Part V: Over The Love (Part One)

"...And I don't wanna see what I've done

To undo what has been done

Turn off all the lights

Let morning come..."

~ "Over the Love" - Florence + the Machine

Friday

July 25, 1922

The night had been long and exhausting.

Nick had returned to the party to try and find Rebecca, but he'd looked high and low. She hadn't been anywhere and even Crawley wore a look of concern. He'd watched the old butler speak with three maids who also wore nervous expression. They'd quickly scattered into the house and party, but an hour later they'd all returned saying they hadn't been able to find Mrs. Gatsby.

Crawley had told him to go on and enjoy the party. The staff would worry about finding Mrs. Gatsby. Even as Nick danced with Daisy, he couldn't help but wonder where Rebecca had gone. Where ever she was, he'd hoped all night long that she was safe. Gatsby had never returned to the party after his departure, but he'd returned later after the party was over and everyone had gone home.

Their conversation about the past angered Nick to no end. Gatsby determination to recreate the life he should have had with Daisy was killing his future. The future that he could have shared with Rebecca was slowly dying a bloody, painful death. Each day it died a little more until Gatsby finally took a knife to it and pierced its heart. The bright, unknown future that Gatsby could have was slipping away with Rebecca and Nick knew that no matter what Gatsby wanted, Daisy would never leave Tom.

He could see his cousin and her husband for what they really were: selfish people who destroyed good people and things. When they finished breaking a person, they slipped away and left that person there to die of sadness. Nick didn't have enough fingers to count how many of Tom's mistresses had died of a broken heart and he didn't care enough to even think about how selfish his cousin was.

Gatsby was snared in Daisy's web and like a black widow spider, she'd bite him and it would kill all the good things in Gatsby's life.

Everything had become a mess and Nick wasn't sure how to fix things, but he knew he had to fix them. Opening his front door, Nick was surprised by the breeze coming into the house. Walking towards the open door in the back of the house, he was assaulted by the smell of alcohol. A shattered glass was on the floor and Rebecca was curled up in a wicker chair staring out at the green light across the bay.

"Party over?" she asked in an emotionless voice.

"Gatsby is probably looking for you," Nick said not knowing what to do as he picked up one of the narrow shoes that Rebecca had kicked off.

"He's not looking for me," Rebecca whispered. "He never is and after tonight...he has other things on his mind."

"You saw him and Daisy," Nick stated. It wasn't a question. He knew that she'd seen them. Why else would she have shown up at his house in the condition that she was in?

"It wasn't that hard," Rebecca sniffled. "He's stared at her all night. God…"

She covered her face and wiped away the tear that had trickle down her cheek.

"What happened?" Nick said as he came to sit down across from her. "Between you and Tom tonight."

"Your cousin-in-law…he…he told my sister Mary that he'd marry her. He promised that he'd marry her and when Mary fell with child…he left her. He abandoned her for your cousin Daisy," Rebecca said tearfully. "He left Mary and she…her son was born and she…killed herself once she found out Tom had married Daisy."

"Does Tom know about his son?" Nick asked quietly as he sat down in shock.

"If he didn't care about the child before he was born, why would Tom Buchanan care now?" Rebecca snapped. "I didn't tell him about the child because that child was all Mary had to live for. I wasn't even going to give him the chance to try and rip the little boy away from his mother."

"Where is he?"

"Thomas…his name is Thomas," she whispered. "My sister even named her child after the bastard. Thomas is now the ward of some family in Cleveland. Forever out of reach because of that man and his shameless actions. I'm sorry to speak ill of him, but your friend is no saint. God only knows how many other children he has born out of wedlock."

"Does Gatsby know that? I don't think he would have had Tom over if he knew the truth," Nick quickly said. "You should tell him."

A tear slipped down Rebecca's cheek and she quickly brushed it away.

"Do you remember how I told you that Gatsby and I was a long story?"

Nick nodded.

"I think you'd better sit down, Nick."

He did and Rebecca cleared her throat.

"Before I ever met Jay Gatsby, I met another man. Tom Buchanan. It was 1918. He was in town at the time and I was with my sister Mary at a party hosted by Mr. and Mrs. Sloan. I was eighteen years old and Mary was seventeen. She was just out in society. It was her first year and the first time she was introduced to Tom Buchanan, she was smitten. She liked everything about him. I should have listened to the voice in my head right at that moment. It had screamed at me that Buchanan was bad news, but I indulged Mary like everyone else around her Nick. Mary was spoiled and wild and…she wanted her independence. Matthew was the only one who could see the train wreck that was bound to happen with my sister. He told me over and over again to tighten the leash on her, but I never listened to him. I always thought that it was a phase she'd outgrow."

"She never did, did she?" Nick said quietly.

"No," Rebecca smiled sadly. "She never did. That first night, she and Buchanan made arrangements to meet later. I didn't know about it until much later. If I had known, God only knows I would have done everything to stop her from going and meeting him."

"What happened between her and Buchanan?"

"She started seeing him in private. Their relationship became sexual and Buchanan promised to marry her someday. He left her a letter with his intentions before he went back to Chicago. Two months after Buchanan left, Mary found out that she was pregnant. I remember that night so well Nick," Rebecca whispered as a tear fell down her cheek. "I remember her crying in my arms and showing me the letters. I remember every word that she said as she finally told me the horrible truth about everything. We both knew that the moment we told our parents that they'd make her leave. They'd cut off all contact with her to try and minimize the outfall from the ensuring scandal."

"And you're parents made her leave?" Nick asked in shock that two parents could treat their child in such a careless manner.

"Yes, I remember the day she got into that car and how she'd turned around and stared at me through that back window. I'd held her the night before all night. Just like that she was gone, Nick. My parents did everything they could to minimize the damage, but the damage was already done. People began talking about Mary's absence and then one of Mary's friends, Victoria Brewster, revealed to one of the biggest gossips in New York what had happened. You can imagine the damage that happened then. Everyone knew that Mary was with child and that she'd left New York. The woman Miss Brewster revealed the story to happen to be the cousin of Tom Buchanan's mother. She kept Tom's name out of the public and let Mary burn."

Rebecca turned to look at Nick as tears fell down her cheeks, "Thank God Mary was already gone. People who were once her friends whispered the cruelest things behind her back and even my own parents spoke ill of Mary. They called her a whore and publicly disowning and disinheriting her. About six months after Mary left, I went to the theater with a family friend. That was the first time I met Jay Gatsby. He was handsome, Nick. He just…came in like a gust of wind and knocked me off my feet."

A far off look crossed her face like she was reliving a distant memory. A soft smile grace her full lips as tears continued to fall. Nick tried to reach out and cover her hand with his, but she moved her hand away from his.

"He was in a black suit with a white vest and bow-tie. His hair was slicked back and in the dim light of the theater he was just like an ethereal being that descended down on me," Rebecca continued softly. "There was something about him Nick that just drew me in. He was…warm and made me feel like I was the only person in the room that mattered to him. He was like the sun and I couldn't help but to be pulled in by the smile and the charm. His words, the way he looked at…everything made me want to know him more. When he asked to call on me the next morning, I said yes without any hesitation. I didn't think about anything else but seeing his smile again. There was something about him. Everyone is drawn into him, Nick. I've always tried to figure out what it is about him that people like but, I don't know what it is."

"Did he call on you?" Nick asked quietly wanting to hear the rest of the story.

"My mother nearly fainted when Jay Gatsby showed up on her doorstep asking for me," Rebecca laughed tearfully. "She did everything that she possibly could to leave us alone. She wanted me to marry Jay Gatsby so badly. It would lessen the damage that Mary had created. I sat in that drawing room with him for hours just talking about nothing. It wasn't hard not to like Gatsby and it was so easy to fall in love with him. He was so sweet. He had this laughter that just made me feel like I was on high when I was able to make him laugh. He used to send two dozen lily flowers every Monday morning for the week. On Friday, he'd always send a dozen roses. Without fail they'd always showed up. He used to go walking with me in Central Park. He took me out once a week to some new place in New York. The opera, the theater, a shop, a tea room, a restaurant...always somewhere new. It wasn't hard not to fall in love with a man like that. It was like a fairy tale. He was everything a woman could ever want. Kind, generous, and he made me feel like I was all he wanted in the world. I should have listened to the rational side of my mind when it told me that no man was as perfect as Gatsby seemed, but the little girl inside of me was enamored with the idea of finally finding my Prince Charming. I truly believed that and when Jay Gatsby proposed to me on that warm April night in that beautifully lighted garden, I stupidly said yes. I should have said no. I should have said no and went running, Nick. I should have gone far, far away."

It shocked Nick to know that Gatsby had once romanced Rebecca. Their marriage was so frost that to know that Gatsby once made Rebecca excited and gave her flowers seemed so out of character. It didn't match with the cold sometimes mean husband that he was to her.

"Gatsby sent you flowers once?" Nick said. "He actually sent you flowers?"

"They were so beautiful," Rebecca told him with a heart breaking smile that quickly disappeared. "They stopped coming after we became engaged. Gatsby stopped coming. The closer it got to our wedding day, the more distance he put between us. I thought he was just nervous. I'd heard so many girls talk about how their grooms had been nervous on their wedding days. I thought he was just like that, but looking back...Gatsby wasn't nervous. He'd done his wooing. I'd agreed to marry him and I guess to him the job was done. All he had to do was make a few appearances here and there to please my parents and let me plan a wedding that supposedly filled my heart with content. I married Gatsby in August 1920. My mother made sure it was the society wedding of the decade. She made absolutely sure that everyone and anyone who mattered was there at the church. I thought about not marrying him one second that day when I'd been waiting for my father and the car to come and collect me. As soon as that thought passed over my mind, I pushed it away. All I could think about was how I'd be leaving him in front of all New York. I believed myself in love with him. I'd never said it to his face, but I believed it. I convinced myself time and time again that he loved me. All of his actions had to mean something. I convinced myself that all the gifts, the smiles, the stupid outings and the special way he made me feel…it all had to be love, Nick. There wasn't any other option. So, that warm August day, I married Jay Gatsby and I got the only kiss I've gotten from him that day. A simple, quick peck on the lips that made the people in that church clap politely and that stupid kiss made me believe that I was in love with him. The questioning was gone and I stupidly became the blushing bride. I fell into the exact role he wanted me to play and I played it well, Nick."

Her voice cracked on the last words as tears fell down her face, "Oh, I stupidly believed myself to be in love with him. The party afterwards passed without any problems. People congratulated us and other women stared at me with envy. We retired from the party around nine and I went with Tilly. My mother had told me all about the wedding night and I was anxious like any other bride would be. I must have sat there for hours. When I finally found Jay, he was sitting in his room with a brandy. That was the first night I learned just how cold he could be. Here I was, this twenty year old bride and as I stood in front of him in my little negligee, Gatsby finally told me the truth. He'd simply married me to help business and my marriage to him eased the scandal my sister had created. He didn't care about me like I cared about him and he banished me from his rooms. I stupidly believed in love like Mary. The only blessing that came from that whole thing was the knowledge that I had never confessed my love to him. I was spared that humiliation. The morning after that disastrous night he came to me at breakfast and explained how I was to change nothing in the house or on the grounds. Everything was the way he wanted it. There are plenty of things about the house I dislike and no matter how much I protested to him, he'd never listen. Gatsby never listens to me. To him, I'm just another wall hanging that can be ignored."

"I'm sorry," Nick said softly. "I'm so sorry."

"Why are you sorry?" Rebecca asked. "You didn't-"

She stopped as she looked at him. Nick could see that the puzzle was finally coming together in her head and that she understood.

"You brought Daisy to the house," she choked out. "You brought Jay and her together!"

"Jordan Baker told me about how Gatsby had fallen in love with Daisy five years ago in Louisville. She told me about how Gatsby had loved her since then and all he wanted was for me to invite her for tea," Nick told her as he tried to reach out and touch her.

Rebecca jerked away from him and stood up. She hugged the column that was a part of the railing tightly. The look on her face would be forever etched into his mind. She looked like someone dearly beloved to her had just died. Horror mixed with grief crossed her delicate features as she stared at him with hurt in her eyes.

"You…you didn't just bring her over to the manor because she wanted to see the inventions. Gatsby brought you over, didn't he? He wanted her to see the house and everything. Oh, God!"

Nick watched as she sunk down to the floor in tears, "Everything inside was exactly the way he wanted it. I could never figure out why I wasn't allowed to change things. I just thought Gatsby was picky about things. It never occurred to me that it was because of a woman. But now…having seen him and Daisy together…everything makes sense. All his interest in you and all the parties, he was waiting for her from across the bay. He wanted her to come to the perfect house he'd built for her. Now, he wants to play house with her. He loves her, Nick! I can see it in the way he looks at her. I could live with him despising me and everything else, but it's unbearable that he loves her. I could always live a half-life without his love, but I want his love. How could he pick her over me? How could he pick Daisy Buchanan?"

Rebecca's tears turned to sobs as she sat on the floor and hugged herself. Nick had never seen her so upset and he had no idea what to do. He knew from her jerking away earlier that his comfort wasn't welcome. She wouldn't want the man who'd aid her husband's affair to touch her. Running a hand through his hair, Nick felt helpless. It was feeling he was getting used to feeling.

He wasn't sure who to call or what to do. Just as he was about to give up and let Rebecca cry herself to sleep on the floor, Nick heard a knock at the door. Taking one look at Rebecca, Nick quickly ran to the front door and opened it. He'd expected Gatsby or Crawley to be on the porch, but he was shocked to see a different man.

Matthew Spring, Earl of Kettlemore stood on his steps wearing a serious expression on his face.

"Is Rebecca here?" he asked quickly.

Nick nodded and held open the door widely. Matthew entered the house and Tilly followed after him. The Earl was impeccably dressed in a charcoal grey suit with a matching vest. His snow white shirt and dark tie looked shaded in the low light of the hallway.

"I heard about what happened with Gatsby," Matthew said quickly. "How long has Rebecca been here alone?"

"A few hours," Nick said. "Why?"

"Is she drunk?"

"I don't think so. Although, she's a mess."

Matthew pinched the bridge of nose and closed his eyes, "I figure that much. Most women are when they catch their husbands feeling up another woman."

"Daisy," Nick said quietly. "The woman Gatsby was kissing is named Daisy. She's my cousin."

Matthew's eyes flew open and he stared at Nick angrily, "You let your cousin run around kissing married men?"

"Daisy is married. I have no sway over her."

"Isn't this just turning into the perfect little drama," Matthew snapped. "I'm guessing that you were somehow involved in all this. It doesn't matter that she was married. If that woman was your cousin, you had a duty to keep her out of trouble! You didn't have to do anything to bring this stupid affair about, but you did anyway. You practically handed your married cousin to Gatsby on a silver tray."

Nick felt embarrassment and guilt flood through him as he stared back at the angry Earl, "I realize that now."

Matthew looked like he was going to yell at him again for a moment, but the look passed and the Earl turned to look at Tilly.

"Go to Gatsby Manor and get a few things for your mistress. A few days' worth of clothing and be back here in fifteen minutes. If the butler asks what going on, tell him that Mrs. Gatsby will be staying with a family friend for a few days while she gets over her shock. The butler probably knows what happening too, if he's as good as a butler as Rebecca insists he is. A good butler always knows what happening in his household."

Tilly nodded and quickly left the house as Matthew turned back to Nick.

"Where is Rebecca?" he asked.

"The back porch," Nick said quietly as he led the way to the living room. He stopped in the middle of the room and watched as Matthew walked slowly towards the still sobbing Rebecca. He crouched down in front of Rebecca the moment he reached her. Nick watched as Rebecca took one look at Matthew and threw her arms around him.

"Oh, my darling," Matthew said softly as he drew her close to him in his arms. "Everything is going to be alright."

"No, it's not going to be alright. I'm a silly, stupid woman," Rebecca sobbed. "Why? Why did he do that?"

Nick watched as Matthew comforted her as she sobbed harder. Rebecca was barely breathing as she pulled herself away from Matthew and sobbed. She sounded like she was choking as Matthew drew out his handkerchief and dabbed away her tears. Nick took a step back towards the kitchen to leave the two of them alone on the porch as he tried to digest everything that had happened. He wasn't sure how long he'd stood there, but when he took another step back he bumped into a small person behind him.

He turned and caught Tilly before she could fall down onto the couch. The maid looked nervous as she carried a cashmere blanket.

"I spoke with Mr. Crawley earlier Mr. Carraway," she said quickly with her head down, "He and I both agreed that calling Lord Kettlemore was the wisest thing to do. Mr. Gatsby was being detained by Mr. Wolfsheim. I don't think he's who she really wants or needs to see right now. I completed the task Lord Kettlemore asked me. Higgins, his driver has Mrs. Gatsby's things."

"You did the right thing. I don't think she wants to see Gatsby either," Nick whispered as he watched Rebecca curl into herself and cried. Matthew held her tightly against him and gently cupped the back of her head.

Watching her, Nick knew Rebecca been a good, dutiful wife. For years, she'd repressed away pain, anger and sadness. It was like everything was bubbling to the surface and had boiled over in one night. He could hear her over and over again telling Matthew that she was stupid for marrying Gatsby. That everything was her fault and that she just wanted the pain to stop. Nick knew as he stood in his dark living room watching the English Earl comfort a broken woman that he should have stopped Gatsby.

He wished he could rewind time and make so that Mary never met Buchanan. He wished he could make it so that Rebecca never married Gatsby. Deep down, Nick knew that it was a silly fantasy, but he couldn't help but wish it was true.

"I hope she won't be angry that we told Lord Kettlemore what happened," Tilly said quietly. "I know she wouldn't want anyone to see her like this. Especially anyone at the estate, Mr. Carraway. She couldn't bear to see anymore pity in anymore people's eyes. She already hates the looks of pity she gets now. This would only make it worse."

Nick nodded and watched as Matthew stand up in front of Rebecca's huddled form. He gently took her hand and made her stand up as well. He pulled her into his arms and tucked her head beneath his chin as he cradled her close to him. His lips moved as he whispered something softly to her in comfort.

Rebecca's shoulders violently shook as she sobbed. Nick wasn't sure how long they all stood in their places, but eventually Matthew looked up and with a look summoned Tilly to him.

"Go make sure my driver is ready," he told her softly. "I'd like to leave as soon as possible. It's been a long night for everyone."

Tilly nodded and quickly scurried off to do as she was told.

"Should I summon Crawley or one of the footmen from Gatsby's to help?" Nick asked as he watched Matthew detach himself away from Rebecca's exhausted grasp.

"No," Matthew said as he scooped Rebecca up into his arms. Rebecca's head rolled on his shoulder, her forehead rested against his neck. An arm fell limp by her side and the other one rested against her chest. Her form looked like it was light as a feather in Matthew's arms as he carried her with easy. It was her eyes that scared Nick the most. Her expression and eyes were blank...like she'd died.

It was like she barely registered that Matthew had picked her up or what was happening around her. Stepping aside, Nick followed as Matthew easily walked towards the front door of the cottage at a quick pace.

"You're taking her where?"

"I'm taking her to East Egg with me," Matthew said as Tilly held open the front door. "Rebecca will spend the night there at Ashby House."

"And if Gatsby should come looking for her?"

Matthew stopped halfway down the stone path to drive and turned.

"You seem like a competent liar, Mr. Carraway," he said. "I'm sure you'll come up with something."

The way Matthew spoke was calm and collected, but Nick couldn't help but feel like Kettlemore had just slighted him. The driver of Matthew's car opened the back door. Nick watched as Matthew tenderly put Rebecca in his car. Tilly brought with her a soft cashmere blanket that Matthew used to wrap Rebecca up with. She stirred for a moment, but Matthew said something to her. All she did was nod to him and she closed her eyes again. The moment Rebecca was seated and comfortable, Matthew motioned for Tilly to join her mistress in the back of the car. The maid quickly slipped in and the driver closed the door blocking both women from sight.

"She's not going to be able to make it home tonight, Carraway," Matthew finally said as his driver opened the passenger door in the front. "Do you think that all of New York doesn't see how he treats her? For God's sake, Gatsby brought his own mistress to a party and forced his wife to sit next to her. Not to even mention what it must have been like for her in the presence of Tom Buchanan. God only knows how much more of that humiliation will be suffered by her in the coming weeks. Gatsby hasn't done much in the past few years to stop the tongue wagging about him and his wealth or the fact that it's obvious he doesn't exactly like his wife. If I can protect her from the looks of pity everyone gives and the humiliation of her husband's affair for one night, I'll do it. She'll come back to your house sometime tomorrow. Until then, just tell whoever comes looking for her that she's with a friend. Although Mr. Carraway, I doubt anyone will come looking."

Matthew stepped into the front seat of the black Rolls Royce and slammed the door shut. Within a few minutes, the car was moving steadily down Nick's little gravel driveway and into the night.


Saturday

July 26, 1922

He'd barely slept the night before. Nick tiredly rubbed his eyes as he walked up towards Gatsby House through the path that connected the properties. His mind had been overloaded with information it felt like as he'd laid in bed the night before trying to process everything Rebecca had told him. That she had once fallen in love with Gatsby shocked him.

He'd always just assumed that Gatsby loved her in his own way behind closed doors. At first, he'd though that maybe Gatsby was just aloof around people when Rebecca was with him, but now everything made sense and his guilt multiplied. Cutting up the stone paths to the front of the house, Nick easily spotted Elizabeth Harper walking down the steps of Gatsby Manor. He quickened his pace and managed to get to her car and open the door to the back just before the driver could.

"Mr. Carraway," Miss Harper said coolly.

Nick flinched inside hearing her voice. She must have known that he had something to do with Gatsby's affair. She must have already spoken to Rebecca and Matthew earlier in the morning.

"Miss Harper," he said as he tried to smile. "It's wonderful to see you again."

"Would you ride with me? My driver will bring you home."

"Of course," Nick told her feeling like he owned both Harper sisters something. He climbed in after her and settled back into the spacious seat Rolls Royce. The driver quickly started the car and pulled the car around the large fountain in front of Gatsby Manor and down the winding drive to the gates from Normandy. The moment the gates were all the way opened and the car pulled through, Elizabeth turned to look at Nick. A second later the sound of a hand hitting flesh echoed through the car and Nick felt blinding pain on his left cheek.

"How could you?" Elizabeth angrily demanded. "How can you let that animal and his wife do what they're doing!"

Nick rubbed his cheek from where Elizabeth's hand had hit. It was stinging and he wondered if it would bruise. Judging from the force which Elizabeth had hit him, he wouldn't be surprised if it did. It was nothing less than he deserved.

"She was a friend to you and you left that whore into your house!"

"Daisy is my cousin," Nick defended quietly. "She's not a whore."

"I don't care if she's the Queen of England. She was kissing my brother-in-law!"

"Jay isn't innocent either."

"Oh, I know that! I've known that for years. My sister thinks that no one can see through her fake smile, but everyone can. We've all known for years that she's miserable with that man. The only person she thinks she's able to fool is herself," Elizabeth said heatedly. "After what happened last night, she probably won't even bother to hide her misery anymore. Everyone knows about it already."

Nick blood went cold, "Everyone?"

"Matthew paid off a few of the papers not to release any details," Elizabeth sighed. "He doesn't want Rebecca to suffer anymore humiliation."

"Papers?"

"Nick, this is New York! Everyone will know soon enough. Do you think my sister needs to see her face, name and the news that Gatsby is having an affair splashed across every front page? It will kill her and after last night-"

"What happened last night?" Nick interrupted.

Elizabeth sighed again, "Tilly went to go get a nightgown for Rebecca to change into after her bath. She left and Rebecca locked herself in the dressing room. Not even Matthew could get her to open the door. That's when he sent a letter to me. I was just getting home from a dinner party downtown at Mrs. Banks' house when my butler brought me the letter. I went to Rebecca as quickly as I could. I've already lost one sister and I refuse to lose another."

"I'm sorry about your sister," Nick said quietly. "Rebecca told me what happened."

"Thank you but between the two of us, Mary has ruined everything. She was a stupid, little idiot."

Nick turned and looked at her shocked. He didn't understand what she meant and Elizabeth must have seen his confusion in his face.

"I'm assuming that Rebecca told you everything that happened even Mary's affair with Tom Buchanan?"

"Yes, I'm aware of it."

"You must understand something," Elizabeth said slowly. "I loved my sister. I still love her, but Mary was wild. She never listened and my mother indulged her every desire. Last night, after I got to Ashby Manor it was so quiet in that room, Nick. It was like this dreadful silence surrounded the house. Matthew thought that Rebecca had hurt herself. He kept begging her to answer him and not to do anything irrational while the servants looked for the key to the dressing room. I kept wondering over and over again if I would be burying another sister."

"Is Rebecca alright?" Nick asked worriedly.

Elizabeth looked at him with a sad smile, "She's fine. I think she was so exhausted from everything that she just gave up. We found her curled up asleep on the window seat. Tilly helped her change into a nightgown and Matthew carried her to bed. When I left this morning Matthew had just finished breakfast and was arranging to have a breakfast tray taken up with him for Rebecca."

Nick didn't know what to say. Guilt was pulsing through his veins. He'd started everything and what had happened last night was his fault. Introducing Gatsby and Daisy again had been a mistake. He should have listened to himself when he'd decided to change his mind. Deep down, he'd known all along this would hurt Rebecca but he'd lived in denial that she'd never find out.

Elizabeth was right when she said that secrets in New York didn't stay secrets for long. Soon enough, everyone would know that Gatsby was having an affair. Matthew could only pay off reporters for so long and Nick was sure there wasn't enough money in the world to pay everyone in the city off not to gossip.

"Matthew is a good friend," Nick finally said.

"Friend?" Elizabeth said looking at him incredulously, "Matthew isn't her friend."

It was Nick's turn to look confused as Elizabeth rolled her eyes.

"Matthew came back for her," she told him. "He didn't come back for anyone but her. The morning of the day we went to hear The Planets was the day Matthew came back from England. You should have heard him, Nick. All he wanted to know about was Rebecca. When I told him that she had married Gatsby, it was heartbreaking to see his face. I know that he's loved her since we were children. If Mary hadn't run off with Tom Buchanan and gotten pregnant, Rebecca would have never married Gatsby."

"You don't know that," Nick insisted.

"Matthew went to fight in the Great War and it nearly broke Rebecca's heart. They wrote to each other almost every day. Matthew warned her again and again to exercise more control on Mary. We all thought that it was just a phase she was going through. We had no idea, but I think Matthew knew this was always going to happen. I remember the day Gatsby came and swept her off her feet, Nick. Matthew never confessed to loving her and I am sure if he had, Rebecca wouldn't have looked twice at Jay Gatsby. If my parents hadn't been so selfish and just hid Mary pregnancy and if Mary had for once kept her mouth shut, I know in my heart of hearts that Matthew would have married her. He would have come back here the moment after the war ended, but there was so much that needed to be rebuilt. If he had come back here like I begged him, Rebecca would be in England now with a child or two maybe. Instead, all she has is an unhappy marriage, a house that is more like a prison and a friend who can't even claim to be a friend," Elizabeth said as she stared at him. "Which future do you think I wanted for her, Mr. Carraway?"