"My mom wants to be buried next to my dad, not get a ce in the Bradford family mansion. She doesn''t need any of you to ept her! As long as my dad and I do,
that''s enough!"
"If any of you have a problem with it, keep it to yourselves. And if you can''t, go ahead and drop dead-I''ll even make sure you''re buried, out of respect for my dad!"
The room full of weeping rtives quickly averted their eyes when Tarquin walked in, none daring to meet his gaze.
Even the reporters wisely stepped aside, keeping their cameras down.
Allegra, eyes red from crying, red at Tarquin and yelled,<fn2540> ???? ????s? ???????s ?? Find~Novel</fn2540>
"You bastard! Your father lived as a Bradford and died as a Bradford! For your mom to be buried with him, the family has to agree!"
"I''m the oldest now, so I call the shots. And we Bradfords don''t want that tramp Elizabeth in our family plot! She''s not worthy!"
"If you dare bury them together, I''ll kill myself tonight just to show you!"
Tarquin''s voice was icy. "Then do it now. But if you don''t, tomorrow I''ll make sure you''re dragged along and forced to watch my mom and dad be buried together."
"And the rest of you, open your eyes tomorrow and see for yourselves you could never measure up to her."
"She might be gone, but even her name is worth more than your lives."
Then Tarquin turned to the security guards at the door, voice sharp as a whip.
"If anyone tries anything, don''t bother stopping them. Just toss the bodies out and deal with themter."
"If they don''t follow through, don''t let any of them leave. Tomorrow, bring them to the cemetery. Make them kneel and watch my mom''s burial."
The guards nodded in unison. "Yes, sir!"
Without looking back at the wailing crowd, Tarquin strode into the old house.
He''d met plenty of women in his life.
He knew the strength and dignity of his mother. He''d seen Elysia''s kindness and goodness, which made him despise women like Allegra even more.
This bunch had always hated his mother.
They once swore that if the Bradfords ever epted her, they''d all kill themselves in protest.
When he was a kid, after returning to the Bradford estate, these women would openly badmouth his mother in front of him.
They called her a homewrecker, a
gold digger, said she was just after
his dad, called her every name in the book-slut, whore, shameless tramp. s
All of it, just jealousy.
They envied her beauty, her education, her character, and most of all, his father''s love for her.
They couldn''t stand seeing something so pure, so they tried to destroy it.
He''d seen the worst of selfishness and cruelty in these women.
If it hadn''t been for Gideon Bradford''s selfishness, and these women fueling the fire his parents wouldn''t have suffered so much for love. s
They wouldn''t have had to move overseas, wouldn''t have died far from home, wouldn''t have left him to fend for himself.
He wouldn''t have grown up without his parents'' protection, suffered so much, been through so much pain.
And now, when he finally wanted to bring his mother home to rest beside his father, they came out crying, trying to stop him.
Like they mattered at all.
Well, if they wanted attention, he''d give them all they could handle.
Tomorrow, he''d make sure they all saw make sure they saw, crystal clear, how he''d bring his mother home in glory to rest beside bis father. s
The honor she''d have was something these women could only dream of in their lifetimes.
Tarquin spent the night in the family chapel. At the first light of dawn, he left.
ording to his n, he''d go back to Number One Mansion, pick up Elysia and the kids.
Then, together, they''d go to the church to bring Elizabeth home.
When he walked out of the Bradford estate, Allegra and the rest were still there- not a single one had made good on their threats.
Seeing him, Allegra screamed,
"Tell me! Just tell me what makes Elizabeth worthy of your father?! What makes her worthy of the Bradford family burial ground?!"
Tarquin didn''t even spare her a nce. He got in his car and drove home.