Jake, who had been a Marine, was quiet, but Tal could see he was thinking a lot about it. Mattie ate like a bird, pushing the food around on her plate, her appetite gone. Tal felt sorry for her; she understood that women like her had no defense, no way to protect themselves from life’s harsh side. Mattie finally excused herself halfway through dinner and left for her bedroom. Hank’s expression was grim. His face was hard, his eyes alive with a lot of emotions. Daisy’s gentle voice intruded. “Now, listen, the best we can do right now is support Mattie. Don’t bombard her with more questions. I think you asked plenty of her before dinner.” Cat snorted. “How I wish I’d been there! I’d have decked the son of a bitch.” She stabbed at her lamb like it was Mark Reuss on her plate instead. “If he only realized what he did to Mattie! He should be hung up, drawn, and quartered.” Tal said nothing. Each member of the family was reacting differently to this new threat. And it was a threat.
