A French Girl in New York ( The French Girl Series #1)

Chapter 32

"What?" croaked Victoria.

"I want to become a lawyer," Cynthia repeated, her voice firmer.

"You're at Julliard," James affirmed as if that was the answer to everything.

"I want to become a lawyer," Cynthia repeated as if those were the only words coming to her mind. "I've been meaning to announce this news to you for a while but I­­—"

"This news!" Victoria spluttered. "Don't you mean Peter Longarm's news?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Victoria," James said gently.

Cynthia looked taken aback as Victoria rose from her chair.

"You know perfectly well what I mean, Cynthia. Two months ago, Peter announced he wanted to become a politician, and now, all of a sudden you want to become a lawyer?" she hissed.

 "I—" Cynthia stuttered miserably.

"I thought I had raised my daughters to think for themselves, not to stand behind a short, showy, arrogant, narrow-minded politician!" she hissed fiercely.

Then she walked out of the dining room.

James was as surprised as Victoria and stood up as well.

"Dad," Cynthia pleaded.

"You might have announced this piece of news in a proper manner, Cynthia," he declared before leaving the table.

"That went well, Cynth," Jazmine said after her parents had left. "Since when do you want to become a lawyer anyway? This is the first I hear of it."

"It has absolutely nothing to do with Peter," Cynthia explained. "Mom is totally blowing this out of proportion! I would never choose my career according to Peter's political ambitions."

"It is true that a lot of political wives started out as lawyers: Hillary Clinton, Michelle Obama, Elizabeth Edwards, Alicia Florrick in The Good Wife," Jazmine pointed out.

"I actually haven't even told Peter yet. I've never even discussed it with him. I was planning on telling him when I saw him this evening. I've been working with Nathalie Fern every Friday and Saturday afternoons since January and I really love it." Cynthia's eyes brightened as she spoke of her internship.

"Just give them a little time," Jazmine sighed. "They obviously can't imagine that a Baldwin could make a career out of anything else than music."

"Especially something as boring as law," Ben added.

Cynthia narrowed her eyes at her brother, who hid behind his napkin.

"Let's face it, our parents have always had a thing against lawyers. I don't think they would have minded your change of calling so much had it been anything else but the law," Jazmine acknowledged, wrinkling her nose.

"I'm guessing they thought you wanted to work in the music industry since you entered Julliard," Maude put in. "They'll need time to adjust."

"I could never be a lawyer," Jazmine said, thinking aloud. "No briefcase would be big enough to carry my bass guitar. And I absolutely cannot part with it," she said.

The doorbell rang, and Cynthia rose from the table.

"That must be, Peter," she said. "He can join us for dessert."

"I am sooo full. There's no more room for dessert," Jazmine moaned, stashing large bites of food in her mouth hurriedly.

"Jazmine! You haven't finished your plate! Maude, are you leaving, too?" Cynthia asked.