“There’s no such thing as a Lady Warren. I am Mrs. Warren, nothing more.” Monica blew her bushy bangs out of her face. “There is nothing to take from her. Anything Isabella has lost was her fault. She’ll simply always refuse to acknowledge it.”
Monica brushed away another tear as her lawyer led her to the car out front.Am I crying for that woman?No, not Isabella. Not specifically. The reason Monica was emotional was partly because of the anger that still festered inside of her and needed an outlet, but also because she envisioned a world whereshewas Isabella. WhereMonicahad turned into the kind of awful witch who pushed her children away and only curried favor with those as terrible as her.A world where Abigail hates me. Resents me.Monica held her hand to her chest after buckling her seatbelt. The thought of treating her daughter the way Isabella had treated Eva… as a bartering chip… as a plastic doll to be styled and cowed into a different kind of unnatural submission…
The lump she forced down her throat didn’t go very far. But it soured her stomach, and by the time she was home, all Monica could think about was going to her daughter’s room and reading her favorite story to her as she slept.
She’s perfect.As Abigail burrowed beneath her covers, safe and sound in her bed, Monica ran her hand along that long blond hair and gently patted her daughter’s arm. She was an angel. A princess. A darling child who needed her mother’s love and protection now so she could grow up into a powerful woman who did things her way… but for the right reasons.
Monica was still getting to know Abigail. Her personality, her likes, her fears… As the future came, she wanted to believe she would handle her daughter growing up with grace.Like aging. Don’t pretend you can stop it. Embrace it.Monica didn’t know what the world had in store for everyone’s future. She didn’t even know if she believed in God. There were too many convincing arguments for and against.
But she believed in being the best woman she could be and demonstrating that to her daughter.
“I pity you.” Monica said that to the photo of Isabella in the hallway on her way to bed. “You could have had it all.”Her children’s happiness. Their financial security. Friends and parties who gave her an excuse to be herself. A beautiful granddaughter who adored her.
Instead, she threw it all away for some nonexistent title.
Monica swore to never make the same evil mistake.
Chapter 17
Madams and Misers
As much as Monica wished she could turn over all operations of the Château to Judith and the others, she had to return at some point after securing Abigail’s safety. And as much as she wished she could listen to everyone’s advice, she was not yet at a point where she could let Abigail out of her sight except to go to school. So to the Château they both went two weeks later.
“I’ve got a really big night tonight, sweetie.” Monica sat before her vanity, screwing in her earrings while Abigail danced around in her leotard and T-shirt. “Promise me you won’t leave this room tonight or without me, okay? Matilda knows you can’t be running around the house during business hours.”
The nanny was currently in the adjacent office, picking up some of Abigail’s toys that had been strewn around there after she had constructed an elaborate castle beneath her mother’s desk.At least she has a healthy imagination.Regulating her daughter’s screen time had paid off.
Speaking of…
“Can we watch a movie tonight?”
Monica got up from her stool. “Of course. After you’re done with your homework, Matilda knows you can watch whatever you want.”Within reason.But with kids like Abigail, it was best to dance around caveats.
“No, I mean withyou.”
She hesitated in her bathroom doorway. “Oh? I don’t know how late I’ll be working, sweetie. But if you’re still up when I’m done… maybe.”
Abigail plopped onto the bed. “Okay. Can I go outside? I’ll take Matilda.”
“Honey, no, what did I just say?” Monica hoped the panic wasn’t evident in her voice. “You can’t leave the apartment while I’m working. Or without my supervision.”
“But we’d go outside!”
“It’s dusk. It’ll be dark in ten minutes.”
Abigail puffed out her cheeks and fell onto her side. “Fine.”
“You’re bored, aren’t you?”
“Kinda. You’re always gone so long.”
Monica’s demeanor softened. “I remember when you used to come here when you werereallylittle.” While that was only a couple of years ago for Monica, it probably felt like a lifetime ago for someone as young as Abigail. “You would be asleep when I left, and still asleep when I got back. Matilda used to read books and work on her laptop while waiting for me to get back.” The nanny had her own simple room down the hall where she could have privacy and crash during her off hours. And Monica was grateful that there was a room she could convert so close to her apartment, because the last thing Matilda wanted was being propositioned by lost guests, and the last thing Monica wanted was the nanny being propositioned by lost guests.
“I don’t wanna go to bed,” Abigail protested as she hopped up. “Are you gonna be late?”
“I don’t know, sweetie. Your mom’s hosting a party for some important guests tonight and it will depend on when they want to go to bed.”
“You mean have sex with people.”
