“That wasn’t what I meant,” I say quietly. His comment about my father cut, just as I’m sure he wanted it to.
“It doesn’t matter.”
He exhales, presses his lips together, and turns to look out at the house. He shakes his head like he wants to be sure I know exactly how disappointed he is, too. I don’t care what he thinks, though. And the only hypocrite here is him.
I keep my thoughts to myself, though.
“I have a question for you.” He turns to me again.
“What?”
“Do you want to see Father?”
The question takes me by surprise. “Of course I do. You said you’d take me.”
“Then I need you to do as you’re told now.”
“Do as I’m told?” I feel my eyebrows creep up into my hairline.
“Exactly. Do as you’re told. It’ll be a good exercise for you.”
The front door opens, drawing our attention to two men stepping outside. They remain standing in front of the open door, and it all feels wrong.
“What is this, Abel?”
“It’s me looking out for our family. I will take you to see Father after we take care of this. If I feel you’ve behaved well enough.”
I shift my gaze to the men again, then back to Abel, the coffee I drank turning bitter in my stomach.
But the hammer hasn’t fallen yet.
“He’s requested a purity test.”
My mouth falls open, and I stare at him in disbelief. “What?”
“And I won’t take a chance De La Rosa will humiliate our family so I’ve agreed.”
I feel the blood drain from my face.
“It’ll take a moment. No big deal.”
“No big deal?”
“It’s all very standard within The Society, especially the higher echelon. Your mother submitted to it, too.”
“I don’t care about The Society. I don’t even care if my mother submitted. I’m not doing it!”
“You’ll do it, or you won’t see Dad.”
“What? You can’t do that.”
“I can do anything I want. I’m going to greet those gentlemen. You have one minute to decide. If you agree to submit for the good of our family, then I’ll see you at the house. If not, then you’ll remain here, and once I’ve taken care of what I need to take care of, I’ll be back to take you home, where you’ll remain locked in your room until the wedding ceremony.”
“I want to see Dad. You promised.”
“I never promised. I simply told you that you were starting to be reasonable. Now I’m not so sure. If Evangeline weren’t so young—”
“Evangeline?”
“She is the more desirable out of the two of you but she is thirteen. If you force my hand, though, well, I’ll do what I need to do.”
Evangeline? He’d make her submit to something like this?
I give a shake of my head. He can’t do that. “They won’t let you do that. The Society won’t allow something like that.” No matter what I think of them, they’re not that evil. I know that.
“I’m head of household.”
“You go by the law of The Society, and they will never allow it, and you know it. Evangeline is thirteen,” I say, shoulders squared.
His eyes narrow, and I know he knows what I’m saying is true. And I’m a little relieved.
“But you’re not,” he says, voice full of spite. “This is as much to protect our family as to satisfy your husband-to-be. I could drag you in kicking and screaming if I wanted to, but I’m leaving it up to you walk in. Giving you the chance to do this with some dignity.”
Dignity. There will be no dignity in what’s to come.
He opens the car door. “Decide if you will submit.” He steps out.
I remain in the car watching as he walks to the entrance and shakes hands with the two older men. I notice one of the men has a heavy ring on his finger. They’re otherwise indistinguishable from each other.
They want me to submit to a virginity test? I’d heard rumors of these. I hadn’t given them much credence though. It’s archaic. Will they check the bedsheets too?
But if there’s one thing I believe it’s that Abel will lock me in my room and not allow me to see our father. He won’t care even if Dad were to die. And he could somehow punish Evangeline to punish me. These are the only things that matter. The only things I need to know.
I have no choice. I never did. I will submit to this just as I will submit to a wedding.
6
Ivy
The men stop their conversation once I’m within earshot. The older ones shift their gazes to me first. My brother, who has his back to me, turns slowly to face me. The smile on his face is a victorious one.
“Ivy.”
I look anxiously from him to the others. Their gazes appear almost lecherous. And they’re old enough to be my grandfather. Will they really stand by and allow something like this to happen? Will they bear witness?