That gets his attention. He puts his phone away and takes another bite of his delicious breakfast before answering. “She’s a new cleaner; she was supposed to work the night shift. I’ve fired her, though, you won’t see her again.”
“Why was she just wearing your shirt?”
“She’s a thief, that’s partlywhy I fired her.”
“So she stole your shirt, then came downstairs for a drink?” I could tell he was lying, but I wasn’t sure why.
“Yes,” he says, not looking at me.
“If you’re dating, you can tell me, you know that, right?” I ask gently, placing my hand closer to him on the table in support.
“I’m not,” he says adamantly.
“Maybe you should.”
He lifts his eyes to meet mine. We look similar—same straight black hair (though his is kept very short), same blue eyes—but there’s so much more depth to his, like he’s seen a lot more than I have, which must be true since he’s sixteen years older than me. Not only that, but he’s not stuck in this house all the time like I am.
“We’ve already had this conversation, Wren. Once you’re married, I’ll date.”
“Then I should start dating,” I tell him boldly.
“And who, exactly, do you plan on dating, little sister?”
“I don’t know. Maybe if you let me leave this house once in a while, I could meet someone.”
“Out of the question.”
“But why?”
“I said it’s out of the question!” he practically yells, his voice rising with anger as he narrows his eyes on me, making me shrink in my chair. Calmer this time, he continues, “It’s been a while since I’ve had to show you what happens when you don’t follow the rules. Do you need a reminder?”
My heart hammers in fear. It’s been over a decade since my rebelliousness earned me what he liked to call thesilent treatment. But the mention of it is enough to have me shaking my head as an apology rushes from me. “No! No, I’m sorry,Robert. I didn’t mean to upset you. I promise I won’t break any rules, I was just… curious.”
He watches me for a few moments before he finally speaks. “There’s no need for curiosity, Wren. You should know by now that I will tell you anything you need to know. All you have to do is follow the rules I’ve set out for you, and I’ll do the rest. Understand?”
“Yes, sir,” I answer quickly, my eyes glued to my plate.
“Good. I hope you don’t ruin dinner for me too, since I seem to have lost my appetite.” He shoves his chair back and storms from the room.
I swallow nervously and sit back in my chair, staring down at my oatmeal, willing myself to stay strong. I hate upsetting him, but this makes no sense to me at all.
I glance over at his plate, and disappointment fills me. He finished the whole thing; I can’t even sneak a bite of it.
After I clean up breakfast, I check to make sure no one is in the parlor, and when the coast is clear, I decide to work on my piano skills for a few hours.
With Ivan staying here, I’ve been trying my best to avoid run-ins with him. I never know what to say to him, and he makes my skin crawl. I’d bring it up to my brother, but years ago, when I told him I found Carlos creepy, he told me that I was being rude and that there was nothing wrong with him. He informed me that I couldn’t listen to what I believed to be my gut instinct. Ever since then, I assumed my instincts were off and just kept my mouth shut. Carlos had never touched me or hurt me, so Robert was probably right. Maybe he was right about Ivan, too.
“That’s beautiful, Wren,” Robert says, surprising me as my hands jerk off the keys, bringing the tune to an abrupthalt. He winces but moves closer, leaning on the edge of the piano.
“I’ve been thinking about what you said this morning,” he says, and my ears perk up eagerly.
“Which part?” I ask nervously.
“I’ve arranged for you to have dinner with Ivan tonight.”
I can’t stop my nose from wrinkling in distaste as I frown at him. “Ivan? Why?”
“He’s interested in courting you.”
