The Woman Who Started It All
Chapter 15 - The Woman Who Started It All
Eleanor visited me on a rainy afternoon.
She carried a small box.
Inside was a photograph from my seventh birthday.
Catherine stood behind me.
Gabriel's mother sat nearby.
And Eleanor was holding a brightly wrapped gift.
I studied the picture.
"You look happy."
She smiled sadly.
"I was."
Then her expression changed.
"Noah, I owe you an apology."
I looked up.
"For what?"
"The fountain."
I laughed once.
"That's a pretty unforgettable introduction."
She didn't smile.
"I hurt you. And I humiliated you in front of people who already treated you badly."
I nodded slowly.
"Yeah. You did."
Eleanor looked down.
"I panicked when I saw the man watching us. I knew Charles had people at the hotel. I thought if I created a distraction, I could see your wrist without making it obvious why I was interested."
I listened.
"I didn't think about what it would mean for you."
I looked at her.
"You could have just asked."
She nodded.
"I know."
"And I lost my job."
Tears filled her eyes.
"I'm sorry."
I was quiet for a long moment.
Then I said, "I forgive you."
She covered her mouth.
"But don't ever do something like that again."
She laughed through tears.
"I promise."
Eleanor told me she'd spent years regretting her silence.
She had suspected Charles wasn't telling the truth about Catherine and Julian.
But she hadn't known how to challenge him.
"I was afraid," she admitted.
I thought about Thomas.
Margaret.
Leonard.
So many people had been afraid of Charles.
So many lives had been shaped by one man's power.
I leaned forward.
"You're not afraid anymore?"
Eleanor took a breath.
"Yes. I am."
I smiled faintly.
"Then why are you helping?"
She looked at the old photograph.
"Because I'm more afraid of staying silent again."
I nodded.
May you like
That was the answer I needed.
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