Chapter 44
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
“Flight 311 will be boarding for Chicago at 11:31. Flight 311, boarding shortly.”
Winnie stifled a yawn as the announcement sounded out across the airport’s intercom again. She’d woken up at the crack of dawn, escaping Foxwood without running into a soul and zipping her way to Manchester Airport where she’d said her final farewell to the Aston Martin.
Of course, that was the easiest of her goodbyes. Mr. Wintour had been understanding, if not disappointed, and had suggested she return if she ever had the interest to. Mrs. Wintour had expressed her sorrow at not seeing her any longer. And Char had been straight-up confrontational—in the most loving way she could.
“I just don’t get it,” Char had said the night before, coming down to Winnie’s room after Winnie had sent her a text, alerting her of her departure. “You’re happy here. You’re happy with Matty. Why would you give it all up?”
Winnie had tried to explain, but how could she in a way that made sense to Char when Winnie’s own actions didn’t even make sense to herself ?
She shifted on the flat airport seat, trying to get comfortable once again as another announcement for yet another flight echoed across the busy terminal.
She’d been staring at her phone for the last two hours, trying to distract herself by reading over the proposal sent by Kris & Sons, but nothing was sticking. All these fancy words about software creation and app manipulation held nothing to medieval knights charging at each other with horses and lances.
And all of that held nothing to being with Matthew.
Tears once again threatened to prick the center of her eyes, but she promptly blinked them away. She’d never cried so much in her life, nor had she ever felt so terrible. At least, not since losing Goldilocks and riding altogether.
But this sort of ache was different. It ran deeper because it held with it the knowledge of all that could have been— should have been—with the man she loved.
Saying goodbye to Matthew, seeing the hurt and betrayal in his eyes, had shriveled her heart nearly past the point of feeling altogether. So that’s how she remained now. Shriveled. Dry. Almost dead to the world with no more love to give.
So long as she had a brain to give Kris & Sons, though, Dad would be happy.
As if on call, her phone buzzed in her hand, and Dad’s name lit up her screen as a FaceTime call, replacing the document from Kris & Sons she’d once again been too distracted to read.
She knew why he was calling—to make sure she was at the airport. Why couldn’t he ever just trust her?
She shook her head and drew a deep breath, putting in her earbuds and pulling on her steely exterior before answering the call.
“Hey,” she said.
She didn’t bother smiling. Why pretend to be happy when she wasn’t? That wouldn’t get her a job, nor would it get her credit from Dad .
“Hey, Winnie,” he said, clearly not looking at her as his eyes darted around his own screen. “Just a second. I’m bringing in a few more of the kids for a quick call.”
Winnie nodded. It wasn’t unheard of for Dad to schedule a random chat no matter the time of day for everyone else, and those who were available would pick up. He usually called when he had something to boast about that just couldn’t wait to be shared.
What was today’s good news? Finding another bigwig client? Succeeding in convincing his daughter to leave everything she loved behind just to succor his own pride?
In a matter of minutes, all but one of Winnie’s siblings appeared across her screen. Spencer’s service wasn’t great in Nicaragua, but Sarah picked up at three in the morning in California—just finishing up the last details on a project—and Scott answered during a late-night shift at the hospital in Oregon.
“That’s the Knox family for you,” Dad praised. “Always working hard but willing to drop everything for family.”
Winnie grimaced.
Most of them were bleary eyed, except for Samantha in Germany, who’d just sat down for a lunch break.
“Greetings from Florida,” Dad said when they were all there. “Fortunately, I’m here and not in Utah, or I’d be as exhausted as Sarah and Scott.”
Smiles stretched across her siblings’ lips, but Winnie still couldn’t even fake one. If only Dad had been in Utah, then she wouldn’t have to be dealing with a call right now.
“Anyway,” he continued, his own smile brightening her screen in a mocking gesture, “I just called you all to share some exciting news that couldn’t wait for our usual chat.” He paused, no doubt for dramatic effect. “As you all know, Winnie has been struggling in England for a few weeks now.”
Samantha and Scott nodded their heads, and Winnie’s frown punctuated her brow even more. Struggling? She hadn’t been struggling. What lies had he been saying about her behind her back?
“That’s all coming to an end, though,” Dad continued. “She’s agreed to take on a position as a consultant at Kris & Sons.”
Words of congratulations and smiles sifted through her family.
“That’s amazing, Winnie!”
“Well done!”
“That’s one of the most prestigious companies in Chicago, isn’t it?” Sarah asked. Her smile wasn’t as bright as the others, though that could very well be due to the fact that she was half-asleep.
“It certainly is,” Dad said with pride—no doubt more for himself than for Winnie. “That brings me to my next announcement. Kris & Sons are also considering Knox Family Law Firm to be their permanent lawyers for all their future needs.”
More congratulations sounded for Dad, but Winnie looked up from her phone, staring out at the airplanes taxiing down the runways, rain speckling the windows of the airport in uniform patterns.
She’d miss the rain. Then again, she’d miss everything about England.
“So how did you get the job, Winnie?” Samantha asked. “Was the interviewing process super crazy?”
Winnie looked back to her phone, her spirits so low she could hardly breathe. “I wouldn’t know. Dad got it for me.”
Silence met her on the other end, and Winnie paused. What had she just said? She wasn’t entirely sure. She was so tired, so miserable. So… done .
Her brow pursed, but not in a disappointing frown, as per usual. Instead, something strange bubbled inside of her, something she didn’t recognize at all, but something she wanted to keep around.
“Now, that’s not entirely true,” Dad said with a strained laugh. “You convinced them with your merit and track record, Winnie.”
Winnie sniffed, nodding her head with an ironic smile. “Ah, yes. My stellar track record.”
More silence. What on earth was going on with her? Why was she being so snarky? So vocal? And why was she enjoying it? Even Dad seemed stunned by her actions.
“So does that mean you finished with the festival, then?” Sarah asked.
She’d been the only one to have ever texted Winnie about the job at Foxwood. Of course she would be the only one to ask her about it now.
“Apparently,” Winnie said. “Dad said I was done, so here we are.”
There was that feeling again. That foreign feeling of…freedom? Lack of care? Whatever it was, it rose as she sensed her family’s discomfort—discomfort that was only there due to her honesty. They were no doubt wondering what was going on with their baby sister.
“How did the Wintours take it?” Sarah asked next.
Winnie’s joy dampened at the memory of the Wintours and their kindness to her, but instead of stamping out the feeling of freedom altogether, she kept hold of it, longing to feel that satisfaction again.
“They couldn’t understand why I was leaving,” she stated simply. “And I couldn’t explain it to them either. Not in a way that made sense, anyway.”
Dad gave another tense chuckle. “I’m sure they can all understand that business is business. You simply received a better offer and accepted it.”
Oh, the Wintours knew business. But they knew heart more.
Winnie’s own heart thudded against her chest. The freedom she clutched tightly in her hand grew, feeling stronger, more malleable. Could she maintain this feeling? Take it and run with it for longer ?
“You know what, Dad?” she began, testing the waters further. “I’m not sure that I did receive a better offer.”
Dad stared at her through the phone, her siblings deathly silent, each of them in shock. But their reactions, oddly enough, only proved to lend her more courage.
“In truth,” she continued, “I loved working on the festival with the Wintours. I know you don’t want to hear that because it’s embarrassing for a Knox to admit enjoying a simple job and a simple life, but I don’t care anymore. I loved it there.”
Speaking the words aloud unleashed a current within her more powerful than she’d ever felt before. The freedom at her fingers was now so commanding, she could no longer maintain hold of it, and it spilled from her hands in droves like sunshine that couldn’t be contained.
She was done. She was done being silent, of following exactly what Dad told her to, simply because he wanted to grow his own business for his own prestige. If she was being forced to do something she didn’t want to do, she was going to let them know about it.
“I felt more joy there than I have in all of my other jobs, all of my other prospects combined,” she said. “But now, I’m being?—”
Dad sighed, cutting her off. “That’s great, Winnie. I’m glad it was so good. But I’ve got some things to see to before my workday starts, so we’re going to have to call it a day here.”
Winnie scoffed, shaking her head in disbelief. Of course he’d end her words prematurely. He didn’t want to hear how she really felt. He just wanted her to blindly agree with everything he said. Just like she always had.
But what if she didn’t want to be that person anymore? What if she wanted to be…just Winnie?
She’d learned enough from interacting with her dad that chasing after money and acclaim led to nothing but stress and unwanted pressure. But from the Wintours, from Matthew, she’d learned that passion and heart, that sacrifice for those in real need, led to true happiness.
What she was doing for Dad wasn’t that. What she was doing for him wasn’t what she wanted to do, it was what Dad wanted her to do. And yet, following him had been…her choice.
All at once, something clicked within Winnie’s mind, a light switching on and brightening the darkness she’d been trapped inside for years.
It was her choice. Just like Matthew had told her. How had it taken her so long to figure that out?
“Wait,” she said, as if her voice was coming from a different person. Then again, it was. Because she was different. “You can wait a few more minutes for me to finish.”
Dad stared at her in silence, as did the rest of her siblings on her small screen. Instead of those stares intimidating her like usual, strength poured into Winnie’s heart.
“All right,” Dad said after a moment, clearly struggling to give her permission. “Go on, then.”
Winnie drew a deep breath. She wouldn’t be rude, nor would she blame her dad for her struggles. Not anymore. That blame had held her back, had prevented her happiness, for too long. But now, Winnie was an adult. She was changed.
She was ready to be free.
“I rode a horse again,” she stated simply.
Sarah smiled. Dad’s jaw twitched. Everyone else merely watched in surprise.
“That was something I hadn’t done in more than a decade,” she continued.
“Because you chose to do something more sensible,” Dad said.
“No,” she corrected. “Because I was persuaded to do something you thought would bring the Knox family name more prestige than your daughter accidentally falling off a horse.”
His lips thinned.
“I’m not going to blame you any longer, though, Dad,” she said. “I know you were doing what you thought was best for the family. But I need you to know, that’s not going to happen again. From now on, I’m going to make my own decisions. And the first one I’m going to make right now is to stay in England. I’m going to keep working for Foxwood and not accept the offer by Kris & Sons.”
Sarah’s smile grew, though she tried to hide it behind her hands. Everyone else’s mouths dropped open except for Dad’s. He simply shook his head.
She rushed on before he could stop her. “I know I’ve been a huge disappointment to you over the years. I’ve done my best, but my heart hasn’t been in anything I’ve tried over the last decade. And truth be told, I’m tired. I’m tired of trying to live up to the expectations of this family. I’ll never be as adventurous as Spencer, as intelligent as Scott, as creative as Samantha, or as driven as Sarah. And I sure as heck will never be as persuasive as you, Dad.”
She looked out to the window again, staring at the droplets of rain still speckling the glass—just how they’d looked that day she’d spun out on the road to Foxwood. On the day she’d met Matthew.
“But,” she said with a smile, “I’m okay with that. I’m okay with not having a fancy job. I’m okay with being just Winnie. Average Winnie. The Winnie who wants to lead a simple life filled with horses…and spent with the man I love here.”
The shock on each of their faces would have made her laugh, had her heart not pricked at the thought of Matthew again. She needed to see him, to speak with him.
“Is that what this is about?” Dad asked. “You’ve fallen for someone there, so you’re going to give up everything?”
She looked at him, focusing hard to get her point across. “No. That’s not why I’m refusing the job. I promised to stay with the Wintours and help at Foxwood, so that’s why I’m going to do just that.”
“You promised Kris & Sons you’d help them ,” Dad countered.
But Winnie shook her head. “I told you that I would, Dad. But I didn’t promise them. ”
Dad shook his head, rubbing his fingers across his brow. “I can’t believe this.”
Her heart reached out to him. She had dropped a veritable bomb, destroying any hopes of the future he had with the prestigious company. But she couldn’t do this any longer.
“You’ll find new opportunities, Dad,” she said. “You always do. But I might not have this opportunity to find joy again. I only hope you can be happy for me, even if my idea of happiness looks different than yours.”
“I just can’t believe we’re going through this again with you,” Dad said, anger in his eyes. “When are you ever going to learn to be sensible, Winnie Knox?”
A smile spread across her lips. “You know, I never could live up to our name, Dad.” She stood from her seat and held her phone out in front of her. “Anyway, you’ll have to excuse me. I’ve got a jousting tournament to get back to.”
“Winnie—”
She shut off the video, ending her dad’s words as a rush of adrenaline shot through her limbs. She reached for her suitcase and bag and charged through the airport, but she didn’t make it far before her phone buzzed in her hand. At first, she ignored it, figuring Dad was trying to contact her, but after a moment, she glanced down to see Sarah had texted her instead.
Sarah
Oh my gosh, girl. That was the most amazing thing ever. I’ve NEVER seen Dad’s face like that. Or anyone’s! I’m so dang proud of you, and I’m so happy you’ve found so much joy in England. Maybe I’ll quit and move there, too. Find a hot English beau for myself. Lol.
Sarah
Seriously, though, I don’t think any one of us could have stood up to him like that. Go get that knight! Then tell me when the wedding is. *wink emoji* *wink emoji* Love youuuuuuu u
Winnie fairly beamed. She slipped her phone away, making a mental note to respond soon as she fled through the terminal.
She no longer had a plane to catch, but she had a car to rent, a festival to attend, and a knight to declare her love for.
Now the question was, would Matthew return that love, or had she missed out on her chance at happiness after all?