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The gas fireplace was flaming, and jerking her head around, Eleanor scowled at Bethany, but didn’t speak.
“Ellie, I think we could all use a drink,” Noah suggested, moving closer to Bethany. “Do you have any bourbon, or whiskey or—“
“I have Cognac,” she replied, striding past them and into the kitchen.
“Bring three glasses,” he called after her, then studying Bethany still standing awkwardly in the middle of the room, he noticed her eyes were red and puffy. It was obvious she’d been crying. “Sit down,” he said softly, taking her elbow and guiding her to the couch. “Catch your breath and tell me what’s goin’ on?”
“Why are you being so nice to me?”
“I’m guessin’ you’ve been backed into a corner, and that’s a scary place to be. You know Matt, right?”
“Uh-huh.”
“He’s a friend of mine and he’s in the house right now. I think he should be here. Is that okay with you?”
“Sure, and I want to call Tom so I can tell him everything myself and it doesn’t get twisted.”
“I agree. It’s about time we found out who you really are and what you’ve been up to,” Ellie declared, walking up carrying a tray holding three glasses and a bottle of Cognac. “Take your drinks. I’ve got coffee brewing as well.”
* * *
Tom and Jeanette were enjoying a delicious Tiramisu dessert when Tom’s phone rang and Ellie’s name appeared on the screen.
“It’s our daughter,” he declared, quickly accepting the call and placing it on speaker. “Hi, honey, I’m here with your mother.”
“Hi, Mom.”
“Hello, Ellie, I’m so happy to hear your voice.”
“It’s great to hear yours too, but, uh, Dad, I’m in my cabin with Bethany, Noah and Matt.”
“Because…?” he asked, immediately wary.
“Bethany was here when Noah brought me back to pick up a few things and she—“
“Excuse me,” Noah interrupted. “Tom, this is Noah. Bethany has a tale to tell, and she wants you to hear it from her, not second-hand. Matt was in the house when we arrived and he has some updates as well. But Bethany needs to speak first. I don’t have any idea what she’s about to say, so I’ll just let her start talkin’—if that’s okay with you.”
“Yes, that’s definitely okay with me. Go ahead, Bethany. I’ll try not to interrupt.”
As Bethany spilled out her story, starting from the day her mother had pressed the money into her hands, ending with Michael’s latest visit at the hotel, Tom’s emotions ran the gamut.
Imagining her stepping from the bus in New York and trying to survive, his heart broke for her, then he was furious at Michael Aiken for exploiting and manipulating a vulnerable, naive young woman. But there was also a dull ache in his soul that Bethany hadn’t been straight with him, then a realization of how terrified of Michael she must have been—and probably still was. When she finally finished, he had tears in his eyes for her and the suffering she’d endured, but rage rippled through his body at the monster named Michael Aiken.
“Tom, I can’t begin to tell you how sorry I am,” she sobbed. “I don’t expect your forgiveness, I don’t expect anything.”
“Bethany, how old are you?”
“Uh, I turned nineteen last week.”
“I don’t know how you survived,” he muttered. “The fact that you found the courage to tell me all this…”
“There’s one more thing, and it’s really, really big. That hidden cabinet and the briefcase— I found them here, in the cabin.”
“In my cabin?” Ellie interrupted. “Where?”
“Bethany, I can’t believe it,” Tom exclaimed. “Did you open it?”
“Yes, I did. Hold on and I’ll get it. I found it just before Eleanor and Noah got here. Matt, can you help me? It’s really heavy.”
