Joan Johnston the Benedict Brothers Box Set by Joan Johnston

Author:Joan Johnston [Johnston, Joan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781459291843
Publisher: HQN Books
Published: 2015-10-14T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 73

Foster knew something was wrong when he asked Jessica Waters where he could find Mrs. Hamilton. The infamous Washington hostess hesitated, smiled, then said, “She went upstairs, to the third floor. To compose herself.”

In Foster’s experience, Abby didn’t lose her composure in public, and only rarely in private. Something awful must have happened. He didn’t ask what was wrong, simply turned and headed up the stairs.

He stepped over the velvet rope at the top of the stairs. The only closed door on the third floor led to the bathroom. He stood outside long enough to hear a woman sob, then sniff and blow her nose, before he knocked.

“Abby?” he called.

The noise stopped behind the door. Foster waited another thirty seconds before the door opened. Abby looked ravaged.

“Did you know about this?” she challenged.

“What’s wrong?” he said. “What’s happened?”

She opened her mouth but shut it again without speaking.

Foster turned as he heard someone pounding up the stairs. He was astonished to see Ham Hamilton taking the stairs two at a time. He stepped clumsily over the velvet rope at the top

“We need to get out of here,” Ham said. “The house is being evacuated.”

Foster reached for Abby’s hand to lead her downstairs, but Ham pushed between them and grabbed it instead.

Abby snatched her hand away from her husband and snarled, “Don’t touch me!”

Ham ignored her and grasped her wrist. “We can argue later. Right now, you need to come with me.”

Abby fought her husband in earnest, trying to jerk free and reaching out to scratch his face with the fingernails of her other hand. Her eyes were narrowed and spittle flew from her mouth as she raged, “Let go of me. I despise you! I—”

Foster knew he had no business interfering between a husband and his wife. But with Abby so desperate to be free, he couldn’t stand there and do nothing. He put a hand on Ham’s shoulder.

And got more than he bargained for.

Ham let go of Abby and whirled on Foster, shoving his shoulders hard with the heels of both hands. “Get the fuck away from me and my wife! This is all your fault. We could be happy if you’d just leave Abby the hell alone.”

“Stop manhandling her,” Foster snarled.

“You had your chance and you blew it,” Ham ranted. “Mind your own business! I can deal with my wife.”

“ Deal with me?” Abby retorted, her eyes blazing as her angry gaze shifted from one man to the other. “I want nothing to do with either one of you!”

She slipped past the two stunned men, struggled with the catch on the velvet rope at the top of the stairs, then grabbed the handrail to keep her balance as she fled.

Foster remembered what Ham had said as he’d come up the stairs and hurried after her. “Come on, you fool,” he shouted back at Ham, who seemed rooted to the floor. “We need to get out of here!”

Abby had stopped dead in the middle of the empty living room, apparently unsure which way to go.

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