“And I don’t?”
“It was necessary for you to come. People would have noticed your absence.”
r /> Natalie tightened her hand around the barbeque sauce bottle so hard it began to tremble. Decades of frustration welled up inside her until she could no longer suppress it like she usually did. “Why do you hate me so much? What have I ever done to you?”
Louise gave her a tiny smile. “Must we discuss this right now?”
“Yes, Louise, I think we must.”
Louise sighed, put the wine aside, and faced her, hands folded sedately against her dress. “Very well, then. No one ever told you the truth about your origins, but Brian found you.” Louise’s voice was as cool and even as paving stones. “That’s right. He found you in a trash bin in DC and brought you home instead of waiting for me to give him the child he so wanted.”
Natalie stood absolutely still. She felt as though someone had punched her in the solar plexus and couldn’t get enough air into her body.
“So don’t presume to tell me of the rights you supposedly have in this family. Your very presence is like a poison to me.” Louise’s face was completely composed and placid, but the words hit Natalie like bricks. “What kind of people throw their child away in a trash bin? Brian should’ve listened to me and given you up to an orphanage. It’s no wonder you couldn’t hold on to Marcus. Blood will out, and a man of his breeding can tell.”
Natalie swayed. She could barely think. This couldn’t be true. But…
“Now that you know, dear, do call off your hounds. We wouldn’t want the others to sniff out even a hint of trouble on our side,” Louise said, her eyes arctic.
Hounds? Wha —?
Suddenly, Alex appeared at the archway that connected the kitchen to the living room. Louise’s aspect changed instantly and completely, as though a movie had skipped a few frames. She glanced at his empty glass. “Would you like more wine?” Her voice was sweet, the very definition of hospitality.
He shot her an unreadable look. “I don’t believe so, no.” He placed his glass on the counter and pried the sauce from Natalie’s grip. “If it’s all right, I want to steal Natalie away from you to get an introduction to Brian.”
“Certainly,” Louise said, the picture of graciousness.
Natalie hurried outside with Alex, her mind reeling. The afternoon sun had warmed the temperature in the backyard, but she felt cold inside. Found? She had been thrown away and found?
Brian waved at her, gesturing at her to come to the grill. They walked toward him. His face was flushed from the heat of the grill and the beer. “Hi, honey. How’s my favorite girl?”
Louise had been needlessly cruel, but Brian had always tried to make her feel at home. She couldn’t ruin his party, no matter how disoriented she felt. She mustered a smile. “Hi, Dad.”
“Who’s your friend?”
* * *
Friend? Brian Hall was either stupid or diplomatic. Alex chose the latter.
“This is Alex Damon,” Natalie said.
Brian extended his hand. Alex put the barbeque sauce on a table next to the grill and shook it, carefully keeping his face pleasant. He resisted the urge to grind the older man’s knuckles together. That would be petty.
“Welcome.” The politician’s face never wavered, although he had to know about Alex’s relationship with the Rodales. “I heard you might drop by. Thanks for coming.”
“The pleasure’s mine.” Alex smiled, but he was sure it didn’t reach his eyes. “Nice party.”
“Thank you. Beer?”
Alex nodded and took an ice-cold green bottle from Brian. Not a bad guy, per se, but someone with something to hide. Wonder how he would react if he knew that Alex already had his men digging up facts. Evidence to stop him from meddling in something he had no business getting involved with in the first place.
“I didn’t know you were politically active in Virginia,” Brian said. “You’re from San Francisco, aren’t you?”
“Virginia’s on my radar at the moment, especially now that one of my companies here is poised for a big growth spurt. I think this year’s senatorial election could get very interesting, don’t you?”
Brian considered, then nodded. “Possibly. It’s hard to tell.”
“Incumbents always have the upper hand. But I also have a soft spot for underdogs. It’s hard to decide who should get my support.” Alex felt Natalie tense.