AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The door closed, and Shiloh disappeared.
“He’s leaving?” Lila pouted as her father set her down once more.
“Yes. He’s throwing a party this evening, a party postponed. If I’m not mistaken, the theme is ‘I was right and my big sister is innocent.’ Several of his friends are scheduled to eat their hats. He’s had it on the books all month. He told me you’re invited, of course.”
“Well, how’s that for brotherly constancy?”
Her father clasped her hand and tugged her toward the parlor. “I should warn you. I have a guest.”
Lila’s pace slowed. She knew exactly who lurked inside.
Every part of her father’s parlor had been painted, draped, and upholstered in burgundy and gold, with rose embellishments on every table and chair leg. A painting of the ancient oracle Mildthylyth covered nearly an entire wall in the back. The fur-clad battle queen stabbed a Roman general through the heart while her people did the same to his men in the background, driving the Romans from the old country once and for all. Underneath the picture, a golden couch, several burgundy chairs, and a few small tables filled the room. Delicate porcelain vases and golden roses dotted every surface.
Beatrice Randolph sat in the center of the couch. She wore a red sheath dress and a loose, regal silvercoat that flowed about her thin frame. The fabric matched her hair, the ends curling under her chin. She crossed her legs. Her crimson boot twitched as her daughter entered the room.
Lila could not read her mother’s expression. Perhaps anger. Perhaps disgust. Perhaps she was just put out, like a small child whose toy had broken five minutes after being unwrapped.
“If I were a workborn, I would slap you.”
Anger, then.
“You heard?” Lila’s eyes flitted to her father.
“She heard the chief’s words before he ejected everyone from court. Your mother is cross that I did not allow her to listen in on private Bullstow business.”
“It can’t be that private if Elizabeth was part of it. Apparently my daughter has served Bullstow for the last few months, rather than her own family.”
“I consulted on Saxony’s behalf,” Lila said. “And don’t call me Elizabeth.”
“Don’t you dare take an attitude with me today. Your name is Elizabeth, a name I gave you. It’s in the BIRD, not that silly nickname your father came up with.”
Her father held up his hands. “Bea—”
“Don’t you start, either.”
The prime minister chewed on his lip. “As you wish. Let’s hear from Lila. What of your sentence?”
“They dropped all charges against me.”
“And Chief Shaw?”
“Dismissed from the militia for poor judgment. According to the disciplinary committee, he should have taken steps years ago to ensure someone like me wasn’t needed to…” Her eyes flitted toward her mother. “To cover the technical deficiencies within his own militia.”
“Quite right,” her mother muttered.
“So no sentence?”
Lila shook her head. “He will remain at Bullstow and be retrained.”
“At the very least, that man should be exiled,” her mother snapped. “Letting you play in Bullstow like it’s your own private candy store. Who else has he let—”
“No one.”
“No one that you know of, Elizabeth. Your decision to assist Bullstow has cast a long shadow over the family. You, more than anyone else, should know the importance of reputation and the consequences of losing it. The Randolphs are known for being moral, upright, and free from much of the scandal that plagues the other families. Only one Randolph was caught up in this mess with Bullstow, and that one person was you. Even though the charges have been dropped, you’ve still damaged our reputation. Our profits will be down. Litigation against us will go up.”
Her mother straightened her silvercoat. “Nevertheless, you may return home, now that this foolishness is over. I set up a meeting with our PR department this afternoon to strategize how we’ll handle the press. Likely, they’ll suggest that you stay out of the public eye until this blows over. Then you will assume the prime role after an appropriate time has passed, just as we agreed last month.”
Lila opened and closed her mouth, not sure where to start. “Have you forgotten that you returned my mark? You aren’t my matron any longer. You can’t issue broad proclamations and expect me to follow them. I’ll decide when I return to the compound.”
