Page 33 of Passion and Privilege

“Maybe you should think about a mural in your bedroom,” I suggested. “You have that one wall with no windows. It would be perfect.”

“A mural?” she asked, a grin playing on her lips.

“Yes,” I said, nodding. “Something that speaks to you. It could be a favorite place or just something you love.”

“Maybe,” she murmured.

Paisley looked different from her father. I wouldn’t have guessed they were related. I didn’t see his features in her at all. He was tall and muscular while she was petite with very feminine features.

As we peeled away layers of faded wallpaper, Timothy walked in. His eyes widened in surprise at the sight of his daughter working alongside me. “Paisley, what are you doing here? I told you to stay away from this mess.”

Paisley shot him a defiant look, her hands still gripping the wallpaper scraper. “I’m helping.”

Timothy sighed, clearly agitated. “Go find something else to do, Paisley. This isn’t your concern.”

She rolled her eyes, unimpressed by his authoritative tone. “Whatever.”

“It’s alright, Timothy. Paisley’s been a big help. We’ve got a system going here.”

He shot me a wary look, his brows furrowed. His look told me to shut the hell up. “Can I talk to you privately, Catherine?”

“Sure,” I said, nodding.

“Should I keep going?” Paisley asked me.

I didn’t know how to answer that. I wanted to say yes, but Timothy was the boss and he didn’t want her in there. “That’s up to your father,” I said quietly.

“I want that stuff in your bedroom picked up,” Timothy said sternly.

Paisley shot him a dirty look. “Whatever.”

The tension between them was thick. I knew it was typical for teenagers to clash with their parents. My dad and I had our rough moments but it was never all that bad. Timothy looked exasperated as he walked out of the room. I followed him out into the hallway, preparing to face his wrath.

Chapter Fifteen

Timothy

I LED CATHERINE INTO one of the half-finished sitting rooms on the third floor, just a few doors down from the room she was working in. The air was thick with the scent of fresh paint and the lingering residue of work in progress. I closed the double doors behind us, wanting privacy from the nosy teenager down the hall.

I turned to look at Catherine, irritation making my jaw tight. “I need to talk to you about Paisley.”

“What’s going on?” she asked.

“Paisley has a knack for sabotage. I don’t want her around the places where you’re actively working.”

Confusion flickered in Catherine’s eyes. “Sabotage? What do you mean?”

I took a deep breath, knowing I needed to share a part of Paisley’s story. Paisley was very good at looking sweet and innocent while plotting some nasty revenge. I hated to say anything that painted her in a negative light, but I knew my daughter. I knew what she was capable of and didn’t want her turning her anger on the restoration work. It would piss me off but I knew it would devastate Catherine to see her hard work destroyed.

“Paisley’s been through a lot,” I said. “She’s in a rebellious stage. A very rebellious phase. She’s here because she’s been in trouble.”

“I think rebelling is a rite of passage for a teenager,” Catherine said, shrugging.

I shook my head. “It’s a lot more than that. There was a car wreck. She totaled a Rolls Royce. She was home because there were some shenanigans at her boarding school.”

The mention of boarding school left a bitter taste in my mouth. Just saying it pissed me off. Every time I had to talk about it, my lips curled back and my body stiffened.

“If you were against sending her to boarding school, why did you do it?” Catherine asked, picking up on my disgust.