* * * *
“Oh my, this looks amazing. I can’t believe how much all of you have accomplished. This will be ready way before Christmas,” Mary Higgins said as she walked into the upstairs bedroom. The remodeling was nearly complete. The subfloor was put in, the walls Sheetrocked, and the painters were coming tomorrow.
“Are you certain you like the larger window?” Lucia asked.
“Oh yes, and that stained glass that Carol Anne handmade is stunning. She has such a talent. I asked her if she would be willing to make a few things that I could sell as specialty items on my web shop. She was thrilled. I already placed a picture of one item and there’s a bidding war going on over it. It’s all so exciting,” Mary said as she clasped her hands together, smiling. She felt so happy.
“We’re so glad that you like it. Just wait until you see all the finishing touches. Oh, and you and I need to finalize the furniture so that it can be delivered next week. There will be a bit of a delay with Thanksgiving and all, but that happens everywhere for the most part,” Lucia told her.
“Lucia Monroe, you have outdone yourself here. And downstairs in the smaller bedroom, you’ve outdone yourself. You can start your own interior decorating company. Maybe you can call it Designs by Lucia Monroe?” she said as Lucifer chuckled and squeezed Lucia’s shoulder. Mary saw the color drain from Lucia’s face. She looked down and then rubbed her hand over her mouth.
“Lucia? What’s wrong?” she asked, which immediately grabbed Lucifer’s attention, and Salvatore’s as he stood by the doorway.
“You know how I held back a lot of information from my past? I explained a lot to Lucifer, Salvatore, and their brothers, but I failed to give any of you my real name.”
“You mean it’s not Lucia?” Salvatore asked, and he sounded so upset.
“It’s Lucia. But my last name isn’t Monroe. I made that up so no one would be able to find me, plus I didn’t want anyone to treat me any differently when I first came to Pearl.”
“Honey. What’s your real last name?” Lucifer asked her.
“Monte. Lucia Elizabeth Monte, of the Xavier Montes of South Carolina.”
Mary covered her mouth, and her eyes widened. She was shocked. She knew of that family. Anyone who was anyone in the South knew the Monte family.
“I’m not getting it. Are you like royalty or something?” Salvatore teased. Lucia chuckled.
“More like filthy rich and way beyond dysfunctional.”
“Lucia, your parents were the ones who agreed to that contract with that man that hurt you?” Mary asked her. She wondered who the family was. She knew a lot of wealthy people from down south, including a few relatives in Georgia and Virginia.
“Yes, as I had mentioned weeks ago, my mom admitted to having me for the purpose of an arranged marriage to tie the Monte’s with…”
“With who?” Mary asked.
“The McMillians.”
“Franklin McMillian? The attorney?” she asked.
“His brother’s son, his nephew Derek,” she said and then grabbed Lucifer’s hand. Mary felt shocked and angry.
“I know Franklin McMillian and he would never stand for any such thing. I even know his two sons that work for their large firm, Franklin, Jr., and William. I never really knew Franklin’s brother Daryl. He was sort of the black sheep of the family but did very well in corporate law. Now that I think of it, there was something that happened years ago when Daryl’s son, Derek, you said his name was, when he was in college. I remember I was attending a large fundraiser in South Carolina at the time. He did something bad, because Daryl and Elaine were out of there quickly, and there was some talk of a scandal. But nothing more was said. Whatever it was, it blew over.”
“They paid someone off,” Lucia said and then took a deep breath and released it.
“What do you mean?” Salvatore asked her.
“I heard from my friends that Derek had raped some girl in college and that his dad got it covered up by paying off the girl’s family. When I told my mom that Derek had drugged me and raped me, she told me that I was confused and that it didn’t matter anyway, that I was meant to be with Derek and be his wife. I told her what I had heard from my friends about him and about the cover-ups, and she told me that some men like it rough and that I needed to be tougher.”
“I hate your mother,” Lucifer stated, and Lucia chuckled.
“Not as much as I do.”
“Well, this explains a lot. Knowing who both families are, I’m surprised they haven’t hired a private detective to track you down. They are money hungry,” Mary said.
“So far it seems they’ve given up. It’s been nearly eight months,” Lucia stated.
“Well, there’s a lot to be thankful for this holiday season. You’ll be with your new family and a town filled with people who adore you, Lucia. I can’t wait until Thanksgiving at the Main Street Inn, and then of course, Christmas Eve, here in my house with all of you, the family, and our friends,” Mary said.