the Hamptons

the back of the

his sports car. Pr

lack dress she had bought th

t appr

ght-a massive, sprawling mansion that

up the st

. Henderson, o

reeted warmly. "It

, Hend

d into th

atriarch, sat in her w

rs old and sharper

lyle's mother, arranging whi

dropped the sciss

ed Beatr

e too thin. Is Carl

nor," Beatrix m

Victoria barked, thumpin

king," Be

later, Carly

on

tated. His ti

e muttered, kissing

at his g

t look a

commanded. "Di

to the di

r twenty, but only f

sat at

ted with

ere. Carlyle, ne

e hesi

ther, I

it

yle

e sandalwood, the smoke, and underneath, t

r was

e the clinking of s

her steak. "When are we goi

hoked on

stopped

r," he said

m ninety. I don't have time

ng a divorce,

asually, like he was

e desc

Suffo

fork. It clattered l

face turn

bbed he

"With that... that sho

l," Carlyle snapped. "

shouted. "If you divorce Beatrix, I will write you out of th

widened. "You

tch

turned to

aren't you fig

Beatrix

and," Victoria said.

"Carlyle, be a gentleman.

fish," Carl

," Beatrix s

fish. It m

en on her side. She need

d at her, eye

rk and dumped a massive pie

" he wh

piece and put

g up. She took a large sip of water, forcing th

apped her hands.

ed. "Ask your husband for t

rix

He crossed his ar

this. He wanted

t of the decli

r mother lying in

rned t

he leaned in close, her

er voice husky. "Would y

ished from Ca

pils d

tween them

ed at h

ched for the

remb

over. Salt spilled acr

e white granules, hi

ed at B

ked te

his chair scraping lou

appetite," h

f the room, through the Fre

there, her h

ached into

d out a c

ng and slid it across

spered. "I know Carlyle cut yo

ooked at

housand

ricked

u," she w

bbed th

he sto

use

ward the F