Dark Redemption - Charlotte Byrd Page 0,45

is written on her face. She is honest like that. Solid.

That's what I like about her and that's probably exactly what Adele, a woman who likes to play games, who likes to be charmed, who likes to be swept off her feet and who likes to be challenged, does not like about her daughter-in-law.

Our day at the beach goes well. Marguerite spends a lot of time in the water under a big hat, but enjoying everything nonetheless.

She's at that point in her pregnancy where she can't stop eating, so she snacks almost the whole time and I join her.

Lincoln and Dante sit a little bit apart from us talking more about finances and the right investments to make. I overhear part of their conversation, but he doesn't mention anything about Vasko to his brother.

I wonder why at first, but then realize that that kind of undercover operation he can't even trust his brother with. We stay on the shore for a couple of hours until it gets a little bit too hot, at which point we head back.

A little bit sunburned and exhausted from all of that relaxation, we stumble into the kitchen, using the back way into the house and find Adele sitting with a morose expression on her face at the kitchen table.

Her laptop is open before her.

"What's wrong, Mom?" Lincoln asks.

"I need to talk to your brother," she says, focusing her gaze on him and just him. "Alone," she adds.

"Yeah, sure," we all mumble.

I want to go upstairs and take a shower anyway and Marguerite is due for another nap.

At the top of the stairs, I pause briefly to try to listen in but their voices are muffled and impossible to hear. But whatever this is that she needs to talk to him about, it's not good.

27

Dante

Still riding the high from the fact that Mom has actually connected with my girlfriend, she catches me a little bit by surprise when I come in after the day at the shore and find her so cold and distant at the table.

"What's going on?" I ask, taking a seat.

I'm sweaty and my skin is salty and right after I sit down, I get up again to grab something cold to drink from the fridge.

Mom continues to wait. She has her hands folded in front of her like a Cobra waiting for the right moment to strike.

For a second I think that everything that she's been doing up until now is just an act, a joke, and she's going to tell me something terrible about Jacqueline and forbid me from seeing her again, as if she could.

But the longer I sit here and the more time she has to gather her thoughts, the more that the tension between us builds.

"$200,000 is missing from your trust fund," she finally says, glaring at me, her eyes unblinking, steadfast.

My breath gets lodged in the back of my throat. There it is. I wasn't able to come up with the money in time and she found out about it.

"You don't seem very surprised," she says.

I nod.

"Tell me why."

Her voice is demanding and clear, but not angry, except that it is. She doesn't get loud when she's angry, she gets quiet, the anger building somewhere under the surface.

"Borrowed it," I say, "for something important."

"What?" she says, her back completely straight.

Her hands are still intertwined.

She doesn't flinch, she doesn't move. She barely breathes.

"It's a private matter. I needed the money, so I took it. I'm going to put it back."

"You had no right," she snaps. "That money's not yours. It's my trust fund. You don't have access to it until you've married someone of appropriate standing."

"Like Marguerite?"

"No, the opposite of Marguerite," she says without lowering her voice, not caring whether or not my brother or his wife can hear her.

"Look, I'm going to put the money back, okay? Don't worry about it."

"I will worry about it. It's my money that you took and I need to know what it's for."

I hesitate. She has developed such a good camaraderie and almost friendship with Jacqueline and I don't want to jeopardize that.

I had no idea how she could react for the impulsive thing that I did, but I don't want to risk it either.

"I'd rather keep that private," I finally say.

I don't explain, I don't hesitate.

I don't go any further into any part of it.

"I expect the money back."

"I know, and I'll get it back to you," I add.

"I expect it back in a week."

"No, impossible."

"How long do you