twenty-six #3
“I honestly couldn’t tell you,” he muttered. “To think, this whole time, Marco may have been looking at my sister like that. When she was a teenager!”
“She’s never said anything about him?”
“No! Why? Has she to you?”
“No. This is strange.”
“I’m going to talk to Father about it when he gets back. I want to talk to him about Marco in general. I think I’m old enough to know what’s really going on there. Did we really need his family’s money when I was born? Marco became an investor and the foreman before Graella was born!
Maybe before my parents married!”
I don’t like this. Sulim didn’t say that out loud because her husband was already spiraling with this disturbing revelation, and she didn’t want to feed him bad information. If anything, she needed to keep her thoughts to herself until she found out more.
“All I know about Marco,” Sulim said, “is that Mira says he’s been flirting with her.”
“Well, that’s fucking bold of him. The High Priest’s daughter?”
“She thinks he’s harmless, but has noted his ambition.”
“Ambition.”
I said too much. “To marry well. Does he even court anyone? Date anyone?”
“Not really. Which is weird. He’s very charming. When I’ve gone into town with him, he’s got women eating out of the palm of his hand. I’ve seen him have dinner with some women, I guess… but… they don’t go back to his place.”
“He’s a good age, handsome, and has connections to your family. I’d assume he has no romantic interest in general, but...”
“No. I know. I want to get to the bottom of this.”
“Be careful.” The warning was out of Sulim’s mouth before she realized it. “This is a man who was willing to get engaged to a teenager. I wouldn’t confront Marco directly.”
“No. You’re right. I just…” Sonall slumped back down into the couch. “Why?”
Because he wants to integrate himself into this family.
Something certainly was up, and the timing was suspicious.
I have a feeling that the attack soured these plans.
What with Jacelah being all about letting her children choose their own happiness in the wake of such a tragedy that shook the matriarch to her core—and beyond.
Maybe she knows something about this…
But Jacelah was not here, nor was Sulim about to call her on Qahrain.
“At least Graella is now extracted from this.” Sulim folded up the paper and put it back in its folder. “If she didn’t know before, she doesn’t have to know now.”
“Sulim.”
She looked down at him from behind the couch. “What?”
“Has he ever been untoward with you?”
She scoffed. “No. Awkward sometimes, yes, but I would have said something.”
Her husband continued to stare at her as if he weren’t quite sure if he believed her. Don’t give me gruff, Mr. Gardiah.
“I’ve gotta get down to dinner,” she said. “Before they send someone up looking for us. Are you coming, or do you want me to fix you up a plate?”
Sonall sighed, smacking his hand against the pile of folders next to him. “I don’t know. Guess I’m not in my right mind to deal with guests.”
“I’ll bring you something, then.”
“I’m not even hungry.”
“You need to eat.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She put a hand on his shoulder before leaving. “Graella is now on the other side of the Federation. He can’t put any moves on your big sister.”
“It’s not her I’m worried about now.”
“What?” Sulim retracted her hand. “You think he’s gonna make a move on me? I’m already married to you.”
“If there’s one thing tragedy in this family has taught me, it’s that there are bandits out there wanting your pie. What do you think will happen to you if I suddenly died?”
“I…”
“We don’t have an heir, so that means you’d be at the mercy of whatever family is left and whether they want you around. My mother is sympathetic to you, but my father barely knows you exist beyond your head at the table. He doesn’t ask about you. Doesn’t talk to you.
The only way you could impress him is if you showed up with his grandchildren on your hip.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“You’re smart. It’s one of the reasons I love you. I’m sure you can figure it out.”
She was already down the hallway, almost to the stairs, when she contemplated his words.
My only worth is what my body can do for them.
It wasn’t making Sonall happy. It wasn’t running the house well enough when they were away.
It wasn’t about ingratiating herself with the community or having the respect of the staff.
Sulim was someone who kept the heir placated.
She was a potential font of other heirs.
Jacelah may have appreciated her acumen and ability to stay out of trouble, but Vern?
What use was Sulim to him if she wasn’t having babies?
I wonder if he felt the same way about his wife.
The man didn’t think about anything but the business.
When she encountered Mira at the dinner table, Sulim didn’t say anything as she hurriedly fixed up a plate for her husband.
She announced that Sonall wasn’t feeling well and requested that he eat in their room that evening.
She took him up that plate, came back down, and sat across from Mira, who was without her mother that night.
“Wanna talk about it?” Mira asked.
Sulim slammed her napkin in her lap. “Nope.”
Nobody sat at the head of the table that night.