Reborn to Dodge the Bad Marriage novel Chapter 8

Chapter 8 Someone in Her Corner

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Victor was all deference and smiles as he steered Constance and Julian toward the head of the room. “Please, take the good seats.”

Constance kept hold of Nora’s hand. “Nora sits with me.”

“Of course.” Nora smiled, helped her down into the chair, and settled in beside her.

Julian and Nora ended up on either side of Constance.

Constance studied Nora, taking in a clean, striking face and a girl who held herself straight, a little cool and a little formidable, and completely at ease in a room full of people watching her.

The longer she looked, the better she liked what she saw, and she raised her head toward Victor. “I have to say, I didn’t expect you to raise a daughter with this much poise. I like her already.”

That landed badly. Victor heard the part about not expecting it, as though he were a bad man who had somehow produced a good child by accident.

It stung, and he covered it with a modest laugh. “We spoiled Nora rotten. She can’t do a thing for herself and she’s delicate about it. I hope you’ll be patient with her.”

Nora let out a small, cutting laugh. “You remarried when I was three and shipped me off to Grandma in the country when I was four. Truly, I’ve never felt so spoiled.”

Julian had a cup halfway to his mouth. He set it down and turned to look at her, because Nora had just mocked her own father in front of guests and refused to be stepped on, and none of that matched the file he had read on her.

The jab landed hard and it dragged the family’s dirty laundry into the open, and Victor sat there with nowhere to put his face.

Yvette enjoyed it enough to twist the knife. “Nora, Madam Weston and Mr. Weston are right here. Rein it in a little. Talking back to your father like that will only make them think less of you.”

She had stopped just short of calling her bad-tempered, ungrateful, rude, and badly raised.

Any ordinary family would think twice about bringing a girl like that in, and the Westons were a great deal more than ordinary.

Constance only laughed, delighted. “That’s exactly the temper I want. The next Weston wife has to have some steel in her, because if she gets pushed around out there, it’s our name that takes

the hit.”

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སྙ

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Chapter 8 Someone in Her Corner

She patted Nora’s hand, more pleased than ever. “Don’t change a thing. You’re perfect the way you are. Keep it up.”

Mandy saw the warmth and the open affection in that smile and froze, and something ugly turned over in her.

The first time around, Constance had been cold to her from the first day, then openly disgusted by her, then had thrown her out of the house and left her to drown.

So why is Nora different? What makes her different?

Watching anything go well for Nora was more than Yvette could take, so she went looking for a way to spoil it and turned to Constance. “What brings you and Mr. Weston out here yourselves? If there were details to settle, Mr. Callahan would have been more than enough.”

She was hoping Constance would say she disliked Nora and had come to call the whole thing off, ideally feeling guilty enough to leave the 100 million dollars behind.

Constance had fought off a string of mistresses decades ago. One glance at Yvette and she read every grubby calculation behind the question.

Her smile never reached her eyes. “We were told to expect your younger daughter. She’s illegitimate, so I didn’t think it was worth the trouble. Sending Reeve seemed like plenty.”

The word “illegitimate” drained the color out of Mandy’s face and her fists closed hard. Drop dead, you old bag.

The smile on Yvette’s face locked into place and stayed there.

Nora heard all of it and could not have enjoyed it more. One elegant eyebrow went up, and her mouth curved before she could stop it.

Constance knew exactly where to put the knife.

She took in every reaction around the room, then let her tone go warm again. “Nora is another matter entirely. She’s legitimate, she’s the lady of this house, and Julian is not a well man. His temper runs strange and he keeps to himself.

“If Nora’s marrying him, I’m not letting her get shortchanged. She gets every bit of respect she’s owed, in full.”

Constance read the room and judged that she had propped Nora up and slapped them down about as far as it could go without putting the match itself at risk.

“Nora, Julian, why don’t the two of you take a walk and talk a while. Get to know each other.

“If you get along, the engagement stands and we hold the wedding in three days. If either of

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Chapter 8 Someone in Her Corner

you would rather not, nobody here will force it.”

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