Chapter 6 — The Fear Behind the Cover-Up
Richard moved the conversation into a private lounge.
The gala continued outside.
But several people involved remained.
Claire.
Emma.
Victoria.
Oliver.
Elise.
Richard.
And Daniel, Emma’s uncle, who had arrived after Claire called him.
Richard looked toward Elise.
“Tell us exactly what happened.”
Elise did.
She had been responsible for supervising Oliver.
She left him alone.
When she came back, Emma told her:
“Oliver pulled it, but he didn’t mean to.”
Elise immediately realized what that meant.
Victoria had personally inspected Caroline’s memorial display three times that afternoon.
She had already criticized two staff members because one ribbon was crooked.
Earlier in the week, she told Elise:
“If anything goes wrong with Caroline’s display, don’t bother giving me excuses.”
Elise was already under pressure.
When the display was damaged, she imagined Victoria’s reaction.
Then she saw Emma.
A child guest.
Not Victoria’s grandson.
Not an employee under Elise’s supervision.
Elise made a cowardly decision.
She did not explicitly say:
Emma broke it.
Instead she told Victoria:
“Emma was beside it when I arrived.”
Technically true.
Deliberately incomplete.
Elise hoped Victoria would assume the rest.
She did.
Claire looked toward Elise.
“You knew exactly what you were doing.”
Elise nodded.
“Yes.”
Then Emma suddenly spoke.
“She told me not to say Oliver.”
Every adult looked at her.
Elise’s face went white.
Richard asked:
“What?”
Emma repeated it.
“She said Grandma Victoria gets mad.”
Victoria looked toward Elise.
Elise started crying.
“I told her I’d explain everything after the gala.”
Claire shook her head.
“After Emma took the blame?”
Elise had no answer.
But Victoria was no longer looking at Elise.
She was looking at Oliver.
Then Emma.
Two children had been afraid of her reaction.
One ran away.
The other was told to stay quiet.
And Victoria’s response had proved every fear justified.