Similar types are drawn together with similar results; that’s why the girl went off with them to begin with. She goes off with young Mason and then they have a girl, and their only blessing is that they’re both too stupid to mourn the loss.”
Lena’s jaw dropped and Howard set his utensils down to hold his face in his hands. He shot an apologetic look at Lena.
“Excuse me.” Lena stood up and took her plate into the kitchen, where she sat down to eat between Pete and Mrs. Ralston. She felt bad for leaving Howard in the dining room alone, but was sure he understood.
The next morning, Howard confirmed that the Council was, indeed, refusing Lena’s request. Even one of the families represented on the guest list had spoken against her going. This fact particularly upset Howard, even though he had only been cautiously okay with Lena going to begin with. He felt insulted on a personal level because his heir was being snubbed for reasons that didn’t have much to do with the political disagreement surrounding her bloodline. Lena, however, was just upset that she wasn’t going to go.
“Why can’t I go? Why? ” Lena was trying to hold the tears back, and was failing miserably. She was starting to hyperventilate, and on a perverse level she was hoping it might require someone to take her to the hospital—anything to get out and away. “I’m going to die here. They’re going to keep me trapped here until I die, and there’s nothing I can do about it…”
Howard walked out from behind his desk and sat down in the chair next to Lena. “Stop being so melodramatic. You’ll get your chance. You’ve just got to find a way to make them trust you. My father was the foremost among researchers, scholars, and historians who specialized in the portal, but he was also married to a human woman with two sons, and one of them was human. He was a hard-core integrationist and believed in equal rights and representation for our lower classes, but he still found a way to get along with your other grandfather to continue his studies.” He passed her a box of tissues. “He found a way to make it work, and so can you. It might not happen quickly, but you can make them trust you.”
“How?”
Howard took a deep breath and looked out the window. A moment later he looked back. “I don’t know. But you know what? You’re a smart one. You’ve snuck out of this house twice without anyone knowing until after the fact, you’ve managed to learn the whole of Latito in only a few months, you know exactly what to do to aggravate every person living here, and you got yourself onto the Council with a much better margin than anyone expected. And you’ve been here just over a year—it’s truly impressive what you’ve accomplished in so short a time. You’re clever, and you’ll figure it out. You’ll find a way to make them trust you.”
Lena smiled. It was good to know that someone had faith in her. Maybe she would figure it out. She certainly didn’t think she could, but if Howard did, then maybe she would.
June 30th was as bright and cheerful as anyone could have asked. The lawn was a deep, sultry green and Pete had been keeping up well with the gardens. Marie had been helping him since she wanted to stay as far away from Master Daray as possible. She had quite a gift, and as Lena and Howard sat outside waiting for Hesper and Eric’s arrival, he commented that he had never seen the flowers look so bright before. Reds, yellows, oranges, whites, and pinks danced in the slight summer breeze as butterflies, the first ones Lena had ever seen at Waldgrave, flittered about between them.
A grey sedan pulled up the drive and parked at the side of the house. Howard and Lena helped the guests move the luggage into the house where it was cooler, and then they settled into the living room. Hesper lifted the blanket cover from the car seat carrier, revealing a pink, wrinkled little body clothed in a bright white creeper with
Lena’s jaw dropped and Howard set his utensils down to hold his face in his hands. He shot an apologetic look at Lena.
“Excuse me.” Lena stood up and took her plate into the kitchen, where she sat down to eat between Pete and Mrs. Ralston. She felt bad for leaving Howard in the dining room alone, but was sure he understood.
The next morning, Howard confirmed that the Council was, indeed, refusing Lena’s request. Even one of the families represented on the guest list had spoken against her going. This fact particularly upset Howard, even though he had only been cautiously okay with Lena going to begin with. He felt insulted on a personal level because his heir was being snubbed for reasons that didn’t have much to do with the political disagreement surrounding her bloodline. Lena, however, was just upset that she wasn’t going to go.
“Why can’t I go? Why? ” Lena was trying to hold the tears back, and was failing miserably. She was starting to hyperventilate, and on a perverse level she was hoping it might require someone to take her to the hospital—anything to get out and away. “I’m going to die here. They’re going to keep me trapped here until I die, and there’s nothing I can do about it…”
Howard walked out from behind his desk and sat down in the chair next to Lena. “Stop being so melodramatic. You’ll get your chance. You’ve just got to find a way to make them trust you. My father was the foremost among researchers, scholars, and historians who specialized in the portal, but he was also married to a human woman with two sons, and one of them was human. He was a hard-core integrationist and believed in equal rights and representation for our lower classes, but he still found a way to get along with your other grandfather to continue his studies.” He passed her a box of tissues. “He found a way to make it work, and so can you. It might not happen quickly, but you can make them trust you.”
“How?”
Howard took a deep breath and looked out the window. A moment later he looked back. “I don’t know. But you know what? You’re a smart one. You’ve snuck out of this house twice without anyone knowing until after the fact, you’ve managed to learn the whole of Latito in only a few months, you know exactly what to do to aggravate every person living here, and you got yourself onto the Council with a much better margin than anyone expected. And you’ve been here just over a year—it’s truly impressive what you’ve accomplished in so short a time. You’re clever, and you’ll figure it out. You’ll find a way to make them trust you.”
Lena smiled. It was good to know that someone had faith in her. Maybe she would figure it out. She certainly didn’t think she could, but if Howard did, then maybe she would.
June 30th was as bright and cheerful as anyone could have asked. The lawn was a deep, sultry green and Pete had been keeping up well with the gardens. Marie had been helping him since she wanted to stay as far away from Master Daray as possible. She had quite a gift, and as Lena and Howard sat outside waiting for Hesper and Eric’s arrival, he commented that he had never seen the flowers look so bright before. Reds, yellows, oranges, whites, and pinks danced in the slight summer breeze as butterflies, the first ones Lena had ever seen at Waldgrave, flittered about between them.
A grey sedan pulled up the drive and parked at the side of the house. Howard and Lena helped the guests move the luggage into the house where it was cooler, and then they settled into the living room. Hesper lifted the blanket cover from the car seat carrier, revealing a pink, wrinkled little body clothed in a bright white creeper with
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