“Anyway, I’ll leave, shall I?” I say awkwardly. “If you two are going to talk…”
“No,” says Luke. “Stay. This won’t take long.”
I sit down awkwardly on the arm of a chair, wishing I could shrink into it. I’ve never liked the atmosphere in this apartment — but right now it’s like the temperature’s dropped ten degrees.
“I received your messages,” says Elinor. “And your letter, which made very little sense.” She takes off her gloves with jerky movements and places them on a side table. “I have no idea what you’re trying to accuse me of.”
“I’m not here to accuse you of anything,” says Luke, making a visible attempt to stay calm. “I just wanted to let you know that I’ve had a few realizations. One of which has been that I’ve been somewhat… deluded over the years. You never really wanted me to live with you, did you? Yet you’ve allowed me to believe that you did.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Luke,” says Elinor after a pause. “The situation was far more complicated than you might imagine.”
“You’ve played on my… my weakness. You’ve used me. And my company. You’ve treated me like a…” He breaks off, breathing heavily, and takes a couple of moments to calm himself. “What’s a little sad is that one of the reasons I came to New York was to spend time with you. Perhaps get to know you as well as Becky knows her mother.”
He gestures toward me and I look up in alarm. Don’t bring me into this!
“What a waste of time.” His voice harshens. “I’m not sure you’re even capable of that kind of relationship.”
“That’s enough!” says Elinor. “Luke, I can’t talk to you when you’re in this state.”
As he and Elinor face each other, I see that they’re more alike than I’ve ever realized. They both get that blank, scary expression when things are going badly. They both set themselves impossibly high standards. And they’re both more vulnerable than they want the outside world to know.
“You don’t have to talk to me,” says Luke. “I’m leaving now. You won’t see me or Becky again.”
My head jerks up in shock. Is he serious?
“You’re talking nonsense,” says Elinor.
“I’ve sent a letter of resignation to the trustees of the Elinor Sherman Foundation. There should be no other reason for our paths to cross.”
“You have forgotten the wedding,” says Elinor crisply.
“No, we haven’t. I haven’t forgotten it at all.” Luke takes a deep breath and glances at me. “As of now, Becky and I will be making alternative arrangements for our marriage. Naturally, I’ll pay whatever expenses you’ve incurred.”
Wh—
What did he say? I stare at Luke, gobsmacked.
Did he really just say what I—
Did he really just…
Am I hallucinating?
“Luke,” I say, trying to keep calm, trying to keep steady. “Let me just get this… Are you saying you want to pull out of the Plaza wedding?”
“Becky, I know I haven’t discussed this with you yet.” Luke comes over and takes my hands. “I know you’ve been planning this wedding for months. It’s a lot to ask you to pull out. But under the circumstances, I just don’t feel I can go through it.”
“You want to pull out of the wedding.” I swallow. “You do know there’s a financial penalty?”
“I don’t care.”
“You… you don’t care?”
He doesn’t care.
I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.
“That’s not what I meant!” says Luke, seeing my expression. “I do care! Of course I care about us. But to stand up in public, and pretend to be a loving son to…” He glances at Elinor. “It would be farcical. It would debase the whole thing. Can you understand that?”
“Luke… of course I understand,” I say, trying to keep the exhilaration out of my voice. “If you want to pull out, then I’m happy to go along.”
I can’t believe it. I’m saved. I’m saved!
“You’re serious, aren’t you?” He stares at me incredulously.
“Of course I’m serious! If you want to cancel the wedding, then I’m not going to put up a fight. In fact… let’s call it off straight away!”
“You are a girl in a million, Becky Bloomwood.” Luke’s voice is suddenly thick. “To agree without even hesitating…”
“It’s what you want, Luke,” I say simply. “That’s all that matters to me.”
It’s a miracle!
There’s no other explanation.
For once in my life, God was actually listening. Either him or Ganesh.
“You cannot do this.” For the first time there’s a tremor of emotion in Elinor’s voice. “You cannot simply abandon the wedding I have organized for you. Funded for you.”
“I can.”
“It’s a highly significant event! We have four hundred people coming! Important people. Friends of mine, of the charity—”
“Well, you’ll just have to make my excuses.”
Elinor takes a few steps toward him, and I see to my astonishment that she’s shaking with rage. “If you do this, Luke, I can promise you. We will never speak again.”
“That’s fine by me. Come on, Becky.” He tugs at my hand and I follow him, stumbling slightly on the rug.