expensive.” It was twice the price of the work they were doing on the house, which was bad enough. “Are we committed to it?”
“I signed the contract this morning. I wanted to surprise you.” And since they were married, technically, she was responsible for any debt or expense he incurred. So she was on the hook. She was no match for him. He outsmarted her at every turn.
“I’m going upstairs to lie down,” she said quietly. She didn’t want to fight with him. But he had crossed the line again, in a major way. She wondered how many times he would do it. The boat sounded like a fabulous idea. It even had a grand staircase, a swimming pool, and a helicopter landing pad, but she would never have chartered a boat that size, and certainly not for two weeks.
“Please don’t be mad at me,” he said softly, as she walked away to go upstairs. She turned to look at him. It was hard to believe that he didn’t understand what he was doing, and the kind of money he was spending. It was astronomical. “I just wanted you to be happy. You should have some fun with your money.”
“That should be up to me to decide when we’re talking about houses and amounts like this. I’m sure the boat is beautiful. I just don’t want to blow my inheritance like this. It’s supposed to last for my lifetime, and our children’s lifetimes. It won’t, if you keep spending it like this, and you can’t do it without talking to me about it. I don’t want a honeymoon with ten of your friends along for the ride.” She was growing up fast dealing with him.
“Why not? You go to their homes. Why can’t we take them with us?”
“I’m going to have a hard time explaining this to my trustee. He may put me on an allowance if you keep blowing money like this.” She could see Ed doing it, and she wouldn’t blame him. She had been extremely careful and reasonable before. Nigel was becoming a major money drain, and she was scared of where it could lead.
“Just tell him it’s our honeymoon. He’ll understand.”
“No, Nigel, he won’t. And neither do I.” But she was beginning to. Nigel had had a plan when he married her, and she was it. The question was what to do about it now. She had to figure it out. He hadn’t asked her to give him the houses, he was content to spend as much money as he could on a lavish lifestyle, which only he cared about. Coco didn’t. Nigel had seen an opportunity with her and seized it, and now he was running with it, as fast as he could.
Chapter 9
The trip on the boat Nigel had chartered was nothing less than fabulous. He organized it perfectly, with a night for them alone before the others joined them. They picked the boat up in Monaco, where it was docked next to several even bigger yachts, which dwarfed it. All of them belonged to famous yacht owners, but the Moonbeam was a spectacular boat, and only a year old. It had been built by a famous shipyard, and had every comfort imaginable. Marble bathrooms, a spa, a hair salon, a movie theater, exquisite furnishings, priceless contemporary art, two Cordon Bleu chefs, and an impeccable British crew. The cabins were enormous and supremely comfortable with beautiful sheets and cashmere blankets and exquisite décor. They were waited on hand and foot. The champagne flowed from the moment they set foot on the boat, and Nigel had ordered caviar for their guests every night. There was nothing Coco could do about any of it, so once she accepted that the expense was inevitable, she tried to enjoy it as best she could. They had Jet Skis, water toys, a small sailboat and a submarine on board, and a helipad for the owner’s helicopter. It had indoor and outdoor swimming pools, and a fleet of masseuses, hairdressers, and manicurists in addition to the nineteen-person crew. It was the most luxurious experience Coco had ever had.
The meals were extraordinary, like a three-star restaurant every night. They made a detour to Saint Tropez to do some shopping, and after that they headed to Italy, with a night in Portofino, Corsica after that, and then on to Sardinia, where they met up with friends on other yachts. Nigel knew people everywhere, and whenever they were in port, they