“The Cat House, that’s the…”
“Whore house.”
“He had a heart attack while he was there?”
“Allegedly.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ll be conducting my own investigation.”
I drop into one of the armchairs and try to process. “Carlton’s dead?”
“Hildebrand called us in this afternoon to tell us. You were in your lesson and I didn’t want to interrupt. We were all there, all the Sovereign Sons. As well as Julia Bishop and her son.”
My gaze snaps to his. “Julia? Why?”
“Your resourceful cousin had been meeting with Hildebrand for some time.”
“What are you talking about?”
“She claims Mathew is Carlton Bishop’s son.”
My mouth falls open.
“They’d allegedly been having an affair for years. Being first cousins, a marriage would not be sanctioned, and so they kept it all hush-hush. This is all according to Julia Bishop of course. No one to corroborate her story.”
“Matty is Carlton’s son?”
“Unverified as far as I’m concerned.”
“But there’s some proof? Surely Councilor Hildebrand would want some proof.”
Jericho quiets at this.
“Jericho?”
“DNA tests. I’ll be conducting my own. That bitch is a liar and possibly a murderer.”
“No, Jericho, she’s—”
“Stop being naïve, Isabelle!”
I’m taken aback by his tone, but I see he regrets it too.
“Carlton’s dead,” I say. “He’s dead. And if they were together all these years, she’s probably beside herself with grief. Especially given the circumstances of his death. I mean, he was with another woman?”
“Multiple. And a man. Some sort of orgy, I assume, and these others witnessed him literally drop dead.”
“Oh my God. How’s Matty?”
“She brought him in there like he is a fucking puppet. Kid was scared.”
“She brought him where?”
“Into the meeting where Hildebrand announced Bishop’s death and welcomed the boy into the fold of Sovereign Sons. Fuck. I need another drink.” He pours himself another whiskey.
“Carlton’s dead.” I rub my face. It’s not that I feel sad. Not yet. I’m in shock. I stand up. “Julia needs me, Jericho. I need to go to her. She’s alone apart from Matty.”
His eyebrows rise high on his forehead and he looks at me like I’m insane. “I don’t think so, sweetheart. Go upstairs. I need to think.”
“What?” I walk toward him. “No. I won’t be sent to my room like a child. My half-brother is dead.”
He steps to me, standing up to his full height. I have to crane my neck to look up at him unless I back away which I don’t.
“Your half-brother who is responsible for your brother’s death. For the attack on you. Not to mention others. And that bitch is in it up to her eyeballs. I promise you that.”
“You’re being unreasonable. He’s dead. And if Matty’s his son, it doesn’t matter anymore. The inheritance doesn’t matter.”
“This isn’t just about an inheritance, Isabelle.”
I take that step back. “I know that. It’s about vengeance. He’s dead. Will you let it go?”
“Let it go? He’s the reason Angelique doesn’t have a mother.”
I have nothing to say to that and I hate the little nudge of selfishness at the mention of Kimberly. But I shake my head. We can’t have this discussion. Not tonight. Possibly not ever. “When is the funeral?”
“Doesn’t matter. You won’t be attending.”
“Yes, I will!”
“No, Isabelle you won’t.”
“Jericho, please! My half-brother is dead. My cousin is alone. Not to mention her four-year-old son who loves me. Whom I love. He sees me as an aunt, Jericho. I need to be there for them.”
“She tried to kill you.”
“I don’t believe that. I can’t. Don’t you see?”
“For fuck’s sake, Isabelle. Open your fucking eyes.”
“I’m going to the funeral. And I’m going to see Julia. This can be over, Jericho. Don’t you want it to be over? Isn’t it time for us all to put it behind us? We’re having a baby. You and I are bringing a child into this world. If we can choose whether to raise the child in love or hate, why would we ever choose hate?”
He doesn’t answer right away, just drinks and looks at me. I think of what Julia said. Treating me with kid gloves. Turning my head, making me believe anything he wants. The kid gloves are half off, I think. This turn of events will force Jericho’s hand.
“If Matty is the heir, it will change things,” I say.
“That’s a big if.”
“It will change everything, Jericho.” Everything between us. It will lay the truth bare. I’m not sure I’m ready.
“It changes nothing.” His phone rings and he digs it out of his pocket, looks at the screen. “Go to bed, Isabelle. I need to take this.”
I put my hand to my stomach. I know it’s early and it’s probably in my mind, but I swear I feel the beginnings of a swelling belly. I look at him as he answers his call, eyes on me as he listens to what the person has to say. He signals for me to go upstairs and turns his back to me, walking toward his office, out of earshot, leaving me standing there alone.
34
Isabelle
Jericho doesn’t come to bed that night and the following morning when I go downstairs, I’m told he’s in his office and is not to be disturbed.
I sit with Leontine while Angelique plays with her dolls in one corner of the library.
“You know what happened?” I ask her.
She nods. “Zeke filled me in earlier this morning.”
“He says he won’t let me go to the funeral.”
“Why would you want to? He wasn’t a good man and you know that. My son has your best interests at heart, Isabelle,” she says, eyes on Angelique. “Jericho will protect his family. He learned the hard way what that protection has to look like.” She turns back to me. “And you are his family. You’re carrying his child.”
“Does he even want this baby now that he knows Matty is the heir?”
“What kind of question is that? A child is a child.” I feel guilty as soon as she says it. “You’ll have that child. A little brother or sister to Angelique. There’s no question about that, Isabelle. The child will be born.”
“That’s not what I meant,” I hurry to correct.
“Really? What did you mean then?” she asks squarely, tone harsher.
“I just… I didn’t mean I didn’t want to have it.”
Jericho enters the room just then and my heartbeat ramps up when his gaze falls on me. He’s still wearing the same suit he had on yesterday and he looks like he hasn’t slept. “Mother, please take Angelique to her room,” he says, eyes locked on me.
Leontine looks from her son to me, then gets to her feet and goes to Angelique. “Come, Angelique, let’s play in your room.” She leads her out by the hand and I stand up as Jericho closes and locks the door behind them.