Chapter 328: Mrs. Miller’s blind date.
Come morning, the restlessness was gone. It was pale and cold, the kind of morning that promised a long day ahead. Elias was long gone, he had not slept in their room. Sienna didn’t wait for breakfast, she stepped out of the house with her two cubs in fox form--one in each hand, ready to drop them off before heading to work.
But on the porch, Sienna stopped short. Her mother and aunt Owena were sitting together, smoke curling from their lips.
"It’s 8:30 in the morning!" Sienna exclaimed.
Mrs. Miller startled, tried to hide what she was doing, but it was too late. Sienna’s sharp eyes had already caught everything.
Sienna rolled her eyes, exasperated. "Really? isn’t it too late to hide what you are doing? And why did you have to do it here?"
Her mother pointed to Owena. "I gave the cubs a bath and came out to stretch my back. It was Owena who tempted me." Her cheeks flushed, showing the embarrassment she was feeling.
Sienna rolled her eyes, exasperated. Ever since the memory wipe, her mother had picked up the smoking habit. She didn’t do it everyday, just once in a while.
Owena, less ashamed, blew a long stream of smoke and grinned. "Don’t scold your mother too much, she is just nervous. We are both going on blind dates tonight. I arranged them myself. You will have a daddy soon."
Sienna huffed, adjusting her grip in the cubs. "A daddy! Blind dates?" She had a lot to say, but somehow, contained herself. "I don’t care if you date mama, but I will never call that man daddy. You two are adults. Do what you want, as long as it does not affect the family negatively. But, no more smoking in my porch. Don’t let my children learn from you."
She turned to her cubs, speaking firmly: "Don’t learn from them. Smoking is foolish. People who smoke don’t grow tall, and their teeth fall out, so they can’t eat meat, chicken or turkey."
Ali looked traumatized, while Eli looked skeptical. Never the less, Sienna was sure that she had successfully scared them from ever smoking before adulthood.
"I made you spinach eggs." Her mother said.
Sienna twisted her lips. "It’s not an egg morning. I want multigrain bread, with peanut butter and banana slices. Coffee is a must of course."
"Give me thirty minutes." Her mother said loudly, racing to the kitchen. "I will deliver to your office."
Sienna left home, dropped the cubs at the daycare office, where they scampered off happily to join other cubs. By the time she reached her office, Mija was already arranging documents on her desk. She took her job so seriously, that she barely live streamed anymore--which was just like Sienna. Her plans to be a fitness influencer had long gone out of the window.
"Si, did you hear?" Mija started with a smile. "You mother’s going on a blind date with Chase Twindell, Lord Grace Twindell’s oldest son and heir. He divorced five months ago. He is wealthy and well connected. All his children have grown up and have their own lives so your mother will not need to play stepmother when she marries in. Quite the catch, huh."
Sienna froze, her instincts prickling. "What?" she demanded. "Who told you that?"
Mija shrugged. "Word travels fast."
Sienna’s mind raced. A noble son of a noble ex-pirate? That smelled like trouble. She immediately picked up her phone and called Grace Twindell himself, as she had dealt with him before. When he answered, his voice was rough, amused.
"Lady Sienna," he greeted. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"Why is your son going on blind dates with my mother?" Sienna asked bluntly. "I don’t know what scheme you are cooking up but leave my mother out of it. She’s innocent. I don’t want to drag her into your world."
Grace Twindell laughed, a deep, mocking sound. "Innocent? Sienna, you and I both know the truth. Your mother is no fragile flower. She’s done some things, she’s lived a hard life, she has survived it. She is strong and sensible, and she has a skill she can fall back on if the family fortunes dwindle for some reason. My son is divorced, yes, but he’s not a fool. If they have agreed to meet, it’s because they both want to. Missy Miller has lived a hard life, allow her to enjoy the last half. Children should not be involved in this matter. Be a good child, grandpa is sending your parrots today evening."
Sienna’s jaw tightened. She didn’t like the tone, nor the implication. But she couldn’t argue--her mother was indeed an adult, capable of making her own choices. If she wanted to date Chase Twindell, nothing could not stop her. Still, Sienna’s protective instincts bristled. Where had Grace learned her mother’s history from? Was he targeting her for that reason? She sent a message to Elias, sharing the new problem they had.
Sienna barely had time to breathe before her first case of the day arrived. Mija had left the file open, so when the mother and daughter entered the office, she was reviewing it. Both women were foxes. The mother was average, but the daughter had delicate features. Her eyes held a childlike innocence, her expressions mischievous and simple for her age of twenty six.
Sienna read from the file that the daughter’s mind was mentally stunted. She had suffered a mental break at the age of thirteen, trapping her mentally at that age forever.
The mother was Icona Lawrence and the daughter was Bonnie Lawrence.
Icona bowed respectfully. "Matriarch, please you have to help us."
Sienna gestured for them to sit. "Your file does not indicate that you are here to seek for a divorce or mediation. It is empty, but you have sent in various requests to speak to the former matriarch six times. You went all the way to the royal office for woman and cub affairs and they sent you back here. So, what is the problem?"
Icona’s voice trembled as she explained. "It’s Bonnie. She suffered a mental break years ago. Since then, her growth has been halted. She is an adult in body, but her mind...it never matured. Her father has been trying to marry her off for a year and I have been preventing it. But I found out last week that he decided to marry her to his friend Nat Delaney of Delaney leathers. My husband accepted a betrothal gift and signed a marriage intention certificate on behalf of Bonnie. They have been arranging the wedding in secret."
Sienna’s eyes narrowed. "Without your consent?"