Cranberry Point (Cedar Cove #4)(64)

"Ah..." Jack faltered. "I, uh..." Finally he gave a resigned sigh. "Olivia's having Roy do a background check on him," he said grimly.

"What?" Charlotte felt her blood pressure rise.

"Charlotte?" Ben asked, joining her. He looked at Jack. "Is there a problem?"

"None whatsoever," Charlotte snapped. She smiled at Ben, who'd been nothing but a gentleman from the moment they met. Now her own daughter had gone behind her back and was having the man she loved investigated. Evidently Olivia had no faith in her intelligence or her judgment. Anyone who spent time with Ben would know he was the gentlest, sweetest, most wonderful man on earth. Olivia had met him many times. How could she do this? Why? The outrage turned to pain and her eyes filled with tears.

"I...I can't believe Olivia would do something like this," she said, trying to hide the hurt her daughter had caused her. Sniffling, she turned away.

Ben was at her side immediately. He slid his arm around her protectively. "What's going on here, Charlotte?"

Charlotte shouldn't have done it, but she told him. "Olivia's having you investigated. I don't know why she'd do such a thing, but apparently she has. Jack just let it slip...."

Ben's mouth thinned with irritation. "Rest assured there's nothing to find."

"Damn my big mouth," Jack muttered. "It isn't all Olivia, you know."

"What do you mean by that?" Charlotte was rigid with anger now.

"Maybe I should just pay for these potato chips and be on my way," Jack suggested, obviously uncomfortable.

"Like hell!"

Ben's eyes widened. Charlotte was not a woman who used that kind of language. In fact, she was shocked herself. But there were times when nothing less than a swearword would do. "You tell me the whole story and I mean now, Jack Griffin."

Jack shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "Olivia's going to kill me for this."

"Why? She's guiltier than you are."

Jack shrugged. "You don't know Olivia the way I do."

"She's my daughter—if I don't end up disowning her over this." Charlotte had trouble accepting what her daughter had done. "Who put her up to it?" She leaned forward and glared fiercely at her son-in-law. "You, Jack? Was it you?"

He shook his head, raising his hand in a gesture of surrender. "Not me. Will."

This was even worse than she could've imagined. "You've got to be kidding."

Jack cast Ben an apologetic look.

That just made Charlotte angrier. "How dare he?" she sputtered.

"Now, Charlotte," Ben said in a soothing voice. "Let's talk about this calmly."

But Charlotte was in no mood to be mollified. "You tell my daughter that I'm in love with Ben Rhodes and I have every intention of marrying him."

Head down, Jack nodded like a repentant child.

"On second thought, I'll tell her myself."

Jack raised his index finger. "When you do speak to Olivia, I'd appreciate if you gave me a few minutes' notice first."

Ben chuckled, but Charlotte found nothing humorous in the situation. "Then consider yourself warned."

Jack clearly felt terrible, but she didn't blame him for her daughter's actions. No, she knew exactly who was responsible for this... this insult.

Despite his protest, Charlotte left Ben to deal with the groceries while she marched over to the courthouse. It was a good three-block walk and uphill at that, but Charlotte's indignation drove her all three of those blocks without a single pause. By the time she got there, however, she was winded. Charlotte leaned against one of the courthouse pillars and placed her hand over her pounding heart, taking slow, deep breaths.

Her expression must have conveyed her mood because no one stopped her or delayed her with conversation. After clearing security, she plowed through the crowded hallway to her daughter's courtroom. She shoved open the door decisively and...

Wouldn't you know it, the room was empty. All the better. Charlotte didn't need any witnesses to this confrontation. She went directly to Olivia's chambers. The mahogany door was closed; she knocked once and opened it without waiting for permission.

Olivia sat at her desk and glanced up, a look of curiosity on her face. "Mother?"

"How dare you, Olivia Lockhart Griffin! How dare you!" Fresh tears welled in her eyes.

Olivia set down her pen and gestured for her mother to take a seat-. Charlotte hesitated, then collapsed into the visitor's chair. She reached for her lace handkerchief, tucked in the sleeve of her blouse, and dabbed at the corners of her eyes. "I'm utterly ashamed that my own children would do anything so underhanded and deceitful. How could you do this to me—and to Ben? What's he ever done to you?"

Olivia sighed heavily. "Mom, I can tell you're upset."

"Upset? You don't know the half of it!"

Olivia raised her hand. "I don't blame you. I'm sorry, but Will and I felt that in this day and age one can't be too careful."

"You don't think I'm capable of judging a man's character? Ben is decent and kind and...and honorable."

"I wanted to believe that too, but he has no family in the area."