Brett said nothing. He was still waiting to see what she wanted. He didn’t even know why she was in New York. He couldn’t imagine she’d come here purely to talk to him. Not unless she had some plan up her sleeve, or some proposal she wanted to make.
‘I’m sorry I told you about Jason,’ she said, helping herself to a bread stick. ‘I mean, I’m sorry I told you in anger. It’s not the way he would have wanted you to find out.’
Brett’s face darkened and his body tensed. He’d tried to block out Tati’s bombshell about Jason’s sexuality. He’d even tried to convince himself that it wasn’t true. As if by not admitting it, or thinking about it, or telling Angela, he could somehow make it not be true. But looking at Tati now, it was clear that she hadn’t been lying. His son was gay. There was nothing he could do about it.
‘I don’t want to talk about Jason,’ he said gruffly.
‘He loves you, you know,’ said Tatiana. ‘All he wants is for you to accept him. To love him for who he is, not for who you want him to be.’
‘Let’s order,’ said Brett, closing both his menu and the subject as firmly as possible. ‘We’ll both have the Caprese salads and the Greek pizza. It’s very good here,’ he added to Tati as an afterthought, sending the waiter away without asking whether she approved of his choice, or what she might like to eat. It was typical of his arrogance and overbearing manner. In other circumstances Tati would have called him on it and summoned the waiter back at once. But today she let it go. She had bigger fish to fry and was determined, for once, to get through an hour in Brett Cranley’s company without losing her shit.
‘I wanted to see you to clear the air and to set a few things straight,’ she said.
‘Okaaaay,’ said Brett, still distrustful. She looked particularly beautiful today, which somehow made things worse.
‘Jason and I will get a divorce. It’s all very amicable. Once the money comes through from the Hamilton Hall deal, I’ll repay every penny from his trust fund, plus interest. What’s left we’ll split fifty-fifty.’
Brett couldn’t conceal his surprise. This was a more than generous offer. Hamilton Hall had been Tati’s business. It had been Tati who’d created the value, Tati who’d worked to make it what it was. No one, least of all Jason, would expect her to give half of her profits away in a divorce.
‘Why would you do that?’ Brett asked.
‘For the principle,’ said Tati.
‘What principle?’
‘To show … people … that I didn’t only marry Jason for his money.’
They locked eyes. For the first time Tati felt her inner calm start to falter, replaced by the nervous churning of the stomach she always felt in Brett’s presence.
‘Also, because I love him. And it’s the right thing to do.’
Brett’s stare turned to a frown.
‘What will you do with the rest of the money?’ he asked brusquely. ‘You could start another business, another school. You’re good at it.’
‘Thank you.’ The compliment was so unexpected, for a moment it threw Tati off stride. ‘But what I’d really like to do is buy my house back.’
Brett shook his head. So that’s what this was all about.
Furlings.
Again.
The food arrived, providing a few moments’ welcome distraction. Then Brett cut to the chase.
‘I won’t sell to you, Tatiana.’
‘Why not?’
‘Are we really going to do this dance again?’ asked Brett, stabbing his cheese with a fork.
‘I’m not angry,’ said Tati. ‘I’m curious. I genuinely want to know. Why won’t you sell to me? When you don’t want the house, and you know I do?’
That’s exactly why, thought Brett. Because you want it and I have it. It’s my only card, the single ace I have to play with you. The day I sell Furlings back to you, I’ve lost you forever.
‘I do want the house,’ he lied. ‘And Ange really wants it. She loves that place. She wants us to retire there. I wish you could let it go, Tatiana.’
‘So do I,’ said Tati truthfully. That would be true freedom. Not wanting Furlings. Not longing, constantly, for the past. For her birthright. But that was like not breathing.
‘Would it make any difference if I told you I was pregnant?’ She played her last card. ‘I want my child to grow up there, Brett. I know that’s what my father would have wanted too.’
Brett put down his knife and fork. He looked horrified.
‘Are you serious? You’re pregnant?’
Tati gave a wry smile. ‘No need to look so happy about it.’
‘But, Jason …? You said he was—’
‘He is. But we’ve been married a long time. It hasn’t been a completely celibate marriage.’