Her father paused and gave her a look that caused Alex’s blood to run cold. “Leave us, Potts.”
When they were alone, he collapsed into the chair across from her. “That isn’t the worst of it. He’s called your role in the company into question and spooked the other members.”
“What role?” Alex shot back as a sudden rush of anger flooded her veins. “For all they know I sit here twiddling my thumbs all day. I don’t have any power. I’m not even on the board.” Which, frankly, had long been a point of contention. But her father hadalways maintained it was better for the company to minimize her public-facing role as much as possible.
“Chisolm maintains otherwise. Saysyouare actually running the company and that I am just a figurehead.”
“But you aren’t,” Alex insisted, though that was splitting hairs.
“The rest of it is not too far off the mark, though,” he said, then gave her that look again. “Alex, do you know him?”
She pressed her lips together and wished very much that she could melt into the floor. “He was my tutor at Oxford,” she said reluctantly. “I… I may have told him about my original idea for investing in businesses.”
“Oh, for God’s sake,” her father cursed. Then he let out a hysterical laugh. “He knows everything, then.”
“And what if he does? It’s his word against yours.”
“That may be all it takes. Then they can boot me from the board and put Chisolm in my place. And I’d wager that’sexactlywhat he is after. What happened, did you jilt him?” He had meant it as a joke, but Alex immediately looked away and her father cursed again. “What thehell, Alexandra.”
“It was a long time ago,” she insisted. “And he’s been in America for years now. I never expected him to do something like this. He was supposed to invest in Lucien’s company.”
Her father scoffed. “Well, that didn’t work so I guess he chose option B.”
“What do you mean?”
“Lucien isn’t opening the supper club,” he snapped. “He’s been in Surrey with his father. Did you really not know?”
Alex shook her head. She had buried herself in work specificallyto shut out any word about Lucien. But if that was the case, then Benjamin’s motives made a little more sense. “He needs money. Chisolm, I mean. We agreed that he would be the lone investor in the supper club.”
Her father narrowed his eyes. “Did he threaten you?”
Alex had never heard her father growl before. “Yes,” she murmured.
“For God’s sake, why didn’t you tell me?”
Alex looked up at him and blinked. His face looked pained. “It never occurred to me,” she answered honestly. “I took care of it myself.” Like she always did with everything. And that had never bothered him before. But Alex kept that to herself. Her father pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. It was the first time he had ever looked haggard.Alex felt a deep pang of regret. “I’m sorry. What can we do?”
“The meeting is tomorrow at nine. I’ve already sent word to Lucien. He should be there in time.”
Alex balked. “Whatever for?”
“Because the world still thinks you are courting,” he said exasperatedly. “And tomorrow we will tell the board that you are engaged, which hopefully will instill a little bit of confidence in our leadership.”
“You can’t,” Alex said, now feeling like a headless chicken herself.
Lucien here? Tomorrow?
“It is the only way, my dear,” her father replied sadly.
She sat back in her chair, stunned. Why on earth would Lucien ever agree to do this?
“Come along,” he prompted. “We need a plan of attack. The very future of this company depends on it.”
That was at least something she could fight for.
After finding Alex pacing in her room that night, her mother insisted on giving her a sleeping draught, which she reluctantly accepted, if only because it was nearly midnight and her thoughts were still awhirl.
“I am sorry about all this,” her mother said as she poured out the dose after first making Alex get under the covers. “I know your father meant well by insisting on hiding your true role in the company, but it has not done either of you any favors.”
