Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 99700 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 499(@200wpm)___ 399(@250wpm)___ 332(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99700 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 499(@200wpm)___ 399(@250wpm)___ 332(@300wpm)
“I’ve heard.” Pandora nodded.
“Brilliant, isn’t she?”
“She has no equal,” Dante said, appearing in the doorway to save Pandora from choking on a lie.
Pandora pressed her lips together to keep from laughing at the hidden message behind her brother’s words.
“Dante!” Ophelia rushed over to her son to press a kiss to his cheek. “I’m so pleased you could join us,” she said, dragging him into the room. Even if Dante looked like all he wanted to do was go upstairs and find his bed.
After their parents had relented and let Pandora keep her own bed, Dante had got one for himself as well. Though that, it was clear, was their family’s dirty laundry. Not something they should ever share in mixed company.
“Aunt, Uncle, Bell,” Dante said, making Bellatrix’s eyes go a little hard, clearly not liking the nickname. “Pandy, I’m surprised you’re here,” he said, making Pandora’s brows scrunch, not sure where else he thought she was supposed to be.
“Where else would she be, dear?” Ophelia asked.
“With her boyfriend,” Dante said.
Pandora could have kissed her brother in gratitude.
She knew how hard it was going to be to sell a serious relationship if no one else had ever seen him or heard Pandora speak of him.
“Boyfriend?” Lucian grumbled, eyeing his daughter.
“Yeah, they’ve been attached at the hip lately,” Dante confirmed, eyeing the goblet in his father’s hand, his pupils blowing wide with hunger, but he didn’t go and pour himself some from the decanter.
“You,” Bellatrix looked Pandora up and down again with a wrinkled nose, “have a boyfriend?”
Pandora went temporarily insane at the disgust in her cousin’s voice and face. That was the only explanation for what burst from between her lips right then.
“Well, actually, I’ve been waiting to announce this, but he’s actually not my boyfriend anymore,” she said. “He’s my fiancé.”
You could have heard a pin drop.
Until Dante managed to break the silence, making his way to her and wrapping her up in a hug. “What’s his name?” he whispered in her ear.
“Victor,” she whispered back.
“Congratulations, Pandy,” Dante said, really selling it. “I don’t know if any guy deserves you, but Victor is as close as a man could get.”
“You’ve met this boy?” Ophelia asked, looking between her children, a mix of stunned and upset.
“Ran into them one night.” Dante said the lie effortlessly.
“Congratulations, Pandora,” her aunt said, but there was a chill in her tone as well.
“If you’re engaged,” Bellatrix said, “where is your ring?”
Pandora snatched her hand up, covering her ring finger with her other hand. “Oh, it … it was too big,” she said. “It’s being resized.”
She had to add going ring-shopping to her list asap. She knew neither of them had the money for a new one, but maybe she could find something nice at an estate sale or antique store. Whatever it was, it had to be real. Her mother could sniff out costume jewelry from a mile away.
“Why didn’t you say something sooner?” Ophelia asked, more suspicious now than confused.
“About the engagement? It’s new,” Pandora said. “I haven’t had the chance to yet.”
“How long have you been seeing this … Victor?” Lucian asked, tone going dark, slipping into overprotective-father mode.
“Oh, about … six months? Maybe a little longer.” It wasn’t a lie; she’d technically been seeing Victor at Luna Bean for approximately that long. “I didn’t want to say anything until I knew it was serious.”
“Doesn’t get more serious than a proposal,” Dante said, giving her a wink when no one else could see.
“Well, this is cause for a celebration.” Her uncle stood up, blessedly oblivious to the tension in the room and the dozens of questions Ophelia was just barely holding in. He went to the decanter of blood, poured glasses for Dante and Pandora, the only ones without a drink, then handed them their goblets. “To Pandora and Victor!” he said dramatically. “May they know an eternity of love and happiness!”
They all raised their goblets, but Pandora didn’t let the blood touch her lips, no matter how tempting the pull of it.
She had no idea where the blood had been sourced. If it had been acquired ethically or not.
When she lowered her goblet, she saw that Dante didn’t have any red staining his lips or teeth either.
“Thank you, Uncle,” Pandora said, giving him a grateful smile.
“Pandora, darling.” Ophelia’s tone sounded a bit shrill. “Can you help me in the kitchen? It seems we need more blood,” she said, gesturing toward the decanter.
“Of course.” Pandora handed her goblet to Dante, who shot her a sympathetic wince. They both knew Pandora was about to be put through the wringer in private.
It was OK, she assured herself. She’d been anticipating this, no matter when she finally let the news slip.
Ophelia barely waited until Pandora took a step into the kitchen before she turned on her.
“How could you announce this news in front of company?” she said accusingly.