Knots (Club Imperial Book 4) by Katherine Rhodes

husband when I find one.”
    “You’re twenty-six! When I was your age--”
    “You were already pregnant with me, yes I know.” Cece tried not to react, just cutting into her chicken carefully. “Things are different now, mom. I don’t have to race down the aisle and have kids before I’m thirty. It’s okay. I mean, Chas isn’t married.”
    Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her brother bristle for just an instant. Well, that’s curious. Her mother, however didn’t see a thing and plowed on. “Frances, sweetheart, the older you get, the more likely you are to have a retard.”
    Cece dropped her fork on the plate with a bang. “What did you just say?”
    “It’s true.” Marjorie plowed on. “Once you hit thirty, you are in dangers of having one of those retarded children. We don’t want to burden anyone with one of those.”
    “Do you have even the slightest clue what an asshole you sound like right now, mother?”
    “Language!” Roger snapped.
    “No! I will not watch my language!” Cece stated loudly. “Mom just indicated that she wouldn’t be interested in having a retard for grandchild because I’m not having children young enough for her liking. It does not matter what age I am! A child with a birth defect can be born at any age! And for the goddamn record, the word ‘retard’ is horrible insult and you need to cull that from your vocabulary immediately.”
    “It’s a--”
    “ Immediately .” Cece was boiling mad. She ran a few of the Learning Disabled programs at the library for the college students, and to hear her mother call them the ‘R’ word made her want to punch things. “You will not use that word around me.”
    “It’s just a word.”
    “It’s not just a word. It’s an insult. Do you know how many brilliant LD kids we have at the college? They are at a disadvantage, but they are brilliant and sweet and no less deserving of your respect than anyone else on this whole frickin’ planet. So lose the word.”
    “Someone needs to curb you,” Charles snapped. “Your mouth and attitude are repellant.”
    Cece grabbed her napkin off her lap and tossed it next to the plate of barely touched food. “I’m leaving. I came here because I thought that maybe, just maybe we could be civil to each other. Instead, I’m insulted, demeaned, and told that I’m repellant.”
    “You’re not leaving.” Marjorie pointed at her. “Stay where you are.”
    “I am leaving.” Cece stood from the table.
    Chas was around the table and pushing her chair back in under her a moment later. “You will stay, and you will listen, little sister. Keep your mouth shut, your hands folded, and stay.right.there.”
    “Charles!” She yelped, stumbling back into the chair. “Let me out.”
    “No!” He snapped at her. “Mother, tell her.”
    Cece felt the pit of her stomach plunge to the floor. She was ever more frightened when she saw the helplessness and tears in Hannah’s eyes. She switched her glance over to Marjorie who had delicately put her knife and fork down, and folded her hands. “Mother?! What is going on?”
    “We’ve decided that it is time for you to marry.”
    Cece wanted to puke. She whipped her head back to her father. “Dad! You can’t let them do this!” But Roger was engrossed in his scotch again.
    Oh God.
    Marjorie retrieved a very expensive leather portfolio from the sideboard. She moved Cece’s plate to the side and put the portfolio down in front of her. “This is a pre-nuptial and marriage contract for you. Your brother and I spent a lot of time getting this set up, and it’s a binding document already signed by three of the four parties involved.”
    Cece looked at her mother. “Are you fucking kidding me?!”
    “I am not joking when it comes to your marital status, Frances.”
    “I’m not getting married! I’m not signing this!”
    Chas looked at their mother, giving her a slight nod. Mother walked away from them and Chas leaned down to her ear. “Listen