Read Online Angel Condemned by Mary Stanton - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Mary Stanton
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sympathy. I mean, with your life in the theater and all.” She blinked away tears and then, when that didn’t help, put the backs of her hands underneath her eyes to hold them back.
Antonia opened her mouth, and then backed off at Cissy’s despairing look. “Of course, Auntie. Of course I understand. But if you just knew more about . . .”
It was Bree’s turn to kick her sister under the table. Antonia glared at her. Bree jerked her head toward the door, and when Antonia stayed stubbornly in her chair, Bree drew her foot back to whack her again.
“Okay, okay, Bree. I get the message.” She bounced up and wrapped Cissy in a fierce hug. “It’s a pure shame, that’s what it is. Y’all have to excuse me. I just remembered I promised to pick up some stuff for . . . somebody. Anyhow. Pack up my food, so I can eat it later, okay? I’ll just be off now.” She flipped her hair over her shoulder, then backed out of Bree’s reach. “By the by, Bree’s got something to tell you. Don’t you, Bree? You get it on out of her, Aunt. Don’t forget my tacos, Bree. There’s not a darn thing in that fridge at home. “
Everybody watched as Antonia walked across the room and out the front door. But then, everyone always did.
Cissy stared over Bree’s shoulder, her lower lip firmly between her teeth. After a long moment, she picked up her napkin, dabbed under her eyes, and sighed.
The waitress set the artichoke dip in the middle of the table, then the platters of fish tacos in front of Bree and Cissy. She looked at Antonia’s empty chair. “Shall I wrap this third one up?”
“Might as well,” Cissy said. “Take it away and keep it warm for her, if you would. We’ll get it at the end of the meal. If there’s ever going to be an end to this meal.”
Bree waved the waitress away with an apologetic gesture. Cissy slammed her fist onto the table but not very hard. “I take it you’re the one who’s been elected to talk to me about Prosper?”
“Would that be okay with you?”
“Fine. Good. I’m ready. So you go ahead and tell me what y’all have wanted to say for the past month. You hate Prosper. Don’t you. All of you. My whole loving family. You think he’s after my money, and you think I’m too damn old and too damn foolish for any man to love me.”
“That is just not true,” Bree said firmly.
Cissy was in no mood to listen. “You know what? Y’all might be right. I don’t care. I love him, Bree. And since the good Lord blessed both me and your mamma with more money than either one of us will need in a lifetime, and if I want to spend it on this man, who gives a rat’s behind?” She stabbed the taco viciously with a fork. “Francesca’s on the phone to me every minute, talking about a prenup. Your father squinches his eyes up like he’s tracking down a fox after it’s raided the henhouse. Even Antonia looks crosswise at me every time I talk about him. And you! You won’t even call him by his Christian name!” She blinked away more tears.
Bree took her aunt’s cold hands in her own. “We’re looking out for you as best we can, that’s all. We don’t hate him, exactly. We just have some questions about how good he’ll be to you. You don’t need a man to make you happy, do—”
“You hush up !” Cissy shouted. She jerked her hands away. “Where’s Francesca when I need her? You’re no damn good at comforting, Bree. Not lately, anyway. Not since you moved to Savannah and got hard .” She stood up, knocking the chair over in her haste to leave. “Do I need a man to make me happy? I purely do not. And if I do, what’s it to you? And what do you know about it, anyway? Look at you, the way you’re living. Like some cloistered nun. There’s not one womanly thing about you. Do I need a man? Of course I do. What about love? What about companionship? What about sex ?”
The power couple one table over got up in a pointed manner and moved to a table against the
Antonia opened her mouth, and then backed off at Cissy’s despairing look. “Of course, Auntie. Of course I understand. But if you just knew more about . . .”
It was Bree’s turn to kick her sister under the table. Antonia glared at her. Bree jerked her head toward the door, and when Antonia stayed stubbornly in her chair, Bree drew her foot back to whack her again.
“Okay, okay, Bree. I get the message.” She bounced up and wrapped Cissy in a fierce hug. “It’s a pure shame, that’s what it is. Y’all have to excuse me. I just remembered I promised to pick up some stuff for . . . somebody. Anyhow. Pack up my food, so I can eat it later, okay? I’ll just be off now.” She flipped her hair over her shoulder, then backed out of Bree’s reach. “By the by, Bree’s got something to tell you. Don’t you, Bree? You get it on out of her, Aunt. Don’t forget my tacos, Bree. There’s not a darn thing in that fridge at home. “
Everybody watched as Antonia walked across the room and out the front door. But then, everyone always did.
Cissy stared over Bree’s shoulder, her lower lip firmly between her teeth. After a long moment, she picked up her napkin, dabbed under her eyes, and sighed.
The waitress set the artichoke dip in the middle of the table, then the platters of fish tacos in front of Bree and Cissy. She looked at Antonia’s empty chair. “Shall I wrap this third one up?”
“Might as well,” Cissy said. “Take it away and keep it warm for her, if you would. We’ll get it at the end of the meal. If there’s ever going to be an end to this meal.”
Bree waved the waitress away with an apologetic gesture. Cissy slammed her fist onto the table but not very hard. “I take it you’re the one who’s been elected to talk to me about Prosper?”
“Would that be okay with you?”
“Fine. Good. I’m ready. So you go ahead and tell me what y’all have wanted to say for the past month. You hate Prosper. Don’t you. All of you. My whole loving family. You think he’s after my money, and you think I’m too damn old and too damn foolish for any man to love me.”
“That is just not true,” Bree said firmly.
Cissy was in no mood to listen. “You know what? Y’all might be right. I don’t care. I love him, Bree. And since the good Lord blessed both me and your mamma with more money than either one of us will need in a lifetime, and if I want to spend it on this man, who gives a rat’s behind?” She stabbed the taco viciously with a fork. “Francesca’s on the phone to me every minute, talking about a prenup. Your father squinches his eyes up like he’s tracking down a fox after it’s raided the henhouse. Even Antonia looks crosswise at me every time I talk about him. And you! You won’t even call him by his Christian name!” She blinked away more tears.
Bree took her aunt’s cold hands in her own. “We’re looking out for you as best we can, that’s all. We don’t hate him, exactly. We just have some questions about how good he’ll be to you. You don’t need a man to make you happy, do—”
“You hush up !” Cissy shouted. She jerked her hands away. “Where’s Francesca when I need her? You’re no damn good at comforting, Bree. Not lately, anyway. Not since you moved to Savannah and got hard .” She stood up, knocking the chair over in her haste to leave. “Do I need a man to make me happy? I purely do not. And if I do, what’s it to you? And what do you know about it, anyway? Look at you, the way you’re living. Like some cloistered nun. There’s not one womanly thing about you. Do I need a man? Of course I do. What about love? What about companionship? What about sex ?”
The power couple one table over got up in a pointed manner and moved to a table against the
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