Chapter Two #3
After breakfast, Scarlett approached her father’s study wondering if she should talk to him about what she’d interrupted between Laylani and Beni, but she paused with her hand on the doorknob when she heard him rehearsing.
Today was particularly important. Her father was on the verge of the biggest civic moment of his career.
After about a hundred iterations of the proposal to get it into a passable state, his legislation to open the economic borders of Soleil was expected to pass by a razor-thin margin next week.
Not wanting to interrupt his final run-throughs, she listened through the door.
Lord Jules Heroux’s baritone voice was crisp, each word perfectly enunciated.
“The impact of the border legislation goes beyond the massive boost our economy will receive by allowing the import and export of goods. Presently, only those with a visa for work or school are allowed into Soleil. Only one thousand visas are issued each year. Think about that for just a moment. And now consider the impact widespread tourism will have on Soleil’s small businesses. ”
Scarlett’s heart burst with pride. Many in the country were afraid of the outside world, but her father was brave enough to push the country beyond its comfort zone.
She believed a lot of that was because of her mother, Sabina, who was from Clair de Lune, same as Brayden.
Sabina had died thirteen years ago, at the age of thirty-six.
Aside from the clear economic benefits the legislation would bring about, if Parliament dropped the damn border, Brayden could finally visit her.
She already knew a six-week stint in Clair de Lune wouldn’t be enough time with him, and thus, Scarlett had a personal vested interest in her father’s success—one she’d never vocalized publicly.
Or privately. Even Brayden didn’t know. A superstitious part of her worried speaking it aloud would make it not come true.
Her dad finished his run-through and began the speech again, so Scarlett went up to her room to get ready, leaving him to rehearse in peace.
When it was nearly time to go, she threw an opaque scarf over the mirror and changed into an off-white tweed skirt and blazer, tying a black bow at her neck.
She pinned a tiny Soleil flag to the breast of her blazer and let her hair fall loose down her back.
Laylani would approve of everything but the hair, which was why Scarlett left it loose.
She looked down at herself and liked the way her skin, tanned from surfing, contrasted with the off-white fabric. Will he like this outfit? He never sees me dressed up. She sighed. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Not even twenty-four-hours single and she’d unwittingly gone back to her old teenage habit of wondering if Brayden would like the way she was dressed.
That old misery of pining for a boy she could never have wasn’t something she wanted to revisit.
It was one of the reasons she had to convince her dad to let her go abroad.
She needed to move forward—to see him—sooner than the border legislation would allow.
Scarlett was still putting her pearl drop earrings in as she descended the final few steps to find her father in the foyer, his phone to his ear. He waved at her and gestured to the front door.
They were seated in the cabin of the speedboat, heading toward Parliament, when her father wrapped up his call. Forcing herself to relax her clenched jaw, Scarlett straightened, gathering the words to tell her father her plans.
“That was Elestine,” he said to Scarlett.
She sighed. Alastair’s mother, Elestine Spencer. Why couldn’t she have five minutes with her father without having to discuss Alastair?
Her father continued. “Alastair is devastated and refuses to leave the house. Why didn’t you tell me you were thinking of breaking things off with him?”
His exasperated tone irked her almost as much as his guilt trip. She shouldn’t be expected to check in with her father before making decisions in her own relationship. The idea was ridiculous.
“I didn’t know I was going to do it until it happened.”
“Are you all right?” asked her father after a moment, his irritation replaced by genuine concern. “You know my main priority is you, right?”
Scarlett shot him a sideways glance. “Not when you’re jumping straight in with ‘Alastair’s devastated.’”
He blinked several times and nodded. “I apologize. You’re right. I should have checked in with you before telling you about him. Now, how are you doing?” He moved across the cabin to sit next to her and pulled her into his arms.
She leaned into him, inhaling the familiar smell of his vanilla-and-leather-scented cologne, and the embrace melted away her irritation.
After a few seconds she sat up and gave him a small smile.
“I’ll be fine.” Hesitant to tell him her news so soon after their charged exchange, she asked instead, “Are you ready for your speech?”
“You know me—I’ll probably run through it once more in my office. Mind listening and telling me what you think? Someday, it’ll be you giving a Remembrance Day speech.”
Scarlett smiled, deciding not to mention she’d already heard the bulk of it through his study door. “I’d love to listen. Did you know Beni wanted to come today? He wasn’t happy to be dragged to the Buckland luncheon.”
“Yes. It’s a shame he and your stepmother aren’t coming, but Laylani insisted she had to be at that luncheon.
Thankfully, I have you to keep me company.
Once the speech is over and I can relax a little bit, I want to hear all about what you want to do now that you’re not with Alastair.
You might want a new flat closer to Parliament—that would be a livelier part of town for a single career woman.
You need some excitement away from the family home.
” He was trying hard to be upbeat for her, and she appreciated it.
Before she could reply, his phone rang.
While her dad spoke to his chief of staff, Scarlett imagined herself a year from now moving into a new flat.
Maybe by then, the border would be down and Brayden could come to see her in her new place.
Her vision of the future wasn’t incompatible with her dad’s, if only they could agree on an adjusted timeline.
He’ll say yes to the year abroad.
Wouldn’t he?