Page 23 of Smuggler’s Cove (Twin Lights #1)
Chapter Seven
Making a New Life
M adison and Lincoln’s maternal grandparents had never been particularly fond of their son-in-law and avoided any conversation about him if possible. As far as they were concerned, if they never had to hear his name again, it would be a blessing.
Gwen had returned to give her deposition and easily agreed to a lie detector test. She was compliant and wanted the feds off her back.
Once they were satisfied, she vanished again.
This time it was Canada. Morocco was a bit too exotic for her cosmopolitan taste, and she wanted to have easier access to her children.
She had pangs of guilt for abandoning them, but she also knew they were equipped to manage things.
Regardless of all the creature comforts that were availed to them, her kids had grit.
Despite her husband’s material indulgences, she did not raise entitled brats.
There was a great possibility his absenteeism had worked in their favor.
* * *
Madison was about to graduate from RISD, and Lincoln was finishing his sophomore year at Baruch.
It had been two years since the arrest, and the trial was about to begin.
As the evidence of their father’s misdoings unfolded, with it came a media circus.
Nana and Pops suggested it would be in the siblings’ best interest to change their last name.
They decided to adopt their mother’s maiden name, and at twenty-two, Madison Taylor became Madison Wainwright, and Lincoln Taylor was now Lincoln Wainwright.
Their father was sentenced to one hundred years in a federal penitentiary for wire fraud, grand larceny, and tax evasion. Neither his wife nor his children ever saw him again. Except for the chaos he created for the family, it was as if the man had never existed.
* * *
While Madison was attending RISD, she spent many weekends with Olivia in Boston. One night when they were at a St. Patrick’s Day celebration, she met Eric Fuller, who was studying to be a marine biologist.
After their year-long, long-distance, train-travel relationship, Madison embarked on finding a job and moving to Boston.
With her credentials from FIT and RISD, she secured an entry-level position at a high-end design house.
She never mentioned or referred to her family.
Not even with Eric. She would talk about her brother but kept the family name on the down-low.
She was far enough away from New York and several years from all the publicity, and she took the opportunity to begin to reinvent herself.
She was now Madison Wainwright, assistant designer.
She had a keen eye for style and began to make her own clothes from leftover fabric and notions. Her boss recognized her potential and began to give her more complicated assignments.
Metallics were all the rage. Anything shiny, from pants to shoes.
But Madison did not care for a discombobulated look and began to design separates, with a mix-and-match theme.
Using similar color palettes and design elements, the customer could choose a skirt, top, jacket, and pants that could be intermingled.
It was just like when she made her first collage as a child.
You could create several different looks with the same four pieces.
The company loved the idea and allowed her to create her own line of clothing under the banner of Valencia Fashions. Her simple approach to building a wardrobe became all the rage, and the line collected blow-out reviews designating Valencia Fashions ahead of the game in ready-to-wear.
However, Madison’s name was rarely mentioned in the publicity, nor did she share in the profits. When push came to shove, she got shoved out the door.
Madison refused to be squashed. Maybe designing clothes was not in the cards, but reviewing them became her platform. It kept her in the fashion world and afforded her the opportunity for a little revenge.
She started a website called Where Are You Going in That?
, aimed at fashion faux pas. She took her cues from Joan Rivers, who was gaining additional fame critiquing the stars on the red carpet prior to award shows.
Some of it was tongue-in-cheek, and some of it was downright scathing.
Similarly, Madison used humor, but she would always offer constructive criticism.
Take it or leave it. But if you leave it, you should leave those clothes at home, too.
Her professional network grew, and she was offered a job at La Femme , a highly regarded, major fashion magazine, but it meant moving back to New York.
Her relationship with Eric went sideways when he discovered she was related to the scoundrel Jackson Taylor.
It wasn’t about who her father was, but that she’d kept that important fact from him.
He could not forgive her for what he considered lying, and they parted ways.
Thankfully, they had not moved in together or made any lifelong commitment.
Now, the new job and move were exactly what she needed.
The best part was that Olivia was moving to New York, too.
She had gotten a job in a women’s shelter and would be doing what she always dreamed of.
* * *
When Madison was living in Boston, her brother visited frequently and developed a deeper relationship with Olivia.
It was a long-hidden truth that Lincoln carried a torch for his sister’s best friend, and he was thrilled that two of the three most important women in his life were moving back to New York City.
Lincoln was beginning his master’s program at Baruch.
A new chapter was unfolding for all three of them.
* * *
From 2002 through 2008, Lincoln continued his studies working toward a Ph.D.
in wealth management. He did not want others to become victims of people like his father and his cronies.
He and Olivia got married in 2004 and had their first child in 2006.
The women’s shelter where Olivia worked had a day-care center, and she was able to bring Giada with her.
By 2008, Lincoln earned his degree and secured a job at Fordham University. Real estate was still within reach at the time, and they purchased a brownstone in Inwood, on the northern tip of the borough of Manhattan, near the George Washington Bridge.
* * *
Madison’s life was just as fruitful. With her new name and new attitude, she threw herself into her work and created a new persona. She worked her way up from fashion reviewer to assistant editor, then on to executive editor. By the time she was forty-four, she was editor-in-chief.
Madison was known for her unmistakable all-white wardrobe, the opposite of most career women in New York. Her short, platinum blond hair was chin-length, and she kept one side tucked behind her ear. Madison Wainwright became a force to be reckoned with.