Page 5 of Axel

“I am…” Picking up the delicate wine glass, she took a sip.

“What’s the name of the place?”

“River Glades.”

“I have never heard of it.”

“It’s a tiny town that has been put on the map because of Axel Lakeside.”

“I hear rumors that he is some kind of recluse.”

Ellie smiled at the slightly scornful tone in her mother’s well-modulated voice.

“Something like that.”

“He doesn’t really go out in public, does he?”

“So, I have heard.”

Dark brown eyes studied her, critically. One of the reasons Ellie tried to stay away from her mother was the fact that she was constantly under the microscope. Eleanor Bailey was a beauty and even though she was fifty-eight years old, she had managed to maintain her youthfulness.

Critics and fans alike gushed about her flawless complexion, and many wondered if she had help cosmetically.

Her hair – thick and processed was brushed back from her face and styled at the back of her neck into an elegant chignon. Her makeup was superbly applied. The dress she was wearing was of fine apricot silk, the collar decorated with white Venetian lace. Diamonds were at her throat and her lobes.

Ellie had made an effort to dress up , but she was afraid that where her mother was concerned, she had not done a particularly decent job. She considered the chic apple green sleeveless dress appropriate dinner wear, but one could never tell with Eleanor.

After the endless and exhausting routine of putting on and taking off makeup when she was a model, she now preferred to go without most of the time.

“You look a little pale.”

Ellie cut into her veal and concentrated on slicing it into bite sized pieces as she waited for the chance to cool down a little before responding. Her mother was easily slighted and when that happened, she could hold a grudge for months. Ellie did not have time for a war – not even a cold one.

“I have been running around trying to get ready for the trip.”

That response was met by a few minutes silence. “I wish you would find someone and settle down.” Eleanor picked up her glass by the stem and studied the ruby red liquid critically. “Marva has a son…. “

“I have met Marva’s son, and he is as dull as a dishwater. I don’t need you setting me up with anyone.”

“He has a very successful law firm and is prominent in society. He has hopes to go into politics.”

“Good for him.”

“He stands a good chance of making it to the White House.”

“I wish him all the best.” The conversation had taken its usual turn and Ellie was ready to call it a night. But leaving prematurely would only make the situation worse. “My career…. “

“I really thought it was a hobby.”

She tamped down the anger and the words that were trying hard to spew.

“It is a career and I happen to love it. I also happen to be incredibly good at it.”

Lips pursed; Eleanor stared at her. “You are already twenty-eight and before you know it, you are heading into biological decline.”

Ellie lifted a brow and could not help but laugh. “Is that a thing?”

“If it’s not, it should be.” A cold mask had descended on her mother’s face and Ellie knew that she was in for a long lecture, something she did not want to deal with right now.

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