Page 13 of A Linton Scandal

She stopped at the door to my bedroom and crossed her arms. I could feel the heat of her glare on my back. “And I want to know why? Why did I spend all that time kissing Vanessa Feraldi’s ass to get you a date with her daughter? Who, if you remember. Is notorious for not showing up to her blind dates.”

Dacia was indeed notorious for not going on any dates her mother set her up on. I had a good friendship with her brother. In the entire Feraldi family, the only two people that drew contempt were Dacia’s mother and her husband. Vanessa’s treatment of the Feraldi siblings, who she’d been forced to take in by her husband, was always being discussed.

To the public eye, Vanessa Feraldi treated her stepchildren kindly, but the real truth was that she was borderline abusive. If there was a choice between beating or verbally scolding them, she’d always choose to use her hands. When I had met Roman, Dacia’s brother, he’d recently gone through one of thesescoldings.The side of his face was bruised from a plate she’d thrown when he’d inadvertently scraped his spoon on a plate at six.

The only reason her cruel treatment had stopped was because Jason Feraldi, their father, sent the two to private school where we met. From then on Roman would spend the summer at my house along with my two other friends Levi Khari, and Andrew Ajian. I was lucky that the three of them weren’t in town or I’d have to deal with them making fun of me and getting caught by such a fucked-up trap.

In terms of marriage, I’d thought Dacia would have made a good partner. She was smart, witty and wouldn’t have been demanding of my affection and I would have given her the freedom she craved.

I undid the cuff of my shirt, and didn’t look at my mother when I said. “I’ve met someone I want to marry.”

The rant that was going on behind me was cut short as my mother sputtered for a second. “S… someone you want to marry?” She sputtered, crossing the threshold she ran around me and took a stance in front of me, placing her hands on her hips. “Say that again.”

Moving my attention to my other sleeve, I repeated my words. “I’ve met someone else, and I want to marry her.”

My mother’s eyes widened as she looked at me in stunned silence. “Mihai, you… you… Who is she? What family is she from? How old is she? Is she related to one of the Perkins? You know I can’t stand the Perkins family.” I could see the excitement in her eyes.

I answered her as I unbuttoned my shirt. “Her name is Juliette Roux, her family isn’t wealthy. She’s twenty-seven years old, and she is in no way, shape or form related to the Perkins.” With my shirt undone I gently took her hand and led her to the door. “Now, if you don’t mind stepping outside, I’ll finish changing and then meet you in the glass room.”

She absentmindedly nodded as I moved her from in front of me to the door and shut it. The last thing I heard was. “Juliette Roux, is she from one of the French branches?”

With a sigh, I felt my shoulders tighten. No matter how I explained it to her later, my mother would probably lose her shit. Not that it would change anything. At the very least, I could see that Juliette was not malicious and had some honor and pride. Not nearly the amount a Linton had, but thinking back to her angry face at my attempt at buying my child from her I couldn’t help smiling.

She definitely had a temper, and I was weirdly looking forward to finding out what triggered her. Since we’d be spending plenty of time around each other, I was sure there would be a chance for me to see those fiery brown eyes again.

* * *

Finally changed,I went in search of my mother, I’d told her to wait for me in the glass room and yet, she’d gone to my study.

The minute I entered, I saw the light of my computer was on and heard a familiar voice coming from it.

“For today’s video, we’ll be making an éclair…”

My mother moved her eyes away from the screen of the computer and blankly met mine as I entered the study.

“I don’t believe it,” she said as she slowly came to her feet. “Your father has preached again and again, the dangers of marrying someone outside of the seven branches.” She pointed at the screen, her arm shaking. “And you are telling me that you intend to marry a candy maker, who films videos for a living?”

I took a seat in the sitting area that was placed a few feet from my desk. I picked up the tea pot that sat in the center of the coffee table, left there by my servants and poured myself a cup. Smelling the familiar scent, I could see that Nao had noticed I’d enjoyed the tea at Juliette’s. Lifting it up, I inhaled it deeply. “I do.”

“Impossible,” she shouted, slamming her hand down on the counter before she walked around it to confront me. “Your father won’t approve of it.”

“I’m thirty-seven, there is very little I need approval for,” I said, as I gently swirled the tea inside the cup. “Plus, didn’t I do enough for our name when I married a Quincy, despite knowing the truth about her,” I added, meeting my mother’s troubled gaze. “I think this time, I should be free to pick my own wife.”

I could see the war going on inside of her, from the way she opened and closed her hands. My mother knew what I had endured while married to my first wife. While I hadn’t imagined love with my first marriage that involved money, tradition and old alliances. I’d been determined to be a good man and provide her with everything she needed.

Little did I know my wife Willa Quincy would push me past my bottom line. To the point that her passing was more blessing than a curse. I took a sip, not bothered by the awkward air that swirled overhead.

“Still, what are you going to do about Nelu? How can you drop a new mother on him out of nowhere? He still doesn’t speak, what if this woman’s sudden appearance triggers him?” My mother’s question cut through the dark memories running through my head. Nelu was my six-year-old son, ever since his mother died, he hasn’t spoken a single word.

When I imagined Juliet’s warm brown eyes and her small smile, I frowned. “I don’t think my taking a new wife will hinder him in any way. And why didn’t you mention Nelu when my father spoke about me marrying again earlier this year?”

“Because you were going to be marrying a Feraldi,” My mother said, seeming to have exhausted all her energy she plopped down in the seat across from me, and sighed leaning back. “Your father won’t take this lying down, he’s been salivating after the Feraldi’s uranium mines in South Africa for forever. In exchange for this marriage, Feraldi was going to hand a few over to him.”

I snorted. “You make it sound like they are trading a few cards.”

She sent me a look and I cleared my throat. “Still, as the eldest in the family you know what your role is and has always been. Marrying for happiness is not one of the benefits of being a Linton. Your father and I were lucky,” she said, her eyes softening at the thought of my old man.

“Well, consider me having done my duty by marrying my first wife. This time, I will strive to be as happy as you and father are.”

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