Page 33 of A Dash of Wolf

“The sabotage is another matter entirely,” Grandmother Lavinia continued. “I know you didn’t tamper with that equipment. You’re many things, Adeline, but you’re not a vandal. However, the accusations are damaging. They follow you. And the more you put yourself in the center of that chaos, the easier it is for people to assume the worst.”

Now Adeline did speak up. Not so much for herself, but for the squish-squids. “I can’t stop protesting just because someone else is committing crimes and making it look like I’m involved. That’s not fair to the squish-squids.”

Grandmother Lavinia sighed. “You can exercise judgment. You can choose your battles. You can stop chaining yourself to heavy machinery like a ten-year-old with no responsibilities.”

“I have responsibilities. My bakery. My community. The squish-squids.”

“Taking care of me,” Princess Muffin Top added.

Grandmother Lavinia set down her fork. The sound was barely audible, but it carried the weight of a gavel as far as Adeline was concerned. “You know what I mean, Adeline.”

Gerald cleared the plates and served dessert. This had always been her favorite part of mealtime. She’d sit in anticipation and wonder what amazing creation their chef would send out after the evening meal. It was the excitement over the anticipated sweets that told her she was meant to own a bakery over a restaurant. Today’s dessert was a lemon sorbet in a crystal dish with a sprig of mint. She thanked Gerald when he set the dish in front of her. He smiled, bowed, and left the room.

Grandmother Lavinia folded her hands on the table. “I’m told you’ve been spending time with the new chief of police.”

Adeline’s spoon stopped halfway to her mouth. “Who told you that?”

“It doesn’t matter who told me. Is it true?”

“He’s the chief of police, and I keep getting arrested. Of course I’ve been spending time with him.”

Her grandmother frowned and set down her spoon. “Don’t play coy with me, Adeline. You know what I mean.”

Adeline set down her spoon as well. She was tired of trying to force enjoyment from her lovely meal. “His name is Mason Wolfe. And yes. I like him.”

“He’s not bad for a wolf,” Princess Muffin Top said. “Rather surprising.”

The silence that followed almost made Adeline squirm. Almost. But she was an adult now, and she didn’t feel the need to please her grandmother like she had when she was younger. She sent her cat a small smile across the table. It was kind of Princess Muffin Top to add her two cents in favor of the werewolf.

“He’s a werewolf,” Grandmother Lavinia finally said.

“I’m aware.”

“He’s not from a founding family. He’s not even from this town. He’s a drifter, Adeline. A man who spent years hiding in undercover work because he couldn’t commit to a real life.” She pinched her lips together. “I wasn’t in favor of hiring him. If you want to know the truth, I was the only no vote he had.”

Adeline wasn’t the least bit surprised. “He’s not a drifter. He’s a man who spent years protecting law-abiding citizens by capturing criminals before they had a chance to do anything bad. He gave up having a normal life so we could enjoy ours. And now he’s chosen to come here and build something.”

“He chose to come here because the council offered him a high-paying job,” her grandmother said. “When you marry, Adeline, it needs to be someone of your ilk. A witch bloodline. Someone who understands what the Beaumont name carries. Someone who can sit at this table and know what it means.”

Adeline had to physically press her lips together so she wouldn’t blurt out the first thing she wanted to. Because it was mean and cruel...just like her grandmother could be. But she was feeling a lot of rage flowing inside her. “No one has said anything about marriage. We haven’t even gone on a date yet.” She gestured around the table, her heart racing inside her. “Take a good look at this table, Grandmother Lavinia. Ten empty chairs. Not because they couldn’t be filled, but because you refuse to let them be filled. It’s just you and me. It’s been just you and me for twenty years since my parents died.”

Grief and pain flickered across her grandmother’s face before she masked it. But Adeline saw it, and she immediately felt guilty.

“Your mother understood duty,” Grandmother Lavinia said quietly. “She married your father knowing what it meant to be a Beaumont. She accepted the responsibility. She carried it with grace.”

“And now both she and my father are dead because of that duty!” The words came out before Adeline could stop them. They hung in the air between the two women...even Princess Muffin Top had stopped eating.

“Your parents died in an accident,” Grandmother Lavinia finally said, her hand curled into a fist on the table. “A tree fell on their car. It was a tragedy. It had nothing to do with⁠—”

“They were on their way to a founding family event! An event you insisted they attend because appearances matter, and Beaumonts show up, and duty comes first.” Adeline’s voice was shaking now, and she had to blink back the tears that threatened to fall. “If they’d stayed home that night—if you hadn’t pushed them to go even knowing Mom wasn’t feeling well—they’d still be alive.”

“Adeline, that’s⁠—”

“I was ten years old! I sat in this house and waited for them to come home, and they never did! And the next morning, you sat me down at this table...” She banged her fist down on the mahogany wood. “And you told me I needed to be strong because Beaumonts don’t fall apart. And then you told me I was to go back to my house, pack up my stuff, and I was moving here. You ripped me from the only friend I ever had like it was nothing!”

Grandmother Lavinia’s jaw tightened. “I did what I thought was best.”

“You did what you always do. You controlled the situation. You managed the grief like it was a PR problem. And then you spent the next twenty years trying to turn me into the daughter-in-law you lost.”