Page 55 of A Linton Scandal

“Mihai, is there something you haven’t told me about your wife?” I asked, seeing this.

“It’s not that I didn’t want to tell you, but it wasn’t my secret to tell,” he said with a heavy sigh before he drew me closer. “Willa was from the Quincy family, one of the lesser family branches. And when I met her, she was perfectly placed, neutral and well connected. When I proposed she played her role of demure partner well, but I quickly found out she was nothing like how she appeared. Her family wanted her to marry a Linton and didn’t care for her choice. Of course, I didn’t know this, until she came to me on our wedding night and told me she was pregnant.”

I sucked in a quick breath as he continued. “She’d been seeing one of our cousins, who’d been considered a bit of a playboy. When she’d gone to him with the news, he had no interest in getting married. When her family found this out, they pushed for her to accept my proposal. She hated me and Nelu. Though she was never cruel to him, eventually she started having another affair.”

“And Linton’s don’t divorce.” I couldn’t help repeating the words he’d said to me before.

“Yes, none of the major four families divorce.”

I thought over his words for a long time. How miserable would it have been to marry someone for money, and connections with the slight hope of happiness dashed away. I wondered if I could have married Daniel despite how I felt about him, and immediately shuddered at that horrible thought.

“As far as I’m concerned, Nelu is as mine as you are. Everything anyone has said, or will say should be ignored,” Mihai added.

I nodded. “I know, you know I’ve never asked, but what is with this whole ‘four families’ thing? I swear I’ve heard that same thing more than once. What does it matter which family they’re from, aren’t they all the same?”

He chuckled. “It’s a bit complicated, but it’s because the four families actually originate from a single family. Their four daughters who all married well, each one’s husband had a different specialty.”

“You’re all like distant cousins then,” I asked for clarity.

“Yeah,” he said. “But it was a long time ago. You can barely call us that. Still, we’re all very much involved with each other when it comes to business."

I contemplated it for a minute before I said, “And here I was hoping it was something like vampires involved.”

The look in his eyes turned mischievous. “Maybe, I’ll dress up as one for your birthday present.”

I snorted, flopping back down. “Don’t bother, my paranormal fan girl dreams have been dashed already.”

He laughed as he pulled me into his arms once more. “The most important thing isn’t some old history, what’s important to me is right here. You, my son and our baby.”

Once again my heart melted at his words.

“Just so you know, in case it wasn’t abundantly clear, I love you with all my heart.”

Mihai smiled, “I know, and I love you just as much, if not more.”

Warmth spread throughout my limbs at his words and I found myself falling asleep between the two people who’d become the most important people in my life.

* * *

I should have knownthat my peace wouldn’t last the next day I opened the door and was greeted by the sight of my mother. She hadn’t changed much from the last time I’d seen her a few Christmases ago.

Like me her skin was a warm brown, unlike many women of her age she didn’t have many wrinkles near the corners of her mouth or eyes. When I was younger plenty of people believed we were sisters and not mother and daughter.

“Sophie told me you’d moved out, so I asked her for your address,” she said, her words drawing me back to the present.

“And you thought it was best to show up unannounced,” I said sarcastically.

Her expression turned dark. “What was I supposed to do, when you won’t answer my calls.”

I pressed my lips together, swallowing the sharp words I wanted to say. Instead, I turned around and walked inside. “Come inside.”

I didn’t check to see if she was following me. There were too many emotions running around inside my head, most of them probably fueled by my pregnancy and a few other things.

Lucky for me, Mihai and I had given the staff the day off so we could enjoy some time alone. Nelu was at school, and Mihai was at work. That was the only reason I welcomed her inside my home.

A few minutes later we were both. seated in the living room. The only reason I offered her water was because she’d raised me to be a polite hostess.

She didn’t take it right away. Instead, she continued to look around the room. “When Sophie told me you were married and expecting I didn’t believe her at first.”

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