A Search for Balance

Chapter 8 - Getaway

"It's maybe not that great after all," Skye answered evasively. "Who cares for the Pricks of Portree anyway? The Isle of Skye is -"

"Forget about the bloody Isle of Skye, this place you mentioned sounds just like what we need. Where is it now?"

"It's a small headland on the west coast of Jersey," Orion suddenly spoke up, looking straight at Ethan. "It's not big but it's remote, and the water cuts it off during high tide, which means Anti-Muggle measures would be minimal."

Ethan seemed pleased at the prospect. "Sounds like a winner. Jersey it is then."

There was a growing sense of excitement in the changing room, which Lizzie didn't share. She was livid with Skye for not keeping her mouth shut, and she couldn't understand why Orion was backing her up, either. Surely thinking about the days they had spent on Jersey together had to be as painful for him as it was for her. Looking at Orion's calm but determined face as he spoke to Ethan about the details of their trip, Lizzie suddenly wasn't so sure about that anymore.

Not keen on telling Matthew about their boot camp, the sinking feeling in her stomach grew when Lizzie left the training grounds soon after. She pushed the thought away, even when she sat in the spacious gardens of McRae Manor with him and he was asking her about her day. The wine Matthew had taken from the wine cellar made her wonderfully sleepy, and so she decided to keep the information about their getaway to herself for just a little bit longer.

With their workload so greatly increased, Lizzie found plenty of excuses to avoid the topic for the rest of the following week, but leaving Matthew in the dark made her feel strung up and irritable. She did her best to hold her mood at bay, but when during one of their countless conversations about their wedding Matthew brought up the issue of her dress once more, her frustration finally rose to the surface.

"I don't care if Manuel is your friend. I hate his ideas. He didn't listen to what I wanted at all."

"It's Emmanuel," Matthew said laconically, the scowl on his face deepening every time Lizzie passed him while pacing up and down his study. "And he said that it was you not listening to him. Do you know how much of an effort he made? I would have expected you to show some gratitude, and if not that, some manners, at the very least."

"I don't even know what he was thinking. The things he suggested were ridiculous."

"I told him that I didn't want you to look like you're off for a day on the beach, that's what he was thinking," Matthew said flatly. "I want you to take this seriously."

Lizzie stopped her pacing. "What makes you think I'm not taking our wedding seriously? I am!"

Matthew raised his eyebrows and reached into the pocket of his jacket, producing a scroll of parchment and tossing it to Lizzie. "This suggests otherwise."

Frowning, Lizzie caught the scroll and unrolled it. Her eyes went wide as she saw the fine sketch lines in Andre's unmistakable hand, forming into the simple, flowy dress Lizzie had dreamed of wearing at her wedding. Incredulous, her eyes went from the sketch to Matthew.

"You opened my letters?"

"I must have taken it with me when I worked at your place the other day. It was stuck between my documents, so I thought it was mine."

"Then check the envelope next time," Lizzie snapped. "My letters are private."

"Don't get all worked up about it. I'll have a second look next time."

"I hope so."

"Why are you so upset? Is there anything you don't want me to see?"

"No, but some of these are personal. If there was anything important, I would have told you."

Matthew nodded at the scroll of parchment in Lizzie's hand. "Like Andre Egwu working on a wedding dress even though I said that I don't want him to?"

Lizzie's fist tightened around the sketch until she realised that she was creasing the parchment. "That's different."

"How so? You know I don't like his ideas, his designs, or even him, to be honest. And still you went behind my back and let him waste his time on something that's just not going to happen."

He snapped his agenda shut and rose from his seat. "Marriage is about making compromises, and I don't see you doing particularly well on that front lately. I expect you to clear this misunderstanding and get to work with Emmanuel properly by the beginning of next week."

Judging by the finality of his tone, Matthew wasn't expecting any objections. He was almost by the door when Lizzie called him back.

"Emmanuel can go and enjoy himself, but without me. I won't be here next week."

Matthew turned with an unbelieving look. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You heard me. The team's off for boot camp. I won't have time for another stupid meeting with any of your friends."

"Last year, all you did was stay on the training grounds for a week. Surely they can let you go for a special occasion like this?"

Lizzie crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Well, not this time. We're going away."

Matthew blinked, clearly taken aback. "What? Where to?"

"The Channel Isles."

"Since when have you known?"

"End of last week."

"And when are you going?"

"Beginning of next."

"For Godric's sake, Lizzie," Matthew huffed, running his hand over his face in exasperation. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I'm telling you now."

"How do you expect me to rearrange our appointments at such short notice? I don't have time to go on a holiday with you."

"Good, because it's not a holiday and you're not invited."

"What do you mean I'm not invited?"

"This is work," Lizzie stressed. "We're going to be training all day, every day. There's no need for you to be there."

Matthew pressed his lips together. "I'm your agent. There's every need for me to be there."

"Then you'd better stay here and get my contract sorted out. Doesn't look like it's going anywhere at the moment."

"It would if you didn't shut me out all the time!" When Lizzie flinched at Matthew's tone, he took a deep breath and put both hands on her shoulders. "I'm worried about you. You've been working so hard and you're still not fully recovered. Don't you think it would make more sense to stay and rest? We could focus on ourselves for a change. I haven't seen much of you lately. I miss you."

Even though Lizzie's anger was already dwindling, she moved her head away when Matthew leaned in to kiss her.

"I can't just not go. This isn't only about physical practice, it's about growing together as a team. I missed the second half of last season, and the roster is all different now. Working out the dynamics is important if we want to have a shot at the Cup."

Matthew abruptly let go of her. "Your health is important. Your team doesn't care about you half as much as you care about them."

"That's not true."

"It is. They lost no time to find a replacement for you when they signed on this Orion Amari without even knowing if -"

"This has nothing to do with him," Lizzie interrupted him so brusquely that Matthew fell silent.

"You had better think about your priorities," he said coolly after having composed himself again. "You seem to have gotten them confused."

Lizzie raised her chin and walked past him to the door. "I have my priorities perfectly straight, thank you very much. You can go and do your wedding stuff. I'm going to boot camp with my team, whether you like it or not."