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Tahlia had been so shocked by the turn of events, she’d kept the news to herself and hadn’t even told her mother, Sophia, or sister, Kaitlynn. How could she tell them she was tied indefinitely to the Knights and Maximus, the man she’d secretly crushed on the last year? Ever since she’d first seen him from across the room at one of the gallery’s exhibit openings, he’d been on her mind. Not that he had noticed her that night. When she’d asked Robert why he was telling her in advance of Arthur’s bequest, Robert indicated he thought there might trouble between the two brothers when they learned their fate and was hoping she’d play peacemaker.
It was a tall order, one which she knew wouldn’t be achieved overnight, but it was a start. They were family after all. And for some reason, Arthur, her dear friend, had chosen her to lead the effort, and Tahlia was determined not to let him down.
Tahlia tried not to show nerves as she and Maximus walked over toward Lucius and his family, but instantly a chill spiked in the air.
“Lucius.” Maximus nodded in his direction.
“Max.” Lucius used his youngest brother’s nickname, and Tahlia felt Maximus immediately tense beside her. She was sure it was used only by family and close friends, certainly not a brother he’d known nothing about until a couple of weeks ago.
Tahlia had been horrified when she’d heard that Arthur had been caught in flagrante with Lucius’s mother, Jocelyn, in a hotel room and had a heart attack. The news media had been unforgiving in their portrayal of the shipping magnate and his womanizing ways. And when the press had realized that Lucius was the product of their decades-long affair, they’d been brutal. It was no wonder both men were angry. They had a right to be. Arthur should have been honest with them much sooner.
“I’ve invited Ms. Armstrong,” Maximus began, but she interrupted him.
“Tahlia.”
Maximus nodded. “I’ve invited Tahlia to dinner this evening. And she thought you and your lovely fiancée might like to join us.”
Tahlia frowned. She was sure she’d said Lucius’s family, including h
is mother, but was that asking too much under the circumstances?
“That’s quite generous of you, Max,” Lucius replied with a wide grin. “And I’ll stay if my mother is welcome.”
Lucius was purposely baiting him, and Tahlia hated that she was the cause, but Maximus didn’t seem fazed—or at least not that he was showing outwardly. In Tahlia’s opinion, he plastered a fake smile on his face before saying, “I suppose, but it might be best to keep both our mothers on opposite sides of the table.”
“That would be prudent,” Lucius responded.
Soon they were all headed in the direction of the dining room. Tahlia was shocked when Maximus returned to her side after briefly speaking with his mother. She could see Charlotte Knight recoil with the turn of events as evidenced by the glare she threw in Tahlia’s direction, but she remained silent and did as Maximus instructed.
Once they made it to the beautifully appointed dining area, Charlotte immediately sat at the head of the table, making it clear this was her home and they were all just visitors in it. Maximus flanked his mother to the left, leaving the seat to her right open, which Tahlia reluctantly took. Meanwhile, Lucius and his mother sat beside Tahlia while his fiancée sat next to Maximus.
A uniformed man Tahlia could only assume was the butler came to speak with Mrs. Knight. Several seconds later waitstaff entered to fill their water glasses as well as offer them wine with their meal. Other than everyone selecting their choice of red or white, the silence in the room was deafening.
“Th-thank you for having us,” Tahlia offered, glancing at Charlotte. “It’s really quite generous.”
“Did we have much choice?” Mrs. Knight queried under her breath.
“If you don’t want us here, we can leave,” Lucius responded tightly from across the table, and Tahlia could feel the tension ratchet up a notch, but Maximus intervened.
“We’ve invited you and you’re our guest,” Maximus stated wanly. He turned to the company on his side. “Naomi Brooks—” he offered her his hand “—it’s a pleasure to finally meet you. I’ve heard quite a lot about Brooks & Johnson. I believe you use their products don’t you, Mother?”
He turned to Charlotte.
She gave the first sincere smile Tahlia had seen since she’d arrived. “Yes, I do. They are the only products my salon carries where I get my facials.” She lightly touched her cheek. “They’re really quite remarkable products.”
“Thank you.” Naomi smiled.
“You started the company with your best friend, yes?” Maximus inquired, sipping his wine and leaning back in his chair to regard her.
“Yes, in our apartment in college,” Naomi replied.
“And turned it into a billion-dollar business,” Maximus added. “You’ve got yourself quite a find here, big brother.”
Tahlia gave Lucius a sideward glance. The love in his eyes was evident as he grinned across the table at his fiancée.
“And you?” Charlotte turned her attention to Tahlia. “What is it that you do, dear?”
“Mother,” Maximus cautioned. The tone in his voice told her to tread lightly.
