Page 14 of Cross My Heart

He glares, and I have to hide a chuckle. My father already thinks I’m a reckless troublemaker, and he doesn’t know the half of my moreprovocativepastimes. Now, if those adventures wound up on the front page…

Nobody would forget the Ashford name in a hurry, that’s for sure.

“Are we done?” I ask, getting to my feet. “I have places to go, scandals to start…”

My father snorts in disdain. “Not so fast. As much as I’d prefer to keep you well out of the public eye, we have some big events coming up, and need to present a united front. Tricia will be sending you a schedule.”

“Events?” I frown.

He sighs. “Haven’t you been reading the company reports?”

I shrug. “They’re not exactly gripping literary material.”

My father grits his teeth. “We’re near the end of clinical trials on the new drug. Everything’s on track, and as soon as we announce the results… Well, Ashford Pharma will be changing the face of medicine. There’ll be press attention, scrutiny, celebration…”

“In other words, you need me to show up and shake hands at all the stuffy conferences and cocktail parties.” I wince.

“I need you to do your duty.”

“Don’t I always?” I ask lightly. At the end of the day, it’s a tightrope walk: toeing the line enough to keep my parents off my back, so I can maintain my freedom to live life how I choose.

The phone on my father’s desk interrupts us, and he scoops it up, already frowning as he answers. “No, I told you, I need the raw data going back to ’02…”

Clearly, I’ve been dismissed.

I turn and saunter out, but the word echoes in my mind.

Duty.

I know what it means to my family: continuing the legacy of wealth and privilege our ancestors have built. Running Ashford Pharma. Marrying an appropriate, titled woman who can stand at my side at all the charity events and awards galas., burnishing the hallowed Ashford name.

But I have a different definition of the word. My duty is to pleasure. Adventure. And I’m not about to give that up so quickly.

I think of Tessa, and that rebellious spark in her eyes. A spark that could ignite, given the right…instruction.

I smile and keep on walking. Let my father bluster all he wants. Nothing about my life needs to change.

Chapter5

Tessa

By the end of my first official week at Oxford, it feels like I’ve bitten off more than I can chew. I’m not trying to be a star student here, I’m just trying to keep my head above water long enough to find out more about what happened to Wren, but even so, I’m drowning in reading and lectures, working through the night just to keep up with my all-star classmates and not earn dirty looks from the professors. Every tutorial just leaves me scrambling to catch up, and I’ve barely had a chance to dig into my sister’s experience here at all.

I feel like I’m letting her down somehow; letting the truth stay hidden with every passing day.

Patience, I try to remind myself. I’m here in Oxford, that’s the most important thing, and I’m already making progress. Thanks to the yearbooks, I have a list of names to try and track down. They may have graduated or moved on, but England’s a small place.

I’ll find them, one way or another.

“Already studying late?” The elderly clerk at the Ashford College library gives me a sympathetic smile on Friday night, as I slouch in, tired, past the main desk. “Remember to pace yourself. It’s early days, yet.”

“I work better at night,” I tell her truthfully. “It’s quieter, I can focus.”

I haven’t been sleeping great since Wren died, so I may as well make use of the time.

“If you want a hot tip, there’s a café just up Cornmarket Street that stays open until midnight,” she adds. “But don’t go wandering around alone. It’s still a big city, and you should stay safe.”

“Thanks, I’ll be careful!” I reply. I’m just about to head upstairs to study, when another student arrives, looking panicked.

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