meet?”
“Work,” Alex said. His eyes were cold as they gazed at Belle, who seemed to draw back a little. He turned back to Natalie. “I’ve yet to be introduced to your father, darling. Would you mind?”
She drew him away from the group. Natalie still didn’t know what to think about Alex’s behavior, but anything was preferable to giving Belle time to come up with something new. Her hand in the crook of his arm, they went to the french doors in the living room that connected to a small wooden platform with steps to the backyard. Several men were gathered around a huge barbeque grill, from which gray columns of smoke rose. Most of them held beers, and Brian was laughing at something one of them said.
“Natalie.” Louise’s voice came from behind them. “Would you take this bottle of barbeque sauce to your father?”
Natalie was looking for an opportunity to ask Alex about his capricious behavior, but it didn’t look like she was going to get one. She sighed and squeezed his arm lightly. “Can you wait for just a minute?”
“No problem.”
She went back and into the kitchen. State-of-the-art stainless steel appliances shone like alien jewels beneath cherry cabinets. The counters groaned under the weight of enough cheese to permanently clog every guest’s arteries. Louise’s heels clicked on the hard tiles as she moved around. She handed Natalie a large glass bottle. “Here.”
Natalie took it and turned to leave, then stopped. “Did you know the O’Dells were coming?”
Louise concentrated on uncorking a bottle of Riesling. “Of course I knew. I made up the guest list.”
“Did you see how Belle made sure to introduce me to his new wife?”
“I noticed the group of you talking. Why?”
Natalie knew she shouldn’t pursue the subject. She would only get shot down and made to feel silly and small. In all her years, she could never remember winning an argument with Louise. But something about Alex’s earlier support emboldened her.
“It was stupid to stage that scene, don’t you think? It embarrassed them.”
“No,” Louise said, still working on the cork. “
You
embarrassed them. They have every right to be here.”
“And I don’t?”
“It was necessary for you to come. People would have noticed your absence.”
Natalie tightened her hand around the barbeque sauce bottle so hard it began to tremble. Decades of frustration welled up inside her until she could no longer suppress it like she usually did. “Why do you hate me so much? What have I ever done to you?”
Louise gave her a tiny smile. “Must we discuss this
right
now?”
“Yes, Louise, I think we must.”
Louise sighed, put the wine aside, and faced her, hands folded sedately against her dress. “Very well, then. No one ever told you the truth about your origins, but Brian
found
you.” Louise’s voice was as cool and even as paving stones. “That’s right. He found you in a
trash bin
in DC and brought you home instead of waiting for me to give him the child he so wanted.”
Natalie stood absolutely still. She felt as though someone had punched her in the solar plexus and couldn’t get enough air into her body.
“So don’t presume to tell me of the rights you supposedly have in this family. Your very presence is like a poison to me.” Louise’s face was completely composed and placid, but the words hit Natalie like bricks. “What kind of people throw their child away in a trash bin? Brian should’ve listened to me and given you up to an orphanage. It’s no wonder you couldn’t hold on to Marcus. Blood will out, and a man of his breeding can tell.”
Natalie swayed. She could barely think. This couldn’t be true. But…
“Now that you know, dear, do call off your hounds. We wouldn’t want the others to sniff out even a hint of trouble on our side,” Louise said, her eyes arctic.
Hounds? Wha —?
Suddenly, Alex appeared at the archway that connected the kitchen to the living room. Louise’s
“Work,” Alex said. His eyes were cold as they gazed at Belle, who seemed to draw back a little. He turned back to Natalie. “I’ve yet to be introduced to your father, darling. Would you mind?”
She drew him away from the group. Natalie still didn’t know what to think about Alex’s behavior, but anything was preferable to giving Belle time to come up with something new. Her hand in the crook of his arm, they went to the french doors in the living room that connected to a small wooden platform with steps to the backyard. Several men were gathered around a huge barbeque grill, from which gray columns of smoke rose. Most of them held beers, and Brian was laughing at something one of them said.
“Natalie.” Louise’s voice came from behind them. “Would you take this bottle of barbeque sauce to your father?”
Natalie was looking for an opportunity to ask Alex about his capricious behavior, but it didn’t look like she was going to get one. She sighed and squeezed his arm lightly. “Can you wait for just a minute?”
“No problem.”
She went back and into the kitchen. State-of-the-art stainless steel appliances shone like alien jewels beneath cherry cabinets. The counters groaned under the weight of enough cheese to permanently clog every guest’s arteries. Louise’s heels clicked on the hard tiles as she moved around. She handed Natalie a large glass bottle. “Here.”
Natalie took it and turned to leave, then stopped. “Did you know the O’Dells were coming?”
Louise concentrated on uncorking a bottle of Riesling. “Of course I knew. I made up the guest list.”
“Did you see how Belle made sure to introduce me to his new wife?”
“I noticed the group of you talking. Why?”
Natalie knew she shouldn’t pursue the subject. She would only get shot down and made to feel silly and small. In all her years, she could never remember winning an argument with Louise. But something about Alex’s earlier support emboldened her.
“It was stupid to stage that scene, don’t you think? It embarrassed them.”
“No,” Louise said, still working on the cork. “
You
embarrassed them. They have every right to be here.”
“And I don’t?”
“It was necessary for you to come. People would have noticed your absence.”
Natalie tightened her hand around the barbeque sauce bottle so hard it began to tremble. Decades of frustration welled up inside her until she could no longer suppress it like she usually did. “Why do you hate me so much? What have I ever done to you?”
Louise gave her a tiny smile. “Must we discuss this
right
now?”
“Yes, Louise, I think we must.”
Louise sighed, put the wine aside, and faced her, hands folded sedately against her dress. “Very well, then. No one ever told you the truth about your origins, but Brian
found
you.” Louise’s voice was as cool and even as paving stones. “That’s right. He found you in a
trash bin
in DC and brought you home instead of waiting for me to give him the child he so wanted.”
Natalie stood absolutely still. She felt as though someone had punched her in the solar plexus and couldn’t get enough air into her body.
“So don’t presume to tell me of the rights you supposedly have in this family. Your very presence is like a poison to me.” Louise’s face was completely composed and placid, but the words hit Natalie like bricks. “What kind of people throw their child away in a trash bin? Brian should’ve listened to me and given you up to an orphanage. It’s no wonder you couldn’t hold on to Marcus. Blood will out, and a man of his breeding can tell.”
Natalie swayed. She could barely think. This couldn’t be true. But…
“Now that you know, dear, do call off your hounds. We wouldn’t want the others to sniff out even a hint of trouble on our side,” Louise said, her eyes arctic.
Hounds? Wha —?
Suddenly, Alex appeared at the archway that connected the kitchen to the living room. Louise’s
Similar Books
