concluded, Elizabeth was completely drained.
She turned to Vance. “I need to go.” She pushed back from the table and stood.
Vance got to his feet as well and put a gentle hand on her arm. “Charlie and I will take you home.”
“No.” Elizabeth shook her head. “Please stay. I will be fine.”
