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Sitting beside my father, I keep stealing glimpses of her while paying attention to the auction as she pretends to listen intently to something I know must be boring to her. This is not her scene, so why is she here?
The night is now bearable. I have socialites to speak with. My father will expect it, yet all I want is to be with her.
I glance up at Daphne watching me closely.
Last week, she emailed me to confirm she was donating to my mother’s cause. I thanked her for her support, as I know my mother appreciates it. I also indicated her attendance was not required since she now resided in Italy. I didn’t give another thought to why she emailed me instead of my mother until now.
Did she know Penny was also invited?
Why did she want to come?
She knows there’s no future for us.
The entrée is served, and the table breaks into trivial chatter.
“Can we swap seats?” I ask Charlotte.
“Not a chance.” She sticks a fork into a prawn without looking at me. “When Mom is on the stage, Dad will want to speak with you.”
“Dad has all of tomorrow to question me since I’m spending the day with Mom,” I snap under my breath.
Charlotte glares at me. “Soon,” she whispers. “Stop making it so obvious.”
“What?”
She rolls her eyes, turns to Penny, and starts a conversation.
Is she cockblocking me?
Jobe announces the current bids on the main auction pieces and that the bidding will close after dessert. It no longer has my focus, and I’m happy to give my mother a fat check at the end.
Dad leans in closer to me. “Penelope is a lovely young lady.”
“Yeah, Dad, she is.” I drop the cutlery, no longer hungry. “When did you meet her?”
“When I sat at the table,” he says in a deep voice. I’m not accusing him of anything.
“Who invited her?”
He frowns at me. I shake my head.
“It must have been your mother.”
My family is killing me.
I rub the spot above my left eyebrow to ease a sudden pain. “When did Mom meet Penny?”
My father gives me his side-eye look as though he is paying attention to the auction. “Your mother keeps her cards close to her chest.”
What play is my mother planning? She knew Daphne was coming.
Jobe announces a five-minute break.
“Penny,” Daphne says from across the table.
I glare at Daphne.
