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And over the years, despite what she’s witnessed and what she’s heard directly from my own mouth, Leonie never once bad-mouthed ry on ht have shone with sympathy when I was hurt, but the Blackwoods were her e them to me

Even to this day, despite the way they cut her loose so callously and then coh she was a member of our family for so many years, she never speaks ill of them

Until now

“Your mother said what?” Leonie had seethed on the way to the restaurant Then she siirl She didn’t deserve that Your ue, and your sister could be very rude I had the hardest tiain, yourher than she did with you”

That was true enough Mywith Marissa, but I expect that wasShe loved to dress Marissa up in pretty things and show her off to the other trophy wives As she got older, she treated Marissa like a younger sister and let her run practically wild

I had to laugh at Leonie as we drove to the restaurant For the first time I can remember, she went off on my parents because of their poor treatment of Bailey, a woman Leonie had never met But no matter, Leonie already liked Bailey as much as I did, because I did It was as simple as that

“I’lad to see you a bit nervous,” Leonie continues on, and I drag aze from the front of the restaurant back to the wo actual birth to me

“That’s your evil sense of hurowl

“You deserve it after the gray hairs you’ve given rin Then her expression softens, and she ht, I will say it’s long overdue You deserve to have love”

“Funny,” I drawl, giving her a pointed look “Never seemed to be important to you”

I’ve asked Leonie over the years why she never got married, and her ansas always siht person”

I can’t ever re anyone to be honest At least not while I was growing up She was just always around, seven days a week She lived in a servants’ wing of our mansion, and she never seemed to have a personal life

In more recent years, she’s had soh the retireromantic