Page 67 of The Restaurant on Plum Island
“Dad, did you know Paul Liddiard’s ex-wife?” Ethan asked, changing the subject.
“Why are you asking about that man?” Victoria’s voice was laced with anger. “He has been nothing but a thorn in our family’s side.”
“We did,” Arthur answered once Victoria had finished her rant.
“Laura, Beth’s mother, was a lovely person,” Victoria filled Ethan in. “But she had a substance abuse problem, and when Paul couldn’t handle it anymore, he took Beth and left Laura.”
“How did she die?” Ethan asked. “Or did she die?” He was so confused at the moment and didn’t know what to believe.
It was a shock to find out the woman he’d been married to for ten years and had known for eighteen years had kept secrets from him.
“Honey, Laura overdosed.” Victoria’s voice was soft and full of compassion. “Didn’t Beth already tell you that?”
“I needed to make sure Beth had told me the truth,” Ethan told them. “I’ve realized lately there was alotI didn’t know about Beth’s family.”
“I’m sure whatever Beth kept from you, honey, she had good reason to,” Victoria consoled him. “It must’ve been hard for her to speak to you about her parents.”
“Did you know that Paul took in a friend’s children?” Ethan didn’t feel like speaking about Beth at the moment. He didn’t have a lot to hold onto when it came to memories of her, and he didn’t want them further tainted.
“We heard something like that,” Arthur admitted. “But we haven’t really had anything to do with Paul after he left our record label.”
“Why are you asking about Paul?” Victoria pushed for an answer.
Ethan told them about Paul’s association with Stella Hart. He was relieved to know that his parents were just as shocked by the revelation as he was.
“I must go,” Ethan said, checking his wristwatch. “I have to find Alex. We’ve had a bit of a falling out.”
“Oh?” His parents said in unison.
“What did your brother do now?” Arthur asked.
“Why do you immediately assume it was Alex that did something wrong?” Victoria admonished her husband. “It could just as well have been something Ethan did.”
“Mom’s right,” Ethan told his father. “This time, it’s not Alex. It’s me, and I owe him an apology.”
“Has this got something to do with your brother wanting to swap places with Bailey and go to Egypt?” Victoria questioned him.
“I think so,” Ethan confessed. “Is Alex really going to go to Egypt?”
His father told him, “Your sister isn’t coming back to the States just yet.”
“She’s loving what she’s doing and Egypt,” Victoria told him. “Will you thank your friend Harley from us for recommending Brock as Bailey’s new security detail?”
“It seems your sister is happy with him,” Arthur informed Ethan.
“I’ll let Harley know,” Ethan promised, along with keeping his parents up to date with the Stella Hart versus Trinity situation.
When he finally hung up, a wave of guilt washed over Ethan for having his family investigated and not telling them. Blackwell Productions may be a powerhouse, but his family was close, and Ethan would like to keep it that way. That’s why he needed to mend the rift between him and Alex before it was too wide.
Ethan had been sitting in a secluded corner of the Summer Inn’s seating area. As he turned toward the conference area where their offices were, he bumped into a furious Trinity.
“I hope Stella Hart is content now,” Trinity spat out bitterly, her voice laced with frustration and a hint of desperation.
“What’s going on, Trinity?” Ethan probed, his tone calm yet firm. He already suspected the root of her agitation.
“Reviving Stella Hart’s career could very well be the death knell for mine,” Trinity confessed angrily. “I admired her, truly, until her legal eagle came swooping down, forcing me to cancel tomorrow’s segment. It’s like setting fire to my own platform.”
Ethan looked at her disapprovingly. “You crossed a line by veering into off-limits territory with your questions—you overstepped.”
