Twenty-Nine
Alex kept her grueling schedule for the next several days. Every morning she arrived promptly at eight and worked straight through until five. If it were up to her, she would have stayed even later but Father insisted she could no longer stay in the office alone, so she left with him. But once at home, she took a tray in her room and worked for a few more hours. Then, when she could barely keep her eyes open, she collapsed and slept like the dead until it was time to wake up and do it all over again. She barely saw her family, aside from her father during the carriage ride home each evening, as he was usually too busy entertaining clients during the workday. He knew that things between her and Lucien were over but had the good grace not to press her on it. A board meeting was scheduled for the end of the month and Alex was meant to announce their new partnership with the Ericsons and, she hoped, garner enough support to ensure her future as the head of the company even without Lucien by her side. But now the thought failed to ignite even the slightest spark of excitement in her. She simply didn’t care anymore. It just felt like another task in an endless list. Alex probably would have continued on with her schedule indefinitely until there was one meeting she absolutely could not cancel.
She slipped away from the office during the lunch hour to meet Marguerite in the mews of Park House and give her the box of cervical caps she had been storing.
“There is one packet missing,” Alex admitted once the box was safely loaded into Marguerite’s carriage, then pointedly avoided her friend’s curious gaze.
“Well, I cannot blame you for that,” she said with a throaty chuckle. “I hope you made good use of it.”
“Marguerite!” Alex was far too shocked by the comment to maintain her composure.
But the woman merely shrugged in her ever-so-French fashion. “Life is not all about business, Alexandra. You need to indulge in a little bad behavior. And what a man to indulge with,” she added with a little sigh.
If the situation had been different, Alex would have loved to gossip about Lucien with Marguerite. But the thought of everything they hadindulgedin only made her feel, well, sad. The emotion must have shown on her face because after a moment Marguerite’s brow furrowed with worry.
“What is it, my dear?”
Alex had to clear her throat before she could get the words out. “Mr. Taylor and I have parted ways.”
“Oh. Oh, I amverysorry to hear that,” she said as she grasped Alex’s hand.
She shook her head furiously as her nose and eyes began to prickle. “It’s fine. Really. I’m fine.” She would not shed any more tears over Lucien. And especially not here. Marguerite’s horse was staring at her and the air smelled of cabbage.
“But it would be understandable if you weren’t,” she said kindly.
Alex bit the inside of her cheek and inhaled deeply until the feeling passed. “I will be,” she said with something approximating her usual tone. “When is the meeting?”
“Tonight at seven in Whitechapel. Can you come?”
Alex usually assisted Marguerite in distributing the caps, and it was during these meetings that they learned of potential women-owned businesses to invest in, but she didn’t have the will today. She had already deviated enough from her schedule and needed to get back to the office. It was the only thing keeping her from falling completely into despair. “I can’t this time. I’m sorry. But do let me know how it goes.”
“Yes, certainly. And we will meet soon, yes? At the salon next week?”
“Perhaps.” But it was likely she would miss that too. She certainly didn’t want to cross paths with Benjamin again. “I should get back to the office.”
“Of course,” Marguerite said. “Do take care of yourself. You are looking quite pale.”
Alex managed a brittle smile. “I will.” Then she retreated into the house. Time to get back to work.
Alex returned to Atkinson Enterprises to find the office in a state of absolute chaos. Workers rushed around like headless chickens, bumping into one another and dropping sheafs of papers while her father roared at someone in the conference room. Alex kept her head down and continued on to her office, but Potts had abandoned his post. Rather than trying to flag someone down, Alex decided to wait for the chaos to come to her and returned to her desk. Consequently, she did not have to wait very long. Within aquarter of an hour, her father stormed into her office with Potts scurrying behind.
“Alexandra, where thehellhave you been?”
“I had lunch with Madame LaSalle,” she replied coolly. “Has something happened?”
Her father let out an incredulous laugh. “Happened? The company is under attack!”
“What do you mean?” she replied, trying to stay calm in the face of his near hysteria.
“The board. They’re calling a meeting tomorrow to challengeme. That blasted upstart Chisten—”
“Chisolm, sir,” Potts cut in.
Alex’s stomach tightened.No. It couldn’t be.
“Whatever his name is, I don’t care,” her father railed. “Apparently Tompkins is an old family friend and he convinced him to retire and give him the seat. But Chisolm’s been sneaking around forweeksnow talking to the other board members about mismanagement and failed dividends and all kinds of rot.”
“Well, it isn’t true,” Alex said simply. “Nothing has been mismanaged. And profits are up as usual. He has no case.”
