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Now Vittoria scowled at me. “Why don’t you make yourself useful and take these to Chiara’s room?” She handed me the heavy bags.
A furious blush suffused my face.
Chiara took the bags from me and dumped them on the floor.
“Maya, have you met my future sister-in-law, Beth?” she said.
Maya’s eyes scanned me coolly. “Ah, so you’re the Beth I’ve heard so much about.” Her voice had a melodious lilt, her tone honey-sweet. “I hear you’ve been very busy. Balancing work, social life, and family can be so challenging, don’t you think?”
There was a distinct edge to her words, almost a subtle insinuation that I was failing in my roles. Which stung.
“It can be,” I conceded, trying to keep my voice steady.
“And yet, life must go on, mustn’t it?” she said, her smile not quite reaching her eyes. “One simply cannot abandon their responsibilities to gallivant around town.”
The accusation hung heavy in the air. She was letting me know she would make a far better daughter-in-law than me.
“I assure you, I’m doing the best I can,” I responded, my voice firmer this time.
“I’m sure you are, dear. We all do the best we can, given our… circumstances.”
I frowned, trying to figure out if her words had contained a poison barb or not. It was hard to tell because her smile was so placid.
“I’m afraid some people haven’t had your responsibilities in life, Maya,” said Vittoria. “They lack the awareness of how life runs in families such as ours.”
“Oh, please,” Chiara muttered under her breath.
“I’m sure one could learn if one wanted to,” said Maya. “Surely it is simply a matter of priorities?” Her sharp eyes seemed to quiz me.
“You’re too generous, Maya,” said Vittoria.
“I know exactly what my priorities are,” I said a little too hotly, then flushed at how defensive I sounded.
Maya frowned. Looked from Vittoria to me. “It hardly seems polite to mention this, but I feel I must. I’m afraid some people are spreading a rumour about you, Beth.”
“What rumour?” I said sharply.
Maya looked uncomfortable. “That you have been working in a… a house of ill repute?” A small wrinkle formed between her perfectly arched brows. “Where some poor girl was murdered?”
My cheeks blazed. I had spread the damn rumour myself. It sounded like it was continuing to spread all throughout polite society. Which horrified me now. How stupid of me to think all that was behind us. Just a pretence we had put on to catch a killer.
There were a hundred things I could have said to defend myself, to explain that I was not ashamed of my life, my work, the choices I’d made. And yet I knew it would be falling on deaf ears.
When I did not respond, Maya sighed. “One really must be very careful about the company one keeps.” She turned to Vittoria, air kissed her cheeks, and promised to visit again when Marco was home.
After she left, Chiara slammed the door shut behind her.
“Chiara!” her mother admonished.
“How dare you talk to her about me?” Chiara yelled. “Don’t think I didn’t hear you. You’re always telling us not to talk about family matters to anyone, but you’ve just gone and told her all of my private business. I hate you!”
She ran up to her room, slamming the door behind her.
I tried to follow her to ask if she was alright, but Vittoria blocked my path.
Chiara’s anger had clearly upset her. “You leave my daughter alone,” she snapped, her eyes flashing with venom. “How dare you fill her head with lies about Maya?”
I blinked in shock. “I haven’t—”
