Chapter 10
Through the swinging door I could hear Richard's voice carry. He was at the head of the long table in the ballroom, his black suit pressed, his gold watch catching the chandelier light. Laughter followed his words.
I pushed a finished plate forward and the server took it. Vanessa slipped into the kitchen then, in a dark green dress, her hair down for the night.
"You okay back here?" she asked me quietly, near the sink where no one else could hear.
"I can manage," I said. My voice was low.
She glanced at my hands. "You don't have to be back here at all. I told him we had enough staff."
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"I know," I said. "He wants me where the door can stay closed."
She didn't answer. The caterer called for the next course and she went back out, smiling before the door even swung open.
