“It was nice to see you, Mrs. Ashcroft. I’m going to…go do some work in my room,” she says. She smiles at Cara and gently passes her hand over Marigold’s shoulder before disappearing down the hallway to her bedroom. I wish I could do the same.
The second her door closes, the apartment shrinks, air thinning under the weight of my mother’s judgment. Cara lowers herself onto the sofa next to our mom while unbuckling the straps of Goldie’s carrier. My niece blinks sleepily, her cheeks flushed, a damp curl stuck to her forehead.
“Hi, my little bean,” Cara whispers, lifting her out and settling the baby on her knee. “There we go. Stretch those toes.” She wiggles Goldie’s foot, earning a drowsy squeak. I can’t help but smile as I watch my niece rub the back of her tiny hand against her eyes, slowly waking up.
My mom doesn’t even look at her. Instead, she folds her hands together; a gesture so practiced it could be a political photo-op. “Well,” she begins, voice crisp enough to slice through drywall. “We drove all this way, so let’s not waste time.”
My stomach pulls tight. Here we go.
“Really, Madeline,” she says, eyeing my sweatshirt like she’s just now noticed it. “Is that what you wear out of the house? Will you never outgrow dressing like a teenager?”
Cara stiffens beside her, one hand instinctively rubbing Goldie’s back. Even the baby seems to feel the tension.
I force my expression to stay neutral, even though my cheeks burn. I know better than to argue with my mom—it never ends well. Besides, I like the way I look. I’m not actually offended, but my mom’s judgement still lands like a sharp smack.
Cara cuts in, trying to lighten the mood in the room. “Madeline looks cute, Mom. It’s the style.”
Our mother’s lips form a straight line. My sister will be hearing about that comment later, but scolding Cara is not the reason for this visit. My mom returns her attention to me.
“Tell me, Madeline. You didn’t feel the need to tell me that you moved two hours away?”
I shrug. “I called you a couple of days before I moved in, but you didn’t answer. I left you a voice message. I was busy packing up my things and I figured you’d return my call when you could.”
I didn’t have the energy to soften my words, but my mother isn’t built for subtlety anyways. Directness is the only thing that works with her.
“That was almost a month ago. And you’re living here…in this…”
“Apartment? Yes. With Lottie,” I say firmly. “You never call, Mom. If you did, you’d know how I am and where I’m living. You haven’t told me what you’re doing here. You didn’t tell me you were coming to town.”
“We need to talk, so I made the horrible drive to get here. I asked Cara to come along with me.” Her brows draw together in a harsh line. “Are you still with that Winters boy?”
I nod. “I am.” I realize suddenly that this time it’s actually true. He’s mine. My person. A tiny, stunned part of me can’t believe that Jesse Winters is my boyfriend.
She rolls her eyes. “You realize that Elliot is interested in you? He has an incredibly bright future, Madeline. He’s going to be a very powerful person one day. He has his sights on becoming the prime minister. You are seriously not even going to consider him?”
I shake my head. “I’m not interested in Elliot. I thought I made that clear. Jesse makes me happy. I don’t have anything more to say about it.”
“Well, I do,” my mom says. “Your father had one of his people look into the Winters brothers and he’s learned something you may find interesting.”
My stomach plummets.
“The man you’ve been…spending time with. His younger brother, Wes. Let’s just say there’s a story he’d prefer not see make the headlines.”
Cara’s head snaps up. “Mom?—”
Mom lifts a single manicured finger. Cara shuts her mouth, jaw tightening. I feel the room tilt. If it were anyone else, I would have just shut down this conversation and got up and left. Unfortunately, I know how my parents are when they want something. They’ll stop at nothing.
“I’m not going to share the details of the scandal.” She crosses one leg over the other. “But I will say this: the Winters family is not as pristine as they appear.”
My throat goes dry.
“But that’s not why I’m here,” she continues. “I have a very simple favor to ask. Elliot’s family is hosting an event at the end of the month. Donors, media, several families we’ve aligned with for years.” She gives me a pointed smile. “It would mean a great deal if you accompanied him. Show up. Smile for cameras.”
“And if I say no?”
My mother exhales a slow, controlled breath. “Well,” she says lightly. “If you can’t find a way to help your father, then perhaps he won’t be able to help your…friend. It would be very unfortunate for his family and their little business if they were to find themselves in the middle of a scandal. I’m sure none of them want that.”
Cara’s eyes widen. “Mom, you can’t be serious?—”
