Part 38 (2/2)

”Yes.”

”You did well in school. You got into college on your own. Same with graduate school. You earned your place at those schools.”

”Did I?” Eaton asked quietly. ”There were others who were just as qualified as I was, who didn't get in. Was my admission based on merit? Or was it money, or the family name? Same with the books I write. Did the first one sell because I was from an ill.u.s.trious family? That first one was far from brilliant, but it gave me a foot in the door.”

”It was good,” Hugh said.

”Good, but not brilliant. There are many good books that never make it into print. My publishers might have given up on me.”

”But you were good,” Hugh argued.

Eaton shook his head. ”The image of who I was reinforced the merit of the book. More to the point,” he continued, ”would we be here now? How many African Americans come to the Elm Room? Not as many as have graduated from the university, I'd warrant.”

”They're not comfortable here. It's a bastion of whiteness.”

”It's a bastion of privilege,” Eaton amended with disdain. ”I feel guilty about that. I feel I should have spoken up against the exclusivity here. I always called myself progressive.”

”So did I, but here I am,” Hugh said. If being two-faced about his liberalism was a crime, he was as guilty as his father. ”I spend my days representing minority clients, then go home to a community where there are few minorities. David Johnson is the exception.”

”Does that mean you ought to move?”

”Does it mean we should drop our members.h.i.+p here?”

”What does it mean?” Eaton asked.

”Beats me,” Hugh replied.

A door opened at the far end of the room, and a private party began to disperse. Hugh recognized many of the men. They were prominent members of the business community.

Several stopped at their table, a few dawdled at the door of the private dining room. At the center of that group, one of the last to emerge, was Stan Hutchinson.

Eaton stiffened when he spotted him. ”Will this be a problem?”

Hugh shrugged and continued eating.

Hutchinson was halfway through the room when he saw them. Sending the rest of the group ahead, he approached.

Hugh and Eaton rose. Hutchinson shook their hands and gestured toward the bar. ”Chivas, neat,” he called.

”It's been an interesting week,” he said as they sat down. ”Your boy played me well, Eaton. Has he told you about that?”

”He certainly did,” Eaton replied, fully composed. ”He's good at his job.”

The senator chuckled and said in the same collegial way, ”I'll have to remember that next time some woman hits me with a potentially damaging charge. You know me,” he drawled, ”I'm a decent guy. I've spent the last thirty years fighting for the poor. I championed raising the minimum wage, I've proposed education incentives and sponsored job-training programs. h.e.l.l, know what we were discussing there in the back room just now?” He looked up when the bartender brought his whiskey, and took a healthy gulp. Then he set the gla.s.s down and smiled. ”That meeting was about getting the leaders of this community involved in hiring teens and raising college scholars.h.i.+ps.” He thumped his chest. ”This is what I stand for.”

”No one's denying that, Hutch,” Eaton said.

”Your boy is,” Hutch argued, still speaking in a good-natured tone. ”I stand for decency and honesty and respect.”

”And family values,” Hugh put in. ”Wasn't that your message on Meet the Press a couple of Sundays ago?”

”We all know what the truth is here,” the senator rumbled on. ”We have a girl who has real problems. So she decided to go after me, because she has nothing to lose, not one d.a.m.n thing. And I'll go along with it, Hugh, because you played your cards right. I gotta hand it to you. You knew I wouldn't want the publicity of even an accusation.” He took another drink and set down the gla.s.s. ”Was it the book, Eaton-because I wouldn't do your f.u.c.kin' interview? Or you, Hugh, because I didn't offer you the job as legal counsel for my committee?”

”What job?”

”The one I gave to your law-school pal?” he said, seeming legitimately confused. ”What was it? You know me, you know my family. Why'd you pick on me?”

Hugh wasn't falling for the act. Stan Hutchinson was a seasoned politician. He might play the part of the bewildered victim, but Hugh knew he must be furious.

”I took the case before I ever knew you were involved,” Hugh said.

”Okay,” the senator allowed, ”but afterward, you could have excused yourself. You could have claimed a conflict of interest.”

”There is no conflict of interest. My firm isn't representing anyone else with whom you're involved. I took this case because I believe the woman, and she needs help. And you're right, we all know what you stand for. I figured that you, of all people, would want to make sure a child you fathered would have the best possible care.”

The senator made a chiding sound. ”Do you know how many women try to lay claims on me?”

”He's a sweet boy, Hutch,” said Hugh. ”He's cute and smart. He's coordinated enough to be a nice little athlete, a.s.suming he gets the medical care he needs.”

”He's not my child.”

”That's what the test is for.”

”Christ, Hugh, do you know the mess this could make? If word gets out-”

”Word won't get out unless you tell someone yourself. Everything will be kept private, from the test to the settlement. Your family will never know. You must have investments your family knows nothing about.”

The senator glared at him. ”You are a cynical son-of-a-b.i.t.c.h. What if someone did this to you? What if the tables were turned? What would you do? Would you risk your family, your job, your image?”

Hugh didn't hesitate. If he believed anything, he believed this. ”If it were about doing the right thing, I'd risk it. You have fought all your life for everything this child represents. To turn your back on him, when there's an easy enough solution, would be the height of hypocrisy. So do you believe what you say in Congress or to Larry King-or is it all hot air? Does the public voice say one thing and the private voice another? If you're a man of honor, you need to show it now.”

Hutchinson stared at him long and hard. Hugh was bracing himself for another attack when the man made a disparaging sound, pushed back his chair, and strode out of the room.

Hugh stared after him.

”That's it,” Eaton said, his eyes dark and knowing. ”You put it well.”

Yes, Hugh realized. He had. And they weren't talking about Hutchinson.

Chapter 30.

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