From Manhattan With Revenge Boxed Set (6 page)

“You
look handsome,” she said.

“And you
look amazing.”

“I hope
you don’t think I’m being a pain in the ass about my father.”

“If
there’s anyone in your life who also understands a strained relationship
between a father and his kid, it’s me.”

“We’re
quite a pair,” she said.

“Actually,
we are.”

“And by
the way,” she said.
 
“When are you
planning to call your father?”

His eyes
brightened.
 
“I plan on driving out
to see him soon.”

She
laughed.
 
“You’re so full of shit.”

“What
did Addy have to say?”

“Just
that he didn’t know about my relationship with Dad, but that he
understood.
 
He asked if I knew
Jean-Georges Laurent, the businessman.
 
I do, but between us, he gives me the creeps.
 
Harold, who rarely had a bad word to say
about anyone, hated him for some reason.
 
Now, I can only imagine why.
 
Laurent is as cut throat as it gets and he might have had something on
Harold.”
 

She
shrugged.
 
“But I know how these
events work.
 
He’s important, people
know him and that’s what matters, especially when it comes to that crowd and to
the press.
 
I said I’d be pleased if
Jean-Georges gave me the award and Addy said he’d call my father to give him
the news.”

Mario
fixed his tie.
 
“Think he’ll show
anyway?”

“No
idea.
 
But he doesn’t want to come
near me if he does.”
 
She caught the
concerned look on his face and said, “Don’t worry.
 
If he does, I’ll just politely walk
away.”

“You
know, people haven’t seen you in a long time.
 
They haven’t talked to you since that
night.
 
They’re bound to ask you
questions.
 
Are you ready for that?”

“I know
what they’ll do.
 
I also know what
I’ll say.”

“What’s
that?”

“That I
appreciate their concern but I’m not ready to discuss it.
 
That should end it.”

“Not if
a member of the press asks you the question.”

She
hadn’t thought of that.

“Want a
tip?”

She nodded.

“A
simple ‘no comment,’ repeated firmly if necessary, always works.”

CHAPTER TEN

When
they arrived at the party, they were fifteen minutes late, which was
perfect.
 
Dozens already had
arrived.
 
Now, if she worked it
correctly, Leana could ease inside with as little fuss as possible, which is
how she wanted it.
 

She’d
been off the circuit for a year and even though she told herself she didn’t
care how she’d be received by people, a part of her cared.
 
She knew she’d do fine with the new
money, because she understood them as well as they understood her.
 
But the old guard was the old
guard.
 
Although some had worked
with her father and Celina on deals in the past, the Redmans never had been
fully accepted into the highest levels of society.
 

And they
never would be.

People
like Addison Miller, who led one of the world’s largest banks and whose lineage
was linked directly to one of the country’s founding fathers, welcomed them,
but that was likely because on some level, probably due to his hidden sexuality,
he was more open to accepting others, even though he ironically couldn’t accept
himself.
 

As for
his wife, Tootie Staunton-Miller, she was an unbearable ice bitch who remained
in her own circle as much as possible.
 

Events
such as this brought everyone together, sure, but Tootie only held them if she
was certain they advanced her.
 
Trotting out Leana and giving her an award for backing suicide
prevention allowed her to be viewed in a position of power.
 
It was she, after all, who backed the
charity that was giving the award.
 
Leana was just there to accept it.
 
There was a clear difference in the power structure.
 
Tootie
chaired
charitable
events.
 
Leana just signed a check
and handed it to them.

As for
the massive photographs that showed off her newly renovated mansion on Fifth,
that also was pure positioning.
 
While the photographs presumably were meant to emulate something of an
art installation, a way for people to see how seriously the Millers tended to
every detail in their home, the not-so-subtle undercurrent was the bragging
rights that came with owning such a home.
 
Who here wouldn’t want to live where they lived?
 
Who wouldn’t want to call that home their
home?

But
beyond that, Tootie and Addy had saved one of the avenue’s key residences.
 
Now, they were considered architectural
heroes.
 
They had spent tens of
millions of their old money to preserve an increasingly shabby-looking corner
of Fifth and bring it back to its former glory.
 
For those who lived near Tootie and
Addy--and there were plenty here who did--their work would only benefit them in
what remained a difficult real estate market.
 

Countess
Castellani and her blind husband, Count Luftwick, were the first couple Leana
and Mario came upon.
 

Leana
had known them since childhood and in spite of the fact that the countess could
become a bit of a mess when she decided to skip the vermouth in the many
martinis she tended to favor, she didn’t mind them, especially because of their
commitment to HIV research, which was unwavering.
 

Like
Leana and Mario, they also had just arrived and were standing with three vipers
Leana didn’t care for at all--Kitty Flem Dixie, the tobacco heiress; Lorvenia
Billiups, the department store heiress; and Frieda Zulrika Teeple, the diamond
heiress whose affair last month with three black workers from one of her South
African diamond mines had caused a worldwide scandal.
 
Apparently the affair, or orgy as it
were, took place in one of the mines while Frieda Zulrika Teeple’s workers
cheered them on.

Leana
was surprised to see her here.

She
looked up at Mario with a gleam in her eyes.
 
“Let’s go over and say hello.”

“You’re
joking.”

She
grabbed his hand.
 
“When my mother
was sent to prison, every one of them, with the exception of the count and
countess, threw her under the bus.
 
They were quoted in interviews.
 
They tore her down.
 
They
were happy to vilify her.
 
Much of
what they said wasn’t even true.”
 
She looked at them all.
 
“I
always knew that karma would run them over.
 
I just didn’t know that I’d be driving
one of the vehicles.”

They
started to walk toward them.
 
When
Mario saw Frieda Zulrika Teeple, he squeezed Leana’s hand.

“Isn’t
that the woman--”

“That’s
her.”

“The one
who had the orgy?”

“That’s
right.
 
That’s her.”

“That
was just a month or so ago.”

“Isn’t
it great?
 
She’s either brave or
deluded to be seen so soon.
 
We’ll
find out.
 
Oh, and keep in mind that
Count Luftwick is a little off.”

“Jesus.”

“Countess
Castellani,” Leana said as they joined the group.
 
“Count Luftwick.
 
It’s good to see you.”

Every
head turned in their direction.

“Leana,”
the countess said while appraising her.
 
“You look beautiful.
   
Very thirties.
 
Very now.
 
Uber fresh.
 
I bet Frieda wouldn’t mind having those
diamonds--or your legs.
 
How is your
mother?”

“Still
scrubbing toilets in prison.”

“I’m
sorry to hear that.”

“I’ll be
sure to let her know.”

“It must
be awful for her, all that urine and whatnot.”

“She’s
getting by.”

“All
felons must do their time,” Kitty said.

“That’s
true, Kitty,” Leana said.
 
“I
remember when your father did his time for allegedly raping that young woman in
a Kentucky funeral parlor while in the next room, they were preparing her
father’s body for the viewing.
 
The
security camera footage obviously was faked, regardless of what people say and
how real it looked.
 
I think he got
a raw deal.”
 
She paused to admire
the piece of jewelry at the woman’s throat.
 
“That’s a lovely brooch.
 
I love how the green matches your eyes.”

The
woman seemed surprised by the compliment and undone by the mention of her father,
whose actions had disgraced the family for years.
 
She put her fingertips to the giant
emerald and was about to say something when Count Luftwick said, “Leana, I
can’t see you, but I’m certain you’re one of the room’s stars.”

“She
certainly is glittering,” Lorvenia said.

Leana
looked at Lorvenia Billiups with a smile.
 
“Lorvenia, I don’t think I’ve seen you since they were running your
trial in re-runs on Court TV.”

“You
watch Court TV?”

“When I
can’t sleep, it calms me to see old friends.”

“They’ve
put me in re-runs?”

“I’m
afraid you’re everywhere right now.
 
I try not to miss that channel because you never know who will turn
up.
 
For instance, just recently it
was
you
.
 
Can I just tell you
that I don’t believe for a minute that you knew about all those illegals
working at your department stores?”

“Thank
you.
 
I had no idea.”

“Of
course not,” Count Luftwick said under his breath.
 
“Mexicans have a knack for blending in.”

They all
heard it and a few eyes widened at the racist overtones.
 
There was a pause in the conversation
while Lorvenia lifted her chin.

“I’m
sure you didn’t know,” Leana said.
 
“But I’m glad it turned out as well as it did for you.
 
I wish my mother had received only an
ankle bracelet and--”
 
She
paused.
 
“How long did you serve?”

“Six
months.
 
In my Bar Harbor mansion
along the Maine coast.
 
Stunning
views.
 
Friends flew in for dinner.
 
My children visited.
 
The Fords and the Rockefellers came by
to offer support.
 
Oddly, it wasn’t
uncomfortable at all.
 
I was able to
garden, entertain and spend time with myself, which I never do because I’m
always so busy.
 
It was something
like a vacation.
 
Maybe even out of
a
dream
.”

“Sounds
like a nightmare to me,” Count Luftwick said.

“Not at
all,” Lorvenia said.
 
“But then
you’ve never actually seen the house.
 
It’s divoon.
 
The views!
 
Oh, how I wish you could see them!”

“I can’t
see shit, Lorvenia.
 
You know
that.
 
So, get your finger out of my
ass, will you?
 
Stop tickling my
eyeballs.
 
Jesus.”

“Anyway,”
the countess interjected.
 
“We’re
glad it went as well as it could for you, Lorvenia.”

“I would
have liked that for my mother,” Leana said.

“But
your mother committed
murder
,” Frieda said.
 
“It’s not quite the same thing, Leana.”

“It
isn’t,” Leana said.
 
“That
true.”
 
She scrutinized the woman’s
face.
 
“You’re always so sharp,
Frieda.
 
So quick.
 
I admire you for that.
 
And I’m sorry I haven’t written you
since your recent public crisis.
 
I’ve meant to, but we only just got back from our trip around the
world.
 
It’s awful that you’re facing
such lies and humiliation because of something the press made up.
 
Friends were talking about it in
Paris.
 
Others in Saint Petersburg
and Beijing.
 
A South African
orgy?
 
With three men in one of your
mines?
 
How does that even happen?”

“It
didn’t happen.”

“But
they won’t stop saying it happened.”

“I
believe it happened,” the count said.
 
“In this town, gossip might as well come from the Lord’s lips.
 
I look for the worst in everyone.
 
Even you, Frieda.
 
Sometimes, especially you.
 
Sorry.”

“He’s
just joking,” the countess said, and Leana noticed that the woman was digging
her nails into the count’s arm.

“They
were talking about me in Beijing?” Frieda said.

“They
were.
 
But the good news is that
your lawyers, I presume, were quick enough to remove the footage from YouTube,”
Leana said.
 
“That’s when I learned
about it, when news about the video was trending on Twitter.”

“I was
trending on Twitter?”

“At one
point, you held the top spot.
 
I
viewed the video and even though the rough parts were smudged out, I swear it
wasn’t you.
 
I think the only one
who believes it is Lady Molesworth, who I hear can’t shut up about it.
 
But you know how she is.
 
When even the hint of a scandal hits,
she’s not happy until she gets on the phone and calls everyone who
matters.
 
She phoned my mother in
prison the day the news hit.
 
They
still keep in touch.
 
I think she’s
the reason so many people found out.”

“You’ll
notice that Lady Molesworth isn’t here tonight,” Frieda said with a
self-satisfied smile.

“I
didn’t notice,” Leana said.
 
“But I
do hope she’s not making more telephone calls with that extra time on her
hands.”

A waiter
tapped Leana on the shoulder and asked her to join the Millers and Jean-Georges
Laurent in the Pool Room.

“Looks
like I’m up,” Leana said.
 
“It was
nice seeing everyone.
 
I’ll send my
mother your best wishes.
 
I know
it’s just an oversight that she hasn’t heard from you.
 
She follows the papers and understands
that many of you have been unusually busy.”