Page 77 of Take Your Breath Away

“And … are you … did you …”

“Remarry?” I said. “No. But there is someone. Her name is Jayne, and she’s moved in with me.”

Her face fell. “Oh my. It’s going to be so difficult for her. Having to give you up.”

I said nothing.

“Do you think Jayne—is that what you said her name is?”

“Yes.”

“Do you think Jayne will understand?”

I had no idea how to address that question. Elizabeth wasn’t too far gone to notice my hesitation.

“Andrew, promise me something.”

“What’s that, Elizabeth?”

“You’ll forgive Brie. Whatever the reason was that she left, whatever she’s done all this time, that you will forgive her.”

“Yes, of course.”

“And take her back.”

I forced a smile and gave her hand a squeeze. “How could I not?”

I was glad Isabel was not in the room to hear me make a promise that I had no idea how to keep.

She looked relieved. “Well, that’s good. Now we only have to worry about the IRS wondering why she hasn’t filed a tax return in six years.”

Amazingly, we both had a chuckle over that. But very quickly, her expression grew serious, and she said, “You know, Jackson and I did our best.”

“I’m sure,” I said, not certain where this was going but content to wait.

“My three—Brie and Izzy and Albert—I love them all, you know. But I know none of them has ever been perfect. Made mistakes. Things with Albert and Dierdre aren’t very good these days.”

“I didn’t know that. I always thought they were pretty solid.”

“I suppose they were at one time, but … Anyway, and then there’s Izzy and Norman, that poor man. He must be some kind of saint to put up with her. How did she become so judgmental?” Before I could answer, she offered a theory. “I think she always wanted to make more of herself. You know she had dreams of becoming a lawyer.”

“I know. Thing is, Elizabeth, we’re all wired our own way. You did everything right.”

Elizabeth chortled. “That’s why I always liked you. You’re such a good liar.” She still had not let go of my hand. “Maybe it’s a generational thing. Maybe young people today—well, younger, I mean, none of you are kids anymore—maybe they don’t have the same values. They don’t cherish fidelity.”

“I plead guilty,” I said.

“Oh, not just you,” she said. “You know how I know you’re a good man, that you could never have done anything to hurt Brie?”

“How?” I replied slowly.

“Because of the secret you kept. The one you could have revealed, but never did. I don’t think I’d have been able to behave as honorably if I’d been in your position.”

“That’s not quite true,” I said, reasonably sure what she was referring to. “I told Detective Hardy. But she cleared him. It couldn’t have been him. He went to Boston that night. He had an airtight alibi, as they say. Me, not so much.”

“Even so, you could have told others what he’d done. One person in particular.”

“What would have been the point of that? And I’d have had to dishonor Brie to do it. I wasn’t going to do that. None of this matters now, Elizabeth. It’s the distant past.”