Page 58 of Sinfully His

If I could go somewhere where I didn’t have to hide the subject of my art, I could get it all out, purge it without him being around me, and then when I came back, I could be refocused and centered and decide what I wanted.

“Mother would never let me go,” I said.

“You let me deal with Mother,” she said, standing from her desk. “Let’s go, right now. We’ll go back to the house, pack your bag, pack all of your paints and art supplies, and I will have my husband’s private helicopter waiting to take you. That way, Mother can’t pull anything with the pilot. You’ll be free as long as you need to be. At the very least, you’ll be able to be away from Mother while all of this blows over.”

“Do you know what’s actually happening?” I asked, a little worried about her answer.

“Not specifically. My work here has removed me from a lot of the gossip. What I have heard is there’s a coup. One of Mother’s friends has taken it upon herself to take Mother down a few pegs and it has cascaded. I don’t know when it’s going to end, or how far down she’s going to fall on the social ladder. But I knowit’s best if you’re not anywhere near those diamond rings for a while.”

“Are you sure you want to face her?” I asked again.

“Absolutely.” There was something a little savage about Amelia’s smile that reminded me more of her husband than my sister. It looked good on her.

When we got back to the house, Mother was in another screaming fit. Blaming anyone and everyone for the cancellation of her membership to her very exclusive spa. Of course, it had nothing to do with how she treated the staff. Someone clearly was out to get her.

I meant, someone did, but it wasn’t the people she was taking it out on.

I tried to sneak to the stairs, but unfortunately, she heard the door open and came storming in.

“You.” She pointed at Amelia accusingly. “This is all your husband’s fault. He and his father are not only destroying my reputation, but they have the audacity to steal from me.”

“I would be careful about making accusations against my husband. He does not take them lightly, nor does my father-in-law.”

“I don’t appreciate being stolen from,” she spat.

Mother raised her hand, and Amelia didn’t even flinch. There was no fear in her eyes, just a steely look of determination.

“If you want a war with my husband and father-in-law, then they will happily give you what you ask for. They do not back down from a fight, and they do not lose. If you strike me, then that war is exactly what you’re going to get.”

“You are my daughter, and I will do as I please.”

“I am Amelia Manwarring, wife of Luc Manwarring, and I am under his protection. Hit me and face the consequences.”

The way she spoke to Mother was amazing. She really had grown into her own skin, and Luc was an incredible influenceon her. For just a second, I let my mind slip and wonder what it would have been like if I could have my own Manwarring protection.

Would our relationship be different if he weren’t Father Manwarring, but just Thomas?

I shook the thought out of my head as I left Amelia to deal with and distract Mother. Running upstairs, I went to pack my things. I grabbed a few outfits and put them in a weekend bag, then I took my large suitcase and loaded it with all of my art supplies. Everything that I thought I would need to get him out of my head.

Canvases, oil paints, watercolors, charcoals, all of it. I was going to let my creativity and obsession run wild, and I didn’t want any limitations. By the time I came back, I was going to be sick of him and needing a new subject.

When I came downstairs twenty minutes later, Amelia and Mother were still facing off, but Amelia didn’t have a red mark across her face and Mother’s hands were clutched tightly into fists at her sides.

Her gaze turned to me, and she sneered. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“You seem to think that I have brought shame on this family and embarrassed you. I can’t think of what I could have done to do that, but if you say it, then it must be so. I am removing myself from the situation to allow you time to discover whatever slip-up I may have made and do the damage control without me creating a bigger mess.”

Those boring business classes came in handy again as she glared at me, trying to figure out how to argue with me. Instead, she rolled her eyes and told me to leave and not come back until she told me to.

Then she turned back to Amelia. “Remind your husband and your father-in-law that I still have friends I can call on. I still have connections that can do a lot of damage.”

Amelia and I looked at each other. We never spoke about it, but we knew Mother had hired the Irish mob on more than one occasion. How far would she take this?

We ran out the door, and Amelia tucked me into the car with her and her driver.

“Wait, what about what Mother just?—”

“I’ll handle it,” she promised. “Luc will handle it. There is nothing to worry about.”

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