Jamie sat at the table, looking at her father nervously. They were at dinner and Lucien Delano was conversing in a low voice with James Schwartz, seated on his left.

Proserpina hovered around, bringing out the dishes, till her husband gripped her wrist and growled,

“Sit the f*ck down, Woman. Why do I have a house full of f*cking help ?”

Sending him a pointed look for using such language, Proserpina subsided, dimpling at Schwartz, who looked at her, his heart n his eyes.

“No mystery about why Uncle James never got married,” thought Jamie drily.

She cleared her throat and her brothers, Dom and Rudy, who had also turned...