Page 94 of Audacity

‘No. Listen to me very carefully, okay? I’m only going to say this once.’ I look around the table, meeting each person’s eyes as I do and gathering every remaining ounce of priestly gravitas which, now that my sordid little secret is out, is probably not very much. I take a deep breath.

‘I am not discussing this right now. Theonlything I care about is the wellbeing of my girlfriend, who has just been intimidated and belittled while a guest of this family. I will go up there and make that speech, I will do us proud. But what you heard just now is nobody’s business except for mine and Athena’s. Do you understand?Nobody’s.’

I glare extra forcefully at Eleanor and Torty, because I can feel the judgement radiating off the pair of them. ‘I swear to God, if anyone in the office comes to hear about this, I will be forced to assume the leak came from you. Is that clear?’

They both nod, wide-eyed with shock. I have never spoken to any of my employees this way. I turn and address my family.

‘You’ll have questions. I’ll address those another time. For now, I’m going to go and find somewhere quiet to prepare for my speech.’

With that, I get up and go to find one of the organisers. Thank fuck my speech is scheduled to be during the starters, so I don’t have too long to wait. The woman I find leads me to an empty room off the ballroom. As she shuts the door behind me and the din from the guests subsides, I collapse gratefully into a chair.

I will pray to the Lord for courage and resilience and wisdom. I will pray to Our Lady, entreating her to have compassion for this wretched sinner and to help him restore the fortunes of the young woman about who he cares so deeply.

It’s only the thought of Athena, guarded and brittle and so intent on my forging ahead with my speech, that galvanises me. However unlikely it’s now looking that my family will support her spearheading this foundation, I know how disappointed, how disgusted, she’d be if I let this opportunity slide.

I pull my notes out of my jacket pocket and survey them despondently. I cannot name Athena as the foundation’s new head tonight; that much is clear.

I can, however, drop the bombshell that the Sullivan family has confirmed its commitment to giving away six billion pounds over the next twenty years.

And I can also announce our proposed rebrand for the Rath Mor Foundation—the rebrand that was supposed to be a surprise for my girlfriend tonight.

The Audacity Foundation.

PART THREE

Communio (Communion)

CHAPTER 49

Athena

Ihave one day of work to get through before I can permit myself to shatter and regroup over the weekend.

Eight to six.

Ten hours.

I can do this.

The worst part won’t even be facing Eleanor and Torty. They can go fuck themselves, for all I care.

No, the worst part will be having to spend the day with the man I’ve fallen so hard for and know that he will very probably not be strong enough to do what needs to be done. If I know Gabe, he wants to bleed his heart out and fall on his sword and be my saviour. He wants to hope and, let’s be honest, pray, for the impossible.

I’ll have to be strong for both of us.

I’ll have to be the one to pull the plug on all the enchanting things he’s promised me for the future and made me want so very badly.

I texted George last night on my way home, alerting him to what had gone down. His reply was every bit as righteously indignant as I could have hoped, and I know he’ll do what he can to make today as tolerable as possible.

I also texted Gabe last night. I didn’t want to, but I needed to know what I would be dealing with this morning.

Do I need to worry about this leaking at the office tomorrow?

No. I’ve put the fear of God into Eleanor and Torty.

OK good

I’m so, so sorry, sweetheart xxx

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