by Rose, Louise
“It won’t be like that,” Romy reassures me. “My dad’s not like yours. Although obviously he’s head of House Navarre so he has to make decisions based on furthering our position, he also cares about other people. I know he pressured you into this, but he wouldn’t have suggested it if he didn’t think we could make it work. He’ll want to make sure you’re happy with everything. After all, you only get married once, so you need to get it right.”
“Okay. In that case, let me finish my breakfast and I’ll go and see him. Might as well get that out of the way and then you and I can hang out and do… something.”
“Something?” Romy raises an eyebrow. “You mean..?”
“Uh-huh.” I grab a fistful of his t-shirt and pull him over to me for a kiss. “I need to be sure last night wasn’t just a fluke.”
* * *
I surreptitiously rub my hands against my jeans, trying to cover up how badly I’m sweating as I stand outside Ben Navarre’s study, working up the courage to knock on the door. Romy made it clear his father wanted to see me on my own, but I’d much rather have my fiancé with me for support.
Fiancé. It is going to take a while for me to get my brain around the thought.
Come on, Ivy. The sooner you do this, the sooner you can leave.
I knock on the door before I can change my mind and run away.
“Come in!”
As I walk in, Ben gets up from behind his desk and comes round to meet me. He kisses me on both cheeks before grabbing hold of my left hand. “Let me see the ring.”
I stand passively as Ben runs his thumb over the stones set in my engagement ring, twisting it from side to side to examine it.
“My boy has good taste.” He nods his approval.
“We chose it together,” I tell him.
“Who says I was talking about the ring?”
I blush, as Ben goes back to his chair.“Please. Take a seat.” He gestures to the chair opposite him and I do as I’m told.
“I think it’s time we got to know each other a little better, Ivy, don’t you? After all, you are going to be an important member of the family. I feel we ought to establish a few ground rules, so there’s no misunderstanding between us.”
“Okay.” I shrug. Ben can be as polite as he likes and dress things up so they look good, but we both know that whatever he wants, he gets.
“I remember your mother, you know,” he says, surprising me.
“Really? You knew my mother?” I sat up a little straighter.
“Oh yes. She was an incredible woman. I was very sad to hear of her passing. I often wondered what would have happened if she’d made better choices.”
“What do you mean?” I narrow my eyes.
“I loved your mother,” Ben says. “We all did. There was something about her which lit up the room whenever she came in. Even though she wasn’t an heir to a house, we all wanted her.
“Your mother lost her parents and brother in a car accident when she was eleven and inherited a small house on the edge of town and enough money to go to King Academy. Me, Gabriel Knight, Claude Dauphin, and of course, Solomon, soon became her closest friends. We were all alone in our own ways, of course,” he pauses as I stare in shock.
“I was devastated when I heard she’d fallen pregnant and decided to marry Solomon. To this day, I wonder whether there was more coercion involved in that decision than she’d ever let on. If only she’d come to me, I’d have been more than happy to protect her. I would have taken you on as my own, offered you the same courtesy as if you were blood. It’s one of the reasons why I agreed to invite you into the family. If I couldn’t save your mother, I can at least honour her memory by saving you from your father. I know he’s your parent, but that man is evil. He’s always got some kind of scheme going on. He never does anything which doesn’t serve himself first and foremost. It’s no surprise he left you in foster care until you were old enough to use to further his ambitions. I’m just glad I am able to offer you sanctuary from him.”
“And use me to further your ambitions instead?” The moment I say the words I regret them, but Ben takes them in good grace.
“That’s a fair accusation,” he agrees. “But no. There’s a lot more going on behind my wanting you to marry my son than gaining an advantage for my house, although I won’t deny that it’s a factor. I know you have a lot to learn when it comes to the nuances of House politics, and I fear that your time spent elsewhere means you’ll never fully understand what it takes to be successful in this town. As an Archaic, I can only protect you to a certain extent. If your father were to insist I send you back to him, I would have to comply or risk starting a civil war. Much as I know my son is fond of you, I couldn’t do that for just any young girl who caught his fancy. But my future daughter-in-law? The woman who will bear the next generation of Navarre heirs? Her I can protect. I’m sorry I came across all heavy-handed when we first met, but it was crucial you agreed to be married then and there, otherwise I might as well have sent you back to your father’s.”
“So why didn’t you just say that?”
“I couldn’t take the risk you would say no. Your mother could be stubborn. Once she got an idea in her head, nothing would shift it. She’d never admit she made a mistake in marrying Solomon, even though it was clear to all of us that he was making her miserable. I didn’t want you to say no out of some misguided, naïve sense of independence. You did a good job taking care of yourself when you were working at the care home, but the fact you thought you could hide there indefinitely shows how much you’ve got to learn about how the world works. The only reason your father didn’t come after you before we did is because his attention has been elsewhere.”
“On what?”
“I don’t know.” Ben frowns. “My sources can’t tell me. All I know is that he’s spending a lot of time travelling to Italy, but there doesn’t seem to be anything to show for it.”
“Romy thinks he’s got a mistress there,” I say.
“If he does, it’ll only be out of convenience,” Ben tells me. “No, there’s something more going on, but I don’t know what. But while he’s been focused on his business, he hasn’t had time to come after you. That could change at any time, which is why I had to bring you under Navarre protection. But I want you to believe me when I say that I wouldn’t have done this for just anyone, heir or not. Romy’s told me a lot about you and how you’re just as incredible a woman as your mother. He cares for you deeply, Ivy. He’s serious about making this marriage work. I hope you are too.”
“I am,” I assure him, even if my mind wanders to Archer and Declan. Guilt settles in my stomach thanks to that thought.
“Good. Now, let’s start making some wedding plans. This is going to be an event everyone will be talking about for years to come. First, we need to choose a date. I was thinking this summer would be good.”
“This summer?” My jaw drops. “I was thinking more like a couple years’ engagement, maybe even longer. We’re only eighteen.”
“I was the head of my House at eighteen after my father died,” Ben tells me. “Your mother was engaged at eighteen and married before she turned nineteen. You’re old enough to accept the responsibility of your birthright. A long engagement would give your father an excuse to argue you have no intention of getting married. He’d be perfectly entitled to demand we hand you over to his custody if he thought this was all a game. No, you will be getting married this summer. It’s the only way to secure your safety. Your father won’t have time to try anything if you walk down the aisle as soon as possible.”
“Could we at least push it back to the autumn?” I ask, desperate to reclaim some semblance of control over my life. I think quickly, coming up with an excuse that might make sense. “I always dreamed of an autumn wedding. I think it’s so romantic, all those falling leaves turning orange and red. I want an outdoor wedding. Imagine how beautiful it would look with all those brightly coloured trees in the background.”
Ben
nods slowly though he is reading me like a book. I wonder if he sees my mother when he looks at me, and not me at all. Now I know they all loved her, but am I just a ghost to them? A ghost of a woman they could never control? Am I making the same mistakes she did?
“Hmm. Yes, I think that could work. I am in the process of registering one of the barns as a wedding venue for you to hold the wedding here.”
“Really? But I thought you could only register a property for weddings if it is open to anyone to get married there.”
“A mere formality.” Ben waves aside my remark. “I have friends on the council who are fully understanding that if someone wanted to get married here, they would have to find an available date in our calendar and unfortunately, that is going to prove to be difficult.”
Why am I not surprised that Ben is as corrupt as my father in his own way?
“Now, while it is tradition for the father of the bride to pay for the wedding costs, I am willing to ignore that particular custom and cover all the costs myself,” Ben went on. “I don’t think any of us like the idea of you being beholden to your father for anything. This will be my gift to you, along with a few other little surprises.”
“That’s very generous of you,” I murmur.
“Your dress will be handmade for you,” Ben says. “I have the portfolios of a number of designers for you to decide. Have a look and choose the one you like best and we’ll make an appointment for them to consult with you.” He hands me a stack of folders.
That is my bedtime reading sorted out for the next few nights.
“I have retained the services of a wedding planner,” Ben continues. “She’ll be handling all the little details so you don’t have to worry about a thing. All you have to do is let her know any specific requests you have and she’ll take care of the rest.”
“But I was hoping I could get Katy to arrange things,” I say. “She’s really good at organising and I know it would mean a lot to her to be involved. She’s been almost like a mother to me these past few years. It would break her heart not to be able to help.”
“I’m sure we’ll be able to find something for her to do on the day,” Ben says. “But until that time comes, I’m going to have to insist you work with the planner. Whilst I’m sure Katy is a lovely person and highly competent, she won’t have the experience of arranging a high-end wedding. There are certain standards to be upheld, etiquette to be observed. With only a few months to sort everything out, I’m not going to trust such an important event to the hands of an amateur.”
“But-”
Ben holds up a hand to silence me. “I’m afraid there will be no further discussion on the matter,” he says. “Whilst I appreciate this is your wedding and will allow you a lot of freedom in your choices, I must insist you use the planner I have hired. That way we can be sure you have the wedding you deserve. It’s what your mother would have wanted.”
But Ben, my mother didn’t choose you and you clearly never knew what she wanted.
“I guess I’m using a wedding planner then.” A fake smile plasters across my face hurts my cheeks. Let Ben think he’d won me over. If I’m going to have to do things his way, I’ll do things his way. I just hope that he doesn’t have a heart attack when he sees the cost of this wedding. If that’s how he wants to play it, he’ll soon discover I’m not nearly as naïve as he thinks.
“Excellent. Oh, Ivy, you have no idea how excited we all are to have you join our family. Your engagement party will give us an opportunity to show the whole town how happy we are.”
“Engagement party?” Of course there is an engagement party.
“Yes. We’ve planned it for the end of the month. That will give you a chance to get used to being back at the Academy and invite all your friends.”
Great.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
“It’ll be okay, you know. You don’t have anything to be nervous about.”
Romy places a hand on my knee to stop my leg bouncing up and down with stress. I manage to talk my way out of going back to the Academy for another week, claiming I need time to adjust to being back in King Town, but Ben puts his foot down when I ask for another extension.
“You’re an Archaic,” he reminds me. “You need to live up to the name. Go back to the Academy and establish your authority. You and Romy are engaged. You’re a power couple. You should be ruling that school, but you can’t do that while you’re hiding away. It’s time you stepped out and showed everyone what you’re made of. If not, we’ll have to rethink your living arrangements. Perhaps some time with your father is what you need to teach you appropriate behaviour.”The second Ben mentions my father I knew I was out of options.
So here I am, sitting in the back of a bulletproof limo with Romy, joining the queue of expensive cars waiting to pull up outside the Academy to drop off students.
“I just never thought I’d be coming back here, you know?” I say. “I only came to the Academy because my father insisted. He even picked my subjects for me. This place symbolises everything I ran from. Now I’m going to have to deal with the snide comments, pointed glances and whispers behind my back. I haven’t got any friends in this place.”
“You’re not alone. You got me,” Romy says. “If anyone tries to give you any grief, they’ll have me to answer to.”
“Thanks, but I’d rather fight my own battles,” I tell him. “I don’t like the idea of hiding behind some man.”
“I’m not just ‘some man.’ I’m your fiancé,” Romy reminds me. “But it’s not like that. We’re together now. If someone comes for you, they come for me and vice versa. If I was in trouble you’d come and help, wouldn’t you?”
“Well, yes…”
“Right. It’s the same for me.”
But it isn’t. Much as I appreciate Romy trying to support me, he doesn’t understand. He isn’t the stranger. He grew up in this town and understood its strange ways. He’d never put himself in a position where he needed me to back him up. As an heir, and a particularly charming one at that, he has power and status.
I don’t. I am a nobody, someone who is used to fighting for every little scrap she has. I have always been on the alert for a fight because in my experience, someone always wanted to try and take away what is mine. Add into the mix the fact that I’d been away for a few months, I was under no illusions I was going to be welcomed back with open arms. With the exception of Archer and Declan, no one is going to be happy to see me walk through those doors.
“Are you ready?” Romy smiles reassuringly as our driver pulls up in front of the steps and comes round to open the door for us.
I take a deep breath and nod at him.
Romy gets out first, then turns to offer me his hand to help me out. I am perfectly capable of getting out of a car by myself, but appearances matter, here more than anywhere else, so I take his hand and gaze at him as if he were the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen as I step out and stand next to him.
Impulsively, Romy leans over and kisses me, cupping the back of my head.
“Get a room!” someone jeers, deliberately shoving me in the back as they walk past.
“Hey!” I protest, turning to see who pushed me, but whoever it was, they knew how to blend into a crowd. It could have been anyone.
“They’re just jealous assholes,” Romy says, taking my hand and holding it tight. “They wish they could have you.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Really?”
“You’re a catch, Ivy Archaic,” Romy grins. “And don’t you ever forget it. I know I’ll always be grateful you said yes.”
We walk up the steps to the Academy, and I lean into him. If I’m honest, it feels good having someone on my side, even though I can’t fully trust Romy. If I’d learned one thing over the past few months, it is that everyone has an agenda.
Even attractive young men who profess undying love.
“Hey! Ivy!”
I turn to see Declan hurrying towards me, guitar case in hand.
&nb
sp; “Hi, Declan. Good to see you.”
“Ivy! You’re back!” He dumps his guitar on the floor and draws me into a giant hug that takes my breath away. “Music class hasn’t been the same without you.”
“Yeah, well, I still don’t know if I’m going to be allowed back into class with you or if I’ve missed so much I’ll have to redo the year,” I admit, ignoring the dark look Romy is sending at Declan for daring to hug me in public. “I’ve been told I’m going to have to sit through a load of assessments and then they’ll decide what to do with me.”
“If they don’t let you stay in my class, they’re nuts,” Declan agrees. “You have a natural understanding for how music works that I can only dream of.”
“Thanks. Let’s hope Mr Metcalf agrees with you.”
“Ivy!” An ear-piercing scream that could split the sky streaks across the quad as Milly runs towards me and practically throws herself into my arms.
“So you’re talking to me again are you?” I ask, surprised with how much I missed Milly now that she is here.
“I never stopped,” she replies. “I had to figure out how to do it without getting into trouble with my family. You know what it’s like.”
“Not really.” I shrug. “Where I come from, we don’t play stupid games. You don’t have to spend all your time wondering who’s going to stick a knife in your back.”
“Don’t be like that, Ivy,” Milly pleads, tears in the corner of her eyes. “You’ve no idea what it’s been like while you’ve been gone. Ally and Taylor have been total bitches. Archer’s been horrible, too. He’s missed you so much. I thought he’d be happier now you’re back, but he’s as grumpy as ever.”
“He’s probably just jealous.” Romy possessively put his arm around me, marking me as his. “You can’t blame the poor guy. I’d feel the same if I knew I’d lost Ivy to a better man.”
“I wouldn’t say ‘better’,” Declan growls. “I think we all know about marriages of convenience. And just because you’re engaged doesn’t mean you’re going to stay that way.”
