you.” He grabbed her arm and pulled her out the door.
***
Mattie edged into McKendrick’s huge, intimidated study. The room made her even more nervous than the man behind the monolithic desk.
“Sit, Matilyn.”
She sat down in one of the creaky leather chairs in front of his desk. A life-size painted portrait of the McKendrick family—Elaine included—hung on the wall behind his desk. Beneath it was a decanter of a dark amber liquor, the spotless glasses gleaming in the recessed lighting.
“The results of the blood tests will be back soon.”
“That’s good,” she replied, not real sure what she was supposed to say.
“I advise you to not get too attached to anyone, Matilyn. These tests are going to prove without a doubt that you aren’t my daughter.”
“I know. You weren’t Elaine’s paternal father,” Mattie said, wondering if she should have revealed that wild card.
McKendrick gazed at her shrewdly. “How do you know that?”
“I know a lot of things, Mr. McKendrick.” He leaned back in his chair.
“You are not wanted here. I don’t know who you are, or what you want, but this charade will only go on until I have the concrete evidence I need to prove that you are not Elaine. My mother-in-law won’t be able to insist you are someone who has been dead for over twenty years any longer.”
“I’m doing this for Ruth Ellen.” Mattie twisted the hem of her shirt between her fingers. “I’m not doing this for any other reason.”
“Ruth Ellen is a sick old woman. She doesn’t have complete control of her facilities.”
Mattie shrugged. “Mr. McKendrick, I promise. When those tests say that I am not Karen’s daughter, I’ll leave immediately. But I promise you, I know without a doubt who my mother is.”
“We’ll see.”
Mattie met his gaze with equal strength before turning and hurrying toward the door. “Matilyn?”
She paused, one step away from the hallway, and turned toward the desk. “Yes, sir?”
“Be careful. There are secrets in this family that needn’t see the light of day.”
“So I’ve heard.” Mattie stepped into the hallway, eager to be able to breathe again. ‘Secrets that needn’t see the light of day.’ Was he serious? Justine’s ramblings were bad enough, but this guy’s were worthy of a corny gothic romance novel. Way too dramatic.
She brightened. But at least he’d warned her to be careful.
Mattie wandered the house for a while, then decided to head to the riverside public playground that took up the lot next door to the McKendrick house. Being smack-dab in the middle of a high-class neighborhood, not many people used it except for the children of the residents of the fancy homes along the road.
It was a nice place to go and think, especially at night. Romantic, even.
She went to the swings, avoiding going anywhere near the dock. West and Emeline were in the middle of an intense discussion. Definitely not one she wanted to be involved in.
***
“West, listen,” Mattie said, trying to keep up with the distraught man as he paced during his tortured monologue. He paused at the sea wall and stared into the water. “Are you listening?”
He’d been pouring out his problems for the last twenty minutes. McKendrick was demanding a huge sum of money, payment of his own loans plus those McKendrick had extended to his father. He’d hoped his relationship with Emeline would be enough to get McKendrick to extend his deadline.
An idea popped into her head. A way to keep K off her back, away from Molly, and maybe even gone for good. She watched West sit down in the grass, a broken man, and wanted to help him more than anything. “Maybe I can help you.”
“How?”
“Well, I’ve got those trust funds.” He stared at her with confusion for a second, then frowned when understanding kicked in.
“Not until they prove who you are.”
“You can doubt me all you want, by Ruth Ellen and I both know
***
Mattie edged into McKendrick’s huge, intimidated study. The room made her even more nervous than the man behind the monolithic desk.
“Sit, Matilyn.”
She sat down in one of the creaky leather chairs in front of his desk. A life-size painted portrait of the McKendrick family—Elaine included—hung on the wall behind his desk. Beneath it was a decanter of a dark amber liquor, the spotless glasses gleaming in the recessed lighting.
“The results of the blood tests will be back soon.”
“That’s good,” she replied, not real sure what she was supposed to say.
“I advise you to not get too attached to anyone, Matilyn. These tests are going to prove without a doubt that you aren’t my daughter.”
“I know. You weren’t Elaine’s paternal father,” Mattie said, wondering if she should have revealed that wild card.
McKendrick gazed at her shrewdly. “How do you know that?”
“I know a lot of things, Mr. McKendrick.” He leaned back in his chair.
“You are not wanted here. I don’t know who you are, or what you want, but this charade will only go on until I have the concrete evidence I need to prove that you are not Elaine. My mother-in-law won’t be able to insist you are someone who has been dead for over twenty years any longer.”
“I’m doing this for Ruth Ellen.” Mattie twisted the hem of her shirt between her fingers. “I’m not doing this for any other reason.”
“Ruth Ellen is a sick old woman. She doesn’t have complete control of her facilities.”
Mattie shrugged. “Mr. McKendrick, I promise. When those tests say that I am not Karen’s daughter, I’ll leave immediately. But I promise you, I know without a doubt who my mother is.”
“We’ll see.”
Mattie met his gaze with equal strength before turning and hurrying toward the door. “Matilyn?”
She paused, one step away from the hallway, and turned toward the desk. “Yes, sir?”
“Be careful. There are secrets in this family that needn’t see the light of day.”
“So I’ve heard.” Mattie stepped into the hallway, eager to be able to breathe again. ‘Secrets that needn’t see the light of day.’ Was he serious? Justine’s ramblings were bad enough, but this guy’s were worthy of a corny gothic romance novel. Way too dramatic.
She brightened. But at least he’d warned her to be careful.
Mattie wandered the house for a while, then decided to head to the riverside public playground that took up the lot next door to the McKendrick house. Being smack-dab in the middle of a high-class neighborhood, not many people used it except for the children of the residents of the fancy homes along the road.
It was a nice place to go and think, especially at night. Romantic, even.
She went to the swings, avoiding going anywhere near the dock. West and Emeline were in the middle of an intense discussion. Definitely not one she wanted to be involved in.
***
“West, listen,” Mattie said, trying to keep up with the distraught man as he paced during his tortured monologue. He paused at the sea wall and stared into the water. “Are you listening?”
He’d been pouring out his problems for the last twenty minutes. McKendrick was demanding a huge sum of money, payment of his own loans plus those McKendrick had extended to his father. He’d hoped his relationship with Emeline would be enough to get McKendrick to extend his deadline.
An idea popped into her head. A way to keep K off her back, away from Molly, and maybe even gone for good. She watched West sit down in the grass, a broken man, and wanted to help him more than anything. “Maybe I can help you.”
“How?”
“Well, I’ve got those trust funds.” He stared at her with confusion for a second, then frowned when understanding kicked in.
“Not until they prove who you are.”
“You can doubt me all you want, by Ruth Ellen and I both know
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