Death by Engagement (Caribbean Murder Series, Book 12)

“It’s okay for her to talk that way to me, though?” asked Mattheus, inflamed.

“Listen to this, do you hear Mattheus, Cindy? Do you hear?” Her mother stood up, fiercely. “This is the man you’re planning to marry? This is the person you’re looking for wedding venues with?”

Cindy stood as well then. “This is the man I love and respect,” she said emphatically.

“Love is one thing and good sense another,” her mother declared. “Frank and I came down here to ask both of you to put off this wedding for a while. Give it time. Give us time to get to know him, so we can all work things through.”

“That’s out of the question,” Mattheus declared. “You didn’t come down here to work things through but to bad-mouth me to your daughter. Your mind is made up. You figure the longer you stop the wedding from happening, the more chance you’ll have to pull her away from me.”

“Cindy is my only daughter now,” Claudia replied ferociously. “I have a right to be careful of her well-being.”

“Suddenly you have a right to be careful, eh?” Mattheus spoke in a scornful tone.

“I didn’t see you for two years after Clint died,” Cindy responded, trying to fill in the gaps. “How concerned were you about my well-being then?”

“Are you going to hold that against me forever?” her mother cried out. “Has he brainwashed you already? Turned you against me? Of course there have been rough spots between us. Won’t you let me make them up to you now?”

Cindy was completely aghast and blindsided. This was the last thing she expected or wanted to deal with.

“It would make Ann happy to see you and your mother closer,” Frank chimed in. “If she were here now, this would break her heart.”

“I’ve had enough of this,” said Mattheus, reaching for Cindy. “I’m being demeaned and I’d like you to leave the restaurant with me now, Cindy.”

Cindy’s mother gasped. “Leave now?”

Frank looked over at Cindy with searching eyes. “Don’t go,” said Frank, “please don’t. We came all the way down here to talk to you both. We need you to agree to postpone this wedding.”

“But you didn’t talk to us, did you?” said Mattheus. “You jumped all over me. You came down to break up our relationship, didn’t you? Tell it like it is.”

Cindy could barely listen to the discussion anymore, had no idea how they all could ever repair things and regroup after this.

“So, are you going to leave with him?” asked Cindy’s mother. “A man who runs away with his tail between his legs?”

Cindy had never seen her mother so acerbic and vindictive. She had no idea why she disliked Mattheus so.

“You don’t know the first thing about Mattheus,” Cindy retorted.

“So, you’re choosing him over me, then?” Her mother looked irate.

“I’ll stay and have dinner with you and Frank when you treat the man I love with respect,” Cindy replied.

“But he’s not respecting me or you, is he?” her mother flung back. “It’s not respectful to ask you to marry him without knowing your family, and receiving their blessings or consent, is it? What kind of man does that? Look deeper, Cindy. Don’t be a fool.”

Cindy was completely speechless for a long moment, while Mattheus took her hand.

“Give me a minute, Mattheus.” Cindy felt frightened.

“A minute to hear me further maligned?” he asked.

“No, no,” said Cindy. “A minute to say good-bye.”





Chapter 12


How did a night that was supposed to be so beautiful turn into such a nightmare? Cindy would never know. As she and Mattheus drove in silence back to the hotel, she played the events over and over again in her mind.

“You told me about your mother, but I had to experience her firsthand for myself to realize what you’ve been through,” Mattheus broke into her thoughts.

“I had no idea this would happen, Mattheus,” Cindy protested, “none at all.”

“Of course you didn’t.” He took her hand. “You would never have let me go through something like that. This has to have hit you as hard as it’s hit me.”

“As hard?” Mattheus had to be kidding. Cindy felt as if she just lost her family forever.

“It was bad for both of us,” Mattheus acknowledged.

“I feel like I’ve just lost my family forever,” Cindy said.

“You can’t lose what you don’t have.” Mattheus shook his head. “These people are not family. Family do not treat you that way.”

“They’re worried about me.” Cindy tried to explain it.

“They’re worried about themselves, Cindy,” Mattheus interjected.

“I don’t have a good history with guys.” Cindy’s voice grew softer.

“That’s just part of the story they want you to believe.” Mattheus wasn’t buying into it.

“You have a great history with me, and you married a guy who loved you tremendously. You loved him too. It wasn’t your fault that he was killed on your honeymoon.”