Page 20 of Sinful

I released a deep breath and wiped every trace of a smirk from my expression before turning back to Trudeau. “Your daughter seems nice,” I said. “How old is she?”

“Twenty-four.”

“And she lives here with you?”

“Yes. Most women her age are married and live with their husbands, but Rosamund will remain unwed for as long as she lives.”

“May I ask why?”

He smiled and clasped his hands together. “Upon her birth, she was blessed with a profoundly important role in our society. In fact, she is one of the most important women ever to be born. I’m very proud to be her father.”

“Ah, I see,” I said, even though his answer was a bullshit non-response. “She said something about paint. Is that her job? Painting?”

“Not by trade. She teaches at our schoolhouse during the week,” he replied. “But painting is her favorite hobby, and she is a truly wonderful artist. Talent like you wouldn’t believe. Here, let me show you something.”

He ushered me into a small room that contained two sofas, a stacked bookshelf, and a hearth. Above the hearth hung a large painting featuring a beautiful young woman with long brown hair, blue eyes, and bow-shaped lips.

“See that painting?” he said, nodding toward it. “That’s my wife. Celeste.”

“She’s stunning.”

“She was, yes. She passed away giving birth to Rosamund,” Trudeau said softly, eyes lingering on the painting. “And yet, Rosamund was still able to produce this perfect image of her. Every last detail is accurate.”

“How is that possible without any reference photos?”

He turned to look at me again. “It’s a testament to her talent. One day, she asked me what her mother looked like. Then she did some sketches and asked me for some more details. Eventually she disappeared into her painting studio for what seemed like an eternity. When she finally emerged, she had a perfect likeness of her mother. It was uncanny, the wayshe was able to capture her so perfectly just by listening to my description. It is due to her powers.”

I frowned. “Her powers?”

“I believe she is a gifted seer. I suppose the ability to see what others cannot also enhances her artistic ability.”

“We have people like that on the outside too,” I said. “But we don’t call them seers. We call them police sketch artists.”

Trudeau stared at me for a second. Then his eyes crinkled, and he tipped his head back and laughed. This time, it was a genuine belly laugh. Not the fake hollow laughter he displayed earlier.

“You’re funny, Sebastian,” he said, patting me on the back. “Just like your mother. She was funny too.”

I forced another smile, resisting the urge to break his jaw. I hated the way he spoke about my mother. He fucking slaughtered her—or at least gave the order for someone else to do so—yet he still had the audacity to look me right in the eyes and talk about her as if they were great friends back in the day.

“Thanks,” I said, clenching my right hand into a fist inside my jacket pocket.

Trudeau’s brows dipped, and he lowered his voice. “I must confess, when I heard you were at our gate, I suddenly experienced a sort of—” He paused and tilted his head slightly to one side. “I believe outsiders would refer to it as a traumatic flashback.”

“That sounds about right,” I said, nodding slowly.

What’s your trauma, man? Almost getting caught for murder?Boo-fucking-hoo.

“When I saw you at my door, the fear in my soul worsened,” he went on, still talking like a fucking theater major. “You resemble your father so closely that I was afraid you would share his personality as well. I worried you’d come here to unleash more trouble. But I’m glad to say I was wrong about you.”

Oh, no, motherfucker. Your instincts were dead on.

“I’m glad,” I said. “For a while, I worried you wouldn’t let me through the gate.”

“Believe me, I considered it. But in the end, my curiosity won out. I had to see what you wanted after all these years.”

“Well, I’m grateful that you listened to me. And for allowing me to stay, of course.”

“On that note, let’s take a walk,” he said. “We can discuss the terms of your stay on our way. The stroll may help with your drowsiness, too.”

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