Wainwrights.”
“Wow,” Killian said. This was news. Marjorie Robbe had always been a bastion of grace and gentility when he'd met her a few times. But then again, he didn't live in the house and had the feeling that, just like his house, the Robbes were totally different at home than at a party. “How long has she been gambling?”
“Who the hell knows,” Cece snapped. “She's bankrupted the family and I can only be glad that I have my own income.”
“Why couldn't you take in Hannah and let the rest of them out to rot?”
Cece looked at him and cocked her head. Her eyes lit with a smile. “That is utterly devious, Killian. And I wish I could. But they would literally be in a cardboard box in weeks. They threatened me with foreclosure on my house. Mom and dad have no marketable skills. Chas can't carry them; he's a part time broker who sucks at his job. He loses more in the markets than the little piggy who went wee-wee-wee all the way home.”
Killian snorted. “He's that bad?”
“He's terrible.” She nodded. “Just awful. He went into finance because he just once turned a profit on a sale of stocks. Someone told him he was good and he ran with it. Do you know what his formal training is in financial market? He read a single Warren Buffett book.”
“He'd've been better off eating a Jimmy Buffett burger.” Cece laughed; the genuine sound of her humor rang through him. It sounded wonderful. “So winter is coming to House Robbe?”
“Stop!” Cece laughed again. “You're making this funny.”
“Just trying to lighten the mood.”
“It worked.” Cece wascalming down. “I've spent the last few days trying to figure out how to get out of this, and the truth is that unless I want all of us to be homeless, I don't have a choice. At least I have chance of getting out of a marriage to Paul Wainwright in once piece. I hope.”
“You hope?”
“I think? He’s an alleged abuser.” “People have done research on it.” Cece wiped more condensation off her glass. “It's documented. He was in a few altercations, and the biggest rumor is that they can't locate the girlfriend.”
“You would listen to that kind of gossip?” Killian was quiets. He didn't want to raise her ire.
“It's not gossip...”
“Cece, I will do the right kind of research if you like and --”
“Are you saying I can't do research?”
“I'm saying that you don't have access to medical records the way I do. And I want to prove to you that Paul Wainwright is not an abusive dick.” Killian said. “Not that I want you to marry him, because you don't want to, but there's no reason to fear him. I'm sure he's about as thrilled about this as you are, honestly.”
“We'll find out when we have our first date on Saturday, won't we.”
Killian shook his head. “I cannot believe that you've said yes to this.”
“I didn't have a choice, Kay. Not even remotely. Chas backed me into a corner. The fucker knew exactly what to say and do to get me to sign that paper.” Cece leaned back as the waiter came over and put the appetizers in front of them.
“Chas isn't the good son he tries to play, is he?” Killian asked.
“I don't know what he his. He danced all over the fact that I would do anything to keep our little sister safe.”
“What do you parents think about him dating Saundra?”
She stared at him. “What? Who? Chas isn't dating anyone. He's too busy pretending he's tending the family fortune.”
Killian stopped and chewed on his lip. “He hasn't said anything?”
Cece's face fell. “What are you talking about?”
“I thought everyone knew...” Killian folded his hands on his lap staring at the food in front of him. He looked up at Cece's expectant face. “Chas has been seeing Saundra Milhouse for about two months.”
Pure, unadulterated anger sprang into Cece's eyes. She could have started a fire with the rage that she was harboring. She really couldn't control the anger that his statement ignited in
“Wow,” Killian said. This was news. Marjorie Robbe had always been a bastion of grace and gentility when he'd met her a few times. But then again, he didn't live in the house and had the feeling that, just like his house, the Robbes were totally different at home than at a party. “How long has she been gambling?”
“Who the hell knows,” Cece snapped. “She's bankrupted the family and I can only be glad that I have my own income.”
“Why couldn't you take in Hannah and let the rest of them out to rot?”
Cece looked at him and cocked her head. Her eyes lit with a smile. “That is utterly devious, Killian. And I wish I could. But they would literally be in a cardboard box in weeks. They threatened me with foreclosure on my house. Mom and dad have no marketable skills. Chas can't carry them; he's a part time broker who sucks at his job. He loses more in the markets than the little piggy who went wee-wee-wee all the way home.”
Killian snorted. “He's that bad?”
“He's terrible.” She nodded. “Just awful. He went into finance because he just once turned a profit on a sale of stocks. Someone told him he was good and he ran with it. Do you know what his formal training is in financial market? He read a single Warren Buffett book.”
“He'd've been better off eating a Jimmy Buffett burger.” Cece laughed; the genuine sound of her humor rang through him. It sounded wonderful. “So winter is coming to House Robbe?”
“Stop!” Cece laughed again. “You're making this funny.”
“Just trying to lighten the mood.”
“It worked.” Cece wascalming down. “I've spent the last few days trying to figure out how to get out of this, and the truth is that unless I want all of us to be homeless, I don't have a choice. At least I have chance of getting out of a marriage to Paul Wainwright in once piece. I hope.”
“You hope?”
“I think? He’s an alleged abuser.” “People have done research on it.” Cece wiped more condensation off her glass. “It's documented. He was in a few altercations, and the biggest rumor is that they can't locate the girlfriend.”
“You would listen to that kind of gossip?” Killian was quiets. He didn't want to raise her ire.
“It's not gossip...”
“Cece, I will do the right kind of research if you like and --”
“Are you saying I can't do research?”
“I'm saying that you don't have access to medical records the way I do. And I want to prove to you that Paul Wainwright is not an abusive dick.” Killian said. “Not that I want you to marry him, because you don't want to, but there's no reason to fear him. I'm sure he's about as thrilled about this as you are, honestly.”
“We'll find out when we have our first date on Saturday, won't we.”
Killian shook his head. “I cannot believe that you've said yes to this.”
“I didn't have a choice, Kay. Not even remotely. Chas backed me into a corner. The fucker knew exactly what to say and do to get me to sign that paper.” Cece leaned back as the waiter came over and put the appetizers in front of them.
“Chas isn't the good son he tries to play, is he?” Killian asked.
“I don't know what he his. He danced all over the fact that I would do anything to keep our little sister safe.”
“What do you parents think about him dating Saundra?”
She stared at him. “What? Who? Chas isn't dating anyone. He's too busy pretending he's tending the family fortune.”
Killian stopped and chewed on his lip. “He hasn't said anything?”
Cece's face fell. “What are you talking about?”
“I thought everyone knew...” Killian folded his hands on his lap staring at the food in front of him. He looked up at Cece's expectant face. “Chas has been seeing Saundra Milhouse for about two months.”
Pure, unadulterated anger sprang into Cece's eyes. She could have started a fire with the rage that she was harboring. She really couldn't control the anger that his statement ignited in
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