So this is Love ● The Beast

{4}

"What do you mean you quit?" Lucille shrieked, for what seemed to be the third time in the past hour. She slammed down her eating utensils in rage, her eyes turning into slits as she glared at me. She was sitting in front of me at the dinner table, everyone jumped at the sudden intrusion of silence.

I placed my fork down gently beside my plate of dinner, I leaned back into my chair as I sighed tiredly. "I told you, Lucille, I quit. I'm not working with him anymore, I'll find work someplace else, it's not a big deal."

Lucille scoffed. "What's not, exactly? The fact that you've chased away the only profit that you can actually live off of? How you couldn't even consult to Poppy about this! You're just being selfish!" I raised a brow at that and glanced at my little sister who gaped at Lucille beside me.

"Why would Josie have to talk to me about it? She's the one providing for me, so she should know what's best." Poppy squeezed my hand comfortingly under the table before she looked at me, "I trust her to know what's best for us, Luce, and so should you."

I couldn't help the smile that crawled up my lips, I rubbed the back of her hand affectionately before my hand came up to sweep a few strands of curly hair from her face. "I wouldn't jeopardize Poppy if I didn't know what I was doing, Lucille. I'll provide for my sister in anyway I can, and you know that." I looked at Lucille as Poppy went back to eating her food.

Finnegan and Jonah were eating silently at the ends of the table, I caught Finn's eye more than once, I knew he was ready to jump in if things ever got out of hand. For now, everyone around the table knew that this was something that me and Lucille had to settle.

Lucille shook her head, crossing her arms as she looked away with a humorless laugh escaping her lips. "You think just because you have a few shillings stashed away that you'd be able to make it by? A pence a day doesn't cut it, Etta! You need to get that job back, and apologize to Deboef!"

Papa cut in to our little spout. "Now you wait a minute Lucille--".

"Don't!" Lucille shouted and everyone stiffened. "I am not a little girl anymore Papa. And I will not hold my tongue while you allow your daughter to do something so foolish!"

It was quite for a moment, no one could believe that Lucille had been bold enough to talk down to the man who raised them. Papa shook his head in disappointment, with his old age, he didn't have the energy to fight his child. I gritted my teeth in anger before slamming my hands on the table and standing to my feet. "You will hold your tongue when you speak to our father that way! Who do you think you are? Just because your upset doesn't mean you have the right to make anyone else in this home miserable! You should learn to have more respect for those around you!" I scolded my older sister.