Midnight in Austenland (Austenland 2)

“Yeah. I got your letter.”

“You did?”

“Yeah. I’ve gotta go.”

“Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Then Beckett’s voice again. “She read that letter like a hundred times.”

“Shut up, Beckett!” Lu yelled from the distance.

Beckett laughed. Charlotte did a little dance.

Next, the phone made it to James’s hands. She could hear him walking while making idle chitchat, and another door closing. He was probably in his bedroom.

“We’re not going to be able to take the kids that weekend next month,” he said, a slight hem in his voice the only sign of shame.

Charlotte pursed her lips. Normally she would say “okay” and be done. But someone had tried to kill her, by golly, and she’d just given up hope of being with Eddie. After that, a person is entitled to a few questions.

“Why not?”

“Well, with my conference coming up—”

“Your conference is in November.”

“Right, so it’s only three months away and I need to prepare—”

“All weekend, every weekend next month, you’ll be preparing for your November conference.”

His voice slipped into a half whisper. “Justice never had children, you know. And these past weeks have been hard on her. I’m not sure a full month each summer is the best idea.”

Charlotte took a very deep breath, a breath that pulled right up from her toes and smoothed over the shout that had been building up in her chest.

“James Nathan Kinder, we are going to have this conversation one time, right now, and then never again. You are Lu and Beckett’s father. A father puts his children first. Before your new wife, before your work, before yourself. That’s what parenthood means. They love you, poor kids. They need you. And you will do everything in your power to make sure they know you love them too and are constantly, without hesitation, their father, on call day and night, their biggest supporter, their biggest fan, and the one man who will always open his home to them.”

“Of course, sure, in an ideal world, but—”

“No buts. Not a single but. This is a simple issue, Mr. Kinder. And in this single conversation that will never be repeated again, I’m going to give you a little incentive, since your heart appears to have shrunken to Grinch size and can’t be depended on to help your head make good choices. You think you’re safe because I signed divorce papers? Don’t sit back on your bank account. You were having an affair for months before our divorce, weren’t you? You were already breaking your marriage vows when you asked me to add your name to my accounts. You know Lenny wanted to go for the jugular during the negotiations, but I held him back. What do you think he’ll do if I give him a second chance?” She could almost hear James quivering on the other end. Lenny was an excellent lawyer, and James was fully aware Charlotte had muzzled him. Whether or not a renegotiation of the settlement was possible now that the divorce was final Charlotte didn’t know—but then, neither did James.

“We have your credit card statements for the past several years. You are a creature of habit, Mr. Kinder, and I suspect you left a trail of evidence—restaurants, hotel rooms, gifts. You also burned through a number of old friends who might have interesting testimonies to add. I have no doubt Lenny can prove that you were acting in ill faith long before you had rights to my money. And when he does, say good-bye to your nest egg.”

Silence.

“Excellent point,” she said. “Well put. Without my money padding your lifestyle, Justice might have to get a job. What do you think will be more inconvenient for her—being an adequate stepmom or losing a fortune? So I’m telling you, go curl up in a corner somewhere and lick your little wounds and get over it. The moment—and I mean, the moment—I detect you are being a less-than-enthusiastic father, I will go mama bear on your ass. Have no doubt that I can and will do it. Can you hear it in my voice? A tone perhaps unfamiliar to you? More than confidence. It’s absolute surety, Jimmy boy. If you do not behave like the decent father you once were, I will do everything in my power to strip you of that ill-gotten gain and protect my children. Are we clear?”

More silence.

“I have Lenny’s number on speed dial—”

“Clear,” he said quickly. “We’re clear, yes.”

“Good. Enjoy the rest of your visit with the two most wonderful children in the world.”

Charlotte clicked End and sat down, breathing out as if she’d been holding it in for some time. And perhaps she had.

She started the walk back toward the manor, slow as a funeral march. Tendrils from home seemed to touch her now, slowing her walk, tugging her gently away. She imagined sleeping in sweats, waking to the beeps and explosions of Beckett playing video games on a Saturday morning, the clanking of Lu’s spoon in her cereal bowl. Those were things to look forward to. She didn’t feel sorry to be leaving. Not really.

She was thawed, her heart raw. She was feeling again. Keenly. Even though a twinge of heartbreak was burrowing into her chest, she couldn’t regret anything. What a magical thing to meet Eddie, to know that there are good men in the world, and to have had a few days loving him. She hoped the awe and warmth could sustain her for however long it would take her to get over this new heartache.