Page 100 of Thin Lines (Donati Bloodlines 2)

“Did she mention it came from me?” Emma asked.

“No,” Affonso replied.

“Then why would you think it came from me?”

“Who else would it come from?”

“Your daughter who has spent the majority of her lifepracticing ballet and wants to continue.”

“In England,” he stressed.

Emma racked her brain with something to say to calmthe anger clouding Affonso’s features even colder and darker than they usuallywere. This was not good. She planned on slowly bringing this topic up to herhusband in little ways, while trying to engage him more in Cynthia’s dancing.

Clearly, her step-daughter had different plans.

“She might have mentioned it,” Emma said.

“And you encouraged it enough that she decided to askme if I would sign off on the tuition early,” he snapped.

Surprised at the change in Affonso’s demeanor, Emmarefused to back down. He wasn’t fun to deal with when he was pissed off, butneither was she.

“Actually, no,” Emma said. “I didn’t. I thought it wassomething she should discuss with you. I never encouraged her to drop the bombon you about it, however. I told her to give it a bit of time and make sure itwas what she really wanted before she brought it up to you.”

“What is even in England for her? There are danceschools in New York that would die to take her. England is …”

“Too far from you,” Emma said quietly. “Give her a fewyears, Affonso. She’s young. Let her be young before you start demanding thingsfrom her. She needs to grow up a little bit.”

Affonso growled under his breath and tossed his phoneaside. “You don’t understand, Emma.”

Emma threw her hands wide. “I don’t understand?”

“Well—”

“A year ago, I was Cynthia!”

Affonso swallowed hard, his jaw clenching. “I don’tthink it’s quite the same thing.”

“It’s exactly the same thing. You’ve already told mehow you want to marry the girls off to strengthen your famiglia. It’s nodifferent. I’m asking you, Affonso, to please give Cynthia a few more yearsbefore you do that to her. A little more time for her to learn who she is andto let her grow up. She’s just a girl.”

“She knows what I expect,” Affonso said, brushing offhis pant legs like he was over the entire day and conversation.

Emma’s fury boiled over. She couldn’t have stopped itif she tried.

“I know she’s less important because she was born agirl, but she is still your daughter,” Emma said, knowing damn well how harshshe sounded. “And if you can’t understand even a tiny bit why it would bebetter for her to have just a little more time to be young before you force herto be someone she doesn’t want to be, then you aren’t worthy of being herfather.”

Affonso turned to stone, his gaze lifting to levelEmma with a single look. “Tell me how you really feel, sweetheart.”

“She’s just a girl.”

“My daughter,” Affonso corrected.

“Then why don’t you act like it?”

Affonso’s stare dropped, his posturing softeningbriefly.

Emma wondered if she had hit a weak spot on the man.

“How many more years would you have needed?” Affonsoasked quietly.