“Me?”she squeaked, feeling the entire weight of his scrutiny once again.
“Yes, we haven’t talked much this season.But my wife has nothing but good things to say about your shop.And I’ve heard you’ve pulled my son into your business schemes as well.”
Schemes.Her mind snagged on the word.She did her best to keep a pleasant smile on her face and pray that the line would move faster.“Well, I’m glad you could join me.I’ve been wanting to get to know you better as well.I’ve really enjoyed working with Hawk.”
“I’m sure you have.”
Her throat tightened.She wasn’t imagining it anymore.He was trying to say something.“Excuse me?”
“Ms.Bodice, can I be frank?”
“I—”
“It has not escaped my notice that you’ve become close with my son.Which I find very convenient for you, considering he’s spent this whole season keeping your business afloat.”
Convenient?
“Wait a second.”She looked around, aware that they were surrounded by people.But everyone was too caught up in their own merry making to take notice.And her table was all the way across the hall.She was alone against this bulldozer of a man.
The king barreled on.“In a few short weeks, you became the lead in one of our shows.You were given free promotion through your flyers and that flower chair.And your shopsomehowmanaged to survive, even though half the season you made little to no profit.I can’t help but think that your success is due to the close relationship you have with my son.”
The accusation felt like a slap.
He thought she was using Hawk.That her success was only because of him.That she’d only succeeded because of him.
And then, something else he said cut through the haze.Her stomach turned.“What did you say?”
He looked at her like she was stupid.“Do you really not get it?I said—”
“Not that,” she cut in.“About my shop not making money.How do you know that?”
“This ismyfaire, girl.”There was an ugly hiss in his words, a vicious jealousy of a man making his claim.He didn’t mention his wife or everyone who made the faire possible.
More importantly, though, it wasn’t an answer.Not completely.And that only confirmed her suspicion.“Hawk told you I wasn’t doing well?”
Marcus snorted.“Of course he did.He’s the manager.I have a right to know how the businesses that I host are doing.”
She was going to throw up.Right here, in the middle of the castle, probably on Marcus Carlisle’s fancy faire shoes.It took every ounce of strength in her to swallow the feeling.
It shouldn’t feel like a betrayal, but it did.She knew it was Hawk’s job to keep his parents in the loop about the business.But she never thought he would tell his father something so personal about her business.Even worse, she’d thought he believed in her.She’d thought they were making thingsbetter.
“Which is why we will not be inviting you back again next year.”
“What?”Her attention snapped back to him, but a sharp stinging sensation was already piercing her eyes.“I’m not… invited back?”
“Not your business, no.”He had the gall to look down his nose at her.As if this news were some kind of mercy.“It’s not a good fit.”
She stared at him, words trapped somewhere behind her teeth.
Marcus kept talking.“This faire has the right to pick businesses that we think our guests will enjoy.And I think the numbers reflect that a bookstore at the faire is too strange for some people.”A heavy hand fell on her shoulder.“It’s for the best.You can focus on your actual bookstore.Instead of wasting money reserving a cottage next year.”
“I thought I was doing good…” The words slipped out, thin and small.
“The numbers don’t lie.”
There was a smugness in the way he delivered the line.And a finality.As if that one sentence explained everything and excused it all.
The noise of the party blurred around her.The laughter, the music, the jokes.None of it felt real.How could everyone be smiling and having so much fun while she was having one of the worst conversations of her life?
