“Kaela Maricosa.” Father’s voice boomed throughout the house, causing Kaela to jump up from her desk.
Quickly she emerged from her room. “Yes, Father?”
“Come to my office immediately. We have business to discuss.” His voice bounced off the marbled halls.
Rushing to the large oak doors separating her father’s home office from the rest of the estate, Kaela paused and took several deep breaths. She’d learned quickly that arriving in his presence winded and out of breath was considered unseemly and thus, expressed prohibited.
College couldn’t come soon enough.
Opening the door, Kaela pasted on a smile. “Father?”
“Kaela. Come in. We need to talk.”
“Yes, Father.” Settling gracefully into the large wingback leather chair situated across from her father’s large oak desk, she smoothed her dress across her lap.
He fingered his steeples and looked at her as if he were analyzing her. “Kaela, your mother has brought to my attention a few matters needing my consideration and guidance.”
Kaela waited quietly, while frantically going over what she could have possibly done wrong that would warrant an office visit.
“Are you considering attending a secondary educational institution?” His eyes narrowed as he spoke.
Kaela’s ramrod straight posture may have been the one thing keeping her from wilting into the chair.
“Yes, Father.” Her gaze focused down on the desk in front of her. Weren’t seniors supposed to do that?
“That will not be necessary.” His hand sharply cut through the air between them.
She couldn’t stop her mouth from dropping open.
“Close your mouth, girl. And listen.” He didn’t wait for her compliance. “There is no need to get all emotional about it. I am looking to correct your misassumptions. You will not be needing to attend any further education. In fact, that brings me to the other important matter I need to inform you of.”
“More?” Kaela nearly choked on the word.
“Such outbursts are unseemly. Get yourself under control. Immediately.” He barked. His fist slammed on the desk.
“Yes, Father.”
“Now, I am expecting to receive Stafford Walsh III in just a few minutes. You are to quietly sit in the corner and be as attractive as you can manage.”
Kaela glanced down at what she was wearing.
Her father must have caught the look. “Yes, your wardrobe is not ideal. I had supposed that you would have been keeping your appearance neat and comely, as expected of you. Go and change, then come back as soon as you can. Your late appearance to the meeting may prove to be more conducive to what I intend.”
Going back up to her room she mentally ran through her options. How exactly was her appearance essential for him to meet with a client?
She debated on how long to take changing and what to change into but in the end, she was back down at her father’s study door dressed in a pretty and modest yellow sundress in under 5 minutes.
Knocking, she held her breath. At his mild ‘enter’ she slowly opened the door.
Sitting in the chair she had recently vacated was a man only a few years older than herself. He turned toward her, no doubt wondering who would be interrupting their meeting. Her father motioned her to the chair in the corner he had previously spoken of.
“Pardon me.” She whispered and sat down.
Kaela didn’t listen as the two of them went back to discussing terms of some legal contract. It wasn’t until she heard the word union that her attention focused on the two men in front of her. The man sitting across from her imposing father was speaking.
“…My father has ordered me to ensure that decorum will be maintained and be an utmost priority in both public and private settings. I have also been instructed to obtain written and signed confirmation that all of my father’s requirements are met.”
“I can sign that now with ease.”
“From both parties.” Mr Walsh paused, glancing briefly over at her. “Today.”
Father nodded. “Kaela come over here and sign these papers, then return to your chair.”
Seeing no reason to not do as he said, she signed the several sheets of paper he placed in front of her before returning to her seat.
“I will return these to my father and we can proceed from there.” Mr Walsh rose. “Miss Maricosa can see me out.” He raised his hand in Kaela’s direction as if he wanted her to take it. She hesitated, glancing at her father. At his nod, she rose and took his hand.
Hers tingled at the contact.
Neither of them said a word as they navigated the halls to the foyer. It wasn’t until they reached the front door that he stopped.
“Do you have any idea what you just signed? You didn’t take the time to read any of them.” He asked her softly.
“No.” She shrugged. “But it couldn’t be much worse than here.”
At that, he squeezed the hand he was holding tighter. “What do you mean? Are you being mistreated?”
Kaela quickly shook her head. “No, no. I was informed today that my father will not allow me to go to college and it has been hard to wrap my head around. Yet, he still hasn’t told me why.”
“The papers.” Mr Walsh repeated, pausing to be sure she was listening. “You signed a betrothal agreement.”
“Betrothal. To who? I’m still in high school.”
His hesitation was much more noticeable this time. “To me.”
“You?” She stepped back. “No. How old are you?”
“I am a college freshman. We wouldn’t get married now. It would be in a few years.” He hurried to reassure her. “I knew that our fathers have been planning on this for a very long time and I wanted to meet and get to know you well before marriage was even close to happening.”
“And that’s why I can’t go to college.” Kaela’s shoulders slumped. At least he couldn’t be that much older than her.
“Not while under your father’s care, no. I, however, see no issue with you going to school.”
“Really?”
He glanced back in the direction of her father’s office. “Kaela, I believe that marriage is about two people caring enough about each other to support both of their dreams together. A partnership, not a tyrannical rule.”
“I believe I may come to like you, Mr Walsh.”
“Stafford, please.” He brushed a kiss on her hand. “I look forward to getting to know you and your dreams, Kaela.”
