“Let’s hope they take up a new pastime and stop playing at politics.”
“You dabble all the time, Mother.”
“Dabbling isn’t what they do. We push through favorable zoning laws and pollution regulations. That’s a lot different than poking at foreign leaders and governments. It’s why we let the senate handle such things. Buffers, if you will. Buffers who have too many children scattered among the highborn and lowborn alike to risk their offspring falling on the front lines of a war without reason. It gives us boundaries, Lila. That’s the difference. Ask Commander Sutton if you still don’t understand.” She drained her glass and nodded at Lemaire. “Are you ready to leave, Henri?”
He tapped out one last message on his palm. “Yes. Lila, would you like to ride with us?”
Lila frowned. The pair seemed to have made up. “As much as I love trying to carry on a conversation while you both paw at one another, I have my own car and a prior appointment.”
“Such a grouch. Maybe she does need a vacation, Bea.”
The chairwoman looked smugly at Lila.
“Come to Falcon Home tomorrow morning for breakfast, Lila girl. Nine o’clock. I have an early meeting, but I’ll wait to eat until you arrive.”
Lila nodded, steeling her face so that she would not tip off her mother. Her father didn’t want breakfast. He wanted her help with Oskar.
And that was too bad, for Lila had every intention of stealing the boy herself.
“I’d love to have breakfast with you, Father.”
“Good. Perhaps I’ll even try my hand at making pancakes.”
Lila tried to smile. Though she appreciated the effort, she’d eaten burned pancakes too many times as a child. “Hmmm,” she answered diplomatically.
“Fine, I’ll ask Chef Mathieu make them instead.”
“No sausage?”
“No sausage,” he promised, his hand over his heart.
“Well, in that case, I’d be delighted to attend.”