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Bre leaving and the heartbreak is caused brought a new perspective to Henry’s life. He stopped partying with Nathaniel and began to take his life seriously. He worked himself to the bone every day reading about various issues posed on the floor of Parliament and working with his team to decide what to put his considerable backing behind.
He hired a P.I. months ago to keep tabs on Bre. He tracked her home, and he tracked her back to London, but he hesitated to go to her. Looking back, Henry recognized the pain he caused her by asking her to fake an engagement to him. How he ignored the treatment, she faced in the press, at his mother’s hands, and even on his own. So, for the time being, he let her be. For now.
“Having the charity luncheon at the same time as Ascot is a genius idea. Lady Sienna is quite the philanthropist. Wait until you see the attention to detail she put into this event,” his mother prattled on reminding Henry of why he decided to go to a Royal event he did not care about. “Henry!” Priscilla yelled when he realized that her son was not paying her attention. “Are you even listening to me?”
“No,” Henry told her, returning his attention back to his phone. His relationship with his mother chilled over the weeks as he began to piece things together. Her announcing Sienna as head of Bre’s charity without his permission was the end of things.
“What has taken over you?” his mother asked, shocked by his outburst. Henry spent the last few months holed up in his suite or at work plotting how he would enact revenge on those who worked to destroy his and Bre’s happiness. With Bre back in the country, he felt it time to engage in a little tét a tét with his darling mother.
“What’s become of me is that I finally see you for what you are mother,” he told her. “A vapid, shallow control freak.” Priscilla’s face paled at her son’s words. For years, Henry allowed his mother to hold the reigns of the estate because he did not wish to be in control. Her power-play with Bre was his own fault, but he would be damned if he allowed it to happen a second time around.
“Do you remember our discussion from several months ago?” he asked her as their car began to pull into the event space. He detested these things, but he’d chosen this moment to drop his bomb for a reason. “When I told you, I would strip you of everything mother, I was not bluffing. As of tomorrow, your power in any estate holdings, charities, or properties is null and void. You wanted me to take my rightful place as Head of Household, well I have,” he said simply.
“Henry, what the bloody hell are you going on about?” she asked, shocked.
“I warned you to leave Bre alone,” he told her his voice low and deadly. “Lady Sienna informed me of the terrible meeting you subjected my fiancée to before her return to the states.” He chuckled as he thought about how wonderfully Sienna set all of them up. Henry knew she’d blow a hole through his family, he just never thought he’d care about the bloody aftermath.
Priscilla sneered as his words sank in. “This is about that ridiculous girl!” she yelled.
“The only ridiculous person here is you mother. Trying to maintain power over a world that is no longer yours,” he told her calmly this time not allowing his anger to get the best of him. “Now, I know why Astrid stays abroad. You don’t actually care for your children. We are just pawns to keep you in your power. You knew if I married Bre, you wouldn’t be able to control her, so you got rid of her.”
Priscilla laughed sardonically at Henry’s words. “If I recall, Ms. Reynolds left because of your indiscretions. Don’t place your mistakes at my doorstep Henry,” she told him, her words biting into his soul.
“Bre left because you did everything to drive a wedge between us, including putting Sienna everywhere you knew she’d hurt Bre the most. She admitted that you told her where I was going that night and that the two of you hired that paparazzi to take those ridiculous photos,” he said.
Priscilla’s face became white under her perfectly layered makeup. “Oh good,” Henry said. “Appears as though we are here.”
The door open and lights flashed as Henry stepped out. Ever the gentlemen, he offered his mother his hand. “Checkmate,” he whispered to her as the photographers captured the look of horror on her face.
* * *
“Henry!” a shrill voice called as he passed the paparazzi and made his way to the VIP luncheon section. That was the charity event, a Royal Ascot Luncheon, and probably one of the more ridiculous ideas he’d heard in his time. “Henry!” the voice called again.
“Yes?” Henry asked as he turned around to face Lady Priscilla Marlborough. ‘Where the fuck is your brother,’ he thought to himself.
“I am so pleased to see you,” Sienna said. Objectively, Henry noticed she looked charming in her demure white gown, almost bridal, which Henry assumed was done on purpose. She even covered her face with some sort of veil. “Where is your mother?” she questioned, looking around as if Henry somehow hid her behind his suit.
“Not certain,” he lied. His mother went back home after her photo-op claiming illness, but he certainly did not want to tell her that. His plans for Priscilla centered around her remaining entirely in the dark. No spin time allowed. “I’m going to have a drink,” he told her unwilling to spend more time in her presence than necessary.
Sienna grabbed his arm, halting him in his tracks. He wanted to shake her off, annoyed that she felt as if they could be so friendly after everything she did. “We must have our photo taken! Your mother and I hired one of the best photographers. Everything simply must be perfect!” she yelled, attempting to lead him over to where the photographer captured those entering the VIP luncheon. These people were dressed hoped to be exalted in the papers for their charitable contributions. He wondered if half of them knew anything about the charity. “Someone told me the Queen is slated to show up today. At first, I did not believe it, but I do know Her Majesty is a big supporter of the arts, so I am certain she wishes to throw her weight into our cause,” Sienna told him still trying to get Henry to move.
“I do not wish to be photographed today,” Henry told her. For once, he wasn’t lying. With Bre back in the U.K. The last thing he needed in his efforts to win her back was for her to see more photographs with him and Sienna, no matter how innocuous they were.
“Henry, people will want to see photo’s of the two of us together,” Sienna told him. “For the charity, “ she clarified taking in the look on his face.
“This is your event Sienna you deserve the spotlight, not I,” he said in an attempt to divert her from her goal. He needed her calm and unaware, for his plan to be most effective, but he refused to give her what she wanted.
“Oh, I certainly do not mind sharing the spotlight, especially considering how dashing you look in your morning coat,” she said as she ran a hand down the front of his lapel. Henry felt disgusted.
“Get a room!” Nathaniel yelled as he made his way over. “There are Lords and Ladies here pretending to understand the majesty of horses, and they do not need to be subjected to a lawn show,” he said before laying his arms across their shoulders. Henry thanked heaven for the assist.
The first month after Bre left proved to be the toughest, especially since he felt alienated by the betrayal of his friends and family. By the second month, his best mate Nathaniel refused to let him wallow in his grief. He tucked tail and apologized for his part in ruining their relationship, he and vowed to aide Henry in his plan to meet out destruction on all of those who hurt Bre, all the while devising a plan to win her back.
“Nathaniel, you smell like the bottom of a brewery,” Sienna said, removing herself from under his arm. “Perhaps, remember it is not yet five o’clock,” she told him before stomping off.
“This is the finest cologne from Chelsea,” he yelled after her. “My valet will be displeased with your assessment of it.”
Henry laughed at his mate’s antics. “Clever,” he said.
