Lowcountry Summer eBoxed Set by Mary Alice Monroe

Author:Mary Alice Monroe
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Gallery Books

Chapter Two

Charleston, South Carolina

Dora sat clenching her hands tightly together in her lap in her lawyer’s office. The air-conditioning was working valiantly against the day’s record-breaking heat, but the two lawyers and Cal had removed their suit jackets and rolled up their sleeves. Dora was the only woman in the room, and she still had her suit jacket on. She was resolved not to remove one shred of her armor. And in her mind’s eye she could see the safety pin holding her skirt together because she couldn’t quite fasten the button. So she sat with her jacket on, chafing at the collar and sweltering with a simmering fury while Cal’s lawyer, Mr. Harbison, went on explaining why the amount they were offering for settlement was exceptionally fair.

It was all she could do not to jump from her seat in frustration and rage. Fair? The amount offered wasn’t enough for her to live on, much less take care of Nate and all his therapy sessions. She glanced at her lawyer, Mr. Rosen, hoping to catch his attention. He had been very clear that she mustn’t engage but simply respond when directly questioned. His gaze was fixed to the pile of papers beside his open laptop and he was busily making notations as the items were discussed.

Frustrated, Dora glanced across the long conference table at Cal, raising her brows in a signal. Her soon-to-be ex-husband sat resolutely looking at his hands. He’d not bothered to meet her gaze when she’d stepped into the office. Nor did he offer a word, or even a glance of comfort or concern during the entire morning’s meeting. He never once established eye contact. Cal had never been a touchy-feely sort of man, but today at the lawyer’s office he was positively void of all feeling.

She hadn’t seen Cal in the past few months, though they’d talked on a need-to-know basis. When she walked into the office earlier that morning, she’d been surprised to see he’d lost the spare tire around his waist and that he was taking more care with his appearance. He wore the classic Southern seersucker suit and she’d had to take a second look to believe his dapper bow tie.

She kept her rigid posture and blasé expression, but beneath the table her foot was shaking. She glanced at the clock on the wall. It was nearing noon. She had endured a brutal morning listening to the cold recitation of positions from both lawyers. Now they had moved on to itemizing her and Cal’s possessions.

She followed the long itemized list as the lawyer droned. But when Cal’s lawyer began divvying up the Muir family antiques, Dora sat straight in her chair and blurted, “No!”

The room immediately went silent as the three gentlemen turned their heads toward her.

“There must be some mistake,” she said. “We are not divvying up the family antiques. Cal and I have already agreed that he would get his family furniture and I would get mine.”

Mr. Harbison offered her a benign smile.

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