‘What’s the difference? I…’
Her chin rose. ‘For what, Father?’
His eyes slid from hers. ‘I… I borrowed some money.’
‘But you promised Mother…’
Her father made an impatient gesture. ‘No. I… I needed more than… I borrowed it from a different place.’
Paige’s face paled. ‘You mean, you embezzled from Fowler’s again! Are you crazy? You swore…’
Andrew Gardiner waved his hand in dismissal. ‘This has nothing to do with Fowler’s. It was a loan. From… from someone, a friend of a friend. If things had gone the way they should have, I could have paid it back easily. But…’
‘But?’
He laughed uncomfortably. ‘But things didn’t.’
‘What things?’
‘It doesn’t matter,’ he said impatiently. ‘What’s the difference? Now I need…’
Paige lifted her chin. ‘You need me to get you out of a scrape,’ she said bitterly. ‘The same as before. The only difference is that this time you’ve decided to tell me about it.’
Her father’s mouth twisted. ‘I don’t know what that’s supposed to mean, Paige.’
‘Come on, Father, it’s too late to play games. We both know why you were so eager to marry me off to Alan. I was to be the insurance that you wouldn’t be prosecuted if you were caught.’
‘It worked out,’ he said defensively. ‘You married well. And you have all this money.’
Paige stood up. ‘My husband has all this money,’ she said flatly.
‘You have access to some of it, don’t you?’
‘I’m not going to get you out of this jam, Father. Tell whoever you’ve borrowed from that you can’t…’
‘Paige, listen to me. I know you—you don’t think well of me. But I’m in real trouble this time. Think of your mother, if not me.’
‘Tell him you’ll pay him off bit by bit, that…’
‘Christ almighty!’ His voice rose in pain. ‘They’ll break my legs, don’t you understand? I’ll be found in some dark alley.’
‘What are you talking about? You said you’d borrowed from a friend.’ She stared into
her father’s eyes. ‘A loan shark,’ she said softly. ‘That’s who you owe, isn’t it? A Shylock.’
‘It was the only way I could get the money I needed.’
‘But… they wouldn’t really hurt you, would they? That kind of thing only happens in bad films.’
‘It happens in real life, my innocent daughter. I… I’ve owed the money for some time. For several weeks. And if I don’t pay by the day after tomorrow…’ Andrew Gardiner’s voice trembled. ‘Just lend me what I need for a week. Two, at the most. I beg you, Paige.’
Paige sank down in the chair opposite him. ‘A loan shark,’ she whispered, her eyes on his. ‘First you stole and now…’
‘I didn’t steal anything,’ he said quickly. ‘I borrowed. This is different.’
‘Nothing’s ever different,’ she said sharply. Why had it taken her so long to see the truth? You couldn’t just ignore things because they were unpleasant. Pushed into dark corners, shadows grew instead of dying.
‘Paige.’ His voice was low, heavy with desperation. ‘Please…’