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Father joined us before I had to figure out a response to Maeve’s question, with all three of us visibly tensing at his arrival.
‘Ah, look what the cat dragged in. I was thinking you’d all ran away from me.’ Father’s eyes slid to Maeve as he licked at his lips. ‘And we couldn’t have that, could we?’
‘Benny says you’ve been pretty busy yourself this week too,’ I said, trying to deflect my father’s attention from Maeve and onto me. ‘Got something big in the works.’
‘Nothing that you’re ready to deal with yet.’
The staff brought in the starter, a delicate mushroom soup with a side of olive packed sourdough, giving us a brief breathing lull.
My father loved this soup, so the chef served it up often on our family dinners. Father and Katie tucked in, while Maeve looked at the plate wide eyed before glancing at the rest of us. She tentatively picked up her spoon as I ate and dipped it into the broth, purposely avoiding the mushrooms and putting the tiniest amount of liquid on her spoon. I’d nearly finished my bowl by the time she’d stomached the small mouthful, looking pale about the face.
‘You don’t have to eat it,’ I said under my breath as Father spoke to Katie about what he expected from her the following week.
‘I was always taught it was rude to leave a full plate of food,’ she whispered back while staring at the bowl. ‘I really don’t like mushrooms, though.’
‘They won’t care.’
‘I’ll care.’ She tried to eat another spoonful, and I watched as her shoulders heaved a little.
‘Here,’ I said, quickly switching my empty bowl with hers. ‘Now no-one will know.’
Maeve gifted me with a sunny smile that sent bolts to my chest. Damn, seeing her happy did unspeakable things to me. What I’d do for another sunny smile.
‘So,’ Father interjected as Maeve dragged her eyes from me, her smile faltering. ‘What have our two lovebirds been up to this week?’
‘Working. Just the usual.’
‘Not been taking care of your new wife? You should be in that honeymoon phase where you are showing her her place, left, right and centre.’ Maeve paled even more as Father spoke.
‘And where exactly is my place?’ Maeve asked quietly, but with steel beneath her words. I had expected her to cower.
‘On your knees, as far as I’m concerned. Looking at those bags beneath your eyes, I’d been hoping my boy had been taking advantage of his situation well into the night.’
I tried to breathe slowly, my fist clenching beneath the table as I glowered at my father. Fuck, why did he always have to be such an utter cock?
‘That’s enough,’ I said through gritted teeth, but father just laughed and shook his head.
‘Look at her. The girl looks like she hasn’t slept in a week. If you haven’t been keeping her up, then who has?’
I glanced over at Maeve and saw that he was right. She looked exhausted. Guilt ripped at me. She had slept best in my arms when we were away, when we’d been playing at being normal. Then I thrust her under my father’s roof and left her. She probably hadn’t slept much while I’d been away.
‘If only I were so lucky to be kept up all night,’ Maeve said, a malicious grin sweeping over her face as she stared point blank at my dad. ‘Has Cameron always been one to arrive so early at destinations... Maybe it runs in the family?’
I didn’t know whether to laugh as my father’s face turned beet red, or to be offended. Logically I knew she didn’t have any experience of my in bed prowess, but I still didn’t fancy it getting out that I was a two pump chump.
Katie spluttered on her wine, and father glowered at Maeve.
‘I heard that McGowan women were nothing to write home about in the sack, so you should watch your mouth, girl.’ My father was a pile of suppressed rage, a vein throbbing by his temple.
‘I think it says more about the Thompson’s if a woman is so bored in bed that she can’t even muster a moan. I guess taking things into my own hands is something I’ll have to get used to around here.’ Maeve picked up her glass and took a sip, her hand trembling ever so slightly being the only giveaway that she perhaps wasn’t as brave as her words led me to believe.
Father was out of his seat before she’d set her glass down, slapping it from her fingers before grasping her face in his hand. Maeve let out a squeak of surprise as Katie rose to her feet, looking set to flee. We’d seen Dad like this, and it never ended well. Fuck, I shouldn’t have let her goad him. She was going to get herself killed.
‘You disrespectful little whore,’ my father spat out into her face, ‘I’ll show you just how much I can make you moan in bed, you bitch.’
‘Dad, stop.’ I stood and grabbed his wrist, squeezing enough to let him know I could remove him physically if I had to.
‘Are you going to defend her? Against me? I made this union and I say when it ends. It’s not going to work out having this little cunt in my house.’
