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Erika spoke up quickly to stop him. “Actually, Jay, I was wondering if you could help as well.”
He made a face, but at least she made him pause. “And I suppose you want me to play Iago?”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” she said, momentarily taken aback by the fact he appeared well versed in Shakespeare, until she recalled Lillith Colby just finished informing her that she had continued his education. Which probably included literature. “That’s an entirely different play, Jay.”
“Either way, I’m not interested.”
“Why not? You haven’t even heard me out.”
“I’m not interested,” he repeated and resumed his intent to leave.
Getting angry, Erika got to her feet as well. “Is it because you failed where I may succeed?”
He barked and spun around. “Princess, you haven’t the slightest idea what you’re doing.”
“I’m building a school. I thought that was the whole idea.”
“What you’ll end up doing is building a nice and fancy private school for you and all your snooty little friends to brag about how wonderful they were to bring such an establishment into the community.”
“Jay,” Lillith Colby said quietly, attempting to control his temper.
Irritation clearly etched across his face. He clenched his jaw before rushing out of the room. Without hesitation, Erika went after him. “Jay Colby, I’m beginning to think my grandfather was right about you.”
Grabbing his hat off a hook near the door, he didn’t even bother to turn around as he spat out, “I don’t care what your grandfather thinks about me.”
Not to be diverted, she pressed on. “Maybe you don’t have what it takes to see something like this through.”
This made him pause, his back still to her. Then very slowly, he turned around and she noticed how dark his expression had become. “Perhaps if your grandfather would kindly step out of the way, I would have all the means it takes to see this through.”
“My grandfather isn’t the one holding you back,” she said. “You’re doing a very good job of that all on your own.”
She noticed a muscle in his jaw twitch. “And you’re suddenly an expert?”
“No,” Erika readily admitted. “I’m simply following what you said.”
His brows slammed together. “What are you talking about? I didn’t tell you to build a school.”
“You said you needed help to shift the beach.”
He closed his eyes and raised his hand to rub his temples. “Erika, unless you have more power over your grandfather than I believe you do, there is no way building a school will make any difference. As I said, town council would only turn it into some fancy grammar school for children of the wealthy. That may be your goal, but it isn’t mine.”
“You’re right,” she said quietly. “I have absolutely no influence over my grandfather and I’m not trying to build a school for the rich. I agree with you that higher education should be for everyone.”
His eyes raised and he held her gaze steadily before saying, “So what idea have you come up with that I apparently haven’t thought of?”
She didn’t like the derogatory tone of his voice, but decided to ignore it. “My grandfather is a very influential and powerful man.”
“I’m fully aware of that.”
“In his aristocratic circle.” She pointed out. “There is approximately fifteen hundred people living directly in Placid. Another three thousand living in the surrounding district. And only thirty percent of them fall under the upper class income bracket.”
Jay simply stared at her, apparently waiting for her to continue. Erika felt a tingle of elation.
“If we can convince the remaining population to support the erection of a high school, then council will have no alternative but to pass a new bylaw.” Erika felt proud of herself as she continued, “We won’t need to request funding to support the school because we will have already raised plenty of money through charitable functions. Such as my play you are so quick to sneer.”
Sighing, he told her, “In essence, yes that may work. But as mentioned, your grandfather holds far too much influence in town. In all levels of class.”
“Then we will need to up our campaign efforts,” she said. “Out of all those numbers I gave you, well over half of them are female.”
