Page 77 of Marcel

“I am juststating a fact.”

“I wanted toleave after what happened.”

“But you signeda noncompete.”

“As well as thefact that this is the best damn law firm in the state, possibly inthe country. I earned my partnership. I have been bringing in clientswhile you were still in diapers.” his mouth twisted bitterly.

“I rooted foryou when you graduated top of your class from Harvard and told Jamesthat you were the kind of lawyer the firm needs. You are not just hisson but possibly the best lawyer in the whole goddamned firm. You areruthless, which sets you apart from your brother.”

He took a deepbreath. “She wanted you. I saw it in her eyes the first timeshe saw you, and I pretended not to notice. It was at the party -Rochester’s masquerade ball. The minute you stepped into theroom, she noticed.

And from that timeon, I knew I had lost her. I could not compete with you. Young,handsome, very rich - there was no way I could compete.”

“Peter-”

“I need to havemy say!” He said harshly. “You slept with my wife; theleast you can do is hear me the hell out.”

“All right.Shall we sit?”

His jeering laughechoed around the vast room. “What? Handle this likegentlemen?”

“Precisely,”Marcel said calmly.

“I prefer tostand. I know how she is and what she does. She wanted you and wouldhave done anything: spin her lies, tell you that I am mistreatingher.”

“She neversaid that.”

“No. Instead,she told you that we were separated and on the way to being divorced.I knew she was sneaking behind my back. When she started complainingabout little things, I was snoring too much, and she wanted somespace. She was unhappy and wanted to be by herself, I knew.”

His gaze flickeredover the younger man standing behind the desk. “She was tryingto find an excuse to leave me. But she did not love you. You were abigger fish to her, and she was upset with herself that she had notwaited- that she had settled for me when she could have landed you.

She could have beenMrs. Marcel Hadley.” He shook his head. “I saw the signsbefore I married her, people - your dad warned me to think long andhard before tying the knot, but I would not listen. She was sobeautiful, and I was a foolish middle-aged man who fell for a prettyface; that was just what she was. Nothing more.” His smilecame.

“Now you aremarried and in love with your wife. It’s obvious. I have seenthe way you look at her. Think about that. Think about how you wouldfeel if she was with another man. And think about what you cost me.”With that parting shot, he left.

Marcel loweredhimself into his chair, leaned his head back, and closed his eyes.That was all he could think about.

*****

He found her lyingdown on the sofa in her office, a contract resting on her stomach andher eyes closed. Forgetting the unpleasant encounter in his office,he flew to her side and dropped to his knees.

“Hey.”

“Hey.”Her eyes flickered open as she stared at him.

“What’swrong?”

“I was feelinga little dizzy and decided to lie down.” One hand lifted to cuphis jaw. “I love seeing you in this position.”

“What positionis that?”

“On yourknees.” Her smile bolstered his spirit and took away his worry.

“Don’tget used to it.” Getting to his feet, he sat on the sofa,pulling her legs on his lap, and started to massage her insteps. “Ihad a visitor just now.” He had spent the time in his officemulling over what Peter had told him, and he had promised her thatthey would always bring things out in the open.

“Who?”

“Peter.”His eyes met hers and saw when she flinched.

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