Brielle stared out the window to the street below instead of facing them. “I had thought I would be speaking with you in private.”
“That would hardly be fair to your partner. He entered into this agreement in good faith and provided you with full disclosure. The things you learned about him are extremely private and nobody but his partner has the right to know.”
Brielle flushed a dull pink, but she didn’t turn, refusing to look at either of them.
“At any time, once your lawyer presented you with the papers to sign the marriage agreement, you could have checked his name but you didn’t. I find that . . . strange.”
There was no accusation in Stefano’s voice, but Elie felt guilty anyway. He hadn’t bothered to check his wife’s name, either. Indifference? That was what Stefano’s statement to Brielle implied. Had he been indifferent? He’d been upset. Uncomfortable with the fact that he’d married a woman he knew he shouldn’t be with. It was wrong. It felt wrong because he was supposed to be married to Brielle. He didn’t want to face the stranger until he absolutely had to. Had Brielle felt the same? Curious, he waited, like Stefano, standing by the desk for her to comply with the request to take a seat.
Elie admired the way Brielle straightened her shoulders before she finally turned to face the two men. There was determination in her expression. She didn’t like the fact that he was in the room when she pleaded her case, but she wasn’t going to let his presence stop her. With great dignity she crossed the room to the chair Elie had pulled out for her. Seating herself, she folded her hands in her lap. Elie took the chair beside hers and Stefano sat behind his desk on the opposite side.
“For accuracy, I’ll record the conversation, but we can destroy the recording, Brielle, at the end of the meeting, depending on the outcome,” Stefano said. “I need you to state your name, birth date and the reason you are here—the termination of your agreement to enter into a marriage with Elie Archambault. Elie, you do the same, stating that you don’t wish to allow Brielle out of the agreement. She will speak first, stating all her reasons why she wants out of the arrangements. You remain silent during her time to speak. Then you can offer a rebuttal and ask questions. Is that clear to both of you?”
Brielle’s voice was low but firm as she followed Stefano’s instructions. Elie didn’t think that was a good idea. He would have preferred a little hesitancy. When it was his turn, he made certain to sound decisive and very calm. He was an Archambault. They were famous for keeping their cool under any circumstance. He had been a notorious hothead in his youth, but he had grown far past that and he wanted that on the record.
Brielle twisted her fingers together so tight, they were white. Elie had to resist putting his hand over hers to still the nervous gesture and comfort her.
“Forgive me, but I have to tell you this from the very beginning or it will not make sense to you,” Brielle said.
“I have all night if that is what it takes,” Stefano said, shifting back in his chair and steepling his fingers, his eyes on her face.
“In France, the Archambault family is very famous, not just among riders, but everywhere they go. I imagine it is much the same as your family here. They appear in all the magazines and they are quite handsome. There is much gossip about them.”
Brielle pressed her thumb very tightly into her palm, steadfastly avoiding Elie’s gaze. “My sister and I bought every magazine any of the Archambaults were in. My parents were certain Fayette would be a perfect match for one of them. She was an excellent rider and they carefully studied all the bachelors in the family. Fayette was groomed to become the wife of an Archambault almost from birth.”
She raised her gaze to Stefano’s, looking shy and a little apprehensive as if he might judge her family harshly. “Fayette is really quite beautiful and an excellent rider. She’s tall and could easily have been a runway model had she chosen to be. She was asked dozens of times but turned down the offers. Her times in the shadows were ridiculously fast, so much better than mine. She had her heart set on Elie and went to all the clubs he frequented. She told me how he often danced with her and . . .”
She broke off and pressed her lips together, for the first time glancing at Elie, that sweet rose color creeping up her neck and into her face.
Elie remained silent, very aware of Stefano’s decree. He wanted to defend himself, but he also didn’t want to take the chance of Brielle shutting down. Clearly, it was extremely difficult for her to offer her testimony to the two men—and he could see why. It was very personal.