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It’s beena week since Alex drove me to the cemetery in the middle of the night and Sebastian and I rekindled our relationship that had been so unfairly cut short. My heart has never soared as high when he asked me if I still loved him, but the nerves I felt as he described what we had to do to confront my mother were almost as powerful.
Mother left this morning to run some errands, and I used her absence to my advantage, calling Alex home and also telling Sebastian to hurry over. We’ve been talking the entire week, going over how exactly we can approach Mom and win the argument, and now that it’s time to put our plan into motion I can feel my heart in my throat.
I’m frankly shocked by my own bravery. If it was anything else at risk, I’d probably just back down and let my mother have her way. But it’s been so difficult to be with Sebastian, and we’ve had so many things standing in our way, that I refuse to let her win. This is my victory, and I will take it, no matter how difficult the battle.
Thank goodness Alex is my ally. Without my brother, it would just be me and Sebastian. Together, the two of us are strong, but having my brother here will be a shock to Mom, while also showing her that the other people in my life approve of my love match with Seb. I didn’t even have to ask Alex–he simply volunteered to help us, which almost made me cry right then and there. I don’t know what I did to deserve such a loyal brother, but I am so, so thankful.
We’ve settled in the petit salon, scones, coffee, and tea on the table we’re seated around, but my stomach is in too many knots to try and eat. I’m stirring my cold tea for the third time when I hear someone clear their throat, and our maid peeks her head in the door. “Ma’am, sirs, Lady Van Dieren has arrived back home.”
“Thank you,” I tell her, nervously standing to smooth my skirt, and giving Alex and Sebastian a smile of confidence that I don’t really feel.
Time is up. Mom is home, and now we have to face her as a united front. Sebastian and I find ourselves at the heart of this intricate dance, caught between the past and the uncertain future.
As we wait in anticipation, the familiar surroundings of my estate home offer little solace. The grandeur of the petit salon, with its opulent furnishings and delicate decor, feels suffocating under the weight of unspoken things. Alex looks relaxed, his long legs crossed, but I can see lines of unease etched on his face. We share a silent understanding, a bond forged through years of shared experiences. Both of us know how our mother is, and he has every right to be nervous. Just like I am.
And then, she arrives. Her presence alone is enough to unsettle the atmosphere, her eyes darting between Sebastian and Alex, a question lingering on her lips. Sebastian, unyielding in his determination, meets her gaze with unwavering resolve. He stands from his chair, tall and strong in the face of my mother’s sharp examination. From what he’s told me, he’s more ready to confront the secrets that have haunted his life for the last week. They’ve been hanging over him for decades, but it’s only these past few days that he’s been aware of them, and that makes it so much worse.
Mom’s surprise is evident, her inquiries tinged with suspicion as she questions Sebastian’s unexpected presence. “Julia, Alex…Sebastian…what an unexpected surprise.”
Her eyes betray a hint of trepidation, the realization that two of her children may be a united front throwing her off her game. Sebastian’s voice cuts through the tension, his words carrying a weight that demands attention.
“I came here to make amends,” he declares, shoving his hands in his pockets and raising an eyebrow at my mother. “That is, if you’re ready to accept them, and make amends of your own, Margaret.” The room seems to hold its breath, waiting for his next words. “If you’re willing to face the truth.”
Mom recoils, her denial immediate. “Ha. Absolutely not. Does your father know you’re here pestering me once more, Sebastian? He’s awfully ill, shouldn’t you be home playing nursemaid?”
But Sebastian, undeterred, continues. He’s unbowed and quietly confident. “I know what secret you hold against my family, Margaret.” He drops the bombshell without a moment’s hesitation. “I know about Karl.”
The room falls into an uneasy silence, each person frozen as we wait for someone to make the next move. My mother has gone pale, but her demeaning sneer hasn’t changed. Sebastian’s words have shaken her, but she still has another ace up her sleeve.
“Does he know, though?” she challenges, crossing her arms. “Does Karl know that he’s Johannes Van den Bosch’s bastard son? Oh, what a revelation that will be for the poor man. To know that his father cared for him enough to bankroll his entire life secretly, but not enough to be there for him, or even acknowledge him.”
Sebastian exhales through his nose, almost a laugh, as if he expected exactly how she would counter. “No, he doesn’t. And he never will, if I have anything to do with it.”
My mother tilts her head to the side, regarding Sebastian. “Don’t you feel even a little bit bad? Knowing that you are denying your own flesh and blood his inheritance and a chance to have a real relationship with his aging father?”
Sebastian waves his hand dismissively. “Karl lives a good, comfortable life. He doesn’t need any of that.”
Walking further into the room, Mom bends at the waist and pours herself a cup of coffee, sinking into one of the plush chairs and taking an audible sip. She is unhurried, moving at her own pace, and I can see a muscle in Sebastian’s jaw ticking in annoyance.
Finally, Mom clicks her tongue and sits the ceramic cup down. “Well, be that as it may…I can comply with keeping your father’s dirty little secret just that–a secret. As long as you leave Julia alone.”
I feel a rush of embarrassment hearing her talk about me as if I’m not right here in the room with her. I open my mouth to complain, but Sebastian isn’t even close to ready to retreat, and he beats me to it.
“Wrong. Julia and I are together, and you’re just going to have to deal with it. Even so, you aren’t going to tell Karl shit, Margaret.”
If these two people weren’t arguing directly about my future, the exchange would be fascinating. Leaning forward and observing the unfolding scene, I can’t determine which one is winning. Confrontations like this are my mother’s wheelhouse, but Sebastian seems unruffled.
Seconds feel like hours while Mom and Seb are still facing off. What happens next depends fully on which one of these combatants wins the verbal fight.
But Mom, stubborn in her resolve, refuses to yield. “I’m afraid I can’t do that,” she replies haughtily. I hear Alex let out a soft groan, and I feel the same. So much for this going quickly.
Sebastian scoffs, his words sharp and cutting. “Really? You think being the alleged killer of my family is a better outcome?”
What he’s saying makes me want to be sick. I still can’t comprehend that my mother may be a murderer, especially the one who killed almost all of Sebastian’s family. But Seb seems so sure, and when he laid the evidence out for me, I found it hard to deny, too. Still, I wish my mother would just drop her grudge against the entire Van den Bosch family so we never had to speak of it again.
Mom blanches, and then all the blood comes rushing back to her face, leaving her flush “What are you trying to say?” she retorts, denial and frustration coloring her words. She isn’t giving enough away for me to tell if she’s guilty or not, but her reaction is undeniably strong.
I stand, causing everyone’s attention to shift to me. As I speak, I push away the love and fear I have for my mother, and say my piece with a fiery determination. “Gabi’s father is a prosecutor,” I interject, my gaze locked onto my mother’s. “I’m sure there’s enough evidence to make you a valid suspect. Especially motive.”
