“Are you saying you want to work at SJI? If in fact you do, I’ll speak to your father, and I’m sure he’d happily put you to work.” Claire’s reprimanding tone, though soft, was quite scary.
I hadn’t heard any of this about Will’s family and theirlegacy. I wasn’t sure I liked any of it. I glanced sidelong at Simone. She didn’t appear thrilled about working.
“No, I’m fine living off my inheritance. Let’s not get crazy.” She sipped her water. “I guess there’s a little green-eyed monster in me when it comes to the favoritism in this family.”
“Well, careful what you wish for, dear. The expectations on Will can be burdensome, and it will be passed down to his son as well.”
My stomach churned as a mama bear force woke inside me. A protectiveness for my child, a child who didn’t exist but one I wanted in the future, rose to the surface. I understood that if Will and I got married, my life would vastly change. But if we had a son, he’d be groomed like Will to take over after Will retired, and that didn’t sit right with me. What if our son didn’t want to work in finance? What if he wanted to be a baseball player or a musician or a zookeeper?
I jumped when Lily put her hand on my arm.
She winked, mouthing,Don’t listen to them.
But how could I not? Claire of all people would know how the St. James family worked. The rules, the expectations, the burdens… Like Simone had said, Will didn’t have a choice. But I wanted my children, our children, to have the freedom to choose their own path.
“So if Miranda has daughters, they’d be free to do as they pleased and get a hefty inheritance?” Lily asked, her curiosity getting the best of her. I was grateful to have her as my mouthpiece, asking all the questions I had floating through my head.
“Well, I wouldn’t call twenty million a hefty inheritance,” Simone scoffed. “Not compared to Will’s fifty million and controlling rights to SJI. Not to mention his obscene annual salary.” Simone sipped her drink several times.
I waited with bated breath for her to continue.
“But yes, if they have girls, they’d befree.”
“After all of that, why would Miranda want to become a St. James?” Claire sighed, displeased. I’d heard my mom do the same from time to time.
“Sorry, Miranda.” Simone leaned forward to look at me with a sheepish grin. “I wasn’t trying to scare you off. There are a lot of good things about our family, and you found the best:Will.” Despite her previous complaints and jealousy about money, love showed in her eyes for her brother.
Will had talked about how close they were and how he’d intervened many times on Simone’s behalf with their father. She was right. Will was the best part of the St. James family. He’d mentioned the hierarchy within the family before, and how he wanted to dismantle it. When Will gained control as head of the family, there would be a lot of changes. He hated how his sister and cousin weren’t viewed as equals in the family because of their name or gender, and after that conversation, I’d admired him and loved him even more.
“No worries, she’s fine.” Lily blew it off like no big deal to defuse the apparent tension. Lightening the mood was her specialty.
“Miranda, dear, don’t worry. Despite everything Simone and I said, Will would never let you or your child be controlled by the family.”
“Oh, absolutely.” Simone agreed, standing up. Oddly, she looked a little pale. “Will adores you. I’ve never seen him like this with anyone before. I know he’d do anything for you. Even go against Father.”
“Are you all right, dear?” Claire asked, concerned.
“I don’t know. Excuse me.” Simone left toward the bathroom, clutching her stomach.
Claire turned toward me to continue. “Will’s a good man. No need to worry, dear.”
Her assurance didn’t comfort me. Still, I wouldn’t bring any of this up to Will just yet. We were only approaching four months together. Marriage hadn’t even been brought up… though I’d say yes if he popped the question. I didn’t doubt his love for me or his devotion.
Unfortunately, knowing he loved me didn’t ease the gnawing in my stomach if we were to have a son.
“I appreciate that, but I’m okay,” I replied with as genuine a smile as I could produce. “I’ve really enjoyed today. Thank you for inviting us.”
I flitted my gaze to Lily. Her green eyes said everything would be fine. Of course it would be. If Will and I got married and had a family, I had every confidence he would battle his father and the family name for us. I only hoped it wouldn’t come to that for Will’s sake. His family meant a lot to him.
But then, he’d said I meanteverythingto him—and I believed him.