Page 44 of Take My Place

“I don’twantto know about everything my father’s involved in,” I retort.

“Ah yes. Solomon warned me you weren’t exactly close right now.” Lucas chuckles.

“What do you mean, right now?” That’s it. I am getting annoyed. “Did he tell you about how he chased my mum away and then left me in foster care after she died? What about the way he kidnapped my friends and almost killed one of them?”

“From the way he told it, your families were at war at the time. Is that wrong?”

“Well, not exactly.”

“Ivy, I know your father didn’t bring you up and believe me, he’s absolutely heartbroken about that.”

“Pah!” I spit.

“But he wants to make up for it now. Whether you believe him or not, he’s only ever had your best interests at heart.”

“My father only cares about himself.”

“It’s very easy to think that and I’m sure if I were in your position, I’d want to think the worst about him too.”

Ooh, I want to slap Lucas so bad. There is nothing I hate more than being patronised.

“But when you take over your father’s business, you’ll understand why he’s done the things he has,” Lucas continues. “It’s one of the reasons why he wanted you to take politics as a subject. He thought that if you understood more about how the world works, you’d be able to appreciate all the things he’s done for you.”

“You really are a good little lapdog, aren’t you?” I sneer. “Do you do tricks? Will you sit up and beg if I offer you a treat?”

“Maybe. If it’s you asking.”

I open my mouth to make a snappy comeback, but we’ve reached the politics class.

“Come on you two.” Ms Dupree waves us in. “Don’t stand around in the corridor gossiping. Thank you, Ivy, for showing our new student where to go. Mr Donatello–would you like to introduce yourself to the class?”

Lucas went to the front of the room to repeat the same little talk he’d given earlier while I find my seat.

This is going to be a long class.

* * *

“Are you freaking kidding me?”I exclaim when Lucas walk into my business class. “Are you stalking me or something?”

“Not at all,” says Lucas. “I took the classes your father recommended. He says they would be most beneficial to me. The fact that I got to spend more time with his lovely daughter is just a fortunate side effect.”

“Uh-huh. I believe you. Thousands wouldn’t.”

“No talking!” snapped Mr Robson. “We’ve got a lot to get through.”

“Fine by me,” I mutter, taking out my business notes. I spend most of the day being tailed by Lucas. Any excuse not to talk to him is just what I need right now.

There is no way this is a coincidence. He has to have been planted here by my father, but why? Is he spying on me? I wouldn’t put it past my father to pay for someone to go to my classes just to find out what I am up to. He wouldn’t have been able to infiltrate Romy’s household. All the servants have worked there for years. It would be impossible to get a stranger in there to find out what I am up to. The next best thing has to be getting someone in my class.

The thought makes me sick, but it is just the sort of thing my father would do. It seems there were no depths that man wouldn’t sink to.

Mr Robson lectures us on venture capitalists and I can feel my eyes glazing over. I suppose that this sort of stuff would be useful if I ever wanted to set up my own record label, which is something I’d considered doing at some point, but it is so much easier to pay someone else to worry about the money side of things. All I want to do is make music.

I’ve never been more relieved to hear the bell for the end of class. It isn’t just that Mr Robson has taken dull to a whole new level, having Lucas in all my classes creeps me out. He hasn’t done or said anything exactly to make me dislike him, but knowing he is close to my father is more than enough to get red flags waving all over the place.

I shove my books into my bag. I can not get out of the class quickly enough.

“Ivy! Wait up!” Lucas hurries after me.

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