Trials and Tiaras (Untouchable #7) - Heather Long Page 0,88
ages, but there were some things I didn’t want to know and others I avoided. I had enough preconceived notions about them.
“Archibald,” Eugene called. “Good to see you boy.”
Archie grimaced but inclined his head. “And you, sir.”
Laughing, Gene glanced at me and then surprised me with a wink. “Boy hates when we use his full name, but he’s far too polite to correct us. He’s a good boy though, we like him. Ted did right by him, and he seems awfully fond of you.” Eugene Grayson gave me a piercing look before he held out his hand. “It’s been a long time coming, young lady, but I’m Eugene Grayson.”
“Frankie Curtis,” I answered him exactly as I had his wife. His grip trembled faintly and took what seemed like a robust man and made him seem a little frailer beneath the surface. That was the only reason I bit back my next comment. My nerves were fluttering like mad, but I was also on guard. These were Maddy’s parents, the people who cut her off and ultimately, cut me off.
“Shall we sit? Pat, let’s get the kids some food, and then we can talk like civilized people.”
“Of course,” Patience said smoothly as she accepted his arm. “Please, join us. I know you must have questions.”
Questions?
Oh, I had questions. But instead of leading Patience away, Eugene offered me his other arm, and I stared at it a minute, then Archie swooped in to wrap an arm around me. “Excuse me, sir, but I’d like to be the one to escort her to the table.”
That earned us a pair of assessing looks from both Eugene and Patience. They nodded and moved ahead before Archie pressed his lips to my ear. “Good?”
I glanced at him and gave a slow if uneven nod. But even as he pulled out my seat and I took it, the scrutiny from the other two at the table weighed on me. What did I want out of this meeting? That would be what Erin would ask me. Was my anxiety misplaced? Did I want to blame them? Did I want them to answer all my questions and tell me they’d wanted me, even if Maddy cut them off too? Or did I want them to just tell me they hadn’t cared because Maddy had broken all their conventions? What did I want to know?
Or was it that I simply wanted them to like me?
Once we were seated, someone brought out the drinks Archie had asked for. The woman who served us turned out to be someone else from the one I’d seen earlier or the butler. But instead of quiet reserve, she wore a bright smile and radiated warmth. While she didn’t say much, she seemed pleased to see me. Only after she’d served the salads and excused herself did Patience sigh.
“Martha is going to gloat at me for weeks after this.”
Eugene laughed. “And rightly so. You’ve been worried about meeting her and fighting the urge to call her for two years out of fear she would be too much like her mother.”
Patience flicked a look over to me. I raised my eyebrows. What did she want me to say? Thank you for not lumping me into the same category with Maddy?
When the silence stretched out, Eugene glanced between Patience and I before he opened his mouth, but I had one question and I wanted to know the answer before we went too far down this road.
“I met you before,” I said abruptly and pulled the focus of the whole table. “You came to Texas. You and Maddy had a big fight and then you left, but you didn’t say two words to me then. So you knew where I was, where we were, and you knew her. So all I want to know is why? Why did I never hear from you?” Not to let Eugene off the hook, I glanced at him. “Why didn’t I ever hear from either of you?”
Chapter Nineteen
I’ll Be Your Ally Through All Your Battles
Archie
The silence at the table grew, but Frankie didn’t back down. My little badass met their stares evenly. She’d asked that question in a strong voice, one that commanded respect, even if she didn’t realize it. Fuck, I loved her, but more than that, I was proud of her. Frankie despised confrontation. She could handle it, but she’d never liked it. Another mark of Maddy’s influence. Yet in the months since she’d unloaded at us at the apartment, there’d