Bearly In Control by Kim Fox Page B

last the train ride.”
     

two
     
     
     
    “Alfred where are the keys to my Porsche?” Grace asked as she tore through the drawers of the antique hutch in the lobby of her father’s mansion.
    The head butler for the Briggs family, Alfred, walked over with his back straight and his chin in the air. Grace swore that his back was made of metal and incapable of bending.
    “With the others Miss Briggs.” He slid open the thin top drawer. There were about twenty or so keys, most of them with Ferrari, Lamborghini, Bentley and Rolls Royce logos carved into them.
    Grace snatched the Porsche key, an Easter present from her Dad, and headed for the door.
    “Ci Ci,” her Dad called out as she was about to leave.
    She stopped in her tracks. “Yes Daddy?”
    “Are you off to pick up your new friend?” he asked. He was wearing a three piece suit even though it was a Sunday afternoon. He was rarely seen in regular clothes.
    “Boyfriend,” she corrected.
    He smiled tightly. “Well you are aware that this week will be an important week for our family?”
    Grace nodded. Of course she knew. He had been talking about this moment since Grace was in diapers. He was going to announce that he was running as a candidate in the next Presidential election. It was all that he ever talked about.
    “I hope that this Edmund-”
    “Edwin.”
    He forced a smile. “This Edwin is worthy of our family.”
    Grace gulped. She had strong feelings for Edwin but he was definitely rough around the edges. Changing into a brown bear at the most inappropriate times for instance.
    “It is highly important that nothing goes wrong this week,” he said, turning towards the mirror and combing his already perfect hair. “You have a duty to this family and I hope that you will uphold it.”
    “He’s great Daddy,” she said, suddenly feeling nauseous. “You’ll love him.”
    “It’s not me that I’m worried about,” he said, placing his comb back in the inner pocket of his coat. “It’s the press. Our family has to look perfect. I do wish that you would reconsider a courtship with Devon. He has a strong family name that has included numerous Senators and Governors throughout the years. Devon could even run for President one day and you could be the first lady. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?”
    For who? Grace hated politics. And she was in the wrong family for someone who hated politics.
    “I don’t like him,” she said. Devon was always talking about himself. He was almost as self absorbed as her father.
    He straightened his jacket. “Sometimes we have to make sacrifices for the good of the family. To keep the honor in the family name.”
    Grace squeezed the key in her hand and bolted out the door. She had been hearing that speech for years. Her family always had to look perfect. She always had to watch what she said, watch what she wore, watch who she was friends with. If it wasn’t her Dad watching over her than it was his staff. His endless team of assistants, secretaries and pages were always watching her every move and reporting back to her Dad.
    But the worst among them was the head butler Alfred. Grace swore that his life’s mission was to catch her doing what she wasn’t supposed to.
    Alfred claimed that he was from Britain. Part of the old class of butlers trained to serve the royalty. Grace was convinced that he was an American from San Diego. She had seen an old, San Diego, driver’s license, with his picture on it complete with hat head and blood shot eyes, when she was playing in his room as a kid. He denied it of course but Grace wasn’t convinced. Grace’s friend Angie was always trying to get Alfred to admit his true heritage. It was a little game between them. A game that Alfred despised.
    Alfred followed her out. “I trust that you’ll follow your Papa’s advice,” he said in a thick British accent, as Grace hurried to the car. “This is a key moment for the Briggs family. Perhaps this is not the best time to have