Appropriate.
Like the only way a woman could possibly be worthy enough was if she met a certain set of standards determined by those around her. It irritated Violet in a way she couldn’t explain.
“But you don’t love her,” Andrea said.
“I don’t have to, Ma.” Carmine pushed off the counter, and grabbed an apple from the fruit tree. “I just need the ring and the license.”
“I don’t like this.”
“You like Nicole,” Carmine pressed.
Well, Violet figured her friend would be happy at least. Carmine was finally going to settle Nicole into some kind of permanent relationship, even if he had no intention of being committed to it. It wasn’t like Nicole didn’t already know Carmine was a manwhore in every sense of the word.
“I liked what she was good for,” Andrea muttered. “And you know exactly what you used the girl for. I know what you’re doing, son. You’re trying to butter me up to get your grandmother’s engagement ring for Nicole, and I won’t give it to you. Buy her one, for all I give a damn. She’s not having my mother’s.”
Carmine scowled at his mother before turning on his heel and storming toward the entry of the kitchen. To hide the fact that she had been eavesdropping on the conversation, Violet stepped into the space at the same time her brother was just about to leave. He was too pissed off to care she was there if the way he brushed past her with a grumble and a glare was any indication.
Andrea didn’t give Violet a second look either before she was back at the stove, tending the soup again.
“I wanted to say goodbye before I left,” Violet said.
Her mother waved a hand over her shoulder, and nothing else.
Violet wasn’t surprised. It probably didn’t help that her mother was now in a mood over Carmine’s choices regarding marriage. Andrea wasn't going to be able to dote on her son like she did now once he was a married man.
“All right, bye, Ma,” Violet called over her shoulder as she turned to leave.
“Violet, wait,” Andrea said.
She stopped. “Yeah?”
“I forgot to tell you earlier, but I left a few dresses from my new collection upstairs in my studio office. I know your friends liked them, so I kept them for you to have.”
Violet was shocked her mother had even cared enough to do that. “Okay, thanks.”
Andrea simply waved her off again.
Wanting to get back to Manhattan before the sky started to darken, Violet quickly made her way back through the mansion and up to the wing where her father’s and mother’s offices were located. She found the dress bags her mother mentioned easily enough, and slung them around her arm. She was just leaving the studio when she realized she had also forgotten her textbook in Alberto’s office.
Violet shifted the few dress bags to her other arm as she stopped just outside of her father’s office. The doors had been open all the way earlier when she left, but now they were closed except for a couple of inches. She could clearly hear her father and brother talking inside.
“I can’t make your mother give you the ring,” Alberto said, almost sardonically.
“I know you can, Papa.”
“It’s her ring to do with what she wants. It didn’t come from my family. Do you want my family’s ring? I have that one.”
Carmine grunted something unintelligible.
“She’s spoiled you rotten, and that is exactly the problem,” Alberto said with no sympathy in his tone. “She denies you one thing and you go on a rampage. Did you consider that’s why she did it?”
“I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”
“You don’t want to hear the truth, Carmine.”
“No, we have better things to discuss.”
“Indulge me,” Alberto said, sounding bored all of the sudden.
“The Russians.”
“It’s handled.”
“Then why don’t you sound pleased with that fact?” Carmine asked.
Alberto sighed heavily. “I worry about your sister, that’s all. She liked the one all those years ago—made fast friends with him in a very short amount of time. I don’t need that happening again.”
Violet’s brow furrowed. She remembered Kaz saying they had met once before, but she hadn’t believed him. Her father wouldn’t mingle with Russians, not guessing by the way he so easily dismissed and insulted them every chance he could.
But here Alberto was, saying Violet had met Kaz when they were children.
“Do you think the Russian boss will keep his end of the deal?” Carmine asked. “It’s been years. He could decide with recent events that it’s just not worth the peace of mind, anymore.”
Alberto scoffed loudly. “Peace of mind, Carmine? My God, son, you are a fool. You walk around in a bubble of your own making half of the time, believing that because of who you are, the rest of your life will be an easy road to travel. There is no such thing as peace of mind here, and that meeting brought neither me, nor Vasily Markovic, any peace, either.”