Page 114 of Just One Silver Fox

Troll moved to stand behind Katia while Nate stood behind Sonia. Tobias returned to the room, looking bewildered, but carrying more wine and two more glasses. He sat down hard in a leather armchair under the big windows, between the two parties like a referee. He poured himself a big glass of wine. He didn’t pass the bottle around or serve the others, even though Derek glanced pointedly at his empty glass. Tobias just looked between the four stars of the show.

Nate wondered whether he was wishing for a bowl of popcorn.

“What exactly is going on here?” Olivia asked, looking suddenly prim.

Derek’s expression, to Nate’s satisfaction, began to be concerned.

“You wanted to have a reunion,” Katia said.

“We wanted to talk about the truth,” Sonia said.

“What a lot of nonsense,” Olivia huffed. “What truth can you possibly be talking about?”

Sonia pointed at Derek. “You never asked why Thalia needed a charade.”

“I think you know,” Katia said.

“Which one of you is Thalia?” Derek demanded.

“Can’t you tell?” the twins asked in unison.

“Maybe we should cry,” Sonia suggested. “That might help him tell us apart.”

“It worked before,” Katia agreed, then turned to Sonia. “Do you think Gloria’s little sister cried, too?”

What? Nate sharpened to attention.

Derek froze for a heartbeat, but his grip stayed tight on the wine glass. He gave a little laugh. “Are we supposed to understand them, Olivia?”

“They say twins make their own language,” she said. Her voice was light, but her gaze was flicking between her daughters with the avidity of a hawk.

Nate had the sudden and definite sense that she’d known what he was doing all those years before, that she’d chosen her husband over her own daughter. He gripped his Hook, keeping his pose, hoping he was wrong.

“You called her a liar,” Sonia said softly to her mother.

Olivia’s eyes widened for the barest millisecond before she dismissed this. “Thalia was a terrible liar. Always telling stories. Always seeking attention.” Her expression became disgusted. “Always shoving every bite she could find into her mouth. She had no discipline. No pride. No self-respect.”

“She was betrayed,” Katia said softly.

“By whom?” Olivia demanded.

“By both of you,” Sonia said. “A child should be safe in her own bedroom, with her own family, in her own bed at night.”

“A child shouldn’t be expected to serve a man’sneeds,” Katia said.

“A child shouldn’t be threatened into keeping silent about such a breach of trust,” Sonia said.

“A child should be nurtured and believed when she tells about a horrible experience,” Katia concluded.

“What a lot of dramatic nonsense,” Olivia said and drained her glass. “Have you finished with all you want to say? Does this mean you won’t smile for the cameras tomorrow?”

“It would mean a great deal to your mother and me if you would do so.”

Olivia looked up at him adoringly. “A spin-off series of our own,” she said with wonder.

“Just think of the residuals,” he said, staring into her eyes.

Nate didn’t doubt that this performance was for the benefit of himself, Troll and Tobias.

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