Page 54 of Thin Lines (Donati Bloodlines 2)

She would have to work through it. Eventually thesadness would wane, and she would begin to come out of the dark cloud thatnever seemed to leave.

Calisto knew.

But he kept coming to check on her when he could. Hewould keep coming unless she told him to go away. Affonso didn’t mind Calistocoming around, and he didn’t seem to notice how Calisto made an effort to speakwith Emma each time before he left.

That, or Affonso didn’t care.

It was hard to say.

“I’ll stay out of their way,” Calisto told the maid.

The woman smiled. “They’re almost done. They’ve beenat it since this morning. The two don’t even sleep in the same room anymore andthey still manage to wake up fighting with one another. Sad marriage, that is.”

Calisto shook his head, but said nothing. The maid wasa wealth of information, if nothing else. Rolling up his sleeves as he walkedthrough the house, Calisto made his way through the living room to the backhallway that he knew led to the library and Affonso’s office.

Sure enough, as he got closer, Calisto could hear thevoices shouting at one another.

“It’s been a month,” Affonso growled. “It’s time foryou to clean your face and do something else, Emma.”

“You don’t get to decide how long is appropriate formy grief, Affonso, and you sure as hell don’t get to decide how I grieve.”

“I’ve let you do what you wanted. You stay in beduntil noon. You eat when you want to instead of having meals with me. Youignore invitations from others, you don’t take calls, and you can’t be botheredto say more than two words to me.”

“I wonder why!”

“The fact remains, it is time to get over it. Get upin the morning, get yourself ready, and go on with your day. What happened isbetter left behind in the past. Move on. Stop fretting over things you can’tchange.”

Calisto balled his fists so hard that his fingernailsbroke into his skin. His uncle had said those very words to him more times thanhe cared to count. Affonso didn’t understand that people couldn’t forget hiswrongs when he demanded they do so. People couldn’t move on because he willedit as so.

“I need my wife,” Affonso said when Emma stayed quiet.“I need her to be at my side, to have her dinners, sit at the table beside me,and act like the proper woman I know you are. You have duties, Emma, and youdon’t get to drop them just because you want to be sad for another month.”

“Is that what you think this is?”

“I know that’s what it is.”

“You are un-fucking-believable,” Emma spat.

“So be it. You still have a duty to me. I expect youto fulfill it.”

“What, do you want me back in your bed, Affonso,fucking you and sucking your dick first thing in the morning?”

Calisto pinched the bridge of his nose, wishing hehadn’t heard that statement.

“I don’t need you for any of that, as you very wellknow. Keep your damn bedroom, Emma. Keep your body. You can’t give me what Iwant, anyway. You’ve already proven exactly what you can give me—heartache andburials for dead children.”

“Because I’m only good enough if I can birth a live baby,right? Other than that, I’m fucking useless.”

“Your language is horrible.”

“Go to hell, Affonso.”

“Emma, with you, I am already there.”

“Good,” she said, sweeter than honey. “The feeling ismutual.”

Something smacked hard against something solid, makingCalisto straighten in place.

“Your issues and your pity party are over, girl,”Affonso barked. “I won’t say it again. When I want you at my side, you will bethere. I don’t care if you need to pop a happy pill first thing in the morningto make it a reality. Do it. Your wallowing is making me look like a fool. Ishow up to dinners alone. I go to church alone. That is over.”