Desmond motioned for a waiter, unperturbed as he whisked the soiled napkins away from her to set them on the empty tray. “Thank-you. Macon, please bring us some wet cloths.”
“Yes, sir.”
“To answer, Ginny, those delicacies are Allerton’s favorite. They’re chocolate-covered goat cheese.”
“I’m so embarrassed. My family has a herd of goats, and I’ve learned to make a dozen different things with their milk. Before I leave, I’ll have to give your cook my recipe for goat cheese. I could swear I tasted a hint lavender in that one.”
Ginny gave the waiter a sweet smile when he held out a silver tray with two steaming wet clothes. Taking one, she daintily wiped her hands, placing it back on the tray when the waiter held it out for Desmond to discard his as well.
“Mr. Allerton, you should try your goat cheese with fig jelly.” Ginny let her Kentucky accent come out in full force. “Save the chocolate for strawberries.”
Allerton cleared his throat. “You can write the recipe down, and I will see my chef gets it. Going back to what we were discussing before your choking incident.” Distastefully, he gave his plate to a passing waiter. “The hurricane occurred three years ago.”
Were the people in the room aware of what Allerton had done? Her mother? Her father?
“There were no survivors?”
“None.” Allerton took one of the chocolate goat cheese petit fours from a passing waiter, his face showing the enjoyment of the nasty concoction.
She wouldn’t be wasting her time to write her recipe. He could fart lavender-scented gas balls out of his uptight butt, and she wouldn’t care.
“How fortunate for you that Sherguevil Island didn’t incur the same casualties.” Ginny couldn’t hold back the snapped barb.
“Fortunate, indeed. Sherguevil did incur massive damages. All of the bungalows were destroyed, the resort had extensive damages to the roof, and the first floor flooded. Overall, it wasn’t anything that couldn’t be repaired. As the owner, I had the power to evacuate the island two days before when the hurricane had been forecasted. I took two boats and offered any of the islanders who wanted to leave Clindale free rooms in one my hotels, but they all refused. Sadly, I didn’t have the authority to force an evacuation. I still regret my inability to convince them to heed my warnings.”
“We all have our crosses to bear in life.” Her hand itched to smack the man who wouldn’t experience regret if it bit him on his ass. “Some find it an easy burden to brush off, while others carry the heavy burden for the rest of their lives.”
“You believe our decisions have religious connotations?”
“I believe we each have an internal scorecard that is marked with our triumphs and failures. Only we know what those scorecards show. Mine shows the failures and victories I’ve achieved in regard to how I’ve lived my life without hurting others.”
“Then you would be disappointed in me. I believe others are responsible for their own actions, especially if they refuse aid when it is offered. To that effect, mine would be more of a spreadsheet of the numbers of those I was able to help than those I failed.”
Ginny looked around at the agreeing expressions of those who had gravitated closer to them to listen. “You’re speaking for them?”
“I believe they feel the same,” Allerton disclosed after searching the faces of those close to him. Soleil was just one of the many nodding her acquiescence.
“Then I find that sad.”
The suite went as silent as a tomb at her derogatory comment.
“Why so?” Desmond Beck asked.
“Aren’t you all members of the same charity? I would never classify people as numbers on a spreadsheets. Spreadsheets are tools to provide an analytic data. As a charity, I assumed you would think any loss was a failure. I guess that’s the difference between a registered charity and a non-profit one.”
Desmond gave her a charming smile. “Very true, very true.” His agreement with her had dark frowns coming his way from the other guests, which he shut down with an ironic twist of his lips. “Indeed, it is our loss you haven’t been here to keep us on the straight and narrow. Gavin, you’re a lucky man. I bet Ginny keeps you on your toes.”
“I’m the lucky one.” Giving Gavin a heartfelt smile, Ginny turned back to find herself under Desmond’s perusal.
Feeling uncomfortable, Ginny gave a regretful sigh. “If Gavin and I are going to Clindale early, we should be leaving. Thank-you, Mr. Allerton, for hosting the party, and for the rest of you for attending. Soleil, I hope we have an opportunity to speak together privately in the next few days, to become reacquainted.”
Ginny barely gave Gavin enough time to dispose his plate before tugging him toward the door. They weren’t quick enough.
“Join me for breakfast in the morning,” Soleil invited. “We can eat on the patio here. The resort has a huge breakfast buffet,” Soleil went on without giving Ginny time to refuse. “Gabriel, would you join us?”
“Certainly. I usually eat around seven. Is that too early for you? I can push it back.”
“Seven, it is,” Ginny agreed. “Goodnight.”
Ginny was overjoyed at being released from the stifling atmosphere in the suite. She didn’t even care that Agent Collins looked downcast by having to accompany them out.
Conscious of Gavin’s sidelong glances, Ginny remained silent, not wanting to talk in front of the agent, afraid she would inadvertently let something slip. Ginny was curious, wondering if Allerton used as many listening devices in the rooms of his resort as he placed in their bungalow.
Once seated in the Moke, she despondently stared ahead. Light poles situated along the trail gave enough illumination that the driver didn’t have to turn on the headlights.
Getting out of the Moke, she made no move to go inside the bungalow.
She now understood what had bothered her when she first arrived on Sherguevil Island. There were no lights on Clindale. Even at this distance, some type of lights should have been visible.
As if understanding the enormity of feelings going through her, Gavin remained by her side.
“I thought you wanted to have an early night?” Agent Collins sarcastically reminded her.
“I do. I just had a leg cramp. It’s better. Good night.” Making the jumbled excuse, Ginny practically ran inside, barely waiting for Gavin to get inside before slamming and locking the door.
“Ginny ….”
She laid her forehead on the locked door, raising her hand for him not to speak. She desperately needed to hold in the howl of pain that was ripping her apart.
“Let’s go to bed.” Gavin took ahold of her outstretched hand, pulling her away from the door.
Letting him lead her through the darkened interior of the living room and into the bedroom, she limply let him undress her before she slipped between the covers. Curling into a ball, she heard Gavin searching around the room for bugs, then the sound of him going into the front room before coming back into the bedroom and shutting the door. Hearing the rustling of his clothes before he slid in next to her and pulled her close, she closed her eyes comforted he was here. She needed the reassurance that no matter how deprived an action an evil person committed, kindness and goodness would triumph in the end. Right now, she felt Allerton was winning all the battles.