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“You’re trying to get to me, but it won’t work.”
“Maybe it’s already working,honey,” he said.
For a moment, they stared at each other as the sound of the crackling fire blithely invited them to enjoy a romantic evening. But this wasn’t a romantic evening; it was a preview to what every other night might be like, and he hoped that it scared her as much as him.
With that, Ava left, too focused on her thoughts to notice that his mother had been watching her from the dark corner from the other end of the room, her face a mask of contempt.
“Blending in with the shadows like a creature of the night?” Benjamin said sarcastically. She joined him at the table.
“Glad to see you still cracking jokes as usual,” she noted with her own twisted smile. One of the waiting staff quickly offered her, with skilled precision, a glass and bottle of wine, which she gladly took even though she admitted, “I’ve already had a little too much to drink.”
Ben could see that. It was troublesome. While she drank more or less constantly, never had he seen his mother even tipsy before.
“I’m just trying to make the best of it. For the sake of my inheritance. I hope you will do the same?”
She answered with a frown. “The best of it, huh? Is that why I saw her marching off like some dejected child? How dare she live in this house and bring along her pride and contempt…” she was beginning to get flustered as she spoke, her eyes flaring up.
“Relax, mother,” Benjamin said. He gave her a reassuring smile. “You don’t have to get all worked up. I’ve got things covered. Before we know it, things will be back to normal.”
His mother eyed him with a look of skepticism. “Most of the time that means you have the intention to do what is needed but won’t follow through if things get ugly. You have your father’s kind heart. Remember the polo incident, with the horse?”
He frowned at the thought of that. He’d gotten an untrained mustang at the national polo championship after his own horse got injured. His mother and coach insisted that he tame the horse by any means necessary, but Benjamin and his father didn’t think it was the horse’s fault that it was untrained and did not want to use the riding crop at all. Ultimately, he withdrew from the match and they had lost. It was more than worrisome that she would even use this as an example. It must be the alcohol.
He cut his mother short, “I mean it this time; I’ve got this one covered. This is my marriage and I will be just fine. No need to meddle, mother. Just take a long vacation or something.”
She tightened her face. “And leave you all alone in this? No, my boy. I am here for you. I will protect your inheritance.”
Benjamin shifted in his seat. The look on his mother’s face was almost scary. She looks like some sort of evil villain. Her eyes even seemed to be glowing in the flickering light of the fire.
“Don’t worry yourself. I know you can go overboard sometimes, just don’t do something that could do more harm than good, please. For me?”
“I’m your mother,” she reminded and stood up, tossing down the glass of wine. “I can darn well do as I please. By nature’s dictation, I know better than you.” Grabbing the wine bottle, she left before Benjamin could say anything else. For a brief moment, he thought of just telling his mother to leave. After all, he would be the one inheriting it all. But then, that might just make things worse, spark her hatred.
Sinking deep into his chair, he let out a loud, discomfited sigh.
“This is going horribly.”
