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Oh this was too perfect.
“Well shit,” I replied, relaxing back into my chair. “This day just turned out to be perfect after all.”
Bennett didn’t look too pleased but that wasn’t anything new. He was never happy with deception. Whereas I relished in it.
Jolie
The alcohol from the night before at the club was still very present in my system as I made my way through the dining hall and out onto the terrace. I had no idea why my parents insisted on family breakfast when I hadn’t even seen them since I returned yesterday but here I was, the dutiful daughter. My father Edward sat at the end of the table, reading a paper ignoring his wife as always. My mother Diane was trying desperately to put fruit on her plate and try not to add those pounds she so desperately always wanted to lose.
“You summoned me,” I announced as I got to my chair. At least I would have a view of the gardens from here. I always loved our gardens when I was a child. Both of my parents looked over at me and immediately my mother stood and fawned over me, her child who had been gone for so long. My father rolled his eyes but when Diane had finally sat down he smiled over at me.
“It’s good to have you home,” he said in his usual gruff, not wanting to be a sap way. “I would have come to greet you had I known your mother wouldn’t have remembered.”
“It’s fine,” I lied. “You’re busy people living busy lives. Rose was kind enough to show me back to my room.”
“What a godsend she is,” Diane said. “She’s been so helpful with my tasks and helping to plan benefits for the needy for the past couple of years. Hopefully, that’s a role you’ll enjoy taking over from her.”
I knew what she was doing. She was trying to garner my love and affection with a job straight away. No way in hell would I accept it. I could barely stand being this close to her now, there’s no way I could work with the woman long term. Nothing about being back here was going to be long term, I had a plan and I had every intention of succeeding.
“I’d hate to take that away from Rose. It sounds like she loves it.”
Diane’s face fell for a brief moment and I saw the real woman come out to play. If my father hadn’t been here, she wouldn’t be putting up such a pretense.
“Where were you last night?” Diane asked me. “I came to visit you but you were not in your room.”
“I was out exploring the city.”
“Alone?” my father queried, worried.
“No, I was with Rose.”
He was content with the answer and went back to his paper. My mother, on the other hand, seemed to realize where Rose hung out but she didn’t say a word. Perhaps she knew I wasn’t the same girl she had sent away. Maybe she even knew how much I despised her now.
If that were the case, I needed to be careful. Diane may be silly and dramatic but she knew people, and she knew how to keep me locked away.
“We’re having a ball tonight, dear,” she said. “Lord Paul Francois will be in attendance.”
“Who is that?” I asked her, grabbing a piece of bacon with my fingers, ignoring the dainty tongs on the plate, and eating it with my fingers. She looked disturbed by it which only made me want to do it even more.
“You don’t remember?” she asked. “He’s the cousin of one of the prince’s in England. He’s come to do business with your father.”
“Oh,” I said. “Why would I remember that?”
“He used to stay here,” Edward butted in. “When you were younger. He was always very nice and well spoken.”
“There were a lot of people who came over then,” I said. “I don’t remember them all.”
Edward smirked at my response but simply raised the paper up again to hide his delight. My mother on the other hand was trying to contain her anger.
“Well, you’ll meet him again tonight. He’s very wealthy, and lovely. He’s asked about you.”
“What about me?”
“He wants to join our families together.”
The penny dropped and I wanted to throw my last piece of bacon in her face. She was trying to marry me off to a stranger the day after I returned home.
“Diane,” my father said sternly, putting his paper down next to him. “She’s barely eighteen.”
