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Sometime later, I settle down next to my wife and daughter, who has grown incessantly aggressive. I frame Victoria’s hands in my face and look her in the eyes while firmly saying, “Victoria, if you fall asleep, I shall wake you. Stop this madness.”
Whimpering, my daughter shakes herself up a bit.
“Yes, I’ll ensure my brother rouses you awake, sweetheart,” Graham chimes in from across the table.
“But I’m not sleepy,” she whines.
“Rubbish, you said so yourself just moments ago,” I say, rubbing her head.
“Victoria,” my Queen gathers our attention, “shall we create an ordinance? You have my word that you’ll be awakened once the Queen of the Night blooms.”
“An or-ordi-ordinance?” Victoria blinks, and I’m tempted to place her in her chair and enjoy my first bite of steak.
“Yes, an ordinance, baby,” Luxury replies.
“Can we make an or-ordinance that my dad is Duke of Tudor? Nobody listens. My momma said nobody listens.”
Luxury quietly mutters that the reprimand was for Victoria, herself, as Graham chuckles. “My brother’s not the duke of—”
All of a sudden, a fully alert Victoria turns her furious wrath on her uncle. “Oh, yes, he is. See, Mommy! Thisdude—”
“Victoria!” Luxury and I snap simultaneously. I take a fleeting glance at Mum for fear that she’ll faint from my daughter’s word choice.
Instead of touching her palm to her forehead, Princess Mary shares a laugh with herownmother as servers refresh their libations.
Well, it’s a bloody new day, isn’t it?
Grandma Sarah lifts her champagne flute. “Indeed, you are Duke of ArlingtonandTudor, Victor. With the assistance of Luxury, Duchess of Tudor.” She winks at Victoria. “You’ve mended relationships, obliterated estrangements.”
“Mum,” Mary laughs softly.
“And you aren’t the cheap brute who—”
“Grandmother Sarah,” I growl. “Me, cheap?”
“Aye! The cheap brute who reserved the wine.” Sarah downs her glass and kisses Burt as he pours her another round. “Why else would you refuse your grandmother alcohol?”
“For so many reasons,” I mutter as everyone readies themselves for Sarah to conclude her toast.
“After overcoming endless bouts of tragedy.” My other grandmother says, nodding in agreement. Whereas Grandmother Sarah was joking moments ago, the emotion roiling over the Queen’s face causes a sincere atmosphere to drift over everyone. “Victor, you have redefined the meaning of family. You have chosen to love the most beautiful woman who supports you. And for all the other testaments that the Dowager Sarah has stated, you have proven that you are overlord of the Tudors. Duke of Tudor, you shall be.”
I gulp down my wine in appreciation.I supposeit’s unnecessary to envisage my father perishing to own another title.For the first time in my life, I’m not counting down the days until cancer claims him for bloody good.
And they say rich men will never be satisfied.
I stand up. “Alright, time’s on our side tonight. Who shall dub me Duke of Tudor? Does this title come with land?”
“Yes, my brother requires more land.” Graham claps his hands.
Luxury laughs. “Might I suggest our daughter’s game room?”
“I second that proposal,” Burt snorts.
“Only you would,” Uncle Red sniggers.
Folding her arms over, Luxury offers half a grin. “Alright then, Victor’s overlord of cleaning up after his namesake. You guys are so crazy.” She laughs. “You know, at some point, we will all look over, and that damn flower will have opened.”
I step behind her chair, kneading her shoulders and reaching down to place a kiss on her forehead. Her brows lift, and my eyes shine in determination as we both recall how that was one area of her body that was off-limits to me years ago.
“If the Queen of the Night opens up and we don’t witness it,” I tell her, “that’ll be perfectly fine. We will see it open. Now, who will officially dub me Duke of Tudor?”
My daughter climbs to her feet, jumping profusely. She looks at me as if I’ve never done any wrong.
As if I simply cannot have any infractions counted against me.
And the reality of it all is that I was drowning in sins. Sins against people and families I’d never set eyes on because I carried out vengeance for a secret assassin society. Sins against her own mother, no less. But as Victoria exclaims, “Oh, me, me, me, Daddy! I’ll dub you Duke of Tudor,” my heart has never felt so full of love and redemption.
