“Nice try, but no.”
“Awww. But I like your business so much more than politics!”
“Trust me, I do too.” I did puff my chest out a little that she loved my business so much. It was, after all, my baby, and I’d put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into it over the years. King’s Paper meant a great deal to me.
That didn’t mean she got to have it.
A distraction was in order. “What are you doing tomorrow for dinner?”
“Why are you changing the subject?”
I spared her a speaking look as we turned the corner. “I’m honoring yourotherrequest to meet Lucien.”
“Oh! In that case, I’m free.”
“Are you really, truly free, or are you going to free your schedule and damn the consequences?”
“More the latter.” Helena rolled her eyes expressively. “You would not believe the carryings-on behind closed doors. Mother is beside herself, either crying and apologizing for ever arranging a match with the idiot in the first place, or outraged she was sold such a bill of goods. She seems half convinced that because of the public fallout, no good man will have me.”
“Because of a broken engagement?” I shook my head and joined her in the eye-rolling. “It’s like your mother doesn’t actually understand how people think.No oneliked Gillespie, we’re all relieved you got out of your engagement. Does she really think people hang upon her decisions? That people are in shock and disbelief over this?”
“In a nutshell?” Helena’s nose scrunched up in a sour face. “Rather delusional, I know, but Victor came by his delusional side quite honestly. At any rate, I’m very happy to meet Lucien Glass earlier rather than later. I think, at the very least, datinga man will set Mother’s nerves at ease and I won’t be stuck constantly reassuring her.”
“Then I’ll send word that tomorrow is fine. I’ll collect you for dinner at six o’clock sharp.”
“I look forward to it.” A beat. “Now, about me taking over your company…”
I laughed outright because I knew she was teasing.
Still, it had best be teasing. I’d start an all-out war if anyone tried to get me on the throne again.
Forty-six
Edwin
I sat at dinner with James, Helena, and the much spoken about but first time seen Earl Lucien Glass. This was the first friend of James’s I had met in person, and I wasn’t at all surprised that he was every bit as handsome and charming. More slender in build, clearly a fencer or archer, hair a strawberry blond he kept neatly tied at the nape, with a chiseled jawline.
Helena, I could tell, liked the look of him very much.
Tonight was ostensibly to introduce the two and have a bit of a double date in the process. I wasn’t at all nervous, but I could see James was. After multiple things going wrong—or differently—than he’d expected, he wanted this one to go well.
Personally, I didn’t think he had to worry about it. In my opinion, they were already getting along fabulously.
“I’m relieved to finally meet you both,” Earl Lucien informed us. “James kept sending me gushing letters, and it’s nice to finally put faces to names. All said, do drop formality, wouldyou? Especially you, Edwin. You’re dating my best friend. There’s no need for titles.”
And now I understood why James and Lucien were such good friends. They thought alike. “I’ll do so.”
Helena pointed a finger at me. “You. You obey him and not your princess?”
She was on that again, was she? I sighed. “In an informal setting, I’ll drop your title. Happy?”
“Incredibly so.” Beaming, she went back to her steak. “Lucien, please do the same.”
“Happily. And indulge a nosy question, if you would. Did you really start interning at James’s company?” Lucien’s tone didn’t sound incredulous like most people’s responses. Instead, he sounded intrigued.
Helena cut into her steak, grinning. “I did. I love it. I’d happily work there the rest of my days. I understand you handle the day-to-day in your business as well.”
“It’s the only sensible thing to do. I know most in our circle would prefer to hire managers for that sort of thing, but I’ve also seen those people robbed blind from time to time. A good business owner keeps his finger on the pulse.”
