Chapter 16: The Offer

I carried the brass key in my handbag for four days, and it weighed more every one of them.

On Thursday I took the afternoon off and drove to Brookline to put it back.

The gossip site had my face on its front page by then.

Under the headline there were eleven thousand comments, and the crew's video, which Hannah had posted herself, had more views than the article.

I didn't read the comments.

I parked outside the black iron fence and walked up the drive.

The housekeeper opened the door before I knocked, and her eyes were red again.

"Miss Cecelia. Your father's in the study."

"Alone?"

"Mr. Rafe is with him."

I stopped with one foot on the mat.

Rafe had left my apartment at seven that morning, saying only that the house needed him.

I hadn't asked why.

"Thank you," I said.

I crossed the hall under my mother's portrait.

"Looking for the safe?"

Danielle sat on the third stair in a grey sweater, with her feet bare and her hair tied back.

She looked younger without the makeup, and tired.

"I know where the safe is," I said.

"Then you know it won't open for you. Only Dad and Rafe have the numbers." She nodded at my bag. "You brought it back."

"I brought it to put it back."

"Don't."

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