Page 58 of Love You, Mean It

After one final turn, the club appeared at the top of a massive cul-de-sac, the patch of lawn it enclosed regimentally manicured. The building was a behemoth in white stone, uplights along the front adding to its palatial drama. A valet stand marked the entrance, the red glow of a heat lamp dyeing the face of the vested attendant.

I spotted Theo across the vast sea of the lower parking lot—of course he’d snagged a spot several rows nearer the club—and tottered over in my heels.

“Ready for this?”

“As I’ll ever be.”

“You’re going to nail it.” He flashed me a private, almost tender smile. “I couldn’t have asked for a better partner.”

“In crime,” I said under my breath, trying to ignore the shimmery swirl that his words, his look, stirred up in the pit of my stomach.This was just for show, we weren’treal.

Inside, the ceilings soared, at least fifteen feet in the entryway,with frothy swirls of molding at the edges. Carefully placed and spit-shined antique furniture was topped with the sorts ofobjets—heavy mantel clocks, weighty brass bookends propping up a few leather-bound tomes, old-fashioned croquet mallets mounted over black-and-white photos of Victorian ladies playing the game—that almostsmelledlike money. Theo helped me out of my coat, handing it to the attendant as I took it all in.

“Wow,” I murmured. He allowed his eyes to drift around the space. I had a feeling he hadn’t really seen it in years.

“Not too shabby, right?”

“You don’t really want me to answer that.”

He chuckled as he took the tags from the attendant—I wondered, briefly, how many people the club employed just as various attendants—and held out his arm.

“Sorry we don’t have time for a tour. The restaurant and bar are that way. Locker rooms are upstairs. Tonight, however, we’ll be in the ballroom.”

We made our way down a broad hallway. Windows to my right overlooked the drive, the grounds and golf course opening up beyond a wall of trees I hadn’t been able to see past on my drive in. Both were covered in a pristine layer of snow, like something out of a 1940s Christmas movie.Somehow even the weather here is just shinier.

We turned left through the first of several sets of double doors and stepped into a gigantic ballroom. Windows on three sides offered views of a large, empty pool deck, and beyond that, the rolling wooded hills of the Milborough nature preserve, a popular hiking destination for “the other half” who didn’t inhabit spaces like this. Circular tables topped with towering flower arrangements clung to the edges of the room, and a long series of buffet tables, ornate silver chafing dishes already marching along them, curved around the nearest corner. Between the sets of doors, a tower of empty champagne coupes awaited their big moment.

A large bar dominated the far back corner of the long room, and leaning against it, chatting with a prim-looking woman insensible pumps and a sheath dress, stood Ted, a crystal lowball of most-likely-Scotch in one hand.

“There’s the happy couple,” he called out. “I was starting to wonder if you’d make it.”

“Sorry, my meeting with the Briccolis went late,” Theo said.

“Marty Briccoliisa talker,” Ted said with an easy grin, setting the Scotch down to take my hand. He lifted it to the side, making a show of taking me in. “Don’t you look a picture. Susan, I’m sure you’ll agree my son has found the loveliest fiancée this side of the Mississippi.”

“You look wonderful. Both of you.” Susan—presumably a party coordinator of some variety—flashed a perfunctory smile, pressing a leather folder to her chest. I could see the Belle Glen logo embossed on the back.

“Marta’s going to love that getup. You two will have to go shopping soon. She’ll want to steal all your fashion secrets,” Ted said with an avuncular chuckle.

My eyes darted to Theo’s, blaring aWhat the fuck?signal. He threw the briefest of glances at Susan.Audience. Right, of course. This was the Taylor Family Variety Show, and we were all just players in the spectacle of Gee Aren’t We So Wholesome.

“Guests will start arriving in about twenty minutes.” Susan glanced at her delicate gold watch. “Ellie, when do you expect your family?”

“Soon.” I’d promised Mimi a chance to “give this Theo the once-over” before they officially arrived, but I wanted to get my own sense of what we were facing before I subjected them to Ted. “Sorry, my mom couldn’t take the day off on such short notice, but she’ll be here as soon as she’s cleaned up after her shift.”

Susan nodded, supremely unruffled.

“Perfect. In that case, Theo, why don’t you show Ellie the lay of the land. Be back here no later than ten to.” Theo nodded, then reached for my hand, leading me back into the hallway. He managed to point out the nearest bathrooms before Ma texted that sheand Mimi had arrived. We met them at the entrance, Ma looking a bit overawed, Mimi’s jaw jutting with preemptive defiance.

“Do we look alright?” Ma said, worry spidering the corners of her eyes. She gestured to the simple V-necked navy dress she was wearing, one I’d seen at half a dozen weddings and christenings. “You said a cocktail dress would be fine…” Her frown deepened as she noticed a woman behind her handing off a mink.

“You look beautiful, Ma. You too, Mimi,” I said, tilting my head at her soft cashmere cardigan—a Christmas gift from Bella and me she’d protested wasfartoo nice for her—and silk slacks.

“Speaking of looks,” Mimi said, eyes raking slowly over Theo, “you are the spitting image of your prick father.”

“Mimi.”Ma’s eyes were wide with shock. She turned anxiously to the attendant, who, fortunately, couldn’t care less what we were muttering about.

“I’m just saying what anyone with eyes can see,” she said with a shrug. “Clearly there aresomedifferences between them if this one’s willing to help us. Youare,aren’t you? Helping us?” Mimi fixed Theo with one of her deadliest glares.

---