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But his eyes just stared into mine. “Wilhelmina.”
“Okay, maybe a tad bit. But is that so wrong?”
“Yes!” he snapped, and I looked away again because I knew he was right. “This anger and hate you both have toward each other have affected everything and everyone around you two. Odette and Augusta tried to rise above it, but in the end, even they can no longer be closer to each other. Why? Because you both use your daughters as weapons for your gain.”
“I—”
“Just because you were fortunate that Odette wanted to be with him also does not excuse the truth, and now there is nothing that can be done except hope this works out for the best, for her sake, not yours.”
“Her sake is all I am worried about,” I said honestly. “She is so far away, Charles. I have no idea what is happening. I’ve never seen Odette so captivated by a man before. I’m worried she isn’t seeing clearly. Is she all right? Are they taking care of her? Is she strong enough to handle this alone? Is she going to stand up for herself? Fight for herself? How often will she have to do that? If I go, maybe I can—”
“Odette is not a child, but she is your daughter, so fighting for what she wants or believes in is coded in her DNA somewhere. The only reason she never bothers to do so is that she’s worried about you as you go charging in. When you are not around, you should see how tall she stands and how uncompromising and bold she is. You do not have to worry so much.”
“All parents do is worry and pray that what we are worrying about doesn’t happen. Even still, I do not like just sitting here and doing nothing.”
“Trust Odette. She can take care of herself.”
“I’ve always trusted my daughter. It is other people I do not trust.”
“There is no reasoning with you. I just hope Odette is holding out much better than you.”
“She’s not, and I know it.” Ever since Odette was a girl, she liked a little space to deal with her issues. Before, she could hide it from me. Now I worried they wouldn’t give her the space. Rubbing under my eyelids, I rested back. This was not how this was supposed to happen, but now that it had, I could no longer make sense of my past actions.
“Have you spoken to her—”
“Wilhelmina!”
I jumped at the sound of my name and the sound of the penthouse door as it slammed shut. Turning to it, the pregnant terror stomped inside as if she owned the damn place, yelling my name as if I were her housemaid or her roommate. Was she insane? From the crazed look in her eye as she came to the couch, I was pretty sure the answer was yes.
“Call her!” she demanded, once again shrieking.
Shocked, I looked behind me to see who she was talking to. Seeing no one there, I looked back to her, and it was then I was certain she was out of her damn mind. Slowly, I rose to my feet.
“Little girl—and I will call you a little girl even as one grows inside of you—if you yell, holler, bark, or anything else that is less than respectful to me again, I swear, pregnant or not, I will smack the taste out of your mouth and on to heaven’s gates. Who do you think you are talking to right now?”
Maybe she remembered because her eyes widened slightly, and she took a breath. “Wilhelmina, I’m sorry. Hormones. I’m just—I’m so lost. And I keep waiting for Odette to call me, but she hasn’t.”
“And why would she call you?” I questioned.
“Why? Really? Because she’s off in some foreign country engaged to some prince! I have no idea what is happening or how this happened. But the media have been blasting my phone. I need to talk to her. But her phone is disconnected, and I have no way to reach her. Has she talked to you?”
“Yes.”
“Breathe, Mrs. Washington.” Mr. Greensboro handed her a glass of water.
I glared at him, but he ignored me.
“I am fine,” she said, refusing him. “Yes? As in yes, she’s called you? But she did not call me.”
“Yes, my daughter called me because she is my daughter. Why she needs to call you, however, is still lost on me.”
“I’m her sister. I should know—”
“Half-sister. And last I checked, you did not call her when you got married. But now you want that courtesy?”
“Wilhelmina, it’s been months. Odette and I already talked that over—”
“I am not Odette. And if you were my sister, after everything you’ve done, not only would I not call you, there would be no way in the world you would feel comfortable enough to barge in here whenever you like,” I stated, stepping forward into her face. “Go home, Augusta. Live your happy life, and leave Odette to hers. She owes you nothing. And you coming here, pretending to me as if you are really concerned—”
