Chapter 5
Genevieve had spent years insulting Isolde politely.
That was how Isolde described it.
Never:
You’re poor.
Instead:
“You’re wonderfully unpretentious.”
Never:
You don’t belong.
Instead:
“Rowan always did enjoy rescuing people.”
Never:
You married up.
Instead:
“You must still be adjusting to rooms like these.”
Isolde usually ignored it.
Rowan had not always noticed.
That admission bothered him.
“You heard some of it?”
“Yes.”
“And?”
“I thought answering gave it importance.”
Isolde stared at him.
“It already had importance to me.”
Rowan nodded.
There was nothing useful to defend.
Genevieve’s class contempt was genuine.
But Katherine began to suspect it was also useful.
For two years, Genevieve had told relatives and foundation staff that Isolde was uncomfortable around money.
Then that she was fascinated by it.
Then that she asked too many questions.
Small comments.
No accusation.
Just enough to create a recognizable character:
The outsider wife who might eventually want more.
A former foundation coordinator named Laura Bennett remembered one conversation.
“Genevieve asked whether Isolde had ever requested to be paid for charity work.”
“When?” Katherine asked.
“Maybe six months ago.”
“Had she?”
“No.”
“What did you say?”
“I said no.”
“And Genevieve?”
“She said, ‘Good. People should know where the line is.’”
Another employee remembered Genevieve asking how foundation whistleblower complaints were handled if the complainant had a personal financial interest.
Again:
Months before Isolde discovered Halcyon.
Why prepare those questions?
Katherine found a memorandum Genevieve requested from outside counsel eleven weeks before the baby shower.
Topic:
Board response to extortion allegations involving family member’s spouse.
Rowan stared at it.
“Eleven weeks.”
“Yes.”
“Isolde didn’t discover the invoices until three weeks ago.”
“Yes.”
That was the problem.
Genevieve had been preparing for an allegation involving Rowan’s spouse before Isolde did anything resembling the scenario.
Unless Genevieve expected Isolde to discover something eventually.
Or intended to make it look like she had.
The memorandum said a foundation chair should recuse from investigations involving a spouse accused of seeking personal benefit from foundation information.
That part was standard governance.
No magical automatic suspension.
No secret clause.
Just obvious conflict rules.
But it told Genevieve something useful.
If Isolde could be made the subject of a credible financial complaint, Rowan would have difficulty controlling the investigation.
And if Rowan also assaulted Genevieve publicly?
His position became even weaker.
Katherine looked at him.
“This is clue, not conclusion.”
Rowan nodded.
Then Margaret Sloan called.
She had traced $410,000 from Halcyon to payment of a personal loan secured by Genevieve’s art collection.
That was no longer just poor disclosure.
That was direct personal benefit.
Genevieve’s attorneys claimed it represented repayment for legitimate expenses Genevieve had previously advanced.
Margaret asked for documentation.
None arrived.
Rowan looked toward the staircase photographs.
His mother had financial exposure.
She had spent months preparing a narrative around Isolde.
She had cameras placed near the spot where she eventually shoved a pregnant woman.
May you like
The pieces still did not prove the whole design.
But there were getting to be too many pieces.
