something that felt as much like a goodbye as it did a romance.
She couldn't speak, and after a moment, he walked off towards his own rooms.
Viviana shut the door behind her quietly, and then with shaking legs, she went to sit on the bed. Everything felt unreal, as if she had become detached from reality. The place on her hand where he had kissed her burned as if he had branded her.
What have I done? Vivian asked in agony, but the answer came back loud, clear, and truthful.
What you had to do.
CHAPTER EIGHT
She didn't know what to expect from the engagement that they had that morning. All she knew was that she received a note at the breakfast table requesting her presence at the car at eleven. It was their first engagement since their talk at her bedroom door, and Viviana had not seen Mikal since. He had respectfully been keeping his distance, or at least that was what she assumed. On one hand, she was grateful, because after all, it did make things much easier. On the other hand, she missed him terribly.
This engagement looked no different from the ones that they had attended before. She dressed carefully, and when she smiled in the mirror, she looked as stunning as ever. Her heart leaped up to her throat when she saw him in his dark blue western suit, but he looked preoccupied and they rode to the event in silence.
"Only a few more of these," he mentioned as he handed her out of the car. She wondered if it was her imagination that he lingered a little, but she dismissed it as they made their way into the event.
Viviana reminded herself that this was her element. This was where she belonged, and that was enough to spur her to work. There were still plenty of people on the fence about Mikal's legislation, still plenty of people who were simply not sure what women could offer if they were simply granted the rights that their male counterparts had.
She and Mikal mingled together and apart, chatting about this and that, and ultimately bringing their views to the forefront. Viviana was approached by a stern looking woman who intimidated her at first, but soon she was intrigued to find that the woman ran a service for placing young girls into the workplace.
"There are many risks for them," she said. "Some of the recruiters are less than scrupulous, and the work that the girls do is not what they wanted …"
Viviana frowned, nodding in agreement. She had spent some time as a model, and even now she could see some of the terrible practices that would be horrible surprises to young girls freshly away from their family.
"I'll definitely bring your organization to Mikal's attention …"
"Actually, I was wondering if you would care to help us yourself," the woman said with a wry smile. "No offense to your husband-to-be, but one of the ways that the girls truly trust us to do right by them is to show them that the leadership is by women who have their best interest at heart."
Her hesitation must have looked like disapproval, because the woman hastened to smooth it over. "Perhaps in the future, it might be different, but right now, this is what we are doing. This is what we know has worked. Please, will you consider it?"
Viviana couldn't tell this hopeful woman who was doing so much good that there was no way she would be able to help them as Mikal's wife. She did take the card, but it gave her a sick feeling to her stomach. She resolved to bring it up with Mikal and also with Charlotte, who she could see doing a great amount of good for the organization.
She had barely turned away from the woman with the job service when she was cornered by a man who wanted to tell her exactly what was wrong with Mikal's legislation. She was so stunned by his vitriol that she simply stared at him in confusion for a moment, but finally, when she realized what he was saying, she straightened her spine and glared at him. It was a source of grim satisfaction to her that he fell back. She wondered if he had ever met a woman who wouldn't
She couldn't speak, and after a moment, he walked off towards his own rooms.
Viviana shut the door behind her quietly, and then with shaking legs, she went to sit on the bed. Everything felt unreal, as if she had become detached from reality. The place on her hand where he had kissed her burned as if he had branded her.
What have I done? Vivian asked in agony, but the answer came back loud, clear, and truthful.
What you had to do.
CHAPTER EIGHT
She didn't know what to expect from the engagement that they had that morning. All she knew was that she received a note at the breakfast table requesting her presence at the car at eleven. It was their first engagement since their talk at her bedroom door, and Viviana had not seen Mikal since. He had respectfully been keeping his distance, or at least that was what she assumed. On one hand, she was grateful, because after all, it did make things much easier. On the other hand, she missed him terribly.
This engagement looked no different from the ones that they had attended before. She dressed carefully, and when she smiled in the mirror, she looked as stunning as ever. Her heart leaped up to her throat when she saw him in his dark blue western suit, but he looked preoccupied and they rode to the event in silence.
"Only a few more of these," he mentioned as he handed her out of the car. She wondered if it was her imagination that he lingered a little, but she dismissed it as they made their way into the event.
Viviana reminded herself that this was her element. This was where she belonged, and that was enough to spur her to work. There were still plenty of people on the fence about Mikal's legislation, still plenty of people who were simply not sure what women could offer if they were simply granted the rights that their male counterparts had.
She and Mikal mingled together and apart, chatting about this and that, and ultimately bringing their views to the forefront. Viviana was approached by a stern looking woman who intimidated her at first, but soon she was intrigued to find that the woman ran a service for placing young girls into the workplace.
"There are many risks for them," she said. "Some of the recruiters are less than scrupulous, and the work that the girls do is not what they wanted …"
Viviana frowned, nodding in agreement. She had spent some time as a model, and even now she could see some of the terrible practices that would be horrible surprises to young girls freshly away from their family.
"I'll definitely bring your organization to Mikal's attention …"
"Actually, I was wondering if you would care to help us yourself," the woman said with a wry smile. "No offense to your husband-to-be, but one of the ways that the girls truly trust us to do right by them is to show them that the leadership is by women who have their best interest at heart."
Her hesitation must have looked like disapproval, because the woman hastened to smooth it over. "Perhaps in the future, it might be different, but right now, this is what we are doing. This is what we know has worked. Please, will you consider it?"
Viviana couldn't tell this hopeful woman who was doing so much good that there was no way she would be able to help them as Mikal's wife. She did take the card, but it gave her a sick feeling to her stomach. She resolved to bring it up with Mikal and also with Charlotte, who she could see doing a great amount of good for the organization.
She had barely turned away from the woman with the job service when she was cornered by a man who wanted to tell her exactly what was wrong with Mikal's legislation. She was so stunned by his vitriol that she simply stared at him in confusion for a moment, but finally, when she realized what he was saying, she straightened her spine and glared at him. It was a source of grim satisfaction to her that he fell back. She wondered if he had ever met a woman who wouldn't
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