Chapter 7 - FORTY MINUTES WITHOUT HER MOTHER
“She told you Lily had gone home?”
I stared at Mrs. Carter.
She nodded.
“That's why I didn't look for her.”
Vanessa closed her eyes.
Luca stepped closer.
“Vanessa, you told Mrs. Carter the child had left the house?”
“I thought she was being collected.”
Mrs. Carter shook her head.
“No, ma'am. You told me she had already gone.”
Vanessa looked at her.
“I was dealing with twenty-eight dinner guests and a dozen things that needed attention.”
Luca's jaw tightened.
“Then you should have asked someone to take care of the child.”
Vanessa didn't answer.
Mrs. Carter looked toward me.
“Emily, I'm so sorry.”
I swallowed.
“She was supposed to be safe with us.”
Mrs. Carter's eyes filled.
“I know.”
I wanted to be angry with her.
Part of me was.
But I also knew she'd left Lily somewhere warm, believing she was under the household's protection.
Vanessa had changed that arrangement after Mrs. Carter was called away.
Then she'd lied about where my daughter was.
Luca looked toward Daniel.
“Was anyone assigned to wait with Lily outside?”
Daniel shook his head.
“No, sir. I wasn't told there was a child at the service entrance.”
“Was anyone asked to escort her home?”
“No.”
Vanessa looked embarrassed.
“I assumed Emily would arrange transportation.”
I stared at her.
“How could I arrange anything when you wouldn't let me leave the dining room?”
She didn't answer.
My hands began trembling.
I'd spent the evening serving wine.
Clearing plates.
Smiling at guests who thanked me for doing my job.
All while Lily stood outside waiting for someone who was never coming.
I looked toward her.
She was laughing softly at something Teresa had said.
Her cheeks were finally pink again.
Her little fingers moved easily around her spoon.
But I couldn't stop picturing those hands tucked beneath her arms.
The crooked buttons on her coat.
The way she'd apologized for coming inside.
I pressed my fingers against my eyes.
Luca noticed.
“Emily?”
I shook my head.
“I keep thinking about what she must have felt.”
He waited.
“She probably thought I'd forgotten her.”
My voice broke.
“I promised her I'd come back.”
Teresa gently touched Lily's shoulder.
Then looked toward me.
“Sweetheart, she knows you came back.”
I tried to smile.
But the tears wouldn't stop.
Luca moved a chair closer.
“Sit down, Emily.”
I shook my head.
“I'm all right.”
“You don't have to be.”
For some reason, that made me cry harder.
I sat.
Luca crouched beside my chair.
He didn't touch me.
He simply waited until I could speak.
Then he said, “You were doing the job you were told you had to finish.”
I looked at him.
“I should have checked on her.”
“Yes,” he said gently. “If you'd known she was outside, you would have.”
I nodded.
“But you were told she was with Mrs. Carter.”
My throat tightened.
“And Mrs. Carter was told she had gone home.”
He glanced toward Vanessa.
“Someone made sure neither of you knew the truth.”
Vanessa looked away.
Luca stood.
“Why?”
She stared at him.
“What?”
“Why lie about where Lily was?”
Vanessa looked exhausted.
“I didn't want everyone running around looking for a child during the dinner.”
Luca shook his head.
“That's not an answer.”
“It is.”
“No. It's an explanation of what you wanted to avoid.”
He held her gaze.
“I'm asking why you were willing to leave her alone to avoid it.”
Vanessa's eyes filled.
For several seconds, she didn't answer.
Then she whispered, “I wanted tonight to be perfect.”
The words seemed almost unbelievable.
Luca looked around the dining room.
The chandeliers.
The white roses.
The silverware polished until it gleamed.
The untouched champagne.
“Perfect?”
Vanessa covered her face.
“My family was here. Your business associates were here. People who already think I don't belong in this world.”
Teresa looked surprised.
Vanessa continued.
“I've spent months arranging everything so nobody could criticize me.”
Luca watched her.
“And a child in a blue coat was going to ruin that?”
Vanessa wiped her eyes.
“I didn't want them thinking I couldn't manage the household.”
I stared at her.
“You sent my daughter outside because you were embarrassed?”
Vanessa looked toward me.
“I didn't want people asking why a staff member's child was wandering through the house.”
“She wasn't wandering.”
My voice shook.
“She was reading a book.”
Vanessa looked down.
I continued.
“She was waiting for me to take her home.”
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then Vanessa said something that surprised me.
“When I was little, my mother worked evenings cleaning offices.”
Luca looked up.
Vanessa swallowed.
“Sometimes I had to wait for her in the lobby.”
Teresa's expression softened.
“I didn't know that.”
Vanessa nodded.
“People would look at me like I wasn't supposed to be there.”
Her voice grew rough.
“I hated it.”
I stared at her.
She knew.
She knew exactly what it felt like to be a child waiting for a working mother.
And somehow, she'd made my daughter feel the same shame.
Vanessa wiped her eyes.
“When I met Luca, I thought I could finally have a home where nobody looked down on me.”
Luca watched her carefully.
“You already had that.”
She shook her head.
“I never felt like I did.”
He looked toward Teresa.
Then back at Vanessa.
“Then we should have talked about that.”
Her eyes filled.
“But instead,” he continued, “you became the person who made another little girl feel she didn't belong.”
Vanessa began crying.
For a moment, I almost felt sorry for her.
Then Lily looked up from her cake.
“Mommy?”
I turned immediately.
“Yes, sweetheart?”
“Can we go home soon?”
I nodded.
“Very soon.”
She smiled.
“Okay.”
Then she looked toward Luca.
“Mr. Luca?”
He crouched beside her.
“Yes, Lily?”
“Mrs. Carter didn't know I was outside.”
Luca nodded.
“I understand.”
Lily looked at Vanessa.
Then whispered, “The lady told me not to tell her.”
The room fell silent.
Vanessa stopped crying.
I felt my stomach tighten.
Lily continued.
“She said if Mrs. Carter found me, Mommy would have to go away.”
I stared at Vanessa.
Mrs. Carter covered her mouth.
Luca slowly rose.
For a long moment, he looked at the woman standing before him.
Then he turned toward Mrs. Carter.
“Was there ever a real plan for Lily to stay somewhere safe tonight?”
She shook her head.
“No, sir.”
He looked toward Vanessa.
“And after the wedding?”
Vanessa didn't answer.
I felt the truth approaching.
Something worse than a changed schedule.
Something colder than the service entrance.
Luca picked up the little cotton name label.
May you like
Then he asked Vanessa one final question.
“Were you ever planning to let Emily keep her job at all?”
