If I'd known something as beautiful as this was here, I'd have come by before.
Don't get distracted, Ash.
I locate the reception desk and walk over. There's a girl on the phone. She looks up and raises her finger to tell me to wait.
When she ends her call, she looks up at me and smiles.
"Welcome to Blackwood Publishing, how can I help?"
"Hi. Um, I want to submit my manuscript for the competition, but the closing date has just changed, and I didn't have a chance to put my book in the post. Is it possible to deliver it by hand?" I say, giving her my best puppy eyes.
"Of course. Give it to me and I'll make sure it goes up with the rest before the end of the day."
She tilts her head at the big pile of envelopes behind her.
I give her my envelope and thank her, but I feel as deflated as a week-old balloon. I knew there would be a lot of competition but seeing it there in front of me makes it real.
All those pages, filled with other authors' hopes and dreams, and only one can win the publishing contract and the grant.
Nicki spends the rest of the afternoon trying to pull me out of my funk, but it doesn't work. I think I need a hot shower when I get home, and a cozy evening with one of my dad's books, especially since this is one of those rare evenings I have off.
I go straight to the cottage as soon as I unload The Duchess. The hot shower and chicken sandwich I make for dinner go a long way toward lifting my mood, but seeing that beautiful bookstore made me want to go through my parents' library and pick a book to read.
Victoria is nowhere in sight when I walk through the kitchen into the farmhouse. I hear voices upstairs, so she must be with the girls.
I head over to the library. The door is shut, which is unusual. I put my hand on the handle and pull it down, feeling its stiffness from under use.
When I open the door, my whole world collapses in on me, and I feel like I've just been told my mother and father died, all over again.
The desk is gone, the shelves along the wall are empty. There isn't a single book left.
"Nooooooo!"
I collapse on my knees, struggling to draw a breath. Everything is blurry because I can’t see through my tears. I hear footsteps coming down the stairs, so I stand up and quickly clean my eyes in case it's the girls.
"We are good until at least February. I've bought the girls' Christmas presents, paid Anastasia's piano lessons for the next six months, and filled the pantry. I think I'm going to move the piano into this room and make it into a music room. That will free up space in the living room so we can start receiving guests again. This house has been too quiet for too long."
The longer Victoria talks, the more anger builds up inside me. I've never hated someone so much in my entire life.
"You have lived in this house for five minutes. Nothing in here belongs to you. How dare you sell my family’s possessions?" My voice is measured, but I can tell Victoria can hear the anger behind my words.
"My girls are also your family, and as such, they have the right to live a comfortable life," she says, lifting her head in defiance.
"I've been providing for the girls since the day my father died because we all know you won't get a job to put food on the table. And just like I've been doing for seven years, I will continue to do it.”
“You’re not him,” she says, raising her voice. “You don’t know what it was like for me.”
Her face is red, and it looks like she’s close to tears, but all I can see is the evil woman who did the unthinkable.
“You didn't have to do this. I begged you not to."
"Well, it is done now, so we must get over it."
I push her out of the way, storming out of the house and into the cottage where I close myself off in my room and grieve for my loss until I have no more tears.
12
XANDER
