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“I see your new job is to materialize out of thin air and ruin my moments,” Kenneth responded, without turning to look back at his valet.
“That is what I am here for, My Lord. If I don’t do it, who will?” Leonard teased.
“Come now,” he said as the carriage went through the gateway and turned out of sight. “We have a reading to prepare for.”
Two hours later, he was walking through the doors of parliament with a copy of his bill tucked underneath his arm.
Lord Calbrook was walking beside him, engaged in another conversation with a fellow Lord.
His ears picked up a part of the conversation and realized that his friend was still trying to canvass support for his bill even this close to the reading. He definitely was in Lord Calbrook’s debt.
They walked into the chambers and it took a whole half hour for them to go through all the motions of saluting their fellow Lords and trying to settle down.
With his eyes, he tried to locate the position of everyone who he felt would be influential to the outcome of this reading.
Lord Calbrook was obviously going to be sitting beside him, meaning his friend would be in his direct line of sight when he took to the podium.
Lord Rockgonie was sitting somewhere to his right. It would be nice to feel support coming from that angle when the time came.
The Earl of Somerholm was sitting straight ahead, in front of him. It meant that he would have his back to Lord Somerholm and not have the opportunity to gauge his opponent’s reaction once the reading began. He didn’t think he had much to worry about, though, as he remembered he had stayed entirely quiet during the last episode.
Of course, that was before he knew his daughter fancied me.
He remembered what Rose had told him about the fight she’d had with her parent’s at the breakfast table.
Will he still be in support of me?
Sitting this far away from Rose’s father, he could not exactly decipher the look he was seeing on the man’s face. The only thing that was certain was that the Earl was looking straight back at him.
Giving up, he turned and continued trying to ascertain the position of everyone else in the room.
For some odd reason, he wasn’t as nervous as the last time around. A certain level calm was emanating from his insides.
Still engrossed in his preparations, he simply noticed that the hall had quieted down. Lord Calbrook was on his feet and making an introduction for the second reading of Kenneth’s bill.
By the time Lord Calbrook was done with his anecdotes, Kenneth simply stood and walked to the podium. It took a brief moment for him to settle his notes in front of him and begin his speech.
He didn’t drop the ball this time. So powerful was his command of the moment that none could interfere, which was their usual manner. Even when disruptions were attempted, he talked on, serenading his audience with his voice and the content of his discourse.
A few nods of approval from his allies and he knew he had succeeded in commanding the attention of the House.
By the time he was done, there was nothing else that he could say which he hadn’t said already.
“The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” He heard a Lord and one of his allies whisper to another, in reference to his and his father’s oratory skills.
He smiled and awaited the debate that was sure to follow. No matter how powerful a speech, one Lord or another was bound to still rise to debate what had been said.
It was the curse of the House.
Soon enough, a Lord began to rise, to oppose the bill outright.
“My Lords, I do not think…” he’d managed to say, before he was cut off by none other than the Earl of Somerholm.
“Before any of us start thinking, it is only expedient to note that we all need more time to go over the contents of this bill, don’t you agree?” Lord Somerholm had said from behind him, causing him to turn.
Did Lord Somerholm just throw in his support for my bill?
He turned to look at Lord Calbrook and Lord Rockgonie one after the other. Both had the same look of confusion on their faces like he had.
