The Marriage of Nathan West

The New Plan

Nathan's plan did not sit well with Maxie at all. In fact, the more she thought about it, the less she liked it. If anything went wrong with it, anything at all, Nathan would end up married to Chelsea with no real way out and who knew what would happen to herself. Maxie loved him, but sometimes Nathan was too by the book for his own good. It was definitely time to take matters into her own. If Chelsea thought she was going to marry Nathan West or set Maxie up for murder, she had another thing coming.

Nathan left after a little while to keep up the appearance of going along with Chelsea. He gave her a quick kiss and an admonishment to behave. She hated it when he did that even if he had every right to think she was up to something. Because she was. Maxie was going to bring Chelsea Pendleton down if it was the last thing she did.

She spent a restless night in one of Deborah's guest rooms. As soon as the sun was up, she dressed and tip toed out of the apartment, heading straight for Liesl Obrecht's hotel room. Liesl was awake when Maxie knocked, dressed in a leotard and sweat band. Her hair pulled off her face in a pony tail.

"Ah, Maxie. I wondered when I would see you. Come in."

"Um, I didn't mean to interrupt..."

"Nonsense!" Liesl waved off Maxie's hesitant apology. "I've finished my morning calisthenics. Now. Sit, let's discuss this catastrophe that Nathan has found himself." She offered Maxie the chair by the desk and sat on the floor in a yoga pose. Maxie tried not to laugh, biting her lip in an effort to stay silent.

"Now then," Liesl began. "He has committed to marrying this woman. We must not allow it. I cannot abide such trickery when it comes to Nathan's love." She caught the look of skepticism from Maxie and brushed it off with a wave of her hand. "I know what you are thinking. I have stooped to such levels for myself and my Britta. But Nathan is a good man, decent and honorable. He does not need to do the same. Nor does he need a woman who will go to such lengths. He deserves better than that."

"Good. That's what I need to hear. Nathan has a plan to get himself out of this marriage but it isn't going to work." Maxie relayed Nathan's plan in it's entirety, watching as Liesl's expression grew darker with each step. When she was finished, Liesl shook her head. "You don't think it's a good plan?" Maxie asked.

"It will never work. He won't be able to get the information out of her without the marriage and then it will be too late. You have a better idea?"

"Yes. But I need your help."

"I will do whatever is necessary."

"Can you get me into where ever she's having this wedding? I think between the two of us, we can get the information we need to put an end to this. There is one thing though," Maxie added thoughtfully. "Nathan can't know about this. He would freak out if he knew what I was up to."

"Oh, my dear. I will not be the one to tell Nathan any of this. Your plan is safe with me."

He barely slept and what little sleep was punctuated by dreams of losing Maxie somehow. He woke early and left Chelsea's apartment for a quick run to clear his head. He had a very bad feeling about today. Chelsea had him and she knew it. All it would take was one phone call saying she had witnessed Maxie killing Scott and that was the end of Maxie's freedom and her life. It could go to trial and Maxie had a very good lawyer but she also had a terrible reputation for lying. It wouldn't go well if it went that far. Nathan was determined that it wouldn't. He just hoped Maxie held up her end of the bargain.

He finished his run and returned to Chelsea's apartment. She was waiting for him with a garment bag in hand and a smug look of victory in her eyes. She was dressed and ready to go somewhere. Without a word, she laid the bag over the back of the couch and waited for him to pick it up, daring him to defy her. He would do it, of course. What other choice did he have?

"I'm glad you're back from your little run. I have an errand to run so you better get cleaned up."

"Chelsea, listen," he began trying one last time to reason with her. "This is a mistake. All of it. We can't do this."

"Oh James. Of course we can. Why so grim?" Chelsea asked with a tinkling laugh. "It's our wedding day and Maxie's day of freedom. You should be happy."

"Maxie's day of freedom?" He echoed in confusion. "I don't understand."

"Don't be dense. You should be happy that your precious little Maxie Jones will be exonerated."

Nathan's eyes narrowed in suspicion. This was a new twist he didn't expect. "You're going to tell the truth? That Maxie didn't have anything to do with Scott Chambers' murder?"

"Oh no. That isn't happening. But I will make certain Miss Jones isn't bothered about it any longer."

"And just how do you intend to do that?"

She gave him a long searching look, her lips curling into an empty smile. "Oh don't you worry about that darling." She stepped up to him and ran a finger down the length of his cheek. "I have everything taken care of. Now, you go get showered and changed. We're expected at my uncle's estate in Bridgehampton by six."

She left him standing in the living room of her apartment, the door slamming behind her. Whatever she was planning wasn't good. He snagged his phone and called Maxie's cell. It rang until it went to voicemail. He cursed under his breath and dialed Deborah's home phone instead. It was picked up on the second ring by her housekeeper. He asked for Maxie and waited while the housekeeper went to find her.

A moment later, a frantic Deborah came on the line. "Oh Nathan! I'm so glad you called. Maxie is gone!"