Page 9 of Statler

Eliza had very much doubted that would happen

Believing she’d never see Holden again, she leaned into her reclusiveness. Not that being a solitary creature was difficult in a town as small as Liminal.

Indeed, Eliza still toiled daily in her father’s front office, but her free time—living in the large manse where she’d grown up—was mostly spent alone, with the exception of the loving interactions she had with her mother, who was a complete, social butterfly; a true matriarch of the town, espousing fund raisers and charity events like she’d been born to it.

When her mother was out at one or another of her benefits, Eliza never took her meals with her father, becoming virtually invisible to him in their home environment.

That suited both of them perfectly.

Until her father got a bug up his ass that things with Eliza’s life needed to change.

When she reached the ripe old age of twenty-five, William began barking around the house that she was going to become a dried-up old spinster if she didn’t start “putting herself out there” for the men in town.

When she ignored those entreaties, he began actively trolling the rolls of his employees for a “suitable” husband.

There had been any number of candidates. All dreadful.

And Eliza was under no misconception why they were “attracted” to her.

Hell, no.

Being the potential son-in-law of the man who practically owned the town was extremely enticing.

William had quickly lined up a number of men, both young and old from those whom he considered his most trusted personnel, and began pushing them in Eliza’s direction.

Epic, ick.

One had been old enough to be her father. Another had an odor wafting about him that could only be described as “recluse-funk”. A third, Jeremy Gussolt, had recently been under suspicion of beating up his previous girlfriend, and a fourth began their first date by sticking his fat, wet, tongue in her ear before she’d kneed him in the balls.

Gross.

The list went on and on, and Eliza had wondered how long she’d be able to fend off all those unwanted suitors, especially Jeremy who was the most tenacious of the group, when her mother had finally stepped in and put a hold to William’s quest.

That was right before Holden had returned to town to begin working at the factory again.

And this time…

He noticed Eliza.

Really noticed her, for some reason she would never be able to fathom.

Both Eliza’s parents, of course, were ecstatic over his attentions, and in a rare moment, all three of them were on the same page. It was almost as if her dreams were suddenly coming true. Eliza constantly had to pinch herself to make sure she was still breathing.

She and Holden had begun dating, and on their third outing, Eliza had thrilled at their first kiss.

Holden had been slow and steady thereafter in his wooing, but eventually had taken things further, then all the way, proving to be very patient, taking charge as he introduced her to the many pleasures and nuances of physical love.

Eliza’s adoration of Holden grew, and she blossomed under his attention, losing the shyness she’d once exhibited. Deep down she felt she was finally living up to the potential her mother had seen in her all along.

When they’d married, two years later, Holden—already understanding how stifled Eliza felt in Liminal—promised somewhat cryptically, that within a short period of time, they’d eventually move somewhere completely different.

Her father had other ideas.

He was fully aware that at the first opportunity, his new son-in-law—who didn’t need his factory or his money—would leave town, taking William’s daughter/secretary far beyond his reach. And…

Everyone knew that the man hated to lose anything he considered, his.

So what did William do?