The Price of Winning: London Calling Book Four Read Free

greatest accomplishment.” He squeezed her fingers.  
    Madeleine swallowed a sob. “But—”
    “No,” her mother said. “No buts .” Lines fanned out from her eyes as she smiled. “It’s past time for us to move forward as a family. There’s never been any need for regret. Worry, yes. But look at us.” She gestured to the three of them. “We are sitting here together, healthy and whole for the most part.” She patted her husband’s hand.  
    Madeleine’s father refilled their glasses. “As usual, your mother is right. There is no room here for sorrow.” He lifted his glass in a toast to Madeleine. “Or fear.”
    At the mention of fear, Madeleine’s insides set to quivering. “I’m not scared.” She looked from one parent to the other, watching as the happiness faded from their eyes. “I’m not .”
    Her father was the first to recover, and if the smile he adopted seemed a little forced, Madeleine chose to ignore it. She tapped her glass against his, hoping to move on to other topics.  
    “Good.” He cleared his throat. “That’s good. But it’s time to prove it.”  
    Shocked, she stared. Growing up her parents had been loving and supportive. They’d never been strict or demanding. In fact, she could say they’d given her room to make choices, encouraging her to find her own way.  
    Clearly, they’d decided to make a change.
    “What do you mean?” she murmured. “I can’t prove how I feel.” She stabbed a piece of the salad and brought it to her lips. Despite the fact it was now wilted with dressing, she militantly chewed and swallowed. She gulped more wine to wash it down.
    As Madeleine witnessed another glance between her parents, she knew they weren’t giving up.  
    “Actually, you can, Madeleine.” Her mother’s voice was firm.
    Madeleine’s brows shot up. They almost never called her by her full name.  
    “We’ve been the ones to visit you for months now. We’ve become steadily more concerned seeing the way you lock yourself away here. It’s why we’ve been coming more often.”  
    Madeleine felt a sliver of self-pity worm its way into her heart. Why were they pushing her now ?
    Her father looked around the spacious room. “It’s a cage. No matter how luxurious or gilded, it is still a cage.”
    She tucked her knife into her fork and laid them both on her plate. Most of the food she’d served herself still remained, cold and unappetizing. She took a deep breath. “I do leave here. I know you don’t believe me, but I do.”
    Two pairs of eyes stared back, their expressions level. She felt fourteen again—like she was about to confess about a boy she’d kissed backstage.
    “Granted, I go out alone and make sure I stay that way. I run. I go to the theater in the evenings, after dark.” There. She was being completely honest.
    Her parents were holding hands now, their fingers linked atop the table.  
    “Good,” her father said. “That’s wonderful, honey.”  
    She could see the obvious love behind the compassion in his eyes. And her mother looked the same.  
    She owed them so much. Too much to become a disappointment.
    “I promise to do better. Okay?” She adjusted the strap of her watch. It was a gift from them for one of her birthdays.
    “That’s all we can ask.” Her mother smiled. “Will you at least try to meet us outside the penthouse sometime soon? We can go to the zoo or someplace fun. Somewhere we can get lost in a crowd.”
    Madeleine appreciated the sentiment while wondering how on earth she’d manage. “Okay, Mom. The zoo it is. Or someplace fun. Maybe in a week or two?”
    It was almost imperceptible, but her mother’s face seemed to drop. Then she brightened again, pasting on a broad smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Okay, Maddy.” She nodded. “Okay.”
    Madeleine rose to clear the table and bring out dessert. She would try, with everything in her, to do as they asked. They were remarkable people, and she loved them