Grace wheeled around, caught sight of the big windows and the overpowering view and let out a moan as her head spun. She doubled over, leaning on the back of the mighty chair and putting her head down on her arms.
She tried to picture happier times. Her father at her college graduation, beaming from the crowd. The way she'd felt when she'd finished her first marathon. That Thomas Cole she'd just bought.
Good things, happy things. Things that didn't have anything to with death. Invasion. Terror. Things that would block out that picture of Cuppie lying dead on a marble floor.
Gradually, almost imperceptibly, she began to notice that her legs were shaking. So were her hands. And her bra was still jabbing her in the back.
Her breathing began to return to normal. Her heartbeat slowed.
When she felt up to, she raised her head and ran an unsteady hand over the chignon. A piece of hair in the front had been dislodged and she tucked it behind her ear.
Exhaustion came over her in a rush but it was a relief. Anything was better than the crushing explosion of fear.
Oh, God.
She didn't know how she was going to keep going.
Minutes later, Grace walked across the office to the double doors that led out into the reception area. When she opened them and met the irritated eyes of Lou Lamont, she had herself back under control.
"Sorry to keep you waiting." She was proud of her smooth smile and casual words.
Lamont brushed by her, issuing a command over his shoulder. "Katy, whip me up some Earl Grey, would you? And make it hot this time.”
Kat grimaced and rose from her desk as Grace shut the door with annoyance.
As soon as he took a seat, Lamont carefully unbuttoned his suit jacket and brushed something off his pant leg with a flick of the hand. A staccato beat sounded out, the rhythm of his shoe hitting the corner of the desk. His impatience was one of the first things she always noticed about him. Well, that and his cologne.
Grace covered a sneeze with her hand.
"God bless," he said solicitously. "Are you getting sick?"
As if he secretly hoped she had something lethal and efficient.
"Not at all.” Grace sat down, watching his eyes flicker over her. She knew the attention wasn't sexual. He didn't want her body, he was after her job and the piece of furniture she'd put her butt onto.
His cell phone went off.
"Excuse me," he said, taking it out of the jacket of his stick suit.
As the man started in on a chorus of yeses and absolutely she reflected on how long she'd known him. He'd started years ago on the lowest rung of the ladder, working part-time as a grant application sifter while he got through a master's degree in art history at NYU. By the time she came onboard full-time, he’d risen in the ranks and his piece de resistance had been when her father had promoted him into senior management.
He was a good-looking guy, tall and thin, and as his salary had increased, so had the quality of his clothes. He'd also gradually left behind his Bronx accent until it was only noticeable when he was angry. Over the years, he'd grown adept at accumulating power and he got what he wanted by any means necessary—hard work, blatant bullying, or charming persuasion. He was also good at his job. He'd turned into a first-rate chief development officer, able to raise phenomenal amounts of cash for the Foundation from wealthy donors and major corporations. The flip side was that he was brash, ambitious, and frustrated that he'd been passed over in favor of Cornelius's daughter.
He was looking for other jobs and, with a wave of grief, Grace remembered that she owed Suzanna for the heads up. Late last week, the woman had called to say that Lamont was sniffing around the museum, looking to take over their Development Office. Suzanna, as chair of the board, had turned him down flat, telling him that she didn't want to endanger the museum's relationship with the Hall Foundation. Evidently, Lamont had left angry.
He flipped the phone off and slid it into his pocket. "We need to talk about the Gala. It's six weeks away and I need to take charge. I mean, you're so busy getting a handle on things, it's going to be impossible for you to do it all."
Shooting him a smile, Grace reached over and picked up one of her father's gold pens. As she twirled it through her fingers, Lamont's eyes lit on the thing as if he wanted to wrench it out of her hand.
"That's a kind offer, Lou. But the Gala is under control."
"Is it? Then why hasn't Fredrique shown up yet.”
"I'm not using Fredrique this year and I already told him that three weeks ago."
Lamont's brows dropped down tightly over his eyes. "But we always use him. He does the parties for everyone who's anyone."
"Not anymore. After that fiasco last spring, when he tried to wedge live elephants into the Waldorf, people are seriously rethinking his creative urges. He also double-bills. Mimi Lauer says she's not using him again after the ballet's big event this season and I know that the museum wasn't happy with his performance, either."
She thought of Suzanna again.
"But I told him yesterday we were going to hire him," Lamont said through thin lips.
"Then you better call him back."
"So who are we using? "
"Me."
He laughed out loud. "We're talking about five hundred of New York's most important people and this is the first Gala now that your father's dead. You can't afford for it not to go well."
"We're a nonprofit charity. I'm not going to waste thousands and thousands of dollars just for advice on what color the tablecloths should be."
"He does more than that. He coordinates the food, the flow of guests—"
"All things I can do."
"But your father always—”
She cut him off with a level tone. "My father, as you pointed out, is dead. And Fredrique is an expense we don't need."
"Look, you know as well as I do, this town is a tightrope. The Foundation shouldn't fall off into obscurity just because you want to save a buck."
"Fredrique is not the answer. And I think you're going to be amazed by my sense of balance."
Lamont rose from the chair, frustration getting the best of him. "I hope when I get back from Virginia you'll be thinking more clearly."
"Oh, that's right. You're going to see about the Finn Collection. When are you leaving?"
"Tomorrow afternoon."
"Good, there still may be a chance for you to switch your ticket."
"Switch?"
"None of us should be flying first-class when we're on company business anymore. Not unless we're paying for the upgrade ourselves."
Lamont's eyes narrowed into slits and Kat picked that moment to come in with a tray.
"Make sure you save the teabag," he muttered as he pushed past the girl. "She's going to want to reuse it for her next meeting."
Kat steadied her load. "You want his tea?”
"No, thanks." But his head on a stick might be nice, Grace thought. "And you can throw out the bag."
Kat was laughing as she shut the door.
As soon as she was alone, Grace sagged in the chair, feeling utterly depleted. She couldn't imagine staying in the office a moment longer. She needed to think.
Picking up her purse and the discarded scarf, she went out to Kat's desk.
"Do me a favor and close up. I need a break." She wrapped the scarf around her shoulders and walked over to the closet to get her cashmere coat.
Kat was frowning. "Are you okay?"
"I'm just tired. And I want to see how the contractors are making out with my guest bath. If I leave now, I might still catch one of them who was going to stay late."