“I’m not so certain.” Viv sighed. “For heaven’s sake, why are you so taken by that family?”
“Because they’re wonderful. You don’t have to be born into their ranks, like the aristocracy. Parentage doesn’t matter. The Wynchesters aren’t blood related. They’re a family because they decided to be.”
“I appreciate their diverse backgrounds and their varied appearances and capabilities,” Viv allowed. “But that doesn’t make it safe for ordinary people to emulate them. Their privileged status isn’t replicable by the masses. They got lucky. They were adopted by the right aristocrat. People like us, on the other hand…”
“People like us,” Quentin repeated dreamily, his eggs forgotten. “Can you imagine? You and I might not have influence or power today, but if we were Wynchesters…”
“You and I?” She set down her fork. “Quentin, look in a mirror. We are not the same. You are a man, and I am a woman. Your light skin grants you access to most environments, whereas my Black skin is the first thing anyone notices about me. That is, until I open my mouth and they hear my accent. You were born here in England—”
“But, Viv, don’t you see that all those qualities would make you a perfect Wynchester?”
“You must be joking. They’re self-important miscreants who flout society and break laws whenever it suits them, and they have the money to get away with it. Their hypocritical self-righteousness makes it even worse.”
“You’re just jealous—”
“I don’t begrudge them their privilege,” Viv snapped. “I think we shouldallhave the same rights.”
“Well, we don’t. And I’m not going to sit around waiting for it.” Quentin shoved back his chair.
“Equality isn’t something you’re going to find under a rock. Some people are born into wealth or the aristocracy. The Wynchesters were fortunate enough to be adopted into it. Whereas we—”
“Speak for yourself.” He shot up from the table. “Iwas born to an aristocrat, and all it got me was a quarterly pittance from a man who never bothered to meet me face-to-face. Forgive me if I prefer to follow the example of the people daring to challenge the status quo.”
“You’re going to follow their example right into a death sentence,” she said desperately.
His eyes flashed. “You’re being dramatic. I’d say it’s because you’re a dramatist, but that looks like it’s just a dream. Maybe you’re holdingmeback becauseyoucan’t get ahead.”
She gasped at the vicious words—but couldn’t deny a grain of truth might hide within them. She was aware that she sometimes still treated him as though he were in short pants. Was that in part because once Quentin fully became an adult, he’d take a wife and Viv would be shown out?
“I’m just asking you to consider potential consequences,” she said quietly. “The Wynchesters do what they want because theycan. The law is lethal to those without their advantages.”
“Well, I have advantages, too. You told me to stop wasting my trust funds by changing tutors and hobbies every month. If I now have a purpose in life I want to spend my time and money on—”
“Oh, I agree, time and money certainlyareadvantages not everyone has. Look at me, for example! Whilst you’re out running around, I don’t have time to leave this kitchen, much less the house.”
“You’re not the one paying for it, are you? I’m the one keeping a roof over our heads.”
“And I’m the one who constantly has to patch it! If one of your hobbies could be ‘helping with dishes’ or you took some tutoring on ‘cleaning up after yourself’—”
“You know what, Miss Know-All? Why don’t you save your sack of endless know-all opinions for the misguided fools who explicitly ask you for them?”
He stalked from the kitchen and through the front door.
She hurried after him. “Quentin, wait!”
He didn’t wait.
She sprinted to his side. When she tried to kiss his cheek, Quentin ducked out of range and jogged away from her down the busy street without looking back.
“Be back home by suppertime,” she called out.
He didn’t answer.
“You might beat me at cards this time!”
He didn’t slow. Soon, he was around the corner and out of sight.
She reentered the house, then slumped against the front door with a sigh. Hewouldbe home by supper. He always was. They would play cards. She might even let him win.
