Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 107756 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 539(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107756 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 539(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
“Yes,” I whispered.
The corner of his mouth turned upward. He nodded and stepped backward, and the driver, with no sense of my desires at all, moved immediately, forcing me to turn to look at him.
“Temper your expectations, sister.”
The look upon my brother’s face troubled me. “I expect nothing—”
“You do. So remember, nothing is set until it is set. Even now, knowing the truth.”
I did not respond, as I knew not how to. Instead, I found myself just thinking and waiting, as always. Waiting to see Mama and Papa so I could tell them all I had learned, thinking of what the information now meant for me—for us. But most of all, wondering why it had happened to him. How long he had suffered and withstood it all alone. How misunderstood he had been.
I was so distracted that the trip back home was nearly instant. I expected everyone only now to be rising for breakfast. The house was still, except for my mother, who stood in the foyer, awaiting us. Upon seeing me, she smiled.
“Well?” She rushed to me. “Did Evander propose?”
“Is that not too soon, Mother—”
“No! It is much overdue,” she snapped, interrupting my brother and taking my hands. “My dear girl, tell me everything. What happened? What did he say—”
“It matters not,” my father interrupted as he walked down the stairs.
My father rarely grew angry with me. Even when I was wrong, he left discipline to my mother. So I was not used to the severity on his face.
“Your behavior, Aphrodite, was unacceptable. Return to your room.”
“Papa, hear me first. This has all been one great misunderstanding—”
“Your room,” he replied sternly.
“Yes, sir,” I muttered.
“And while you are in there, make other arrangements for your future,” Father said as soon as I passed the stairs. “No matter the reason, I shall not accept the duke.”
“Papa!”
“Charles!” My mother gasped.
“Papa, you do not know what—”
“I need not. Now go,” he ordered like a king.
Grabbing my skirts, I made my way up the stairs to my rooms, and as I went, the first thing I saw was my sisters, along with Hector, peering over the rails.
“Where—”
“Leave me be!” I replied, rushing past them.
“You cannot just demand we leave you,” Hathor called out, following after me. “Where were you all night? Papa and Mama would not say, but Papa was very upset after receiving Damon’s letter. At first, I thought it was Mr. Yves who made you run. Then I realized that made no sense, and now Mama said something of Evander? Is that where you were? You could—”
At my door, I spun back to her. “Hathor, go find someone else to question.”
“Quite difficult when you are the only one with the answers—”
I shut the door in her face. I did not have time to worry about her. I had to figure out what to do, especially if Evander were to come, when my father had just dug his heels into the dirt. I paced, sat, then rose to pace once more before, finally, I could not help but go to the window to watch for his arrival.
Knock. Knock.
“Hathor, will you please leave me be!” I hollered, but the door opened to my annoyance.
“It is not Hathor but me,” Silva said upon entering, and my shoulders relaxed. “I came to see how you are.”
“You are very kind. Much too kind after I stole my brother from you again.”
She chuckled, walking to me. “When I married Damon, he warned me to expect that there would be days when he might be more occupied with his siblings than with me.”
“Truly?” I asked, shifting so she could sit beside me.
She nodded. “He said that he did not know how but he always found himself in one predicament or another due to the five of you. And he is often powerless to stop it.”
“He is right.” I winced. “Forgive us.”
“I think his dedication to his family is commendable. It shows he is soft-hearted even if he would not admit it.”
“That he is.”
Damon was very stubborn and believed himself always correct, but he listened and allowed others to say their piece.
“They’ve finished discussing.”
“They have? So, Papa knows the truth now?”
She nodded and frowned. “Yes, but he has not changed his mind. Your mother was most aggrieved to hear about Evander’s troubles and then became furious as your father declared, even still, he would not accept him.”
“But why?” My heart sank.
“I do not know,” she said and placed her hand over mine. “Let’s not be discouraged. Mother will fight that battle for you as long as you want it fought. Do you?”
“Whether I do or don’t, she would still fight.”
“But do you?” she repeated.
My thoughts were a scattered mess. I knew the truth. I wanted to not have to sneak around. I wanted us to stay in that kitchen, discussing whatever we wished with no mind to the servants. I wanted…to know so much more of him.