Becoming a Scott

Chapter 4

Christina pressed her hand to her mouth, attempting to keep her laugh from echoing through the kitchen.

"Keep quiet, you can't tell anyone!" Isabella lectured though a smile was starting to pull at the corner of her lips.

"Who would I tell? You're the only one I speak to in this house."

"What about Riley? It seems the poor girl wants to be your friend." Isabela went back to stirring the pot on the stove.

Christina strengthened the grip on knife in her hands and grabbed the vegetable lying in front of her. Absent minded, she started cutting them. "She's great, I'm not saying anything bad about her... but she's different. Riley's used to all this and this is all just something I'll never get used to."

"Wealth?" Isabella asked.

"She's too naive and free of consequence." Christina sighed, "When she genuinely started to ask questions about my life I was happy that she was interested to know. But she acted as if everything I was telling her was an exaggerated lie, she couldn't wrap her head around the fact that I'm poor."

Isabela let out a small laugh.

"She just said I was a Scott and that I couldn't possibly be poor."

"In a way, she's right."

Christina shook her head. "I'm not a Scott and I'm not rich, at least not yet." Her thought's got the best of her and as soon as she spoke she looked over her shoulder, scared that someone might've heard her.

"The only person that comes near the kitchen is your Uncle Joel, he won't come down for another ten minutes or so."

Gathering up the vegetable she handed them over to Isabela. "You've been working for my family for a long time." Isabela gave her a curious glare. "What kind of man do you think my grandmother would like?"

"What, you're trying to get her a boyfriend of something?" Isabela laughed.

Christina leaned back on the counter and let out a breath. "No, not exactly. Like what kind of man would my grandmother want... Riley to marry?"

Isabela paused, not entirely understanding what Christina was trying to get at. "I don't believe your grandmother really cares who your cousin marries."

"That's impossible."

"Mrs. Scott doesn't seem very hung up on who Riley and Michael marry or even if they choose to marry." She shrugged. "I think her priority is ensuring that the money stays in the family."

Christina leaned back, Isabela's words didn't make sense. "I need your advice on something."

"Shoot,"

"You have to promise not to tell anyone, like no one at all."

"Even my mom? She's still in the island's, if she knows I doubt it'll have any consequence." Isabela teased.

"Sure, your mom can know." Christina sat up on the counter, focusing on her next choice of words. "My grandmother told me something last night."

"Last night, like at the party?"

She nodded, "Before the party, basically she told me that if I want to stay on the mainland I have to get married before I graduate."

The spoon in Isabela's hand fell to the floor as she stared over at Christina. "Married?" she asked before her frown deepened, "Married?"

"Yeah, but it can only be someone she allows."

Isabela blinked, words refusing to come out of her mouth.

"So, when you say that she doesn't care what Riley and Michael do in terms of marriage... it makes me feel that this is more fucked up that I had originally thought it was." Christina bent down to grab the spoon from the floor and began to wipe it clean.

"I can see why," Isabela said cautiously. "It is a weird."

Christina swallowed nervously before lowering her voice. "I think I can understand why though."

"Why?"

"I'm an outsider. I'm not a Scott, I don't come from wealth, I'm a kind of like a foreigner to these people." She listed off. "My grandmother's smart, she probably thinks that the connections they have to the rest of society won't tolerate me if I don't prove myself."

"That's extreme. I see the logic but..." Isabela shook her had.

"The people from the party, when they see me, they see my father. He fled his family and his wealth, tossed all of it back in their faces and chose to be with my mother." Christina held her chin up. "To my grandmother, if I'm not legally tied in union to a man of good standing then I'm just as capable of running away."

Isabela's face soured, "She can't force you to do this."

"She's not," She admitted. "But I won't be able to stay if I don't."

"It's unfair, your cousins should have to prove their loyalty too."

Christina nodded, "It's unfair but it helps me understand where I stand now. I'm a Scott by blood but to them I'm still a stranger."

"So not only do you have to study but now you have to shop around for a husband?" Isabela scuffed. "If you had asked me three minutes ago I would've said I was jealous of you, but this is going to be a challenge for sure."

Christina looked over at her, "What? Are you calling me ugly?" She teased though she didn't feel like laughing right now.

"Pretty or ugly, the fact of the matter is that marriage is not as forced as it used to be twenty years ago. Here on the mainland, the men won't be compelled to marry unless it means more money or unless their in love."

"I'll have money." Christina argued, crossing her arms over her chest.

"There's no grantee," Isabela explained with a sorrowful smile. "And even if there was, you are the third and last of the descendants of the Scott family. The youngest of the acknowledged bloodline and the most in jeopardy."

"Jeopardy?"

"As you said, an outsider. To the rest of society there is no stopping it if your grandma decides to disavow you."

Christina let out a breath. "Why do you have to be so honest?"

Isabela shook her head, "I'm not jealous of you, not at all. If you want my advice-"

"Sure," she answered emotionless.

"Enjoy the time afforded to you in college, get your degree and return home. With an education from the mainland you'll be able to keep you and your family a float."

Christina pressed her lips into a thin line and nodded slowly, "I'll keep that in mind. When did you say my uncle will get here?" She asked, attempting to change the subject and distract herself from the pit opening up in her stomach.

The white door of the kitchen swung open and a tall man with heavy set shoulders and a long beard marched in. "Sorry I'm late, I'm sure you girls are starving."

"Only by a minute," Isabela smiled as she stood back from the stove. "And I am starving."

Christina offered her Uncle Joel a small smile, "Isabela told me you make the best pancakes." Her uncle Joel had the same face as he uncle Richard and the same detached personality, but the two couldn't be more opposite in personality. Since she had met them a week ago she knew that Joel was much more calm and wise then his younger brother.

"The best?" Uncle Joel raised a brow as he tied on his apron. "I wouldn't go that far."