Chapter 17: The Shareholder Dinner

The shareholder dinner was the second of my twelve events, and I went to it in the green dress.

Dalton met me at the bottom of the hotel stairs in his tuxedo and did not offer his arm.

"You can take it," he said. "Or not."

"I'll take it."

His forearm was warm under my hand, and neither of us said anything else.

The ballroom held three hundred shareholders at round tables with white cloths.

The board chair's seat at the head table had been left empty, with a card still on the plate.

Nobody had taken the card away.

"Where is he?" I whispered.

"With his lawyers. The inquiry opened yesterday."

"And Belinda?"

"I told the door staff she wasn't invited."

He had barely finished the sentence when a hush went across the room.

Belinda stood in the arched doorway in a cream gown.

She had Archie's hand in hers, and for a moment I thought she'd lost her mind and brought him into this.

Then I saw the woman behind her, the sitter in a gray coat, lift him gently out of her grip and carry him away.

Belinda came down the aisle alone.

She did it slowly, with her chin up, smiling at people.

"Dalton," she said warmly, and the room could hear her. "I'm so sorry I'm late."

"You weren't invited," Dalton said.

"Don't be silly. I'm family."

She turned to the nearest table of shareholders, a row of gray heads, and spread her hands.

"You've all heard the rumors about Dalton's marriage. I hope you'll let me tell you the truth."

"Belinda," I said.

"Mrs. Aldridge is a talented woman. She is also not well. She has not been home in three years, and she has been very angry."

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