A Broken Promise

Chapter 9

Ewan watched from the window as Georgia climbed into the car. How had things gotten so out of hand? He placed his hands in his trouser pockets as he watched the taillights of the car vanish.

Her husband had been a lucky man to have her love. They had set the terms from the beginning and it had been just a dalliance and yearly retreat into the world of the living. Many people expected him to marry a person in his social set. One who had been groomed to be the wife of a wealthy man but he would have married her in an instant if she would have had him and loved him like she did her husband.

He had never met a more giving or selfless person in his life.  What she had done for him was more than anyone, apart from his military unit, had ever done.  She had sacrificed her reputation and career so that he could keep his and in return he had had to fire her. Technically she had quit, but he didn't insist that she stay.

Just then there was a brief knock at the door and Craig entered. "She's gone sir. I apologize for the embarrassment of the situation. I never would have expected Ms. Dawson to act that way, even when she mentioned that her time with us was up and Ms. Diana was ready for her to leave. I should have expected her to be like all of the others. I'm guessing that once she saw that her time with us was finished she decided it was time to force your hand."

Ewan schooled his face into his regular mask. "Force my hand?"

"Yes." Craig cleared his throat. "The affair that you two have been having. I'm guessing that she wanted to force you to bring it into the open in hopes that you would admit to having the same feelings for her that she does for you."

Ewan turned to look at Craig with a level stare. How could this man see so much but not see the truth. Craig eventually started to fidget under his unwavering inspection.

"What's going on with Diana? She seemed pleased to be able to fire Ms. Dawson," Ewan asked in an attempt to keep himself from setting the record straight.

"It seems we forgot about Molly." Craig cleared his throat, a sure sign of guilt.

Ewan cursed himself silently. That's what she had meant by finding a wife and crushing a few dreams. It made sense now. He had promised her he would deal with it and he hadn't and now he was sending her back to deal with Molly on her own.

That he could rectify.

He couldn't take back the cruel things he had said to her in the last week, for which he still felt guilt, but he could protect her from Molly.  He had hated every word he had said to Diana that morning but he had had to get a point across to her, and it had proven how well Georgia knew him when she had said she knew that he wasn't having an affair with Gwen. Gwen he trusted with business secrets but she was less than discreet in her private affairs.

"We have to return home."

"Now, people will think-,"

"Now, Craig."

"There is just one other thing. Molly has had a timely accident and hurt her ankle. She cannot be fired, for the time being."

This time Ewan did curse aloud as he walked to the doors of the library and threw them open. "She was right, she is a dangerous woman."

Craig was hot on his heels "I'll get a car," he said, knowing there was no point in trying to talk him out of it.

*******

Georgia had managed to get a late flight back to New York and, since she had few worldly goods, packing only took her a short time.

The news of what had happened had traveled fast and when she arrived back at the house there was a silence from the limited staff that saw to her needs. She needed to go down and thank Ms. Levitt, Mrs. Charles, and Ruth for all of the help that they had given to her over the years and she was not overly eager to do it. She had put it off as long as she could but now that she was packed, it was time.