Total pages in book: 51
Estimated words: 46501 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 233(@200wpm)___ 186(@250wpm)___ 155(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 46501 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 233(@200wpm)___ 186(@250wpm)___ 155(@300wpm)
I spent the walk back home thinking of ways to keep her with me at night without compromising her. Maybe tomorrow I’ll keep her with me. I’ll just have to find a way to keep my dick from entering her.
In the morning when I made it downstairs she was there and so was her mother. I’d thought that by telling her to hire someone else it would be done immediately. “I thought I told you to hire someone else.”
“It’ll be at least another couple weeks before we find the right person. I don’t mind taking care of the house until then. Plus I’ll have to train whoever you hire.” I forgot these things take time. I’d also forgotten to tell her the night before that I was getting rid of my mother’s entire staff so she’d need to fill those roles as well.
“You’ll need to hire a whole new staff, I’m sending the others with my mother.” I saw her smile and knew she understood.
“Unless you want to hire your own staff.” I addressed that to Lucia who was busy stuffing her face. She looked fresh and well rested this morning, but her appetite was a dead giveaway to what we were doing last night.
I couldn’t keep the stupid smile off my face as I watched her put jelly on another scone and bite into it appreciatively. My heart hadn’t felt this light in…ever. She made me forget about all the shit that was out there beyond these walls. If I could begin every day sitting across the table from her like this, I think I would be the happiest of men.
I could hear all the hustle and bustle going on in the rest of the house as my mother prepared to leave. We’d had another conversation early this morning when she barged into my room to make her case. I can’t imagine the shit storm that would’ve ensued had she found Lucia in my bed. I wasn’t worried about her, but what her reaction would’ve done to my girl.
She’d made one last play for my understanding reminding me of my duty to her as a son. Even had she stayed on that track I wouldn’t have changed my mind, but she launched into another attack on Lucia and her family that sickened me.
There was so much prejudice in her every word that had she not been my mother I would’ve banished her from my presence. I don’t think she was as worried about being away from me as she was about losing the house. The home she’d ruled for some forty years.
She still didn’t realize that it was her very words that made that impossible. Maybe she thought I was like her. That I could stand there and listen to her berate the woman I love without batting a lash. But each time she said something derogatory about my sweet girl, it drove the nail deeper into her coffin.
Her last threat was that I would never be happy, because no one would ever accept my choice for wife. I knew by that she meant that she would do everything to turn others against Lucia. She could try, but the winds of power had changed and before long everyone will know that I was the one with the power, and not my mother no matter that she’d worn that mantle for so long.
I let her have her say without replying, the time for that was long gone. The only reason I hadn’t closed my door to her completely is because I was partly to blame. But the truth is I didn’t have anything to fight for before. Now I’ll take them all on to protect her and I was sure I would win.
After her every complaint had been rested I stuck to my guns and told her once more that she couldn’t stay, that it was best for all if she took up residence in the apartment in town. I warned her one last time of what would happen if she interfered and hoped that she heard me this time.
After breakfast, my first in the kitchen since I was a very young boy, I had some last minute things to take care of before I took Lucia to school; another first. I didn’t want to leave her in the kitchen while mom was still about so I sent her back to the cottage to get her books.
I took her to class when she was ready and after extricating myself from her, got back to the house in time to hear my mother berating hers. I stood outside the half opened door leading into my study and listened. I should never have left her here, but I’d been more interested in getting Lucia away. I was not in the least bit surprised that she’d pulled a stunt like this. I half expected it.