“Good morning,” I said, smiling brightly.
“Good morning, Emily,” my father greeted with a clipped nod, but his attention didn’t linger as he turned back to Kitty, finishing his sentence.
“Would you like coffee?” Stewart asked when I took my seat at the opposite end of the table.
Kitty cleared her throat. “What did I say about that?” she snapped at him.
“My apologies,” he replied, but I noticed he did not sound remorseful in the least.
So it looked as though we were business as usual. Being twenty-one had not garnered me the ability to select my own breakfast.
Perhaps I should’ve told Kitty about the orgasm from last night. Maybe then she would think I was old enough to make some decisions on my own.
Just thinking about what I had done with Knox sent cold slithering down my spine. Admitting it toanyone, least of all my stepmother … no, thank you.
When Stewart slipped out, I watched my father and stepmother as they chatted in hushed tones, both of them oblivious to my inner turmoil. I couldn’t quite make out what they were saying. I wanted to interrupt, but I knew better, so I waited patiently for them to pause so I could ask the one question that was burning in my brain.
Finally, my father looked over at me, a lingering smile still on his lips.
“Is Knox here?” I blurted, unable to hold it in any longer.
“He left last night,” Kitty answered for him, her tone cold. “He has better things to do than entertain you.”
My heart sank, and for a moment, I considered running from the room. That dream had left me feeling slightly giddy at the thought of seeing him again, enough that it nearly blocked out what had really happened.
“Why do you—”
My father’s question was cut off by Daniel’s appearance, the house steward’s expression and tone one of panic. “Mr. Campbell, there’s someone here who wishes to speak with you.”
My father peered over, his brow forming a hard V. “Who is it?”
“I think you should come see for yourself.”
Since Daniel never interrupted a family meal, it was clear the situation was dire. Which piqued my curiosity.
I waited until my father excused himself and for Kitty to follow quickly after before I slipped out of the room and took the alternate route to the foyer.
Just as Daniel had said, there was a man standing on the front stoop. He was wearing a navy blue suit and holding what appeared to be a large brown envelope. I couldn’t hear what he was saying or even read his lips because my father and Kitty were blocking my view, but I waited anyway. Once the man passed over the envelope to my father, he turned to leave.
“What is it?” Kitty insisted when Rhett stepped back into the house, Daniel closing the door, his attention on the master of the house.
I slipped behind one of the columns and watched as my father opened the flap on the envelope and pulled out a stack of papers.
He was silent for a moment as he skimmed the pages.
“He did it,” Rhett said firmly. “He followed through.”
Kitty inhaled a shriek, her hand covering her mouth.
Rhett glanced at her, back to the paper. “We have one week to vacate the premises.”
Hearing that, I stepped out from behind the column, joining my father and stepmother. Vacate? What did that mean? We had to leave our own home?
No one looked over at me although my presence usually garnered some sort of acknowledgment, especially if they didn’t want me around.
“He cannot do this,” Kitty exclaimed, hand covering her heart. “He cannot. It has been too long. The statute of limitations has expired.”
Statute of limitations? What was she talking about?
