Page 90 of Mr. Match

“Exactly,” Mariel replies.

“And the men are all well-bred racehorses,” Ivy continues.

“Very well-bred,” Mariel adds. “Very well-educated. From very wealthy and prominent families.”

“Like Nolan,” Ivy finishes.

“And Mac?” Ellie asks. “But how do we fit in, Mariel? Ivy is well-educated, but not wealthy. And I’m not really either of those things. I went to a small liberal arts college.

“This is where are our problem starts,” Mariel says. She takes a deep breath and exhales. “The Misters were set up by the Silver Society and I’m afraid it’s all my fault.”

“They wanted Paxton,” Cindy says. “They wanted you,” she corrects herself. “And you got out somehow. You got pregnant with Charlie Vance’s child so they wouldn’t want you. Is that what happened?”

“That’s how it started. I was tapped in senior year to be one of the lucky ladies. To Pledge Silver, as they call it. But I had been warned by another woman, whom I had known during my formative years at boarding school.” Mariel looks at Ivy. “It was Nolan’s mother. She was on track to marry into the Delaney family but she had gotten word about these Silver people from someone else and we both refused. I got pregnant and she told the Delaney’s all about her invitation. They took care of it from there.”

“Good God,” Ellie says. “Please tell me that the reason Mac’s parents are dead—“

“I’m afraid so, my dear,” Mariel says in her mothering way.

“This is all about you guys not joining? They set up your children?” Ivy asks.

“Wait,” Ariel says. “Just hold on. Oliver doesn’t come from anything like this, Mariel. Our parents don’t fit this selection process. I mean, they went to college, but it was local. And we have money, but we build bikes, for fuck’s sake. And have a tattoo shop.”

“They were never after Oliver, Ariel. Think, girl. Who would they want?”

“Five,” Cindy whispers. “They wanted Five, not Rory.”

“Yes,” Mariel says. “Your sister was a victim because they wanted the Aston family in the Society. Rory was a way to get that.”

“But they didn’t get it,” Ariel says.

“Did they really kill her?” Cindy asks. “Claudette told me that if you don’t join, then you have to eat a poison wafer.”

“They came up with that solution after what happened with Nolan’s mother. She was far too public about it.”

The tension practically makes the room heat up. I can’t help but wonder if Cindy and Ariel blame Mrs. Delaney for their missing sister.

“So she’s dead?” Ariel asks bluntly, the tough girl in her taking over.

“I have no idea, Ariel. If I did, I’d certainly have told Cindy when we first met.”

“So the girl, that night they were all accused of rape?” Ellie asks. “She was in on it? And they are the ones who killed her later? When things didn’t go as planned?”

“Because Five showed up,” Ariel says with a sigh. “And he was too smart to take their bait. They never understood him, did they?”

She’s looking at Mariel, but Mariel only shrugs. “I don’t know him.”

“Well, we do,” Cindy says. “And he’d never, ever give in to something like that. He’d figure a way out, no matter what it takes.”

“And he’d save Rory in the process,” Ariel finishes.

“What’s happening right now, ladies, isn’t about Five and Rory. It’s about Ellie and Mac. Ivy and Nolan. Tori and West.” She looks at the Shrike sisters. “Cindy and my Paxton.” And then Mariel finally looks at me. “My Katya and Oliver.”

My Katya. God, she makes me feel all warm. What would I have done without Mariel these past few years? I don’t even want to think about it.

“But,” Tori says in a very small voice that has no place coming out of her mouth, “what about West? None of this makes any sense when you look at West.”

“No, Victoria,” Mariel says. “I’m afraid none of it does. And Weston Conrad is the real reason things have gone so wrong once again. Because Claudette Delaney was actually Claudette Conrad Delaney. And in both families, she was cut out. Illegitimate from start to finish.”