“It’s all lies,” Holly insisted.

“Stay out of this!” her father snapped. “You’re probably not any better than her!”

Holly’s gasp was drowned out by Raffaela’s voice coming from the door. “What is going on here?”

Sabrina’s father pointed at Sabrina. “She’s a call girl! And your son is just another one of her clients!” He pointed to the newspaper that now lay on the table. “It’s right there in the paper. Everybody knows! My name is being dragged through the mud!”

Her mother let go of Sabrina and leaned toward him, her chest heaving. “For fuck’s sake, George! If anybody ever dragged your name through the mud, then it’s you!”

“Shut it, Ilene! This is not about me! This is about your tramp of a daughter!”

“She’s your daughter too, and she’s not a tramp!”

“Believe what you want to believe! But I’m not going to be a part of this charade any longer!” He stormed out of the kitchen.

“Dad! Please! Don’t leave!” Sabrina called after him, but he didn’t even turn his head, as if he hadn’t heard her.

A sob tore from her chest and a moment later she found herself pressed against Holly’s chest and let her tears run freely. She barely heard the quiet words Raffaela and her mother exchanged.

Then the sound of footsteps came from the hallway and Daniel’s voice drifted to her. “What happened?”

Holly released her from her hold, and Daniel pulled her into his arms. “Sabrina, baby, what’s wrong?” He held her tightly, stroking her back, but she was unable to speak, her tears choking her.

“Her father saw the article in the New York Times,” Raffaela explained. “Sabrina tried to explain to him that it’s all a misunderstanding, but he wouldn’t listen.”

Daniel pressed kisses on top of her head. “I’m so sorry, baby. I’ll fix this, I promise.”

Sabrina lifted her head. In the periphery she saw Tim standing near the door, looking at her with pity in his eyes.

“Oh, Daniel, what are we gonna do?”

“I’ll take care of it.”

Just then, heavy footsteps came running down the stairs and a moment later, the front door was slammed. This couldn’t be happening! But it was. When she heard the engine of a sports car rev up an instant later, she knew it: her father was leaving.

“He’s not going to walk me down the aisle.” She sobbed uncontrollably.

Daniel pressed her tighter to him. “I’ll talk to him. I’ll explain everything.”

“But he’s leaving!”

“Tim, take my car, follow him!” He tossed his keys to his friend. “Find out where he’s going and keep me posted. I have to stay with Sabrina right now.”

“It’s no use,” Sabrina murmured. Her father would fly home, thinking the worst of her, and he would refuse to speak to her.

Four days before her wedding, the cracks in her perfect world were starting to widen. What else would happen to bring her entire house of cards down?

20

Daniel brushed over Sabrina’s hair as he rocked her in his arms. He’d brought her to their bedroom to grant Sabrina some peace and quiet. It was buzzing in the house now; the workers had arrived to build a platform in the garden, where the ceremony would take place, and others were busy finalizing the construction of the tent.

Tim had managed to catch up with Sabrina’s father, who hadn’t driven very far. He’d stopped in East Hampton, and according to Tim, he was still there, sitting in a coffee shop, brooding over a cup of coffee. Tim had not approached him. Later, once he’d calmed down a little, Daniel would have a word with him and convince him that the article was a lie, and that his daughter was a decent woman.

“How about I take you out for brunch? Just you and me. Nobody else,” Daniel now asked Sabrina. “You need a little break from all this.”

Sabrina lifted her head and sniffed. “What are we gonna do about my dad?”

Daniel softly stroked her cheek. “He’ll come around. I’ll take care of it. Promise. Now, you need a change of scenery.”

He lifted her off his lap.

“I must look horrible.” She wiped her face with her hands.

“You look beautiful as always,” he said, though he didn’t like to see the red puffiness around her eyes.

“Let me just freshen up a little.”

“I’ll wait for you downstairs.”

When he reached the foot of the stairs, he leaned against the wall and stared at his shoes, contemplating his next actions.