Mogul

by Joanna Shupe

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Did you know?”

  Calvin turned at the sound of the voice and found Davies standing a few feet away. Shortly after leaving the breakfast room, Calvin had stomped outside to the terrace at the rear of the house, overlooking the ocean. The bracing wind had helped to take the edge off his anger—anger that now resurfaced at the sight of Lily’s barely-old-enough-to shave, meddling brother.

  “About Lily and Fields? Of course I knew. I publish three newspapers. There’s not a damn thing that happens in my cities that I don’t know about.”

  Davies held up his palms, placating. “I apologize. For a moment I forgot you were the all-seeing, all-knowing Calvin Cabot instead of the man still in love with my sister.”

  Calvin set his jaw, not even bothering to offer a denial. Davies wouldn’t believe him and Calvin suspected it might be true. He didn’t know what to think this morning. The previous night had been everything he’d craved for the last four years, everything he’d thought never to experience again. And that insipid Montgomery Fields had to arrive this morning and ruin everything.

  “Why the hell did you summon Fields?”

  Davies drew closer. “Unpleasant to have the one you want most taken away from you, isn’t it?”

  Calvin jerked, blinking. “Wait—you did this as revenge for my keeping Ming Zhu somewhere safe? Are you insane?”

  “That’s not the only reason.” Davies leaned against the balustrade and crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m not certain I want you around my sister. You had your chance, Cabot, and you botched it. Now I know why she couldn’t get out of bed four years ago, her eyes red and puffy every time I turned around. My father told me not to worry, but I’d never seen her so . . . crushed before. And it was because of you.”

  Calvin watched the waves crash upon the shore below, a constant churning that never failed to remind him of the inevitabilities of life. Things he could not change. Nothing lasts forever. He hadn’t wanted to harm her, but what other choice could he have made with Warren Davies blackmailing him? With a promise he could not break?

  For the longest time I actually believed you’d come back.

  Christ, would those words ever not cause a sharp knot of pain under his sternum?

  “I never meant to hurt your sister.”

  “Yet you did. And you continue to hurt her, with the things you keep from her.”

  “I’m trying to protect her,” Calvin growled. “I’m trying to keep her safe.”

  “Safe from whom, Calvin?”

  Calvin didn’t answer. He couldn’t, not with the lump lodged in his throat. Lies upon lies had piled up between him and Lily, yet there was nothing to be done for it. Even Davies didn’t know the half of it. No one did. “I thought we discussed you traveling back with your sister today.”

  “She can take the train with Fields or she can stay here. All I know is that she won’t be with you.”

  Calvin’s head snapped toward Lily’s brother. “What is that supposed to mean?”

  “I don’t want you around her.”

  “You have no right to order her or me about, Davies. First, you’re barely old enough to grow a beard. Second, your sister and I are adults.”

  “I’m nineteen and Lily is under my protection. Furthermore, as she’s my sister and only immediate family, I will do everything in my power to keep her from being hurt again. If that means throwing her and Fields together, then I’ll damn well do it.”

  Calvin laughed bitterly. “Fine words coming from a man who abandoned his sister for almost three weeks to hide out in a deserted boathouse. You have some goddamned nerve.”

  Davies stepped closer, nearly coming nose to nose with Calvin. “I admit that I underestimated Lee. I never guessed he would drag Lily into all this. But I won’t make that mistake again. Nor will I underestimate you. Stay the hell away from her. Do we understand each other?”

  Calvin thought of Lily last night, naked and begging beneath him, her glorious blond hair spread out on the sheet. Her mouth, slack with pleasure, as he drove between her legs. Oh God, Calvin. Never stop. Don’t ever stop. He’d silently vowed that morning to find some sort of middle ground where they could be together, even temporarily. He had to find a way. Already he craved her, like an addict with a drug.

  He stroked his jaw, attempting to remain calm. “What happens if I refuse?”

  “Then you can say good-bye to your precious empire. I’ll buy all three papers and hand them to Joseph Pulitzer on a silver platter.”

  “You threaten me when I’m the only person standing between you and Lee? I walk away and you’re at the bottom of the East River, Davies.”

  Lily’s brother took a step closer, his mouth tightening, shoulders bunching. “You promised you would take care of Ming Zhu. That she would be safe.”

  “Yes, and I intend to live up to that promise. She and Hugo have already left Newport and she’s being well cared for. You, on the other hand, are alive only because of my regard for your sister. I’m not someone you should cross, considering your precarious situation.”

  Davies looked as if he longed to punch Calvin’s face once more, but he restrained himself. “I know more about you than you think, Cabot. And if you believe reading about your escapades with opera singers, chorus girls, and widows didn’t hurt Lily, you’re wrong. You’re not going to cause her one more minute of pain, not ever again.”

  Damn gossip rags. Calvin ought to buy them all just to ensure his name never appeared in one. “And does Lily get a say in all this?”

  “She told me herself the annulment was for the best, that the two of you would have been miserable together.”

  When? Calvin wanted to ask. When had she said those words? Before he’d given her a handful of orgasms last night? Or after?

  He dragged a hand through his hair. Agreeing would be the smart thing, considering where things stood right then. The issue of Hugo’s wife must still be dealt with, and the situation would likely become even more dangerous in the coming weeks. Lily could go back to her pampered life, keep company with Fields, and spend her father’s money. Remain safe.

  Once he learned of Calvin’s blackmail, Lee would use any leverage at his disposal to retrieve his daughter—and unless Calvin never let Lily out of his sight, he wouldn’t be able to protect her.

  Not to mention that if she ever found out the truth about all he’d done, she’d slice off his balls.

  Even knowing all that, the words stuck in Calvin’s throat. He’d let a Davies bully him once, allowed the father to ruin his marriage. After what had happened last night, he was not willing to give her up. Not just yet. He was navigating a thin rope of lies and machinations, one that threatened to collapse under him at any moment. But before it did, he needed to sate himself on Lily’s body, to stock up for the inevitable time when she hated him once more.

  Besides, there were ways to see Lily that her brother would never discover.

  He straightened and pointed a finger in Davies’s direction. “You need to keep better watch over her. You, not that Fields imbecile.”

  “The man is hardly an imbecile. He stands to inherit a fortune in a few years. Sits on the board of several companies, including ours. Well respected in society. He’s everything Lily should have in a husband.”

  The implication was clear: that Calvin was not the sort of husband Lily deserved. The words stung, though Calvin realized them to be true. Every time he’d observed Lily over the years, which was more often than she knew, she’d seemed quite happy. A rich young woman in New York City, the world at her feet. Surrounded by others just like her. A world apart from where Calvin had come from.

  Still, something about her interaction with Fields disturbed him. “Didn’t you notice how she acted around him, as if she’s some docile female with only half a brain? I don’t like it.”

  “You don’t have to like it, Cabot. No one asked your opinion of the man she’s about to marry.”

  Calvin’s fist
s clenched at his sides. “I changed my mind, Davies. Get your own damn boat to New York. I’ll find another way home.”

  * * *

  Lily waited patiently in the Hampton receiving room, the dying afternoon light streaking across the familiar Oriental carpets. Considerably smaller than the Davies house, her cousin’s home was comfortable. Well lived in. Lily had loved spending time here as a child. Aunt Rachel, Cora’s mother, had always been affectionate and kind, much more so than Lily’s own mother, who’d seemed fragile, even to a very young girl.

  Lily’s mother had died when Lily was thirteen. Her father had been away, visiting the mine, when pneumonia had taken Patricia Davies. Daddy hadn’t returned in time for the funeral, and Lily could remember holding nine-year-old Tom’s hand at the grave, telling him all would be well. That she would always protect him. And she would, no matter what.

  Aunt Rachel had taken Lily and Tom to this house after the funeral, hovering over the two children until Warren Davies arrived from South Dakota. Though it had been a sad, terrible period in her life, Lily remembered living here and thinking how lucky Cora was to be surrounded by such love and affection.

  Today, she’d come to do her penance, to brave her cousin’s anger and hurt. No less than she deserved, despite knowing she’d had a good excuse for keeping news of the marriage a secret.

  At least Montgomery had understood. On the train back to Grand Central, Lily had explained her relationship with Calvin as best she could, leaving out the previous evening’s acrobatics for obvious reasons. Though bothered by the news, Monty hadn’t fussed at her, instead saying, “Your past is your past. I am only interested in our future.” Then he’d kissed her cheek and proceeded to regale her with stories of the recent social events she’d missed.

  She had no intention of telling Monty—or anyone else—how she and Calvin had spent last night. Obviously Calvin didn’t want anyone to know either, considering how he’d departed without a word after breakfast. He clearly regretted what had happened the night before, and how could she blame him? He’d discovered her doing . . . that and one thing had led to another. With any luck, she’d never need to face him again.

  The door opened and Lily was surprised to find her uncle standing there. A kind, intelligent man, Uncle Edward had a way of putting people at ease that Lily admired. The Hampton family was large but close-knit, something Lily had secretly envied as a child.

  Trim and tall, he still cut a dashing figure in a dark blue suit, a gold watch chain glinting against his emerald green silk vest. His eyes were twinkling as he closed the door and approached her.

  “Hello, Uncle.”

  He bent and kissed her cheek. “You’ve been quite the topic of conversation in my home today.”

  She groaned. “I have no doubt. Is Cora terribly upset?”

  “Upset isn’t the right word. She doesn’t like to feel left out, as you well know. I swear, she spent the first eight years of her life trailing you wherever you went.”

  Lily recalled it well. “I came as soon as I could. The story was rushed to print before I could explain.”

  “What was the rush? I hope Cabot at least had your cooperation before he published it.”

  “He did. Calvin thought to make the story public so it couldn’t be used against either of us.”

  Uncle Edward stroked his beard. “Which meant someone had threatened to do so.”

  “Yes. But that’s all over now.”

  “Good. I should let you know that I’ve received a few cables from board members, voicing their concern. They don’t like scandal, as you know. Some have brought up how you tried to assume your father’s seat on Pulitzer’s board.”

  “It was only for a short time, months after the annulment. I resigned because they didn’t care to have a woman in their midst.”

  “I always wondered why you bothered, though I think I have a better understanding now.”

  The goal had been to hurt Calvin, who hadn’t hidden his dislike for Joseph Pulitzer and his tactics, but she felt petty admitting it. “What will you tell our board?”

  “Not me. You. I think we should call a special meeting and reassure them. As soon as possible. You’re in a precarious position to begin with.”

  Yes, she well knew it. A female in business was rare enough, but a company president? Add in her age and the fact that Warren Davies hadn’t actually named her his successor and the board members had been averse to her from the outset. All more reasons why her brother needed to step up and assume responsibility.

  “Tell me what time and I’ll be there,” she said, her voice tired and dejected.

  “Cheer up.” He wrapped her up in a hug. “Reassuring the board will be a field of posies compared to what Cora will put you through.”

  As if on cue, the door flung open and Cora stomped into the room, a newspaper crushed in her right hand. Lily had no doubt it was the afternoon edition of the Mercury. “I don’t believe it. You actually married someone and didn’t tell me.” Cora shook the newspaper in her fist. “And this is how I find out?”

  Uncle Edward released Lily and began slowly backing toward the door. “I’ll leave you ladies to your conversation.”

  When the door closed behind her uncle, Lily pointed to the sofa. “Cora, sit. I’ll tell you all of it, but I’m exhausted.” I hardly slept last night as I was too busy fornicating with my former husband. “Please, let’s sit for a moment.”

  Cora dropped onto the sofa, her mouth set in mulish disappointment. “That’s why you left. The annulment. That’s why you left New York to travel about the country.”

  Cora knew her so well. Lily slid onto the sofa, arranged her skirts, and folded her hands in her lap. “Yes, it was. I kept . . .” She took a deep breath. “I kept reading about him in the papers, gossip about his liaisons, where he’d been spotted each night with a different woman. Each mention felt like a stab in the heart.”

  “You loved him.”

  Lily licked her dry lips and admitted the truth. “Very much. Calvin is a whirlwind. He has this tangible energy inside him. When that energy focuses on you it can be very appealing.” She shrugged. “I was young and foolish. I allowed myself to be drawn in and seduced.”

  The last vestiges of anger left Cora’s eyes and her face softened with sympathy. “You were young. Inexperienced. You cannot blame yourself.”

  “I suppose, but that doesn’t make it any less painful.” Lily stood and walked over to the mantel, where several porcelain figurines rested. The figure of a small child and a puppy had always been her favorite, the joy on the child’s face so pure. She touched the puppy’s head, drawing her finger over the smooth, glossy surface. “My father discovered us on our honeymoon, at the hotel where we’d eloped. He told Calvin he’d cut me off without a dime. That he’d let us starve if Calvin and I stayed married.”

  Cora gasped. “Your father never would have done such a cruel thing. He adored you.”

  Lily turned around, a rueful smile on her face. “Calvin didn’t know that. And you remember how intimidating my father could be at times. He was testing Calvin and Calvin panicked, agreed to the annulment. You should have seen Calvin’s face a few days ago when I told him about my trust fund. I thought he was going to throw up or pass out.”

  “Wait—why didn’t you go after Calvin and tell him of your trust fund four years ago?”

  Anger resurfaced, this time at her father. Lily hated being lied to and she’d never be able to demand answers since Daddy had died. “My father said Calvin married me for the money. That he’d jumped at the huge settlement and walked away without a second thought.”

  “And you believed that?”

  “Not at first, no. But it wasn’t long before I started seeing Calvin’s name in the papers. . . .”

  “With other women,” Cora finished, and Lily nodded. “Oh, you poor thing.” Her cousin jumped to her feet and rushed over to envelop Lily in a firm hug. Lily wrapped her arms around Cora, placing her head on her cousin’s
shoulder.

  “Now you know why I didn’t want to tell anyone.”

  “I still don’t like it, but I understand.” Cora patted Lily’s back exactly as Aunt Rachel might have, were she here. The soothing affection made Lily smile. Cora would make a fine wife and mother someday. “But you know I wouldn’t have judged you.”

  Lily pulled back to see Cora’s face. “Of course I know that. But I was humiliated. Angry. Embarrassed. Hurt. It was too much, Cora.”

  “You always want everyone to think you’re so tough,” Cora said and poked the fleshy part of Lily’s arm. “But you’re squishy and soft inside. Just like the rest of us.”

  Lily laughed, feeling a four-year burden lift off her frame like a balloon. Cora was right; Lily should have confided this ages ago. “True, but don’t tell anyone.”

  Cora returned to the sofa and sat down. “So what was your former husband doing at your house a few days ago?”

  This was tricky. Lily didn’t want to go into too much detail. The less Cora knew of the past week, the better. “I needed his help. And the marriage was annulled. He’s not my former anything.”

  Cora waggled her brows, smirking. “He’s a former something. You had a wedding night.”

  Lily chuckled. “Yes, I did.” More like twenty wedding nights, considering they hadn’t actually left the bed. She and Calvin had been insatiable for each other, just like last night. She could feel her skin heating at the memory of his wicked mouth and clever hands. His naughty words. You’re so swollen. So wet. Pink and perfect.

  “You’re blushing!” Cora exclaimed. “I never thought I’d see the day. Lillian Davies, blushing like a young girl. I want details.”

  “I’m not giving you details. Maybe after you’re married.”

  Pain flashed through Cora’s eyes and Lily instantly wished to take the words back. Cora was not enjoying her debut, thanks to the old Knickerbocker families shunning her new-moneyed status and fortune hunters circling like jackals. But marriage was inevitable for a woman in this world. Safety, security, children . . . the price a woman paid for those things was marriage.