For a long moment, he heard only her breathing.
Then she asked, "Do you still love me?"
Arthur felt his throat tighten.
"That was never the question, Madison."
"What do you mean?"
"I love you. But love does not mean I must agree with every decision you make."
She began crying harder.
Arthur wanted to tell her that everything would be fine.
But he had learned that promises made only to remove discomfort often caused more pain later.
Instead, he said, "Come home when you're ready. We have a great deal to talk about."
Chapter 8: The Unexpected Return
Madison returned to the mansion shortly after eight o'clock.
She looked exhausted. Her hair was tied back carelessly, and she wore the same clothes she had worn the previous evening.
She walked into the kitchen and found Arthur sitting at the table with two cups of coffee.
He had placed the financial documents beside him.
Madison stopped in the doorway.
For a moment, she seemed to expect an angry speech.
Arthur simply pointed to the empty chair.
"Sit down."
She obeyed.
Neither spoke immediately.
Finally, Madison looked at the documents.
"I don't know what to do."
"That is why we are going to speak with your lawyer today."
"Your lawyer?"
"An independent lawyer who represents you. Not me, and not Victor."
She nodded slowly.
Arthur explained what he knew about the investigation. He did not exaggerate the facts or promise a particular outcome. Some of the documents appeared suspicious, but only a proper investigation could establish exactly what had happened.
Madison listened, occasionally wiping her eyes.
When he finished, she looked toward the window.
"I thought if I made enough money, people would finally take me seriously."
Arthur folded his hands on the table.
"Who didn't take you seriously?"
She hesitated.
"Everyone."
"That is a very large word."
Madison gave a bitter laugh.
"You always do that."
"Do what?"
"Ask questions when I want you to agree with me."
Arthur considered the remark.
"Perhaps I should have asked more questions when you were younger."
She looked at him.
"What?"
"I gave you money whenever you needed it. I paid for things that went wrong. I assumed that helping you meant removing every obstacle in your path."
He looked down at the documents.
"I may have made it too easy for you to believe that mistakes would never have consequences."
Madison shook her head.
"This isn't your fault."
"I am not saying it is. Your decisions were yours. But I was responsible for the way I helped you, and I need to acknowledge that."
For the first time in years, Madison saw something in Arthur that she had rarely noticed before.
Uncertainty.
He was not standing over her as an unquestionable authority. He was a man reviewing his own decisions and admitting that he might have made mistakes.
It unsettled her more than anger would have.
"Why are you being so calm?" she asked.
"Would shouting change what happened?"
"No."
"Would humiliating you recover the money?"
"No."
"Then we should do something useful instead."
Madison lowered her head.
"I'm sorry."
Arthur did not immediately respond.
She looked up, struggling to find the right words.
"I'm sorry for the way I spoke to you yesterday. I'm sorry for accusing you of trying to control me when you were trying to warn me. And I'm sorry for the way I've treated the people who work here."
Arthur nodded slowly.
"Those are important things to apologize for."
"Are you going to forgive me?"
"I can forgive you for hurting me. Trust, however, is something we will have to rebuild."
Madison accepted the answer.
For once, she did not argue.
Chapter 9: What the Water Revealed
Later that morning, Arthur and Madison walked outside together.
The garden was bright again, and the pool glittered beneath the sun. A gardener was trimming the hedges near the fence.
Madison stopped beside the water.
"This place used to make me happy," she said.
Arthur stood beside her.
"It still can."
She looked at the pool.
"I used to swim here with Aunt Eleanor. She would sit in one of those chairs and read while I practiced diving."
Arthur smiled faintly.
"She used to complain that you splashed water onto her books."
Madison laughed through her tears.
"I remember."
For several minutes, they stood in silence.
Then Madison turned to him.
"Last night, I thought you were going to punish me."
Arthur raised an eyebrow.
"Why?"
"Because of the argument. Because I was cruel to you."
He considered his answer.
"I was angry. I was disappointed. But punishment was never going to solve the problem."
Madison looked at the pool again.
"Did you ever think about doing something just to make me understand how you felt?"
Arthur was surprised by the question.
He remembered the container of dark dye in the utility room and the foolish idea that had crossed his mind.
"Yes," he admitted. "I did."
Madison looked at him.
"What were you going to do?"
Arthur took a slow breath.
"I considered making a dramatic gesture that would have embarrassed you. I was frustrated enough to think that if I shocked you, you might finally listen."