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The sound of footsteps approaching had us turning to see Mrs. H.
“Bellamy, you are to come with me to get ready for tonight.” The woman’s face showed no emotion or even a hint of what was to come. She’d been doing this for years and knew exactly how to conceal even the slightest hint if she chose. “Emmett, you’re to go into the Billiards Room, where your friends are waiting for you.”
Grateful to leave Bellamy and to have some time to gather my senses and some breathing space, I headed in the direction of the Billiards Room without saying another word or asking a single question.
As I entered, four men sitting around a circular table turned to look my way. Montgomery, Rafe, Walker, and Beau sat beneath a large Baccarat crystal-and-brass chandelier hanging from the fifteen-foot-high ceiling. Along the ceiling were plaster frieze moldings that were made from mud, clay, horsehair, and Spanish moss. I knew this room, as I had many a drink and cigar here. But this time felt different.
Beau Radcliffe was the first to speak casually as he sipped from his tumbler of scotch. “We’ve been beckoned to attend your final Trial tonight.”
I turned to Walker, who hadn’t completed his Initiation yet and wasn’t a member of the Order. “Even you?”
Walker shrugged. “I got the invite. Not sure why.”
I took my seat at the round table made of Honduran mahogany and reached for the bottle of scotch in the center of the table. “Do any of you have an idea of what’s coming?”
Montgomery laughed. “It’s been kept secret from your friends. Which is… odd.”
Taking a sip of my drink, I leaned back and sighed. For the first time since Bellamy’s truth, I felt like I could relax a little and be frank with my friends. “I don’t think I’m going to become a member of the Order.”
Beau huffed. “Don’t worry about the final Trial. You’ll do fine.”
“Yeah, it’s not going to be any harder than what you’ve already gone through,” Montgomery added.
“It’s not about the actual Trial,” I began. “It’s about Bellamy.”
Every one of my friends, other than Walker, gave each other a knowing look.
Walker noticed and asked, “What did I miss?”
“Bellamy is flat-broke,” Rafe answered. “It came out last night in front of everyone.”
Walker shrugged. “No real secret there. People have been whispering about it for years.”
“Bullshit,” I snapped, not liking that this was information floating around Darlington. I didn’t like being in the dark, but I also felt… sorry for… Bellamy if indeed people knew her deepest secret. “I haven’t heard a single thing about her having money problems.”
“It’s true, man,” Walker continued. “I know her mother came to my father and asked for money. Countless times. I know he helped when it suited him, but… he made the poor woman beg.”
“Your dad’s a dick,” Montgomery mumbled more to himself than anyone else.
“And why do you care if Bellamy is broke or not?” Walker asked, ignoring Montgomery’s insult.
“I don’t,” I said, drinking the rest of my scotch from my glass and pouring myself another. “I care that she lied to me, for one. And I also care about what her final ask is. The girl is expecting me to marry her if we complete the Initiation. She’s asking for marriage!”
Walker let out a large exhale and then shook his head with a chuckle. “Man-oh-man.”
“Yeah, so if I complete the final Trial, guess who gets a ring on her finger?” I prompted with a shake of my own head. “The fucked-up thing in all of this is… I actually liked Bellamy. I cared for her.” I looked at the men around the table and confessed, “I was falling in love with her.”
“Jesus,” Montgomery said with an upturn of his lips. “I mean… you always had a thing for her.”
“I did,” I admitted. “And being locked up with the woman only added to my feelings. But it was all a lie. She’s been lying to me from day one. She wants me for money, and that’s it. She’s no different than every other socialite out there, looking for a payday.”
“I disagree. This is Bellamy Carmichael,” Walker said calmly. “We’ve known her as long as we’ve known each other. There’s more to her than what you want to admit, and we all know it. The girl had it rough. Her mother is a sociopath if you ask me. And her dad was a loser. But Bellamy… she’s a cool chick.”
“And you’re lying to yourself right now,” Rafe added.
Montgomery nodded. “I’ve watched you in these Trials with her. You’ve taken ownership in not only her body, but—”
“She’s yours,” Beau cut in. “It’s obvious how you both feel for each other. She isn’t just using you for your money. Even if that was her initial intent… it’s clear in the way she looks at you, acts around you, and… it’s obvious there is a deep connection between the two of you.”
