sure it is,” Patrice answered and moved, breaking the connection to Maddy. “Is he still with that Rena?”
“Yes, and it looks like they’ll be getting married also.”
“I’m happy for them,” Patrice said, although clearly she wasn’t.
“Even Max is in town, although it’s anyone’s guess if he’ll go to the dinner or be in the wedding. He says no, but I think he’ll change his mind.” Maddy smoothed her hands over her skirt again as if gathering her courage. “What do you think, Aunt Patrice?”
“He may. Max does exactly as he pleases. He always has.”
“Well, I’m hoping to lure him there,” Maddy said and winked at Tara.
Patrice caught the move and pinned Tara down with an icy stare. “Why, Maddy, tell me you’re not still playing that foolish matchmaking game.”
Oh, Maddy, now you’ve done it. I completely believe every rumor about Patrice. If looks could hurt, I’d be bleeding out on the floor.
Maddy defended her bet. “It’s not foolish. Gio is much happier now that he has Julia. And you should see Nick with Rena. He’s a different man. Love is a beautiful thing.”
Patrice’s face went white. “Beautiful? Love is a curse,” she spat. There was an ugliness in her expression that made Maddy gasp. Patrice called for her nurse. A young woman rushed into the room. “I’m tired. Please, take me back to my bedchambers.” The nurse helped Patrice to her feet.
Maddy stood and took a step after her aunt. “Aunt Patrice, I didn’t mean to upset you.”
As she clung to the nurse’s arm with one hand, Patrice clutched her other hand to her chest in a dramatic gesture and made a pathetic wheezing sound. The whole scene felt staged. Tara looked away and rolled her eyes.
Patrice walked with her nurse to the door then stopped just before it and turned back. “Maddy, from now on I believe you should take your father’s advice and stay away from me.”
“You don’t mean that, Aunt Patrice,” Maddy implored.
“I do,” Patrice said coldly. “Give my regards to my sons tomorrow.”
A moment later her butler entered the living room with their coats. Tara said, “I’d say that’s our cue to leave.”
Maddy nodded as they both slid their coats on. “I didn’t mean to upset her.”
Tara walked with Maddy through the foyer and out the front door. Once inside Maddy’s limo, Tara said, “It probably doesn’t take much.”
Maddy looked out the back window of the limo as it pulled away from Patrice’s home. “Have some sympathy for her. She’s very sick, and now she’s alone.”
Tara felt hard-hearted as she spoke, but Maddy had asked her to meet Patrice for a reason, and it wasn’t to sugarcoat what she saw. “She has four sons, three who live within hours of her. If she’s alone, there’s a reason.”
Maddy turned to face forward again. “Gio says he won’t expose Julia to her again. Nick refuses to even talk to her after she supposedly threatened Rena. Does she look like a woman who would threaten anyone?”
“Yes,” Tara said without hesitation.
Maddy shook her head. “When I look at Aunt Patrice all I see is a sad, lonely woman. What do you see?”
Tara laid a hand on Maddy’s arm and said gently, “I see a woman who is so bitter about something, she doesn’t have room in her heart for anything else. Don’t trust her, Maddy. She’s been using you to get information about her sons.”
Maddy raised a shaky hand to her mouth. “Oh, my God, Rena was right. She said I was the reason Patrice knew Gio had met Julia. I told Patrice about Nick and Rena, too. I thought it would bring her comfort to know her sons were doing well.”
“Instead, she used what you told her to try to break them up.”
“I can’t wrap my head around that. What kind of mother doesn’t want her sons to be happy?”
Tara glanced out the back window of the limo. That kind.
Maddy gasped and said, “Oh, my God. I told her about Gio’s big dinner. You don’t think she would
“Yes, and it looks like they’ll be getting married also.”
“I’m happy for them,” Patrice said, although clearly she wasn’t.
“Even Max is in town, although it’s anyone’s guess if he’ll go to the dinner or be in the wedding. He says no, but I think he’ll change his mind.” Maddy smoothed her hands over her skirt again as if gathering her courage. “What do you think, Aunt Patrice?”
“He may. Max does exactly as he pleases. He always has.”
“Well, I’m hoping to lure him there,” Maddy said and winked at Tara.
Patrice caught the move and pinned Tara down with an icy stare. “Why, Maddy, tell me you’re not still playing that foolish matchmaking game.”
Oh, Maddy, now you’ve done it. I completely believe every rumor about Patrice. If looks could hurt, I’d be bleeding out on the floor.
Maddy defended her bet. “It’s not foolish. Gio is much happier now that he has Julia. And you should see Nick with Rena. He’s a different man. Love is a beautiful thing.”
Patrice’s face went white. “Beautiful? Love is a curse,” she spat. There was an ugliness in her expression that made Maddy gasp. Patrice called for her nurse. A young woman rushed into the room. “I’m tired. Please, take me back to my bedchambers.” The nurse helped Patrice to her feet.
Maddy stood and took a step after her aunt. “Aunt Patrice, I didn’t mean to upset you.”
As she clung to the nurse’s arm with one hand, Patrice clutched her other hand to her chest in a dramatic gesture and made a pathetic wheezing sound. The whole scene felt staged. Tara looked away and rolled her eyes.
Patrice walked with her nurse to the door then stopped just before it and turned back. “Maddy, from now on I believe you should take your father’s advice and stay away from me.”
“You don’t mean that, Aunt Patrice,” Maddy implored.
“I do,” Patrice said coldly. “Give my regards to my sons tomorrow.”
A moment later her butler entered the living room with their coats. Tara said, “I’d say that’s our cue to leave.”
Maddy nodded as they both slid their coats on. “I didn’t mean to upset her.”
Tara walked with Maddy through the foyer and out the front door. Once inside Maddy’s limo, Tara said, “It probably doesn’t take much.”
Maddy looked out the back window of the limo as it pulled away from Patrice’s home. “Have some sympathy for her. She’s very sick, and now she’s alone.”
Tara felt hard-hearted as she spoke, but Maddy had asked her to meet Patrice for a reason, and it wasn’t to sugarcoat what she saw. “She has four sons, three who live within hours of her. If she’s alone, there’s a reason.”
Maddy turned to face forward again. “Gio says he won’t expose Julia to her again. Nick refuses to even talk to her after she supposedly threatened Rena. Does she look like a woman who would threaten anyone?”
“Yes,” Tara said without hesitation.
Maddy shook her head. “When I look at Aunt Patrice all I see is a sad, lonely woman. What do you see?”
Tara laid a hand on Maddy’s arm and said gently, “I see a woman who is so bitter about something, she doesn’t have room in her heart for anything else. Don’t trust her, Maddy. She’s been using you to get information about her sons.”
Maddy raised a shaky hand to her mouth. “Oh, my God, Rena was right. She said I was the reason Patrice knew Gio had met Julia. I told Patrice about Nick and Rena, too. I thought it would bring her comfort to know her sons were doing well.”
“Instead, she used what you told her to try to break them up.”
“I can’t wrap my head around that. What kind of mother doesn’t want her sons to be happy?”
Tara glanced out the back window of the limo. That kind.
Maddy gasped and said, “Oh, my God. I told her about Gio’s big dinner. You don’t think she would
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