Marcus was thoughtful after that terse response. Was she truly repentant? If so, this was a good time to see just how repentant she was.
“I’m glad to see you’re being sensible, my dear. You will be relieved to know that your misadventure hasn’t changed anything. Your wedding will proceed as planned, albeit slightly delayed.”
“Father—”
“I won’t hear a single word of objection,” he told her adamantly.
“You’ll hear more than just a word,” she said, just as adamant as he was. “I can’t marry Joel. Stephanie married him.”
He stared at her wordlessly.
“Ask her, Father.”
If there was one thing Marcus could not abide, it was to have something sprung on him. His brows drew together darkly as he marched to the door to summon his younger daughter. But as soon as he opened the door, Stephanie stumbled into the room, having failed to hear her father’s approach. She stood there, shamefaced at being caught eavesdropping.
“Is it true?” Marcus demanded furiously. “Are you married to Joel?”
Stephanie trembled. She never had been able to cope with her father when he was angry. She couldn’t meet his eyes, but she managed to whisper, “Yes.”
“How?”
Stephanie gathered her courage. “Joel arranged it We…we drove upstate. We were married in a small church, and…and he brought me back home before you returned from the office.”
“You call that being married?” Marcus blustered. “That’s ridiculous. I will get an annulment.”
“No!” Stephanie cried.
“I will not tolerate any more defiance in this house! Go to your room!”
Stephanie turned a stricken face to her sister. “Rissy, do something!”
Suddenly Sharisse was awfully tired. Tonelessly she answered her sister’s plea. “I think I’ve done quite enough, don’t you?”
Stephanie burst into loud wails as she ran from the room and up the stairs. Marcus closed the door and returned to his desk. How he hated interference with his well-conceived plans.
“You see how easily that was settled,” he stated autocratically.
Sharisse sighed. Her father was still the ruling overlord, taking no one’s feelings into consideration.
Her eyes met his directly. “Why is it so important that I wed Joel? It can’t be that you simply want our family joined to his, for Stephanie has accomplished that. And he obviously prefers her. What’s wrong with that?”
“You are the one who will inherit the bulk of my businesses, Sharisse. And since your husband will handle your affairs, he has to be someone I feel is capable of the task. I thought you were sensible enough to realize that.”
“Then leave it all to Stephanie,” she said sensibly.
“No.”
“Why not? Why should I get most of it just because I’m older? I hardly think that’s fair.”
“You misunderstand, Rissy. I am not leaving your sister with nothing. I will simply leave her the properties that don’t require constant supervision, that’s all.”
“So you have a plan for Stephanie? I suppose you have already picked out her husband?”
Marcus frowned. “There’s no hurry, she’s still young.”
“And in love, and married. I don’t see why you can’t just switch things around, for heaven’s sake. Planscanbe changed. Let her have the businesses you’re so worried about and leave me what you would have given her. Then you’ll still have Joel to run these businesses, and everyone will be happy. Why can’t you agree to that? It’s so easy.”
“Edward wantsyoufor his daughter-in-law, not your sister.”
