Chapter 10 – Father and Son Talk–1

When Kent walks into his office, he’s surprised to see Daniel standing there, staring out the window, watching a car pull

away.

“Who is in that car?” Daniel asks.

Kent crosses to his desk and sits down in his chair, folding his hands. He takes a moment to study his son. Daniel is tall, handsome, clever; but he doesn’t yet have the grit that he needs to lead this family.

“If you already know,” Kent says softly. “Why don’t you just tell me what you’re thinking?”

“Fine,” Daniel says, and Kent is happy to hear some anger in his voice. Daniel turns to look Kent in the eye. “That’s my girlfriend’s family, riding away in that car. What did you do to them?”

“I did nothing to them,” Kent says, “except a favor to Fay Thompson, this girlfriend you never told me about. Tell me, how long have you been seeing her?”

“Cut the crap, dad,” Daniel says, angrily crossing to confront him. Kent smiles, pleased to see a little fire in this studious boy. “You know I’ve only been seeing her for a few months – you know –”

“I know,” Kent interrupts, “that she is not who you thought she was. And I know that you’ve already heard all about this from

“You have been engaged to Fay Alden since your childhood,”

Kent says quietly. “It would be an advantageous match. She’s got the connections, the family, the money you’d need to keep this family afloat. The question is…do you want her?”

Daniel looks away from him, embarrassed. “She’s fine. She’s very nice. And funny.”

“What,” Kent says, his voice deliberately mocking. “Is that all? She doesn’t do it for you, Daniel? Doesn’t raise your… heartrate?”

Daniel blushes and scowls. “No, it’s nothing like that – it’s just

“It’s just what, Daniel,” his father says, banging his hand on the desk, trying to shock the truth out of him. “You’ve got other girls on the line?”

“No,” Daniel says quickly, glaring. “I have…I have lots of girlfriends, you know. Girls for different…occasions…” he mumbles this, and his father subtly shakes his head.

Frankly, he doesn’t care, as long as Daniel does his duty by

take a wife,” Kent says, his voice

his head hanging a little, acknowledging his obligation. “I just want to make sure

on Daniel’s shoulder, glad to

what to say, except the unthinkable: she knows I’m gay and she hates me

“Is she…impure? Does she fool

up at his father, frowning, a little pissed off at his implications. “Come on, Dad,” he snaps. “You know she’s not.”

and shakes his son’s shoulder. “Good, it’s good to get angry sometimes, son. Let it feed

father’s hand once again. “You know Fay is…pure. I’m the only guy she’s ever dated,

and shakes his father’s hand off his shoulder. “We barely

girl,” Kent confirms, looking over his son’s shoulder out the window.

for just a moment as he considers his interactions with Fay. Her wide–eyed innocence, her creamy ivory skin, that long red hair. He was impressed

he met when he would go back to Italy with his mother as a boy – delicate by one turn, temperamental the next,

of her

B

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Gifts

– Father and

back to the room, and finds Daniel looking at him strangely. Kent clears his voice, keeping

a good wife, son,” he says, patting his boy again on the shoulder. “You can’t do better, and you could do worse. And it’s good you met outside of the arrangement – at least you two know you like each other

shrugs, not meeting

is it?” Kent

a fight. A big one.” He looks up at the ceiling. “And now she’s upstairs. And we’re engaged.” He shrugs

a little frustrated. “Pull it together, boy,” he says, his voice cold. “One day you’ll have control of

doesn’t meet Kent’s s eye. “What should I do? How

and if she’s going to survive in it, you’ve got to

challenge. Perhaps this is what it will take to make Daniel a

woman.

closure to the problem, Kent pats Daniel roughly on the shoulder again and gives him a shove, dismissing

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