Affairs of State(31)
She nodded. “My friend Francesca’s husband is president of the network. Apparently the White House is almost ready to agree to a date.”
Eleanor winced. “A private meeting would be so much nicer.”
“I know, but the president isn’t a private person, really. Not to the point where I could call him up and introduce myself. Somehow it seemed more…doable.”
“You’re outgoing, too, aren’t you?” She smiled slightly.
“I suppose I am. I plan parties for a living. I love getting people together and making it an occasion to remember.”
She smiled again. “You must get that from Ted. You have his cheekbones, too. And that sparkle of determination he always had in his eye.”
“I think you and I look alike, too.” She drank in the precious sight of her birth mother’s face. “Our faces are similar shapes, and we’re both tall and slim.”
“Will o’ the Wisp, Ted used to call me. Said a strong breeze would blow me away one day. I suppose in a way he was right. It blew me over to Ireland and I didn’t dare to look back.”
“I’m sure he’d love to see you again.”
Her eyes widened into a look of panic. “Oh, no. No. I’m sure he’d never forgive me for what I did. I thought it was for the best but looking back I can see that not telling him he had a child was a terrible thing to do. An act of cowardice. I won’t forgive myself and I wouldn’t expect him to, either.”
Not knowing her famous father, Ariella wasn’t really in a position to argue with her. “Why didn’t you tell him?”
“I knew he’d do the right thing.” She said it with mocking emphasis. “Not the right thing for him and the big career he’d dreamed of, but the right thing in the eyes of our parents and pastors and neighbors. He’d settle down in our small town in Montana and live a tiny fraction of the live he’d imagined, because he’d be forced to support a family instead of going off to the big college he’d won a scholarship to. I could never let him throw away his future like that.”
“You could have let him make the decision himself.”
“I know. Now I know that.” Tears welled in her eyes again. “I didn’t want him to grow to hate me so I did the one thing that should truly make him hate me. I gave away our child and never told him she existed.” She broke down into sobs.
Unable to hold back any longer, Ariella wrapped her arms around Eleanor’s slim shoulders and held her tight, her own tears falling. “Everything happens for a reason,” she said softly. “Maybe we’ll never even know the true reason, but I believe that all the same.”
“You’re a very clever girl. I can see that in your eyes.” Eleanor dabbed at her own eyes with a tissue. “You have your dad’s keen intelligence. I bet you have a university degree, don’t you?”
Ariella nodded. “In history, from Georgetown.”
“It’s such a coincidence that both you and Ted wound up living in Washington, D.C.” She blew her nose.
“It is strange.”
At that moment the door opened and their heads swung around. Ariella gasped when she saw Simon standing in the doorway.
Six
“Ariella.” Simon had a hat clutched in his hand and a curiously intense expression on his face.
Eleanor gasped and brought her wet tissue to her face as if she wanted to hide behind it.
“What are you doing here?” Ariella’s voice came out sounding stern.
“I…” He hesitated. A sheepish expression crossed his handsome features. “I confess that I saw you on the street and followed you.”
“What?” Anger surged inside her, warring with the sharp sting of attraction. “What made you think you could follow me into a private meeting?”
He shrugged. “I’m embarrassed to say that I didn’t examine my motives too closely.” He looked at Eleanor, as if expecting an introduction.
“You need to leave.” Ariella rose to her feet. She could feel Eleanor, desperate to preserve her privacy, shrinking back into the shell that she’d started to emerge from. “You may be a prince but that doesn’t mean you can march in anywhere you feel like.”
“You’re absolutely right, of course. My sincerest apologies.” He nodded and bowed to Eleanor, and started to back out the door.