Page 16 of Take My Place

“I can’t believe this is the first time I’ve sat down to a proper, grown-up meal with my daughter,” my father says. It is weird. He is acting as though we were a normal father and daughter instead of him being a psychopath who’d abused and manipulated me.

“Well, make the most of it,” I warn him. “It’s not like we’re going to make a habit of this.”

“We’ll see.” My father smiles enigmatically as our food arrives.

“You’ll be enjoying a grass fed, 28-day aged ribeye,” the waiter tells me. “Your father has also selected some of our most popular tapas, including pan fried octopus and confit pork with a chipotle mayonnaise and fresh herbs grown in our very own garden. Should you desire anything else, please let me know and it will be my pleasure to serve you.”

“Yes, it will,” my father says. “But she’ll be fine.”

“Of course, sir.” The waiter bows as he leaves again and I shake my head. No wonder my father is such a jerk with so many people brown nosing him.

“Eat, eat.” My father gestures with his knife and fork before he tucks into his ribeye.

I did as I was told and cut a small piece of meat. My appetite has completely deserted me, which is a shame. The food really did smell good and is cooked to perfection, clearly prepared by a skilled chef.

“I must admit I am delighted to hear you’d been working in a care home,” my father tells me. “That sense of compassion will stand you in good stead when you are ruling the House.”

“What–like yours does?” I snort. “No, wait. You don’t even know what compassion means.”

My father shrugs his shoulders, seemingly good-natured in the face of my hostility.

“I do what is appropriate in any given situation,” he says. “It took a great deal of compassion to let those three boys live when I had them in my control. It is only my love for you that enabled me to be so restrained.”

I want to throw my wine at his smug face. He thinks he knows what restraint is? It is nothing compared to what I am going through right now.“That is kind of you.”

“Indeed.” My father nods, my sarcasm seemingly going over his head. “And it turned out to be the right choice. When young Navarre came to me and requested your hand in marriage, I immediately saw what an opportunity it is for both of us to consolidate our position in this town. Had I executed the Navarre heir, it would have closed a window of opportunity which will prove very lucrative for all of us. I trust his family are treating you in a manner befitting your station?”

“They’re treating me better than you ever did, if that’s what you’re asking,” I reply. “I have my own apartment within the mansion, but there are no bars on the windows and I have the only key to the door.”

“Is that right?” My father chuckles. “If you believe that, you’re more naïve than I thought. Any freedoms you have are nothing but an illusion. Mark my words, you’re a prisoner of the Navarres as much as you were mine, only you don’t have a father’s love to protect you there. You might want to consider coming back home.”

“Might I?” I raise an eyebrow. “I don’t think so. I’m staying where I am.”

“Well, I’m sure young Romeo Navarre has something to do with that,” says my father. “I must admit, I was a little surprised when he came to ask for your hand. Of all the young men in town, I thought you would have gone for someone who didn’t have such a wandering eye.”

“Like Archer, you mean?”

My father shakes his head. “That boy disappointed me,” he clicks his tongue. “I had high hopes for him, but after a while in my employ, it became clear he didn’t have what it takes to be a leader. He’s more of a follower.”

“If you say so.”

“Still, I can see plenty of advantages in you becoming a Navarre,” my father says. “Although I must insist you keep the Archaic name. It would undermine your authority to be a Navarre when the time comes for you to take over from me.”

“Insist all you like,” I say. “I’ll make up my own mind when it comes to the name I go by. And I rather like the idea of having a name, any name, that isn’t yours.”

My father bursts into fits of raucous laughter. “That’s my little spitfire. I’ve always loved your attitude. We can figure out those details later. For now, you have my permission to marry the Navarre boy.”

“For now?”

“Permission granted can always be taken away.” My father leans back nonchalantly. “You still have a lot to learn when it comes to playing the games in this town. It suits me to have you engaged for the moment. Should that change, youwillbreak it off or I cannot be held responsible for the consequences.”

“Of course you can’t.” This is so typical of him. “Nothing’s ever your fault, is it?”

“I’ve made mistakes in my time.” My father sighs heavily. “I wish I had never let your mother get away from me.”

Right. Because you wanted to continue to control and dominate her.

“I wish I’d had a more active role in your upbringing, but I wanted to respect your mother’s wishes that I keep my distance. I wish I’d come back for you before she died. I hate the idea of her being alone those final few months without my support. I could have given her the best possible medical care, but she refused to accept my help.”

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