Page 28 of Cruelest Contract
I know very little about Teresa Tempesta. Only that she was murdered by one of her husband’s many enemies. The youngest of her sons was just a baby when she was killed.
Remembering this tragic fact unleashes fresh compassion for the men of Storm’s Eye Ranch. Whatever else I might think of Cassio Tempesta and his sons, they’ve suffered a terrible loss.
Most people can’t relate to a tragedy of that magnitude. How it haunts you and steals your happiness. How it makes you dread the calendar and ransacks your dreams.
Unfortunately, I understand all of this far too well.
“I’m supposed to marry one of them,” I blurt out. “I’ve been told to choose which one. Did you know that? Did they tell you why?”
Mel’s expression shifts in an instant. Her eyes go flat and her mouth freezes.
She plucks a white linen napkin from the tray, unfolds it, and sets it down again. “The scones are blueberry with lemon sugar icing.”
She raises her eyes to meet mine. There’s no hostility to be found. But there’s no sympathy either.
“It’s Teresa’s recipe,” she says. “The boys have always loved them. But if you have a request for the kitchen, I’ll pass it along. You can have anything you want, Cecilia. And you’ll be happy here. You’ll see.”
Her words are far closer to a promise than a threat and yet my arms prickle with a chill.
Whether or not Mel already knows the details of the agreement between my family and the Tempestas, the facts are irrelevant to her. She’ll do everything in her power to make sure I fulfill my purpose. She istheirally, first and forever.
I wish this didn’t leave me feeling so hollow and isolated. I wish Gabriel would call and declare he’s found a much better solution. Preferably one that doesn’t involve getting hitched to a man I barely know and being trapped in rural Wyoming for eternity.
“The scones look delicious,” I say. “Thank you for bringing breakfast, Mel. I’ll set my alarm tomorrow so I’m not the last one awake.”
Her bright smile returns. A thin hand lifts to my face and brushes my cheek. “You really are a beauty,” she says with approval. “They are all going to love you.”
She hustles out of the room without another word and shuts the door behind her.
My stomach unleashes an audible gurgle. I didn’t eat much yesterday, not even at dinner. In addition to a trio of the biggest scones I’ve ever seen, there’s a bowl of fresh fruit on the tray and four slices of bacon.
Though I’m unsure whether feeding bacon to cats is wise, I break off a small crispy piece anyway and leave it in Louisa’s bowl. Bribery via bacon might be the key to luring her out of her cave.
Last night I intended to write for a little while but was too exhausted and overwhelmed to do anything besides sleep. My journal is still on the nightstand.
Clutching the book to my chest right now is as comforting as hugging a security blanket. I carry it over to the desk and decide to jot down some notes while eating breakfast. With my thoughts careening around in a state of panicked bedlam, I need to sort out my own head and figure out a plan.
Uncapping a fine point felt-tipped pen and thumbing through the pages makes me feel semi-normal. I’ll just tackle this day as I would any other. All I need to do is set aside the fact that I’m living in some warped fairy tale where the end game is a loveless Mafia marriage.
I nibble on a corner of a scone. They are as tasty as Mel promised. After another sip of tea, I write the numbers one through five on the left hand side of the page, skipping one line in between each number.
Somehow get in touch with Gabriel
Figure out what to tell Alice
Persuade Louisa to emerge from beneath the bed
