The Wife Who Knew Too Much(65)

Lauren had been drinking again and spoke much too loudly. One of the young women turned and actually hissed at her.

“I think they understand English,” I said.

“Hey, if the shoe fits.”

I believed her about the Russian women, and it bothered me. But who was I to judge? This was a world I didn’t understand. Maybe inviting prostitutes on your yacht was normal.

“Pax, by the way.”

She held out her hand to me. I stared at it, not sure what to do.

“Look, I was drunk, okay? Yes, I had a thing with Connor, but it was two wives ago. Even if I were still interested, which I’m not, he’s obviously mad about you, and not in the market.”

“You’re not interested?”

“No. If nothing else, he’s a risky proposition right now.”

She saw the expression on my face and guffawed.

“You are too much. Just kidding, okay? Hank and I are reconciling.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Really. Now, chillax. We can do dinner on the deck or in the dining room. I just have to tell the purser.”

“I’m waiting for Connor.”

“Of course, so am I,” she said, adding, “And the rest of the team. But we can sit and chat until they arrive.”

A crew member escorted us to a table in a secluded part of the deck. It had been set with flowers, crystal, fine china, and silver. Twinkling white lights strung from the bow combined with soft music to create a lovely ambience. A warm breeze blew. With no lights visible as far as the eye could see, we might have been a thousand miles from land. As a waiter in a white jacket took drink orders, Juliet joined us. She wore her long, dark hair down, and a pretty floral dress. It brought up a memory that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. The tension between her and Lauren was palpable. I looked back and forth between them, trying to discern what it was about. There was an undercurrent of something, but it was beyond my ability to understand.

“Have you seen the latest ChitChat garbage?” Lauren said.

“Do we have to talk about that?” I said.

“It’s smart to know what’s being said about you.”

“About me?”

“Yes, girlfriend. They’re digging into your background. I saw photos of the restaurant where you worked, and your apartment complex. My, but you’ve come up in the world. And so quickly. They made a point of noting that.”

“Is that it? That’s all they said?”

She looked at me cannily. “Why? Is there more?”

“What you’ve described doesn’t bother me at all. Being middle class is nothing to be ashamed of.”

Lauren raised a luxuriant eyebrow. “Middle class?”

“God, would you leave her alone?” Juliet said, glaring at Lauren.

“Hey, you know what I wonder, Juliet? What do you have against me? One of these days I might take it upon myself to find out.”

The rest of the party arrived, putting an end to the squabbling. Hank, Connor, and the other Levitt Global execs were accompanied by several Saudis and the Russian women we’d seen in the lounge earlier. Hank kissed Lauren on the lips and took a seat beside her, his hand on her bare back. Maybe she was telling the truth about their reconciliation. Connor sat across from me, between Hank and one of the Saudi men. Now and then during the dinner he would catch my eye and smile. I relaxed a little. The food was Middle Eastern and delicious. Grape leaves, hummus, broiled lamb, rice pilaf, yogurt and honey for dessert. The wine was French and expensive. Everybody drank copious amounts of it, except me and the Saudis, who abstained from alcohol. We retired to the lounge for a nightcap. The steward served a flight of rare artisanal scotches, flown in from an award-winning distillery in Scotland. Everybody drank, and laughed loudly, though with an edge of hysteria like they were partying through the sack of Rome.

I was returning from the bathroom, lingering to appreciate the moonlight on the water, when Juliet stumbled out of the lounge onto the deck, about twenty feet ahead of me. She glanced over her shoulder, and I drew back into the shadows. Connor came flying out of the lounge after her.

“What the hell was that? Don’t you walk away from me,” he said.

“Fuck off.”

She started up the stairs to the flybridge.

“Don’t be like that. Come on.”

He followed her up the stairs. I emerged from the shadows, heart pounding, and stood at the bottom of the staircase, looking after them in shock. I couldn’t hear them anymore, over the sound of the breeze and the waves lapping at the boat. I had to get closer. I climbed slowly, one step at a time, until I was a couple of steps below the top. One more rung, and they’d see my head. But it wasn’t enough. I could make out the tone of their conversation—angry and filled with recriminations—but not the words. Then I heard a sound. Was that—? Juliet. Sobbing. Connor was silent, and a terrible thought crossed my mind.

He’s holding her.

I backed down the stairs like I’d been burned and made my way to our cabin, where I threw myself onto the bed. What had I just witnessed?

Connor and Juliet knew each other better than I’d ever imagined. That much was clear. But—in what way? Were they lovers? Co-conspirators? Something else? And which answer would hurt worst? I’d been grappling with the idea that Connor had slept with Lauren. Yes, it was years ago, and things between them were over. Yet, it still upset me very much. And now Juliet? If there was something romantic between them, even if it was in the past, I was not okay with that. Already, I felt like the earth had shifted beneath my feet. Juliet lived in our house. She’d snooped in my room and found out about my pregnancy. When she’d seemed angry about it, I’d put that down to her loyalty to Nina. Was there a different reason? She was the one who’d suggested I wear the Levitt emeralds, setting off the tabloid scrutiny that had caused so much trouble. She pretended she was trying to help, but in retrospect, it seemed obvious she wanted to hurt me. The Juliet I knew was pleasant, somewhat distant, formal, a bit dull. I couldn’t reconcile that persona with the woman I’d just seen tell Connor to fuck off, arguing with him, sobbing on the flybridge. The face she showed me was a false one. That must mean that she was hiding something. That they both were.