tan'

ch forward solemnly to

ey tell Mother and she sniffs an

you." S

and a snort nearly escapes me. I must have made some noise

k to the fresh grave we just du

would be hollering that everyone get out and let h

two fucks about him when he was alive. The pretence chokes. Left to me, Father's burial would be a very private affair, consisting

march solemnly away, just in time for the next group

ced. I can even hear the whispers, from the p

sn't lo

t even sh

ht him winking

want to laugh. There is no love

n see her breath quicken even from here as our eyes meet, and I take in the full breasts almost fully on display i

?" I ask Mother.

early. Don't do anything and give the press something t

fine."

l excuse

ere. She is disappearing between a door at the bac

.

h later in the evening when

mily lawyer says. I guessed as much

t cannot wait one more day? We put Fath

. This is exactly

, and not in a good w

has been waiting between us and p

e the do

plan. His business could have rotted with him for all I care, but in a rare moment of

a little condition."

it." I say, r

hip of your father's business and his

an, making terms for a bu

say, taking a sip

getting

ke on it and hack my throat until it's

killed? Why would you sa

He adds. "That'

minute. Mother's expression is carefully blank.

my chair and throw Fred's chair against the wall. "There c

been take

ses, my mood gettin

o the daughter of th

out?" I ask. The joke is

nam

ous. It's no

I seethe. "

know better I would think the old man was

ing to get shit-faced drunk and moan about it like a normal person would. I

and head fo

tops me at the door and my

't think I'm going along with

t do as your father says. Marry the girl, it'

I decide to do the old man a favour and it b

down generations for centuries. It is.. the last piece of your father

in on herself and Fred duti

I will not be getting married to some random b*tch on the street just beca

brides come, she is a jackpot. She comes from the most outstanding family in the

rcing me into a role he designed for me without my permission for the umpteenth time. It is about the goddamn news being sprung on me so suddenly while they expect me t

don't Father rise up from his da

e and pushing down the fury that beats at my

.

e with amusement I know I made a mistake. I finish

" I fume, pulling out the six

laugh. "Trust your old man to never go

f Darlington gr

his country. It is well known that their pockets run so deep that they are the very roots of

he only daughter of the Darlington group

ly met their father Lucas D

." He motions for the waitress and alarm bells go off in m

t is

ting grin spreads across his lips.

res and scrolls and m

e is

the figure and I stare at

to her thigh level above the dark gown she wears. Not a single distinguishing feature of her can be seen. Unable to believe my eyes

" I ask and Dare burst

tles down. "Nobody has ever seen her face, not even one person. The most trusted sources say t

ol buzz quickly wearing of

money must have gone into this transaction. I assume this is

them into mar

p of his fingers. "You should

d he bursts into

ther is dedicated to