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They were at dinner, and Olivia was speaking in well-modulated tones that belied the underlying turbulence in the room.
“I’d rather not discuss business now, Mother.” Jared’s voice was clipped and terse. Lauren had been dismayed to find that all his lightheartedness of the morning had disappeared after the meeting with his mother. They had been sequestered in the office for over an hour and, when Jared had returned upstairs, he made no effort to see her. He had gone straight to his room and then later left the house. He had returned just before dinner. She hadn’t seen him alone since before lunch.
“We certainly have no secrets from Lauren, do we?” Olivia asked sweetly, glancing at her daughter-in-law. “After all, she is your wife, Jared.”
Lauren blushed and looked unseeingly at her plate. Did Olivia know about last night? How would she react to the consummation of their marriage?
“Do you think some of our plans will shock her?” Olivia asked her son coolly.
“Dammit, Mother!” Th
e lines around Jared’s mouth seemed to be carved of granite.
“You see, Lauren,” Olivia continued, undisturbed by Jared’s anger, “the Vandivers and I have reconsidered the optimum location for the power plant. The new site will require damming up the river above Pueblo instead of below it. Naturally this will greatly affect the community. We fear an outcry of public disapproval, since the community’s source of water will be cut off. Therefore, we have taken measures to assure that Pueblo’s destruction be seen as a blessing.”
Lauren had placed her fork on her plate and was staring from mother to son with blank, uncomprehending eyes. Olivia returned her stare levelly. Jared wouldn’t look at her.
“I don’t think I understand.” Lauren licked her lips. “What measures are you taking?” She didn’t want to know. But she had to know.
“Lauren, stay out of this. It’s none of your concern,” Jared barked.
“Of course it concerns her, Jared. My dear,” Olivia said, addressing her again in that pleasant, conversational voice, “we are going to round up a gang of desperadoes, mercenaries, whatever name you choose to call them. I think you get the idea. They will go into Pueblo and, posing as citizens, cause a ruckus. They will be instructed to burn, loot, injure, anything they deem necessary to bring about a riot. The ghetto will destroy itself. Our mercenaries will help it along by igniting some well-set fires. I thought it up, of course. Parker thinks it’s a brilliant idea. He’s asked Jared to come to Austin to organize the men. Jared frequents places where such characters might be found.”
Lauren’s face had drained of color. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. When she spoke, her voice was barely more than a hoarse croak. “But people could get killed! And think of all the homes that would be destroyed.”
Olivia shrugged. “I suppose they will, but it will be no great loss, will it?”
“But it’s unnecessary! Why can’t the power plant be built where originally planned?”
“It could. It’s just that I don’t wish it there.”
“Then it is unnecessary. You would have a whole town destroyed on a whim. Why?” She slumped back in her chair and stared at the woman across the table from her with perplexity. Olivia’s face was hard and ugly, filled with hate. Suddenly Lauren understood. “Revenge,” she wheezed. “You’re taking out your hate of one woman on a whole people.”
Olivia glared at her. “I don’t know what you’re babbling about, Lauren,” she said.
“Of course you do. Maria Mendez. You can’t bear it that Ben loved—”
“Shut up!” Olivia screamed and thumped her fists on the table. Glassware and china clattered.
“No, I will not shut up. You would have let Elena and Isabela die in the streets before caring for them. At the time, I thought it was the epitome of heartlessness and cruelty, but now you surpass even that. Perhaps I can see why you would feel the way you do about Maria, but to unnecessarily—”
“It’s necessary if I say it is,” Olivia broke in. Her chest was heaving with emotion. “I don’t have to justify myself to you, or to anyone else on earth.”
Lauren was struck then by the passion in the woman. She was driven to hate, to destroy. It was useless to try to reason with someone so obsessed. “No, you don’t have to justify yourself to anyone on earth,” Lauren said, stressing the last word. She knew then that she would never fear Olivia again. Distrust her, dislike her, but never fear her. Olivia was a lost cause, but there was still hope for Jared.
During the heated exchange between his wife and his mother, he had continued to stare into the candle flame lighting the dining table.
Lauren turned toward him. “Jared? Jared, you can’t endorse such a horrendous scheme?” The words came out as an incredulous question.
“I told you to stay out of it, Lauren,” he growled. “You don’t understand these things.”
“I understand everything!” she shouted. “I understand that what you propose is heinous and criminal and—”
Jared jumped from his chair, knocking it over and upsetting a glass of red wine onto the table. “Goddammit, get off my back.” He strode toward the door leading into the hall, but Lauren was right behind him. She stepped in front of him, placing both hands on his chest, searching his eyes.
“Tell me that you will have no part in this. Please tell me that.” When he didn’t move, she went on, “Jared, think. There are families there who will be hurt. Elena, Rosa, and Gloria have friends and relatives who live there. Surely you would not condone anything that would harm them?”
On top of what his mother had ordered him to do, he didn’t need this. He didn’t need Lauren looking up at him with an expression that was both pleading and accusing.
