Page 69 of Bittersweet Revenge

“Oh, is she?” William concentrated all his attention on his son. “And why would you care what her grades are? She is a woman, a wife-to-be. How does it matter?”

I cringed internally, only imagining what Esmeralda could think right now. A glance at her face told me everything I needed to know. The way she glowered at the chicken on her plate, she looked as if it had personally offended her.

“I don’t care. I just want to make sure that she is still far enough away from me that people know who the smart one is.”

Don’t pull at your ear! Don’t pull at your ear!I winced as Archie reached up and pulled his earlobe, a gesture that William didn’t miss either.

I should tell him about his tell. I really should, but I’d never claimed to be a good man and keeping this edge on him had seemed more important than coming clean.

“Uh-huh…” William kept his eyes on his son for a few seconds more before turning toward me. “So.” He wiped his mouth and rested his napkin on the side of his plate, eyeing me silently. I hated the calculation there. It was something I knew very well. Dinner had been a set-up and we’d fallen for it.

He smiled. “I’ve got news for you.”

“For me?” I asked, pointing at myself.

“Both of you.” He gestured toward Esmeraldaand I. “I had a discussion with James and it seems you two are happy together.”

I felt Esmeralda's eyes on me. I looked down at her to see wariness and even a little fear. She was looking at me like I was her hero, like I could ease her worries, but I couldn't. Not with William, not yet anyway.

I rested my hand on her leg and squeezed. It was a feeble attempt at comfort, but the only one I could really give her.

“What is it?” I asked. I was better than her at pretending, at faking. It would be for the best if I took the lead and avoided falling into William’s trap.

“James and I talked and we believe it would be for the best if we moved your wedding to the Cherry Blossoms festival. The Country Club has an opening and it will be a stunning occasion for a wedding.”

I froze, my hand tightening around Esmeralda’s knee.

“The Cherry Blossoms Festival is in five weeks,” I reminded him.

Esmeralda tensed beside me. Even if I knew better, it stung to notice once more how strongly she rejected the idea of a marriage with me.

“So?” William shrugged. “It’s plenty of time.”

“But.” I shook my head.

“Father, you can’t be serious. Nobody can throw a wedding in five weeks, I–”

“I don’t remember asking for your opinion, Archibald. Remember your place,” William snapped.

I frowned at this. William rarely mocked Archibald in public. Based on Archibald's shocked face, he hadn’t expected that either.

“But William, we haven’t even looked for a dress!” Sophia gasped with a good humor I suspected was as fake as her cleavage.

“Really, Sophia?” He glared at her. When she recoiled as if his eyes could physically hurt her, I suspected she would pay for this tonight.

I turned to Esmeralda who was paler than usual. Tiny beads of sweat pearled her forehead. She was having a full-blown panic attack. Did she think a marriage with me would be like Sophia’s marriage to her father? Was that why she was so reluctant to the idea?

I knew she cared for me on some level. I knew she was attracted to me. I saw that whenever she looked at me. Her body reacted to mine when I touched her, kissed her. That was not something one could easily fake, especially not someone as inexperienced as she. Maybe if she knew that marrying me was not marrying her father, or God forbid, mine, then maybe we wouldn’t end up miserable.

“Sir, you know how much I value your input, but this wedding is mine and incidentally, Esmeralda’s. After graduation, was ideal for me. I could then take her to Italy and spend all day, every day trying to make you a grandfather. That is not somethingthat can easily be done in my parents’ house.”

Esmeralda blushed furiously as Archibald growled…So much for the poker face, asshole!

I laughed along with William. Wrapping my arm around Esmeralda, I pulled her against me in a possessive gesture.

William nodded. “I understand that, son, but everybody knows that ship has already sailed.”

He raised his hand to stop me from talking. “But–” He sighed, shaking his head. “Ah, I'm going to ruin the surprise. James is going to kill me. We decided, as a wedding present, to buy you the Wagner’s mansion.”

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