CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Edward
‘DOYOUREALLY want to make a scene in front of the press, Mother? Are you out of your mind?’
‘Look, son...’
My father tries to come between us but I’m almost past caring. A red haze has descended and I’m ready to throw her out through the door, snow and all.
‘I don’t think this is going to help.’
‘Help?’I don’t even look at him. My fury is one hundred percent directed at my mother. ‘What kind of person accepts an invitation to a ball that is all about raising money for underprivileged children and behaves like you have? Looking down your nose at everything, constantly bitching, with a complete disregard for the work that has gone into this night...’
‘The work? The money, you mean. My money.’
‘It was never your money.’ The words vibrate with my anger.
‘It should have been. Just as all of this should have been.’
‘Come now, darling—’
‘Will you shut up, Rupert? He needs to hear this.’
She rounds on me, her fury filling my study.
‘You think some silly inheritance means that girl belongs in your world? Seeing you both together, canoodling on the dance floor...it’s an embarrassment, Edward, an utter disgrace.’
‘You’re the disgrace, Mother.’
She moves to strike me again, but this time I’m quicker and I grasp her wrist before she can make contact, throw it down.
‘Why don’t you try that on someone your own size?’
All heads snap to the doorway as Summer strides through it and I bite back a curse. I’d hoped by extricating my mother from the ballroom I could save Summer from further upset...instead she’s walked straight into the firing line.
‘I’m not even going to lower myself to speak to you,’ my mother spits. ‘An upstart who can have nothing to say that’s worth listening to.’
‘Mother, I’m warning you—’
‘Edward, it’s okay.’ Summer presses a hand to my chest, all gentle, but her eyes are on fire. ‘I’ve got this.’
She turns to face my mother and I watch my mother’s nostrils flare; Summer’s strength and dignity in the face of her wrath only serving to rile her further.
‘This “upstart” may not have been born into money, or had the greatest start in life,’ she says smoothly, ‘but thanks to Katherine I’ve made something of it and helped people along the way. I’m proud of what I’ve achieved. Can you honestly say the same?’
‘I—You...’ my mother splutters, her puffed-out cheeks turning puce.
‘You were born into money, Lady Fitzroy, and you married into a title too. What have you done with it?’
My mother’s mouth flaps like a fish but nothing comes out.
‘Precisely.’
Oh, God, I want to laugh. She has the woman hung, drawn and quartered with barely a word spoken. She has more of Gran in her than my mother can ever hope to.
‘Now, you listen here...’
My mother takes a threatening step towards her, and I’m so in awe of Summer that I’m a second too late to step in. But my father is there, his hand on my mother’s arm, his eyes flashing in warning.