He caressed her arm and his body grew warm. “Because my mom was quiet and strong and always did whatever she could for the people in the castle. You have the same spirit.”
She framed his cheeks. “Then you were lucky.”
Heels clicked on the hard wood and he looked behind a bookshelf. For one second he saw his mother’s face but then his sister spoke and she transformed back to Olivia. “Agreed, he is lucky--he remembers more about her than I do.”
Clara glanced over her shoulder and asked, “What do you remember, Olivia?”
He held his wife still. “How long have you been here?”
“I just popped in.” Olivia’s steps were like their mother as she walked to the desk. “I came to say goodbye to our mom and dad. I thought I’d be alone.”
"To…" His voice cracked. Clara was beside him, and he gripped her like he needed to be buoyed up from drowning. “To our father?”
Olivia nodded and traced the desk she passed on her way to the window on the other side of the room. “He cried a lot when he was looking for me, to kill me.”
If he’d have been here… the question had always loomed in his mind and Astorre never had an answer. “I wish I could have protected you.”
Olivia shrugged like it wasn’t anything important. “I hid, and was smart about keeping quiet--he said he loved us all then he killed himself.”
His temples pounded and he massaged the back of his head. “You heard him?”
“Yeah, he was that close.” Olivia glanced out the window to the sky like she was speaking to the heavens. “I thought I was going to die and then I heard the gun. It took me seconds but it felt like a lifetime to scream and run where the baker found me until the police arrived.”
She'd said she’d been in town and safe. His entire body was tight. “You said you were outside, not in the house.”
Olivia whirled and faced them. “At the time I was terrified and a kid afraid of my own shadow--but I’m ready to leave now. I’ve made my peace.”
His heart raced. “How?”
Clara’s simple caress calmed him.
He needed her here.
Olivia paced before the desk. “I realized I’m not crazy like our father. We all know his motivations and how he spiraled into a monster. When you showed me how horrible Max truly was, I was heartbroken--but that didn’t turn me into wanting to kill anyone. I’m not like him. I wish our dad had seen a psychologist or a therapist; though those weren’t in vogue years ago.”
They’d had the means, but Astorre hadn't realized it was even necessary. “You think that would have helped him?”
She toyed with a button on her white shirt. “It’s helping me…that’s why I’m going back to school to major in it.”
Clara’s voice was low as she asked, “You really are leaving the castle then?”
But Olivia couldn’t go--what would Astorre do without her?
If she left he'd be the only family in this castle which was exactly what he’d done to her so he couldn’t protest now. This wasn’t what he'd expected out of life. He'd never wanted to be here and he’d wanted his sister to stay.
Astorre couldn’t protect anyone from when he snapped into a monster, but if anything ever ever happened, he doubly failed. The lord of Montelino Bay’s very job was to protect everyone.
Olivia had no idea the storm in his mind as she said, “Astorre, you and your wife are in love and you’ll be happy here. I’m glad you both came to the room. And that I get to say goodbye.”
Olivia had no clue that she was wrapping a rope around his neck and that he couldn’t quite breathe. “I need you to stay.”
She shook her head and a tear rolled down her cheek. “No, you need to be the lord of the manor that you are.”
For a little sister, she'd always had better command of any situation. He lowered his head and said, “I can’t…”
The rest of the words… that he couldn’t be in charge here wouldn’t come out of his mouth.
Olivia hugged him and Clara at the same time as she said, “You can, Astorre. You’re the Duke of Modena, you can do anything, including defend the castle.”
