“You did protect her. You were there when she needed you.”
“Then why didn’t I see what was happening?”
“Because none of us knew everything.”
She wiped her face with her sleeve.
I wanted to tell her that we had both done the right thing, that Alicia’s wedding had been beautiful and that the inheritance was simply an unfortunate misunderstanding.
But that would have been another attempt to make the situation easier for myself.
“I should have refused the marriage,” I said. “Or at least stopped and sought proper guidance before making that decision. I was her doctor. It was my responsibility to recognize the boundary, even when she asked me to cross it.”
Nora stared at me.
“So you admit you were wrong.”
“Yes.”
“And you expect that to make everything better?”
“No.”
The word surprised both of us.
I continued.
“I can’t ask you to believe that I made the right decision. I didn’t. But I need you to understand that I didn’t marry her for money. I didn’t even know the money existed.”
