Chapter 8 - The Confrontation at the Mansion
The heavy oak doors of the Stanhope mansion on Beacon Hill opened at 10:00 PM on Friday evening.
Inside, the grand entrance hall was filled with fresh white roses and crystal vases brought in for the pre-wedding rehearsal dinner scheduled for the following afternoon.
Charles stood by the grand marble staircase wearing a tux, a glass of scotch in his hand, laughing with two senior members of the hotel corporation’s board of directors.
Phoebe sat on the velvet sofa in the drawing room, wearing a striking white maternity gown, her gold-and-pearl pin gleaming brightly against her collar.
The heavy front doors swung open.
Cordelia walked in first, her cane striking the marble floor with deliberate, ominous force.
Behind her walked Clara and me.
Charles turned, his smile freezing instantly as he saw me standing in the foyer of his home.
"Hannah?" Charles frowned, setting his scotch glass down on a side table. "What are you doing here? The divorce papers were finalized on Tuesday. You have no legal right to be in this house."
Phoebe stood up slowly from the sofa, her hand instinctually resting over her stomach, her eyes narrowing as she registered my presence.
"Cordelia, what is this?" Charles demanded, stepping toward his mother. "Why did you bring her back from California?"
Cordelia stopped in the center of the hall, beneath the grand portrait of her late husband, Thomas Stanhope.
"I brought her back, Charles," Cordelia said, her voice dropping into an ice-cold register that silenced the entire room, "because she is the only person in this room who has told me the truth for twelve years."
Charles laughed nervously, looking at his fellow board members. "Mother, you're exhausted. The wedding stress is—"
"Quiet!" Cordelia barked, raising her cane.
May you like
She turned to Arthur Vance, who stepped forward from the shadows of the doorway holding a thick leather briefcase.
"Phoebe," Cordelia said, turning her icy gaze to the young woman in white. "Before my son signs the trust transfer documents tomorrow morning, there are a few financial records we need to clarify."
