Two attendants in pale-blue scrubs arrived at the door. “Is everything okay?” one of them asked in an alert, but still calm, voice.

Eileen shook her head. “No,” she said, watching her mother shake her head violently back and forth as she rocked in her chair. “I’ve made a mistake.”

The attendants came in slowly. “It’s okay.” They were reassuring Eileen, not her mother. “These things—they happen. It’s really hard to predict.”

One of the attendants placed a hand at the center of Ella’s back. “It’s okay, it’s okay,” she soothed. “Everything is going to be all right.”

Chapter 18

Eileen

Eileen pushed through the revolving main door, past the doormen and beyond the protection of the Regency’s entrance awning, and up the public sidewalk. Blinded by the midmorning sun, she tripped on a raised square of concrete, pitching forward, arms cartwheeling. It was only after three huge, embarrassing stumbles that she barely escaped a nasty fall.

“Jesus Christ,” she cursed under her breath while she collected herself and attempted to regain her composure.

Looking around, she saw that the doorman behind her and several other passersby had noticed but also had the good grace to pretend not to and quickly glanced away. With a roll of her shoulders and a deep breath, Eileen moved closer to the building to steady her fractured nerves and begin the search for Henry’s business card so she could call for a ride back to the house.

After several seconds of frustrated rummaging, followed by new resolutions and promises to both buy a smaller purse and keep it organized, Eileen finally fished out her scratched sunglasses and the small, rectangular card. As she slipped on the glasses, she grabbed her phone from the pocket she’d left it in, a miracle of organization, and tapped the call icon. Still distracted by her embarrassment, Eileen dialed the number while continuing to glance at the doorman, who appeared to be keeping a suspicious eye on her.

“Hello?” he answered.

“Henry, it’s Eileen.” She lowered her head and turned toward the building. “I know you’ve barely dropped me off, but can you come back now? It didn’t go very well. Mom got very upset when I told her about Clare…completely confused. She thinks I’m talking about something that happened over twenty years ago.” She waved her free hand in the air above her head as if that could clear away the terrible misunderstanding that had just happened. “Anyway, it’s a mess, and I just need to get back to the house before I fall apart right here on the street.”

Eileen pressed the phone to her ear and waited for Henry to tell her, No problem, be right there.

“Eileen?” he asked. “Greyden?”

Eileen breathed into the phone as an uncomfortable awareness washed over her. Henry didn’t sound like Henry. She lifted the business card and inspected it more closely.