shaky hand, a look of alarm on her face.
A flash of anxiety skittered over Angie’s skin, but she took a step forward. “Did you ever date Nelson?”
Kim shuffled two steps back. The red of her cheeks had spread down her neck. Her eyes flicked about the room as she shook her head. “No,” she said firmly. “I did not.” The heels of her shoes clicked on the wood floor as she hurried away.
A voice spoke behind Angie. “Looks like your attempt at making a friend has failed.” Jenna came up and stood next to her sister. Angie told her about the exchange with Kimberley.
“Interesting. I came up empty in my meanderings around here. I didn’t hear anything of use.” Jenna stifled a yawn. “Who knew rich people were so boring.” She smiled. “I’m going to the dining room to grab a bite to eat. You want to come?”
“I’m not hungry. I guess I’ll wander around in here for a while longer. Come back after you’ve eaten and let’s join forces.”
Jenna headed away for some food. Angie stayed near the windows as she continued her walk around the room. After a few minutes, she stopped and glanced at the groups of people standing around chatting.
A woman spoke to Angie. “I hate these things.”
Angie turned. She gave the woman a shrug. “I can’t find anyone I know.”
“I saw you talking to Kim Hutchins. You know her?”
“Not really. I’ve only just met her. We’re staying at the same bed and breakfast. How do you know her?”
“I work at Rider Financial. Kim used to work there until recently.”
Angie said, “Kim told me she’d given her notice.”
The woman gave Angie a surprised look. “Really? That’s what she told you? Nelson let her go.”
“He did? Why?”
“He had a thing for her, but she didn’t reciprocate the feelings. Nelson thought it best to end their association. It wasn’t done out of anger. Nelson seemed to really care for her. Kim was leaving the company at the end of the month. Don’t spread that around. Obviously, it isn’t common knowledge.”
“Did you work with Kim?”
“Not really.” The woman took a swig of her wine. “We’d cross paths. She was always busy with Nelson.”
“What do you mean? You said Kim didn’t reciprocate Nelson’s feelings.”
“Kim traveled with Nelson. She was his assistant. She kept his appointments, shuffled him to meetings, researched and wrote his reports, made sure he knew what to say to clients.”
Angie raised an eyebrow. “You make Nelson sound incompetent.”
“Not so much incompetent, but lazy and disinterested in his work.” The woman finished off her wine and removed another glass from the waiter’s tray as he walked past. “Nelson didn’t achieve his potential. He was a party-boy. Always chasing women. If he spent more time sober, he might have been successful.”
“He was successful at the firm, wasn’t he?” Angie played dumb.
The woman gave a knowing grin. “If it wasn’t a family firm, he would have been fired. If he didn’t have Kim keeping him on track and doing his work for him, even his family wouldn’t have put up with him much longer. Poor Nelson.” The woman drained her glass. “I’m going to look for another drink.” She raised her empty drink glass to Angie and walked away.
Jenna returned just then and Angie told her what the woman said about Nelson.
“She sounds like she had a few drinks too many.” Jenna watched the woman in the distance. “Maybe her perception of Nelson isn’t accurate. Then again, maybe it is.”
“Want to go outside for a breath of fresh air?” Angie led her sister through the open doors.
The sisters wandered onto one of the terraces and they spotted Ellie and Courtney sitting on a bench on the lawn under an apple tree. The girls followed the granite steps down into the garden and they squished together with their two sisters on
A flash of anxiety skittered over Angie’s skin, but she took a step forward. “Did you ever date Nelson?”
Kim shuffled two steps back. The red of her cheeks had spread down her neck. Her eyes flicked about the room as she shook her head. “No,” she said firmly. “I did not.” The heels of her shoes clicked on the wood floor as she hurried away.
A voice spoke behind Angie. “Looks like your attempt at making a friend has failed.” Jenna came up and stood next to her sister. Angie told her about the exchange with Kimberley.
“Interesting. I came up empty in my meanderings around here. I didn’t hear anything of use.” Jenna stifled a yawn. “Who knew rich people were so boring.” She smiled. “I’m going to the dining room to grab a bite to eat. You want to come?”
“I’m not hungry. I guess I’ll wander around in here for a while longer. Come back after you’ve eaten and let’s join forces.”
Jenna headed away for some food. Angie stayed near the windows as she continued her walk around the room. After a few minutes, she stopped and glanced at the groups of people standing around chatting.
A woman spoke to Angie. “I hate these things.”
Angie turned. She gave the woman a shrug. “I can’t find anyone I know.”
“I saw you talking to Kim Hutchins. You know her?”
“Not really. I’ve only just met her. We’re staying at the same bed and breakfast. How do you know her?”
“I work at Rider Financial. Kim used to work there until recently.”
Angie said, “Kim told me she’d given her notice.”
The woman gave Angie a surprised look. “Really? That’s what she told you? Nelson let her go.”
“He did? Why?”
“He had a thing for her, but she didn’t reciprocate the feelings. Nelson thought it best to end their association. It wasn’t done out of anger. Nelson seemed to really care for her. Kim was leaving the company at the end of the month. Don’t spread that around. Obviously, it isn’t common knowledge.”
“Did you work with Kim?”
“Not really.” The woman took a swig of her wine. “We’d cross paths. She was always busy with Nelson.”
“What do you mean? You said Kim didn’t reciprocate Nelson’s feelings.”
“Kim traveled with Nelson. She was his assistant. She kept his appointments, shuffled him to meetings, researched and wrote his reports, made sure he knew what to say to clients.”
Angie raised an eyebrow. “You make Nelson sound incompetent.”
“Not so much incompetent, but lazy and disinterested in his work.” The woman finished off her wine and removed another glass from the waiter’s tray as he walked past. “Nelson didn’t achieve his potential. He was a party-boy. Always chasing women. If he spent more time sober, he might have been successful.”
“He was successful at the firm, wasn’t he?” Angie played dumb.
The woman gave a knowing grin. “If it wasn’t a family firm, he would have been fired. If he didn’t have Kim keeping him on track and doing his work for him, even his family wouldn’t have put up with him much longer. Poor Nelson.” The woman drained her glass. “I’m going to look for another drink.” She raised her empty drink glass to Angie and walked away.
Jenna returned just then and Angie told her what the woman said about Nelson.
“She sounds like she had a few drinks too many.” Jenna watched the woman in the distance. “Maybe her perception of Nelson isn’t accurate. Then again, maybe it is.”
“Want to go outside for a breath of fresh air?” Angie led her sister through the open doors.
The sisters wandered onto one of the terraces and they spotted Ellie and Courtney sitting on a bench on the lawn under an apple tree. The girls followed the granite steps down into the garden and they squished together with their two sisters on
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