Chapter Eleven
“I cannot believe how rude you people are!” Regina stomped up to the table just as they were finishing.
Mary watched her with fascination. Did Regina just wake up looking that good, or did she wake up an hour early so she’d have time to flat-iron her hair and do her makeup? Oddly, though, her eyes were slightly bloodshot and she had puffy bags under her eyes.
“Does she look like she’s been crying?” Mary whispered to Angela.
“I hope so.” Angela stuffed a piece of French toast into her mouth.
Mary kicked her under the table.
“Of course she hasn’t been crying,” Angela said with exasperation, mumbling around the toast. “That would suggest that she possessed normal human emotions.”
“I’m a guest in your house, and you started breakfast without me?” Regina’s voice was a shrill, high whine. She sounded a little hoarse.
“Technically you’re a prisoner in my house. But help yourself,” Jarrod said coolly, gesturing at the platters of food laid out across the long table.
“I already ate half a yogurt in my room, and I couldn’t possibly eat another bite. That’s not the point,” Regina said, folding her arms across her chest and pouting. “You’re supposed to invite me. It’[s etiquette. I assume none of you attended etiquette school.”
“You assume correctly,” Mary said. “We’re about to go tour the grounds, so the table’s all yours.”
“I want to come,” Regina said sullenly. “I’m bored.”
“No,” Jarrod said.
Mary sighed. Regina had definitely been crying, which made her feel kind of sorry for her. “Oh, let her come,” she said.
Jarrod flicked a glance of annoyance at Regina, then said to Mary “Okay, gorgeous, I just have to go talk to my chief of staff for a minute. I’ll meet you by the limo.”
“Why are you letting her go with you?” Angela demanded indignantly. “Her parents sent a thug to your house to terrorize you.”
“They did what?” Regina stared at her in shock. Angela described what had happened in front of Mary’s apartment.
Regina grabbed her phone and pulled it out of her purse, and quickly dialed a number. It was answered immediately; Mary could hear an angry male voice and a woman yelling shrilly in the background. She winced. It reminded her of Hilda.
Then she took a deep breath and interrupted. “Daddy! Did you send Hans to Mary’s house to threaten her?”
More angry yelling, and some words about how of course he had to make sure that their family wasn’t embarrassed.
“That was not okay!” she shouted, but it was if she hadn’t even spoken. Mary could hear more yelling, insults, and threats.
Angela grabbed the phone away from Regina.
“You’re lucky Mary doesn’t have you charged with a felony. How would that look in the newspapers, Mr. Van Hoffington?”
There was stunned silence on the other end of the line.
“That’s what you get for trying to force two people who don’t even like each other to get married. Just because you’re miserable doesn’t mean that your daughter needs to be.” And she hung up the phone and handed it back to Regina, who was gaping open-mouthed.
“And, that’s how it’s done,” Angela said cheerfully. “Please take notes.”
The limo’s horn honked, out front.
“I think I’ll stay and admire the view,” Angela said. The Enforcers were stark naked and hadn’t shifted to wolf form yet. They were doing squats.
“Please get in lots of trouble while I’m gone,” Mary said.
“Reverse psychology will not work on me. Have fun. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
