Chapter 21
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
M arius
Noise from the kitchen wakes me, so I throw on some clothes and head downstairs. Matthias and I talked a lot about what I should do to win Eden back. Now I just have to convince Ava to go along with it.
Assuming she doesn’t want to slap me again.
I chuckle at the idea of my sister-in-law, a woman who’s half my size, getting rough with me. I deserved it, though. Ava’s always been very kind to me, and I hurt someone she loves.
Let’s hope she isn’t interested in round two this morning. That’ll make my winning back Eden difficult.
Walking into the kitchen, I see Matthias with the boys and Eleanor but no Ava. Did she spend the night at the penthouse with Eden?
“Good morning, Marius,” Eleanor says as she opens a cabinet to get a plate for my breakfast.
I stop dead and give her my best disapproving look. Since I’m pretty much a hedonist, I don’t disapprove of much in this world, but her overworking is one of the big things I’m not a fan of these days.
“Why are you up and around doing work? We’re supposed to be helping you, not vice versa,” I say as I walk over to her and give her a hug.
When I step back, she looks at me strangely. “You seem different today, Marius. Is something changed?”
Behind me, Matthias says with a laugh, “I’m not sure Eleanor has heard the news that you’re a married man, Marius.”
The shock written all over her face followed by her mouth hanging open tells me that she and the boys are the only ones who didn’t know. “I guess the cat’s out of the bag now.”
“You’re married? Who is your wife? Where is she?”
I look back at Matthias to see him grinning from ear to ear. “Are you happy? You’ve upset Eleanor.”
He throws his head back in laughter. “Nobody upset her. She just can’t believe you’re married and still sleeping here. Want to explain it to her? It’s quite the story, Eleanor.”
The woman who’s been my only mother figure since I was a young teenager dries her hands on the yellow towel beside the sink and waits for me to say something.
I really don’t want to tell her the story about how Eden and I got together, but since Matthias has already mentioned my being married, I’m going to have to come up with a shortened version.
I look into Eleanor’s pale blue eyes and see real concern in them. It’s nice to know that while the rest of my family thinks I’m a fool who fucked up royally, at least one person who knows me all my life is worried about me.
“Eden, Ava’s friend. I married her two years ago. We kept it quiet until the other day.”
I stop there, but my brother says what I was hoping to keep out of the story for today. “Yeah, when she served him with divorce papers.”
After throwing Matthias a dirty look, I turn back to see Eleanor’s eyes are full of even more worry now. “It’s okay. We’re not getting divorced. I’m going to fix things.”
She doesn’t say anything for a while, but finally she smiles. “I’ve always loved her eyes. She has the most unique green eyes I’ve ever seen in my life. And I know she’s a lovely girl since Ava thinks the world of her.”
Leave it to Eleanor to be positive about the mess my life has become.
“But what’s this about divorce? Are you getting divorced?” she asks as she reaches for my hand.
She gives it a tiny squeeze while I explain things as much as I can. “No, there’s not going to be a divorce. Things are going to be good from now on.”
Then a darkness comes over Eleanor, and she asks, “Wait, didn’t I see her with that man Ava set her up with at the party?”
Looks like there’s no escaping this explanation.
“Yes, but don’t worry. That was all my fault because I didn’t want her to tell anyone about us getting married, so she had to lie to Ava. That’s why she was with that guy.”
Matthias stands up from the table and takes both boys in his arms. “I’m going to leave on that note since I’m pretty sure I’ve heard this story before.”
Alone with Eleanor, I sit down at the table in the seat Matthias just vacated while Eleanor sits across from me. I see by the confusion on her face that she doesn’t understand.
“It’s really okay. Honest. We’re going to be fine. I promise.”
She shakes her head and sighs. “I’ve always hoped you would find someone like your brothers have, Marius. I know it would make your parents thrilled beyond belief to know you’ve settled down with someone you love. Do you love her, though?”
I smile, unable to keep how I feel about my Duck a secret anymore. “I do. More than you can imagine. I made a mistake by not wanting to let the world know, but that’s all over. I bought her a penthouse when she said she wanted a place for us. I’d do anything to see her happy, Eleanor.”
Even that doesn’t make her smile, though. “Money doesn’t buy happiness, honey. I hope you know that.”
Max and Elizabeth King gave us a lot growing up, but the one thing they drilled into our heads day after day was the fact that even though money could do a great deal, it couldn’t replace the important things in life like friends and family and love.
I know Eleanor was there when our parents would say things like that.
My guess is she thinks the lesson didn’t sink in with me.
“I do know that.”
“Why didn’t you want the world to know you married that beautiful girl, Marius? I’m sitting here trying to imagine any reason, but I can’t come up with a single one.”
I hang my head and answer, “I was being stupid. I wanted her all to myself. I didn’t want to risk having to share her with anyone else. It was wrong.”
“Ahhh. This is what happened with Theo coming back to haunt you, isn’t it?”
When I lift my head, I see Eleanor knows the truth about Theo, Maia, and me. “How do you know about that?”
Finally, she smiles. “I’ve lived here all your life. I’ve lived here since before any of you boys were born. I may not say much about the things that you all do, but I notice what happens around here. I was upstairs cleaning when you and Theo had your conversation in the game room that day.”
Reluctantly, I have to admit the truth. “Then you know what he did and how I never forgave him for it.”
Eleanor reaches across the table to softly touch the top of my hand. “Oh, honey, you can’t keep carrying that around with you forever. Theo wasn’t like the rest of you boys. He was more like your great-grandfather.”
“The one who almost went to jail for swindling people out of all their money during the Depression?”
Nodding, she answers, “The very one. Your mother fell in love with the name Theodore and thought it would be a nice nod to your great-grandfather. She had no idea he was a bastard who cheated people when they needed to be treated with kindness the most. When it all came out, both your parents were mortified. Your father was embarrassed to share a last name with him. But that’s why they never called your brother Theodore.
From the moment they learned all about how awful Theodore King was, they always called him Theo.
I guess now we know that didn’t change the fact that of the two men named Theodore in the King family, neither one of them was a good man. ”
For a moment, I wonder if I should ask her if she knows what Theo did to Matthias and Ava, but I’m sure she does. Eleanor likely knows about most of the things that have gone on in this house.
“I guess I’ve been living with what he did for all this time, but you’re right. I can’t keep carrying it around with me forever. Not if it’s going to hurt Eden.”
“No, you can’t. I’ve always thought you would find someone perfect for you. I just worried you wouldn’t want to let them in. You’ve always played your cards very close to the vest, so I guess I’m not surprised you kept your marriage a secret for so long.”
“Well, no more. That’s in the past. Future Marius and Eden will be fine. I just have to win her back.”
She smiles and says, “I noticed you didn’t say easy peasy like you do about most things.”
“No, but not to worry. I’ve got a plan.”
I have a lot of faults, but lying to myself isn’t one of them. Getting Eden back won’t be easy. Yes, she said she can forgive me, but now I have to make sure I don’t blow it when I do what I have planned.
Eleanor gives my hand another gentle squeeze. “Oh yeah? Well, honey, I hope it works because I want to see you happy.”
“Thanks. Between you, me, and the lamppost, if my plan works, you’ll be one of the first to know.”
With nothing short of sly grin, she says, “I’ve never doubted you could charm the birds out of the trees, Marius. You’ve been like this since you were a little boy.”
“I thought Kellen was the charming one. That’s why he’s your favorite.”
That comment gets me an odd look, and then Eleanor cranes her neck to check if anyone is nearby in the hallway. When she’s sure we’re alone, she leans forward toward me.
“Kellen always needed someone to champion him. I promised your mother when she was dying that I’d be here for all you boys, but she made me swear I’d do two additional things.
She wanted me to make sure that Kellen always had a fan in me.
She didn’t have to since I’ve always loved all of you, but she was worried because Matthias would be getting the job Kellen should have had. She was concerned he’d lose his way.”
That brother always could get the women in this house to do what he wanted.
“The second thing she made me promise had to do with you.”
“Really?”
It’s not that I’m completely shocked my mother may have mentioned me to Eleanor on her death bed. I was one of her children, and she seems to have had worries about all of us. It’s just that hearing it today sort of surprises me.