She knew in her heart that the two women were going to make things as difficult as possible for her. She wasn’t afraid of them, or intimidated by them, but she was wary. And she didn’t want to alienate Eduardo’s family. On the other hand, remembering the old woman’s cold attitude toward her, she knew that she wasn’t going to be able to tolerate insults without a challenge. Regardless of the condessa’s place in Eduardo’s life, Bernadette wasn’t going to let the woman make her life hell. She’d had quite enough of being treated like a contagious disease by her own father. A week later, her father came home from Eduardo’s house with a strange look on his face. He called Bernadette into his study and offered her a seat at his desk. He looked truly concerned. “I want to know,” he began hesitantly, “if you still want to go through with the marriage.” She lifted both eyebrows.
