The Solicitation

by Bella Bryce

  "They had just joined their father and grandfather's business not long before I interviewed you girls. Their various obligations and events became priority for a little while. Bennett contacted me a few days ago saying he wanted to see me now that they have settled into their roles on the board, and I have several other friends whom I would like to invite along as well," Brayden said.

  “Father, I don’t think I’m ready,” Alice said, feeling insecure.

  “Of course you’re ready. Regardless, you’re my daughter and must be presented as such. It’s very important that you are exposed to these people,” Brayden said, feeling quite passionate about making Alice understand the subject of social obligation.

  Alice slouched in her chair and played with one of the curls that fell across her shoulder. She groaned quietly and wrinkled her nose.

  “I don’t want to socialise,” she said, gently. Alice hadn’t meant anything offensive by it and Brayden could tell she was insecure, not being rude.

  “Darling, you have nothing to worry about. Do you think I would allow anything bad to happen to you?” He asked, looking across the table at her.

  “No, Sir,” she said, dropping her curl in defeat.

  Brayden could tell Alice felt rather unsure about the idea and tapped his fingers on his coffee cup. “Alright, it will only be Bennett and Damian for now. Never mind a party, there is time enough for that. Alright?” he asked, raising his eyebrows at her.

  “Yes, Sir,” she said.

  Brayden reminded himself that compromising to respect the insecurities of Alice was not the same as giving in to her. He refused to give into demands no matter who it was! But he felt it wasn’t fair to expect certain behaviours of Alice when she had no background or proper understanding of such things. Brayden had yet to experience Alice in a social situation, so he couldn’t say for sure whether her fears were correct or grandiose. He would find out soon enough.

  Due to the change of plans, Brayden didn’t need to have much of anything prepared. A formal three or four course dinner was as normal at Waldorf as it was hosting a gala ball at Waldorf; the only difference was Brayden didn’t need to outsource planning, decorations and music for dinner. Wellesley and the staff would execute hosting Bennett and Damian Fowler with the ease it took to accommodate Brayden and Alice.

  Brayden phoned Bennett and Damian straight after breakfast when Alice was doing her one-hour of reading during the assigned time each day he mandated. The butler, Willis, answered and Brayden requested to speak with Mr. Bennett Fowler.

  “And may I tell the gentlemen who is phoning, Sir?”

  “Yes, Willis, it’s Brayden James,” he said, adjusting his posture.

  “Mr. James, I shall return momentarily,” Willis said, before placing Brayden on hold.

  Brayden thought the Fowlers’ butler, Willis, was the best person if any was to be butler for that family. Mr. and Mrs. Fowler had always travelled and were quite high maintenance. It took a strong team of staff to keep them happy.

  “Brayden, there you are old chap. I’d begun to wonder if you’d gone on holiday,” Bennett, the elder of the two brothers said, when he answered the phone.

  “I’m afraid I haven’t time for a holiday at the moment,” Brayden said, chuckling.

  “Haven’t time? Are you on a board now, then?” Bennett asked.

  “No, not really. Listen, I wanted to invite you and Damian over for dinner this Friday evening. Does your diary allow?” Brayden asked.

  “Yes, this Friday evening is fine. We are finishing the audit tomorrow so we will be back to our weekly dinners. I dare say father won’t know what to do with himself. He only knows how to handle Bank Holidays, but of course those are expected,” Bennett said, and they both laughed. Jonathan Fowler was by nature, a workaholic. He didn’t know how to treat unexpected time off or holidays that he hadn’t accounted for months prior. The illustration was amusing.

  “We need a catch up. How long has it been? Three months?” Bennett asked.

  “It has indeed,” Brayden said, nodding. He knew because once Bennett and Damian had to devote all of their evenings (under the direct influence of Mr. Fowler) to migrating into the business, Brayden had begun to feel desperate about finding someone to finally fill the void in Waldorf Manor he always longed for. It was the very night he would have had their usual dinner with his two school friends that he drafted his solicitation.

  “I must tell you now, Bennett, there will be a fourth person with us,” Brayden started.

  “You’ve met someone,” Bennett suggested, confidently.

  “I’ve adopted someone,” Brayden corrected him.

  “Adopted? Someone?” Bennett asked.

  “Yes, her name is Alice, and she is my daughter.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Alice was in no rush to meet her father downstairs in the foyer as she knew she was supposed to. It had everything to do with Bennett and Damian, Brayden’s two closest friends from school joining them for dinner, and nothing to do with the navy blue and white sailor dress she had to wear. It had been the first dress to be finished in her new wardrobe and Brayden’s favourite. She wasn’t surprised Celia had been told to put her in it, along with white knee socks with small satin bows at the top, and her black patent t-strap shoes. Celia had curled her hair into ringlets and secured a navy blue bow on the side.

  “Five minutes, Alice. You’d best not be late. You know that he will deal with lateness publicly if necessary,” Celia said, in a carefree tone.

  Alice disliked Celia’s tone and frowned at her.

  “Mind your own business,” Alice shot back.

  “Alice James!” Brayden’s voice called from the doorway where he appeared.

  Alice spun around to find her father walking toward her.

  “You do not speak to your elders that way,” Brayden scolded.

  “But she’s not my elder, father. She’s a housekeeper,” Alice said.

  Brayden’s eyes widened and he glanced at Celia, who hid any kind of offense she may have been feeling.

  “Apologise at once, young lady,” Brayden said, as he stood over Alice.

  “Sorry,” Alice muttered.

  “Thank you, Celia,” Brayden said, glancing at her. Celia took her leave and Brayden pulled out the upholstered stool from Alice’s dressing table immediately, then sat down and pulled Alice to him.

  “Father!” she whined.

  “I beg your pardon,” Brayden said, turning Alice to look at him.

  “It’s true, though, isn’t it? Celia isn’t properly my elder. She can’t tell me what to do,” Alice said.

  “Alice Kathryn, you will take those words back immediately. Just who do you think you are my girl, declaring who has rightful authority over you? Hm?” Brayden asked. He was not amused.

  Alice’s cheeks flushed red and her eyes dropped to the floor.

  “Answer me, although it won’t save you from getting a jolly good spanking. And just before our guests arrive as well,” he said.

  “Yes, Father,” Alice answered quietly, before Brayden picked her up and put her over his knee. He pulled up her pleated sailor skirt and pulled down her short bloomers before proceeding to deliver twenty-five sound smacks to her bottom. Alice hadn’t been punished for well over a week so his target was rather pale looking, compared to the couple of weeks where every time Brayden smacked her, he was doing so over an already sore and very red backside.

  “Right, go and wash up. I can’t present you with a tear-stained face,” Brayden said, and stood up to replace the stool whilst Alice quickly tidied herself before returning to Brayden feeling rather exposed, knowing she would go down and meet two of Brayden’s closest friends all the while her bottom would be stinging.

  “Come along then, I am never late,” he said, holding his hand out to Alice.

  Brayden lead Alice out of her bedroom, down the corridor and descended the grand staircase moments later.

  Wellesley and another uniformed female member o
f staff had just taken Bennett and Damian’s long woollen coats, scarves and leather gloves into the back corridor to be safely stored until their departure.

  Bennett and Damian both wore three piece tailored suits, although in contrasting colours. Bennett wore a grey one with a black tie, and Damian wore all black with the exception of his white shirt. Brayden wore a burgundy blazer with black stripes and black tailored trousers and a black waistcoat and burgundy tie. Alice thought her father was the most handsome of the three men standing before her.

  Neither Bennet nor Damian could take their eyes off of Alice. Brayden had explained the situation over the telephone, but seeing him holding the girl’s hand and how she looked seemed to explain a lot more. Brayden greeted Bennett and Damian with a handshake and then, while still holding Alice’s hand, pulled her up close to where he stood so that they could get a good look at her.

  “Gentleman, forgive me for not being here the moment you arrived, I had to remind someone of her place just now,” Brayden said, glancing down at Alice.

  “It’s quite alright,” Bennett said, shaking Brayden’s hand. Damian followed suit and then they both went quiet for a moment, awaiting the information and details they had been curious over since Brayden phoned.

  “May I introduce my daughter, Alice James,” Brayden said, to Bennett and Damian.

  “I’m very pleased to meet you, Alice,” Bennett said.

  “Yes, Sir, I’m pleased to meet you,” Alice said, giving a very small and shy curtsy with the corner of her skirt. She was still holding Brayden’s hand and couldn’t bear to let go. She said and did the same to Damian.

  Brayden had coached Alice not to shake their hands upon meeting them. “Handshakes are for business deals, not proper introductions,” he had said to her.

  “Shall we go through for drinks?” Brayden asked, indicating toward the drawing room once the introduction had ceased. Bennett and Damian led the way with Alice in tow behind Brayden. She felt nervous and didn’t want to make eye contact or speak further. She hated being the centre of attention.

  “Darling, go and ask Wellesley politely for your lemonade,” Brayden said, once the four of them had entered the drawing room.

  “Yes, Sir,” Alice quietly responded and walked across the room to the sideboard where Wellesley was preparing drinks.

  “She’s absolutely adorable, Brayden,” Bennett said, in a very serious tone whilst not taking his eyes off of her.

  “Where did you find her?” Damian asked, equally intrigued.

  “I placed an ad online, advertising a vacancy for a young lady to come and live here with me,” Brayden said.

  Bennett stole his eyes away from Alice and transferred them completely to Brayden.

  “You advertised an opening at Waldorf for a child?” Bennett asked, managing an unbelieving chuckle.

  “She’s eighteen,” Brayden said.

  Damian looked at his brother.

  “I don’t believe it,” Bennett said, the humour suddenly disappearing.

  “She is. I don’t refer to her as such; in this house she is ten years old,” he said.

  Bennett looked back at Alice. She was petite and that was the only reason he hadn’t believed Brayden. That, and the dress code obviously pushed the point.

  “How did she become your daughter?” Damian asked.

  “I hadn’t planned that bit at all, but I found out rather quickly that she desperately needed a father. A proper one,” Brayden said, looking over as Wellesley began walking back toward them.

  “Is it serious?” Bennett asked.

  “Serious enough that she will inherit,” Brayden said, offering his mate a smile just as Wellesley reached them with a silver tray holding three glasses of brandy. Alice made her way back toward Brayden all the while holding a tall quilted glass with two hands as she sipped lemonade through a striped paper straw and walked slowly.

  “Well then gentleman, I think a toast is in order,” Bennett said, raising his glass of brandy. “We wish you the best in fatherhood and many happy memories here at Waldorf,” Bennett said. Damian and Brayden clinked glasses with Bennett.

  “Here, here,” Damian said.

  “Absolutely,” Brayden said.

  During dinner, Bennett and Damian sat together, across from Alice. Much of the conversation was about their boarding school days (and they reminisced quite a bit!) and Alice noticed that Damian, who was only younger than Bennett by two years, was quieter and slightly more inferior to his brother. Alice decided that she would keep her observations to herself in the case Brayden wouldn’t be amused by them. And her guess was he wouldn’t.

  “Will you take Alice to any of the galas at Maylethwaite?” Damian asked.

  “No,” Brayden said, looking over at a hopeful Alice, who thought the idea sounded lovely.

  “I want to go to a gala, father,” Alice piped up. “Can we go when there is another one?” She asked. Alice hadn’t spoken more than a few words thus far, except “Yes, Sir” and “No, Sir” in response to questions from Brayden, Bennett and Damian.

  “No darling, galas are for older girls, I’m afraid. You shan’t be going to one for at least another eight years,” Brayden said, before finishing his wine.

  Alice sighed and placed her cutlery at an angle on her plate.

  “You’ve not finished, Alice. There is still more than half of your meal left,” Brayden said, looking at the large portion of duck breast in juniper sauce, creamy garlic mash and roasted asparagus on her plate.

  Alice really didn’t want to cause a scene, but she had also finished three tall glasses of lemonade before dinner and was simply full up. She gave Brayden a pleading look.

  “I can’t, father,” Alice said.

  “If I tell you again it will be after I put you across my knee, young lady,” Brayden said, sitting back in his chair.

  Alice’s face flushed red and she quietly picked up her cutlery, taking her time cutting the remains of her duck. In her opinion, saying that he would smack her in front of Bennett and Damian was just as bad as doing so. He might as well have!

  Alice kept her eyes on her plate whilst conversation around her continued, but she had to stop eating before she finished all of the food due to feeling as though she would explode. Brayden allowed Wellesley to take her plate and then he served everyone but Alice, dessert. She couldn’t manage another thing to eat or drink.

  “Will you be employing a Nanny soon?” Damian asked, after having spent a significant amount of time wanting to sort several things out in his curiosity about the unique situation.

  “I’ve considered it, although I’m not really sure we need one,” Brayden said,

  Damian frowned. All three of them had been practically raised by Nannies; when they hadn’t been away at boarding school.

  “Besides, I’ve managed to design her entire wardrobe; I daresay a Nanny couldn’t have done a better job. Darling, come here and show them your dress,” Brayden said, holding out his hand toward her. Alice stood up and walked around Brayden and stood beside where Bennett sat.

  “There, you see gentleman, no Nanny needed,” Brayden said, with a grin. Alice hadn’t seen Brayden socially prior to that evening, and was amused by his humour.

  “Indeed not. I am rather impressed,” Bennett said. “Harriet?” He asked, Brayden.

  “The one and only. She did Alice’s entire wardrobe thus far. You can sit down, darling,” Brayden said, giving her skirt a small tug.

  Alice walked back around to her chair and sat down as Bennett and Damian watched her. There was something rather intriguing to them both about their best mate suddenly having the title of “father” to someone ten years his junior who appeared and was referred to as someone twenty years his junior. Neither Bennett nor Damian was put off, but curious. Bennett himself felt a pang of envy for the obvious loyalty and affection Alice had for Brayden.

  “Mother would adore meeting Alice,” Bennett managed to say in a sophisticated and masculine way.

 
“I dare say the only time Mum gets rather soft is when she’s around other girls,” Damian added, before sipping his coffee.

  “Perhaps it’s because she lives in a house with three chaps,” Brayden said, raising his eyebrows.

  “Three handsome, well dressed, chaps with polished manners and busy schedules, you mean,” Bennett said. “She should be so lucky.”

  “Now now Bennett, my daughter heard you,” Brayden said, giving Bennett one of his ‘I’m going to laugh at that later’, looks.

  “Why should your Mummy be so lucky?” Alice asked.

  Brayden gave Bennett a look.

  “What Mr. Fowler meant, my love, is that his Mummy is glad to have raised such well turned out sons and that her house is in proper order,” Brayden tried to explain.

  Although, what Bennett had really meant to say is that his mother shouldn’t complain about being the only female in the Fowler household because her husband, Bennett and Damian were all of impeccable behaviour, looks and taste - and she had a rather easy existence - and there should be no complaints about it!

  “Oh,” Alice said, satisfied with Brayden’s explanation.

  “I shall have a word and get back to you. We need to have a proper introduction for Alice into our family seeing as we are so close,” Bennett said, looking at Alice. She tried not to blush. Bennett had a very stern look about him that translated into polished and well-meaning seriousness.

  After dessert, Brayden led Alice and his friends back into the drawing room for after dinner drinks. Wellesley served them before they all retired to sit near the fire on the tufted sofa and leather wing chairs. Brayden sat in one of the wing chairs whilst Bennett and Damian sat across from him on the sofa. Alice didn’t want to sit beside the Fowler brothers because she wasn’t familiar with them, so she planted herself gently in Brayden’s lap when he turned to place his brandy on the nearby table.

  “Coming to sit with me then?” He asked, as he pulled Alice onto his lap fully and pushed her legs round to the side. She laid her head against him and entertained herself by gently tracing an invisible pattern on his braces whilst he chatted with Bennett and Damian.