Camille

Chapter Thirteen

"Better lock it in your pocket, taking this one to the grave." 

When I arrived back at the house, I found myself in a combintation of flush and breathless. I wasn't sure how to feel about Sebastian. I could hear my mother's voice carrying from the sitting room. And she wasn't alone. I gathered my skirts, and moved quickly up the stairs. I pulled the door to the study behind me, and let out a deep breathe. "Hiding?" I jumped to see Aiden sitting in the corner with a book on his lap.

"What are you doing in here?"

"So protective, Kitty," Aiden slammed the book close, and looked up toward me. "Why?"

"Because you never had much interest in being in here when we were younger," I glared over at him, under a strand of hair, as I shifted books on the desk. 

"Well, I needed a place to think, and this seems to help you, thought it could help me somehow." Aiden looked up at me. 

"What do you need to think about?" 

"Mother wants me to....wants me to take over the buisness." 

I spun on my heel, fuming with rage, "You are in the guard! I am the one who is taking over. Not you. You never wanted to, you said you would rather die then take over the buisness. I love that buisness, its one of the only things I have left of father. I will not let you take it away from me." I was screaming. 

"Camille, mother has her reasons to why she doesn't want you working there."

'Why?! Because someone is trying to kill us? Well I don't care, you will have to pry it out of my hands." I glared at him, and felt every urge to just scream build inside of me. 

"How do you know about that." Aiden's face became serious, and I realized that I had just let something slip that I shouldn't have. 

"That's not the point, Aiden. You are not getting this buisness. It's mine." I was ready to just sit down and cry. "Now leave!" I stomped my foot, and Aiden threw his hands in the air. 

"You are stupid, Camille." He left the room, and I pushed the door closed behind him locking it. I slid down the door to the floor, growling at how they thought they could marry me off and take the buisness away and it would be fine. 

I heard heels clicking across the floor, and  ragging knock against my door, "Camille, open this door right now." My mother's voice echoed across the door's cracks. 

I stood up, opening enough to see my mother's face, "Why did I hear you raising your voice?" She had her arms crossed and looked like she was ready to slap me. 

"Because you made another choice about my life, that isn't yours to make. I want father's buisness." I was ready to stand my ground.

"This isn't an open discussion, Camille."

"I am telling you now, I know everything."

"What do you mean?"

"About someone wanting to kill us." Oh and that the man who wants to court me, his family isn't trustworthy. 

"How?"

"Overheard Herb, and i found notes belonging to father about them. Throughout the library." I looked around, along with a lettter to me...

"Camille.." This isn't something a young lady should worry herself in.

"Did you ever stop and think mother, that this is what father raised me to be. A strong woman, who could take his buisness." I was ready to fight till I was no longer breathing, if it meant keeping my fathers buisness.

"Do you think you could work with Lucas?"

"Yes. My personal affairs have nothing to do with buisness, mother." I put my hands on my hip.

"Fine, we will begin taking you with us, starting tomorrow. Where you can meet our new partner."

"New partner?" I raised my voice slightly, making my mother rub her temples in anger. 

"Yes, we are looking to expand, and this is what we need." She rubbed her temples, before rubbing her arms. 

"Well who is our new partner?"

"Mr. Lowry." My throat caught mid breathe and I stared at my mother, feeling the burning against my lips again.