He lifted his chin. “Those are fair points.”
“But you’re not interested in changing,” I said.
He shook his head. “I am the way I am because it’s useful. My job is to negotiate and when that can’t be done, my job is to manipulate. My father raised me to be the next diplomat and, dare I say it, the student surpassed the master.”
“I forgot that you’re also humble.”
He laughed, letting his head fall back for a second. “You have spirit.”
“Don’t condescend me.”
He took a step closer, caging me against the car. My heart thudded and I hoped that someone would walk out on the porch.
“Sheath your claws, kitten,” he said coolly. “They’re not any use against me.”
Then he turned, sliding his hand through mine, and pulled me up the drive to the front door. I stumbled going up the steps and he caught me, lifting me the rest of the way and setting me down. Without waiting for me to recover my breath, he opened the door and led me inside.
CHAPTER FOUR
PEREGRINE
My father didn’t like her, I knew that. He disliked forthright women and he’d spent much of his life subtly removing my mother’s independent will. My mother liked Rosalia, but she was too compliant to say it aloud. Both of them, however, were putting on their best face so we could have a pleasant brunch.
My brothers were seated across the table, putting in an honest effort not to embarrass me. Agostino, the second eldest, sat directly across from me and he kept flashing me a smirk like he was about to say something inappropriate. To his left, Benedict, Basil, and Aloysius were lined up, trying not to say or do anything to warrant getting their asses kicked.
Aloysius was the miracle baby born years after my parents had stopped trying and he was still a child, nearly fifteen years younger than Basil. I could tell he was entranced by Rosalia. Of course they’d seen each other in passing before, but having her in my parents’ house was a completely different experience for everyone. Aloysius sat there, his eyes round, gazing at her unabashedly.
“What do you plan to do after the wedding?” my father said, fixing a stare on Rosalia.
She swallowed. “I got accepted to Leavewood Academy so I’ll be attending in the fall.”
His brows rose and he sat back, lifting his coffee mug. “Really? They only accept fifty students a year. How did you manage that?”
She glanced at me, confused.
“I auditioned,” she whispered.
“Speak up,” my father said coolly.
“She auditioned for a place there and she was good enough to get it,” I interjected.
I gave my father a slow stare, warning him to back off. Rosalia was my woman and only I was allowed to speak to her how I liked. Everyone else needed to step back and have some respect for the fact that she belonged to me.
“Um…do you play the recorder?” Aloysius piped up.
“No, I’m more of a singer,” she said, smiling down at him.
“Want me to show you how to play the recorder?”
“I’d love that.”
She grinned and I saw all three of my brothers’ jaws drop. My God, she was stunning when she smiled like that. She had a soft, pretty smile that flashed white teeth and lit up her dark eyes.
“Would you sing for us after brunch, Rosalia?” my mother asked softly.
Rosalia hesitated and then nodded. “Of course.”
The conversation turned to something else, but I found myself distracted by my fiancée. She made good conversation once she’d relaxed and my brothers were actually holding it together instead of acting up. My mother was comfortable enough to speak with Rosalia a few times and my father had gotten the message that she was under my protection. For all my father’s unforgivable faults, he treated his grown sons like independent adult men and respected them.