Page 53 of The Fifth Life of Alicia
“Let her sit down, Vivi,” Lady Sasha said. “You’re smothering her.”
“I can’t breathe,” I gasped into Vivi’s curls.
“Oh, gosh! I’m sorry.” She released me from her emphatically tight embrace. “Is it true the Grand Duke proposed marriage to you? It’s all over the capital!”
I sat down next to Lady Sasha and sighed. “I don’t believe it’s been agreed yet, but yes. I found out a couple of days ago. His Highness approached my father with both a marriage and business proposition.”
Lady Sasha shook her head. “Does that mean you’ll be leaving the capital?”
“If they can reach an agreement, I imagine so.” I paused. “Is that what you rushed all the way over here for?”
“Of course. We received word that your father was cancelling his meeting with mine right before we heard the rumours,” Vivi replied. “Leon was quite irritated. I’m not sure I can repeat what he said about the Grand Duke without it being treasonous.”
“Surely it wasn’t that bad.”
“I don’t know,” Lady Sasha said. “I was having tea with Vivi at the time, and he was muttering an awful lot about ‘that rotten bastard,’ I believe it was.”
I choked on my tea. “Lady Sasha!”
She held up her hands. “I was only repeating what I heard. And call me Sasha. Lady is too cumbersome between friends.”
“Then please call me Allie, as Vivi does.” I smiled at her. “I can imagine Lord Leon does have an issue where the Grand Duke is concerned. He interrupted him while he was asking me to dance at the ball.”
“Ah, that’s what happened,” Vivi said. “Well, I’m sure your father was put in an impossible spot by the Grand Duke’s proposal.”
“That’s right,” Sasha added, picking up a biscuit. “Any one of our fathers would be hard-pressed to turn down such a proposal, even if our hearts were elsewhere. His Highness is quite powerful.”
Yeah.
That was the problem.
“How do you feel about it?” Vivi met my eyes.
“My feelings are irrelevant,” I replied, looking down into my teacup. “You both know as well as I do that this is my duty as a noble daughter. If my marriage can bring wealth and honour to the household, I must do as my father says.”
“That’s how Lady Alicia Vermillion feels about it.” Sasha poked my arm. “Now how doesAlliefeel about it?”
“I have no intention of marrying him.” I fought a smile. “Engagements don’t always end in marriage, do they?”
“What do you mean?” Vivi’s eyes bugged. “Are you going to break it off?”
“No. If my father and the Grand Duke reach an agreement, I will have no choice but to go to Stein. However, I plan to figure out a way to prolong the engagement and end it in such a way that it doesn’t affect the business deal.”
“How are you going to do that?”
I grimaced. “Frankly, I haven’t got a clue.”
***
It was dark.
What time was it, and when had I fallen asleep?
Ugh. My mouth was as dry as a bone, and if it was this late, Bella and Annie were probably sleeping. I would have to go on a hunt for water myself.
I picked up my robe and wrapped it around me as I put on my slippers. Perhaps I’d gotten lazy since waking up in this world if getting my own glass of water seemed like such a chore.
Then again, when you had people who did everything for you, laziness was somewhat of a given.
