Her parents would hate him.
Somehow that made the idea of Drew even more attractive. Which was odd because Bethany wasn’t a teenager trying to rebel. She was in her thirties for pity’s sake.
Then again, she’d been lying like a teenager might lately.
Reggie had been at her for details on who she was dating. Before she’d known it, Bethany had supplied Drew’s name. She’d been mooning over him ever since he’d carried her off that boat, so he had been on her mind when Reggie started hounding her for information about her new fellow. Making Drew her pretend boyfriend was silly and immature. She regretted it instantly and resolved to pretend dump him at the earliest opportunity. Bethany would just have to tell Reggie that she wasn’t interested in him. It wasn’t going to be easy, but it was the truth.
“Bethany?” her mother gently prodded Bethany verbally to pay attention to the conversation.
“I had a therapy session at the pool,” Bethany informed them suddenly. She didn’t need another reprimand for not paying attention. Her mother tended to wax long when she was lecturing. Bethany cut up her veal cutlet into tiny pieces. “Dr. Urshman hoped that it would help to trigger my memories.”
“I don’t think I like this new doctor of yours,” her father Ted frowned. “I can’t see how bringing up your childhood is going to help you.”
That was also a familiar theme. Her father not wishing Bethany to exert herself in any way emotionally. He was worried that she might harm herself further.
“I think it’s working,” Bethany remarked, keeping her tone as mild as possible. “I went to the marina as well. Do you know anyone who might have owned a boat called Sweet Bethany?”
“We used to own a yacht called Sweet Bethany, didn’t we Ted?” Constance looked to her husband. “That was years ago.”
Ted coughed and took a big swallow of water. “We sold it. There was no point in keeping it since you were afraid of the water.”
“I wasn’t always afraid,” Bethany wondered if she was talking about her fear of water or just in general. She’d lived so much of her life in a protected cocoon, drugged and wary, always told that she had to be careful. “Max Ramesly told me I used to love the water at the beach. We went to the Ramesly beach house on occasion, didn’t we?”
“You used to love the water,” Constance replied thoughtfully. “I always wondered what happened to change that.”
“We agreed,” Ted pointed his fork at both of them. “We agreed that you should let this go Bethany. It will only harm you further, trying to delve into memories that may or may not exist. There are so many studies about how this could be harmful to you, to your mental health. We’ve worked so hard to get you to the point of where you are today, and I don’t see why you would want to jeopardize that.”
Bethany sighed and pushed her green beans around on her plate. Her parents had always treated her like she was fragile and could shatter at any moment. “I just want to know what happened. Is that really so bad?”
“Sweetheart,” Ted gave her a smile and spoke in a tone that made Bethany feel like she was ten years old again. “It was years ago. Leave it alone.”
Bethany pressed her lips together at the admonishment. She didn’t know why her father gave such resistance to the idea of her recovering her childhood memories. She had learned one thing today. The boat was her father’s. Something had happened on that boat. Unless it was like Drew had mentioned, that sometimes memories could get mixed up and she had substituted the name of her father’s boat because that was what her mind knew.
Bethany pushed the beans around and felt confused. She’d have to call Dr. Urshman and discuss it with her.
“I was talking to Betty Milton and she mentioned her son Earle needs a date for the annual Spring Benefit,” Constance smiled resolutely, trying to steer the conversation elsewhere.
“The Miltons? Really?” Ted shook his head. “I was talking to Mayor Bailey the other day and his son Trenton is looking for a good woman.”
“Trenton is a little bit, arrogant, don’t you think?” Constance gave Ted a significant look. “I don’t think he would suit our Bethany.”
“And the Milton’s would?” Ted obviously thought they were a step down in the world.
“Ted,” Constance sighed. “We’re running out of eligible gentlemen. Earle is a very nice man. He’d treat our Bethany well.”
Bethany ate a green bean. They would go on debating the merits of whom to invite to date Bethany. Her mother would probably win. Bethany had never met Earle Milton but if the grasping Betty Milton was anything to go by, the date wasn’t going to go well.
Bethany didn’t like green beans, she reflected. She ate them because it was expected of her. So many things were expected of her and she’d gone along with them, compliant and allowing things to just happen as her parents wished it. Part of Bethany knew it was the medications she’d been on. Part of it was how she’d been raised. Like she couldn’t make any but the most basic decisions for herself. That anything else would be too taxing for her.
She wondered what they’d say about Drew Colborne. They would quickly dismiss him out of hand over his profession and status in life. Bethany frowned. “I met a police officer. A detective, actually.”
Ted and Constance stopped talking and looked at her with interest. Not a good interest either.
“He looks an awful lot like Maxwell Ramesly. In fact, they could be twins, they look so much alike,” Bethany looked at her father. “Did Mr. Ramesly have an affair?”
Ted cleared his throat uncomfortably. “What a thing to ask.”
“I’m sure it’s just a coincidence,” Constance tried to smooth the moment over. “They say everyone has a look alike out there.”
