“Like what?”

“She told me that you and Adam … well, that you had a relationship in the past. I’ve already talked to Adam about this and he admitted that the two of you had an intimate relationship.”

It was like a dark cloud passed over his face. The warmth of a moment ago disappeared behind a shield, his blue eyes guarded.

“Is that a problem for you?”

The chill in his voice threw her off guard and she hesitated.

“Because it was for Ann,” he continued.

“But … Adam told me he and you didn’t get involved until after you decided to divorce. Are you saying that your relationship with Adam was what caused the marriage to end?” Her insides coiled at the thought Adam had lied to her.

“What? No, of course not.” Then he sighed. “That’s what Helen told you.” He sipped his wine. “She won’t let go of that. I’ve tried to straighten her out, but she just won’t believe it.”

“Then what did you mean about it being a problem for Ann?”

He sighed deeply. “Adam wasn’t the first man I’ve been with.” He pinned her with his gaze. “But not while I was married. I was never unfaithful.”

She nodded.

“Ann found out and…” He stared into his flute while he swirled the liquid around. “Let’s just say she’s not very open-minded. She was disgusted by the discovery and said she would not stay married to a pervert. When she told Helen why she was divorcing me, Helen got the idea it was because I was cheating, not because of her mother’s small-mindedness. When Helen found out about Adam and me, she just assumed it was his fault. I think it was because she needed someone to blame.”

“I don’t understand. How did it even start?”

“Adam worked for me as an intern. Since Helen asked me to find him the position, I interacted with him as much as I could to ensure he was getting what he needed to further his education. Then when things started going wrong with Ann and me, Helen started acting up. One night she let it slip that she was having sex with Adam.”

Shock jolted through Ashley. “Oh, my God, Adam and Helen?” Her heart pounded, but Dare waved his hand.

“No. It turns out she was just yanking my chain. I confronted Adam about it and he told me, in as gentlemanly a way as he could, that Helen had thrown herself at him, but he’d turned her down. I’d suspected she’d been drinking and Adam reluctantly admitted it, not wanting to get Helen in trouble, but realizing that Helen had a problem and that I should know.”

Jessica had told her about Helen drinking in school and now she was hearing this.

“How did that turn into a relationship?”