I gape. “Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry.” I rush toward Nonny, my face flaming.
She folds over, and Ryder catches her before she hits the floor. His nose wrinkles. “Has she been drinking?”
My blood turns icy. “What?” I kneel by her and sniff. Sure enough, there is a hint of alcohol on her breath. I jerk back. “This doesn’t make any sense. She knows she isn’t supposed to have anything with alcohol.” And I haven’t seen her touch anything but the punch I prepared specifically for her.
Nonny’s abandoned glass is on the coffee table. Elliot sniffs the liquid that’s still in it, then takes a sip. “Champagne,” he says.
I don’t understand. “What are you talking about?”
“Somebody spiked the punch.”
Cold sweat covers my palms and leaves a shivery trail down my spine. Fury throbs at the base of my skull. “Who would do that?” I jump to my feet, blood roaring in my ears. “Who the fuck dumped champagne in the punch?” My voice is shrill.
“Oh my gosh, what’s the big deal?” Tiffany says. “I put some in to spice things up. Who drinks such a bland punch?”
“You!” I march toward her. If she weren’t Elliot’s stepmother… “Are you freaking insane? She’s a minor!”
“She’s fifteen. I started drinking even younger.” Tiffany rolls her eyes. “Everyone in Europe drinks when they’re teenagers, and they’re fine. If you’d let her indulge once in a while, she wouldn’t be such a lightweight.”
I clench my hands, my arms stiff. I so want to slap that superior expression off her face. “Get out,” I say between my teeth.
“Excuse me?” she says, a hand over her chest.
“Get. Out. You aren’t welcome here.”
“You can’t do that.” She turns to Elliot. “Tell your wife! She can’t just order me to get out. This is your home.”
“And now hers as well,” Elliot says, his voice cold.
She looks at Julian. “Say something! I won’t stand for this disrespect.”
“I won’t stand for yours either,” I say before Julian can weigh in. “Do you have any idea how dangerous it is to get a young girl drunk without her knowledge or consent? Thank god she was with people who care about her, but…” I swallow the rest as ugly memories I’ve worked so hard to ignore start pushing at me. “Get out. Now!”
Julian gives me a narrow-eyed look, then he shrugs. “Let’s go.”
“We can’t just go like this!” Tiffany points at everyone but Julian and herself. “This kind of stuff happens because you’re too easy on your kids.”
Blake raises his eyes heavenward. “Oh, yes. God save us from overindulgent parents.”
“See that?” Tiffany gestures at him. “Obvious disrespect!”
“Tif, we are leaving. Now.” Julian’s voice is hard, full of authority.
It cows her, and she takes her clutch and leaves, head held high. You’d think I was the one being unfair.
I gather Nonny in my arms and spare a brief glance at my guests. “You should go ahead and eat. I’ll take care of my sister.” I breathe in deeply. Embarrassment and anger swirl inside me, a volatile mixture like a bomb about to go off. I tilt my chin and face Elliot and his siblings. “I’m sorry you had to witness that. But the chef has done some amazing work, so you should go ahead and enjoy the dinner. Nonny and I will be fine.”
“If you need my—” Elliot begins.
“No!” I stop, realizing I almost screamed at him. I inhale deeply, doing my best to defuse the bomb in my head. “No,” I say again, more calmly this time. “You’re the host. I can take care of my sister myself.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Annabelle
Nonny’s heavy, but I manage to carry her to her room. She’s so out of it she doesn’t even stir when I put her on the bed. I smooth the hair from her face. An old mixture of dread and panic wraps around my throat, and I fight for air.
Get a grip girl! This isn’t about you. It’s about your sister.
I drag a chair over and sit by her bed. She’s breathing evenly. She turns to her side and curls up, holding my hand. I squeeze it.
She should never have to know what it’s like to wake up after passing out from drinking. Granted, I don’t think any of Elliot’s siblings would let anything happen to her, but I thought the same thing when—
The door to the suite opens, and Elliot slips in.
“What are you doing here?” I say. There’s no way the five-course meal is over already.