Finding Home (Almost a Billionaire Book 6) by Bridget E. Baker

Author:Bridget E. Baker [Baker, Bridget E.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Purple Puppy Publishing
Published: 2020-06-12T16:00:00+00:00

12

Cole

I drink more tea and have more awkward family dinners in the next two weeks than I had in my entire life prior to now. Dozens and dozens of meetings, sometimes several with the same family member. I laugh at flat jokes. I smile at horrifyingly rude comments. I read and compliment a novel that is utter drivel, written by Dad’s cousin. But the worst thing of all is that I doubt it will make a single bit of difference.

Because, of course, the same people I’m flattering could just as easily be lying to me.

“How do you feel?” Mom asks for the fourth time.

I drink the orange juice she poured me in one go and slam the glass on the table. “Mom, I know that it’s very unlikely that the dynasts will vote in my favor. You’re worried I’m going to have some kind of nervous break or something, but the only thing pushing me toward the edge right now is you.”

She sinks onto a kitchen chair like I shoved her.

“I’m sorry. Maybe I’m not as zen about the whole thing as I want to be.”

Dad puts a hand on my shoulder. “No matter what happens, I’m glad that you agreed to sign those papers.”

“We could delay it,” Mom says. “Spend a little more time—”

“It’s time,” I say. “I can’t ask Russ to hold my job any more and if this doesn’t work, I need to move on.”

“I understand,” Dad says. “Then let’s go.”

The Landtag meets in the Government Building, conducting hearings at an enormous round table with an open space in the middle. When someone has the floor, they can speak from the center.

When I arrive, thirty-one dynasts are already present. “We don’t even vote for an hour,” I say. “Looks like we’ll have a good turn out.”

Dad nods. “At least they’re vested in this issue.”

I do my best to keep calm and steady while I visit with the people already present. I’ve known many of them well for years, but others I’ve only met once or twice. At five minutes until noon, forty-six of the fifty-three have shown up, and six proxies have been registered.

“Gregor is sitting it out?” I whisper.

Dad shrugs. “I didn’t think so.”

As the clock rolls over, I stand and move into the center of the table. We placed extra chairs around the table, between the existing places. It’s tight, but I can see everyone’s faces as I spin around. At least as many women stand up along the walls as men.

Just before I begin to speak, Gregor slides in the door and stands in the back. Every dynast is now represented.

“Welcome, and thank you for coming,” I say. “Dad asked me to say a few words before we vote today, mostly to explain why we’ve asked you here. You all know that Dad wants to change the House Law, which has existed for this principality for more than three hundred years, and was in existence for many centuries before in nearly the same form for Austrian houses.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.