Primrose continued. “I moved you out of the line of fire the first time I saw you struck. I vowed to myself that if ever I saw Austin’s world harm you I’d ensure it never happened again. Exposure to adult men was a limit I should’ve put in place.”
“So you discarded me.”
“I returned you to your mother where you’d be safe. I paid her to continue your education.”
“She threw me out the minute I got back,” I croaked. Tears clogged my throat. “I had nothing and no one. I had to find work, and yes, I did it on my back. I’m not ashamed of what I had to do to survive.”
Disbelief played out over Primrose’s features. “No. That doesn’t make sense. She gave me reports.”
“She lied, and you played a part in it.”
I didn’t expect much. Not to be believed. But I caught the second it registered in her.
When tears lined her eyes. It shook something deep inside me.
My grandmother’s gaze rose from me to the pictures beyond. To her naked thighs and breasts, captured for all to see. “I would never do to you what was once my fate. Forgive me, I had no idea. I…”
She swayed and gripped the doorframe.
Mila gasped and lurched for her. I did the same. Together, we collected the woman who had tormented us both and helped her back into the bedroom.
On her white leather chair, Primrose took a moment to recover herself. “Please, believe me, I would never enable the suffering of one I loved so much. My intent was only ever the opposite. I can prove it to you, if you’ll allow me. I imagine this is as important for you as it is me.” At my faint nod, she pointed from Mila to her lower dresser drawer. “My diary. The one from ten years ago, if you will.”
Mila found a stack of white leather books, each stamped in gold with the year and Primrose’s name. I remembered her always having one of these. She’d make notes in it daily.
My grandmother flicked to a page. “Here, reference to a payment I made to your mother and notes from the phone call we had. ‘Darcy is taking exams and predicted high grades. The extra tutoring has paid off, though she needs more time with her maths tutor to be sure she grasps the topic. Additional fees sent.’ See? You were thriving, as far as I knew. I was so proud.”
My mouth dried. There was a number in black ink. More than enough to support us both. I hadn’t seen a penny. “My mother told you that?”
“Every month. She was truly convincing if you’re telling me you weren’t there.”
“I wasn’t. I never took an exam in my life.” I wanted to add how I’d been fucking men for money at that age, but too much had changed in how I saw her. My whole history altered to something different and built on a lie.
Strangely, I wanted to shield the elderly, frail woman from the worst of it.
I also needed to know what had happened to her. To the family business. Nothing was what it seemed.
Except my words had stalled.
Mila looked between us then took over asking the questions. “Grandmother, you said you wanted to spare Dixie from what happened to you. Did I understand that right? You were in some way hurt?”
Primrose shuddered and tore her gaze from us. “I suppose you’re both adults now. You can know. I was stolen, as a young woman. I don’t know who sold me. Only that I was on a boat for a long time. Austin was my rescuer. He found me in a storage container, fought the crew, and took me home. He claimed he loved me and kept me.”
I crammed my hand to my mouth.
Mila reddened. “You… God. I’m so sorry that happened to you.”
“It’s the most ancient of my history. I never wanted to tell you girls, but I see now how it would help to know my motivations.”
Mila trembled and reached for Primrose before stopping herself. “But… Since he died, we’ve discovered that he was involved in trafficking. How, after what you must’ve suffered, did he then turn to that trade to make money? I don’t understand.”
I shared her confusion. There were too many revelations that my head pounded.
Primrose nodded. “On the surface, Marchant Haulage was thriving. And it was. A rising force. So much charity work. Butthat was all cash write-offs. It didn’t cost him anything. Payouts to the family did. That was the burden that forced his hand. He overreached. Every bleeding heart, he vowed to heal, until he realised they were crippling him. He told a few that he would have to reduce the payments, and that’s when they plotted against him.”
Mila squinted then furrowed her brow. “Who? Wait, the acquaintance they had in common. Phylis Marchant-Smythe.”
“You were always so clever, Emilia. Phylis and her husband brought a man here who sold girls, then they recruited other members of the family to run a scheme.”
