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“My reemploying you will send a very public signal that all is forgiven.”
“Forgiven,” she said flatly.
“Forgotten.”
“Forgotten,” she whispered. “Poof!” Just like that.”
Her skeptical silence threw him.
Anwar wasn’t sure what he expected. Some excitement, perhaps. Gratitude for the opportunity. But her reaction was cooly detached. No doubt she would accuse him again of buying her love and forgiveness, but his heart was in the right place, and his intention pure.
Would time ease their pain, and something beautiful would remain in its place?
* * *
“That’s amazing,” Maria Bright said when Lucy rang her and told her of Anwar’s ambitious project. “You’ll be the art world’s darling with all that money to buy incredible art.”
“I haven’t accepted the position. Not yet.”
“What? Do you need your head read? What’s not to accept?”
“I’m still grieving.”
“Grieving what? Who died.”
“I died. At least a part of me did when Anwar didn’t back me and walked out of my life.”
“Well, he’s backing you now.”
“It’s not the same.”
“I seem to recall you telling me that you ran.”
“They were going to imprison me.”
“But they didn’t, did they? You cleared your name.”
“Mud sticks.”
“But now Anwar is offering you a way to clean the sordid mess.”
Lucy sighed. “Maybe.”
“Look, I get it, Lucy. I do,” Maria said sympathetically. “When you told me what Hamad accused you of, how hurt you’d been when Anwar believed his lies, I felt your pain. The art world is rife with scandals and betrayals. It’s brutal. But that’s called living in the real world. Love hurts. Life hurts. But you’re a survivor. I’ve seen how the experience has changed you for the better. You’re stronger. Smarter. Savvyer. You’re not the naive, trusting woman you told me you were when you first met Anwar.”
Lucy smiled. “No,” she conceded. “I’m a new me. Complete with baby!”
“A baby!”
“I was going to tell you. It’s just?—”
“You hadn’t told Anwar.”
“Yes. And we’re married—did I tell you?”
“What? But that’s amazing!”
“No, not really, “ Lucy said, forelornly. “He slid a piece of paper toward me over breakfast just after we landed in Avana, told me it was our marriage contract and to sign it if I wanted our son to be legitimized.”
