She stopped.
“The affair?” I finished.
She gave a tiny nod.
“I didn’t know that.”
I believed she might not have known the full truth. I did not believe she had been as ignorant as she wanted to appear. She’d heard Lily ask about Daniel and had dismissed it rather than telling me.
“You should have told me he was in town,” I said.
“I didn’t want to stir up old trouble.”
“By keeping quiet, you left my daughter alone with questions she wasn’t equipped to carry.”
Margaret reached for Lily.
“Come here, darling—”
Lily stepped back.
I took her hand.
“We’re leaving.”
From behind us, Vanessa called my name.
She was moving quickly across the lobby, her wedding dress gathered in both hands.
“Claire, wait.”
I turned.
Her makeup had run beneath her eyes. Without the crowd, she looked younger, almost like the sister who used to borrow my sweaters without asking.
For one irrational second, I wanted her to say something that would make us sisters again.
Instead she said, “You have no idea what you’ve done to my life.”
I felt Lily’s fingers tighten.
“I didn’t know about the recording until tonight.”
“Don’t lie to me.”
“Ask Lily yourself.”
Vanessa looked at my daughter, and her anger wavered.
“Lily, sweetheart—”
“Don’t call her that,” I said.
Vanessa drew back as if I’d slapped her.
“We can talk without her here,” I added. “Not tonight.”
She lowered her voice.
