angioplasty, and she didn’t like the idea of his taking on more. Her father was all she had, her only living relative in the world now. And at twenty-two, she had no desire to live in England or France, and wouldn’t have let him go alone.
She had graduated from Barnard at Columbia six months before. She hadn’t wanted to go to Princeton like her father, although he had pushed hard. And now she had the job she wanted, as assistant to the editor of a prestigious online fashion magazine. She had always wanted a career in fashion, and now she had it. She loved going to fashion events, and learning about new trends and important designers. Her long-term ambition was to become editor of
Vogue
magazine one day. Ariana had loved fashion almost since the day she was born, and she had the same simple natural style as her mother, who had shared her love of fashion with her. Laura Gregory had been elegant and gracious, and Ariana was a more exuberant, younger version of her mother. Her father kept photographs of his beautiful late wife everywhere.
Ariana had the same flawless blond looks, long legs, and blue eyes. Laura had been twenty years younger than Ariana’s father and had died much too young. He had worshipped her from the moment they met, just as he did their daughter now. Ariana thought his longing for an ambassadorship was silly, and probably wouldn’t be good for his health. She wanted to stay in New York. She loved her friends and her job. She had just gotten her first apartment, in Tribeca, as a graduation present from her father, and she was having a ball. She had friends over almost every night. She didn’t have a serious boyfriend, but she had lots of dates. She was living a life that was the dream of every twenty-two-year-old girl, and many older.
Her doting father lived to make life easy, happy, and safe for her. He had gotten the apartment in a building with a doorman, so she had twenty-four-hour security. The one thing he always insisted on was that she was safe. He wanted her to use a car service at night when she went out, and not take cabs. He insisted she live in a great building, in a good neighborhood, and had granted her every wish all her life. And now he was in pursuit of what he wanted. And Ariana was attentive to him with her mother gone. She had dinner with her father once or twice a week, and called him every day, knowing how much he missed her mother.
He met with Phillip Armstrong several times during the campaign, at fund-raisers, and reminded him that he wanted to be ambassador to Britain or France, if Armstrong won. The presidential candidate never promised to grant Robert his wish, but he said that he would consider it and do his best. He had other equally big donors to his campaign, and there were other considerations, as to who would fulfill the post best. He had integrity and was an honest man, which only made Robert respect him all the more.
Ariana wasn’t worried even when Armstrong won. Her father was invited to the inauguration, and he asked her to join him for the ball that night. It was an exciting moment for her too. She met the president and his wife, and Melissa Armstrong was kind and delightful to her. It was obvious that Phillip Armstrong held her father in high esteem. On their way back to New York, her father practically gloated, he was so excited, certain that he would get the appointment as ambassador to either country soon. Ariana didn’t want to discourage him, but she wasn’t as sure. Her father wasn’t young, had less-than-perfect health, no longer had a wife to act as hostess, and had no experience as a career diplomat, although she knew that many of those posts were given according to campaign contributions. Her father was like a little kid about it, and she didn’t want to rain on his parade.
When nothing had happened two months after the inauguration, she figured she was home free. She was having fun with her new job and didn’t want to go anywhere, even
She had graduated from Barnard at Columbia six months before. She hadn’t wanted to go to Princeton like her father, although he had pushed hard. And now she had the job she wanted, as assistant to the editor of a prestigious online fashion magazine. She had always wanted a career in fashion, and now she had it. She loved going to fashion events, and learning about new trends and important designers. Her long-term ambition was to become editor of
Vogue
magazine one day. Ariana had loved fashion almost since the day she was born, and she had the same simple natural style as her mother, who had shared her love of fashion with her. Laura Gregory had been elegant and gracious, and Ariana was a more exuberant, younger version of her mother. Her father kept photographs of his beautiful late wife everywhere.
Ariana had the same flawless blond looks, long legs, and blue eyes. Laura had been twenty years younger than Ariana’s father and had died much too young. He had worshipped her from the moment they met, just as he did their daughter now. Ariana thought his longing for an ambassadorship was silly, and probably wouldn’t be good for his health. She wanted to stay in New York. She loved her friends and her job. She had just gotten her first apartment, in Tribeca, as a graduation present from her father, and she was having a ball. She had friends over almost every night. She didn’t have a serious boyfriend, but she had lots of dates. She was living a life that was the dream of every twenty-two-year-old girl, and many older.
Her doting father lived to make life easy, happy, and safe for her. He had gotten the apartment in a building with a doorman, so she had twenty-four-hour security. The one thing he always insisted on was that she was safe. He wanted her to use a car service at night when she went out, and not take cabs. He insisted she live in a great building, in a good neighborhood, and had granted her every wish all her life. And now he was in pursuit of what he wanted. And Ariana was attentive to him with her mother gone. She had dinner with her father once or twice a week, and called him every day, knowing how much he missed her mother.
He met with Phillip Armstrong several times during the campaign, at fund-raisers, and reminded him that he wanted to be ambassador to Britain or France, if Armstrong won. The presidential candidate never promised to grant Robert his wish, but he said that he would consider it and do his best. He had other equally big donors to his campaign, and there were other considerations, as to who would fulfill the post best. He had integrity and was an honest man, which only made Robert respect him all the more.
Ariana wasn’t worried even when Armstrong won. Her father was invited to the inauguration, and he asked her to join him for the ball that night. It was an exciting moment for her too. She met the president and his wife, and Melissa Armstrong was kind and delightful to her. It was obvious that Phillip Armstrong held her father in high esteem. On their way back to New York, her father practically gloated, he was so excited, certain that he would get the appointment as ambassador to either country soon. Ariana didn’t want to discourage him, but she wasn’t as sure. Her father wasn’t young, had less-than-perfect health, no longer had a wife to act as hostess, and had no experience as a career diplomat, although she knew that many of those posts were given according to campaign contributions. Her father was like a little kid about it, and she didn’t want to rain on his parade.
When nothing had happened two months after the inauguration, she figured she was home free. She was having fun with her new job and didn’t want to go anywhere, even
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