Mysteries

Layla returned to her apartment feeling very tired and annoyed. The evening had felt so empty because Lucas hadn't come for his daily fix of sweet treats. It was odd having a break in the routine.

It felt even worse knowing where he actually was.

Somewhere at a party being introduced to marriageable young ladies.

Layla chucked her keys in the ceramic dish by the door and threw herself onto the sofa. She was going to make some popcorn, dust it with sugar and sit down to watch trashy romance movies until midnight. She put on her dressing gown and slippers and started a generous amount of popcorn kernels in a pan with some butter. Microwave popcorn didn't have the same allure.

She pulled out a bag of granulated sugar to be prepared for the topping and returned to the living room to find some trashy enough movies to watch. She located the perfect one for her mood as it didn't involve CEOs and rich people and was about a rich girl and a poor man. Layla liked role reversals more. Then the doorbell rang.

She picked herself of the sofa and went out to look through the peephole. She let out a gasp when she saw who was outside.

Her father was standing outside her door.

He had found her.

"Layla," he said loudly. "I want to talk to you. I am not leaving."

Layla closed her eyes shut to hide the sight of her father and opened them again. He was still there. Maybe she should wait all night to see if he would leave. He would have to leave. Wouldn't he?

He had to leave some time and then she would make herself scarce. She could stay in a hotel and find somewhere else to live again. Her brain was already going through all the potential routes of escape. Layla began to find it difficult to breathe the more her mind went into overdrive.

Her intakes of breath were so loud she swore he could hear it through the door.

"Layla, we need you to come back," he continued. "Please let me talk to you. I'll leave after that."

Her father had always been a stubborn man and if he needed something, he didn't stop until he had it. She knew he would stay outside all night talking through the door if he had to. There was no pretending about that.

She took a deep breath before opening the door and stepped outside. If they spoke for too long her neighbours would start to complain and then he really would have to leave.

"Spit it out and go home," she ordered with more bravery than she expected.

Her father looked reassured by her opening the door and a closer look at him made her re-evaluate everything. Lord Jonathon Huntington looked twenty years older than when she had last seen him and there were deep bags under his eyes. He wasn't as sharply dressed either and she could see a lot of stubble on his face. Something must have happened.

"I have left you alone because I wanted you to live life you wanted. Unfortunately, the company and the family is not doing well and we need you," he explained. "Please come back."

His eyes began to moisten at the edges and Layla didn't know how to feel. She recognised that he was manipulating her, but she also knew he was telling the truth by how he looked. She didn't want to not help out someone in need.

"What do you want me to do when I come back?" she asked.

She knew what was in the offing. As a female she didn't have much value to them besides as someone to marry off to someone rich.

"Go through with an arranged marriage."

***

"Thank you for coming," Lucas said with the appropriate polite tone and nod of the head.

His mother was giving him an approving glance as far as he could observe out the corner of his eye. By now the party was in full swing and most of the guests had arrived.

The female guest eligible for marriage to ineligible to marry guest ratio was lower than he had expected, but he assumed that everyone had brought their families with them. This guess turned out to be correct as the next few conversations occurred.

"I haven't seen you for years," an elderly lady with a snobby voice said to him. "Let me introduce you to my granddaughter. Please dance with her later."

The young lady in question looked more like she had just finished school and Lucas winced. How far was everyone going to marry him off?

"Lucas! I haven't seen you since you were in diapers," another older lady beamed. "My daughter has been longing to meet you."

This daughter looked to be more his age and was very vain as far as he could tell. The constant batting of her eyelashes and the way she flicked her hair were good clues. He looked at her with a healthy dose of skepticism and she simply winked at him.

The next few conversations panned out like carbon copies. He would be assailed by someone that apparently knew him when he was young and then a female would be introduced to him from out of nowhere. Some he vaguely recognised from past family gatherings, others were completely unfamiliar.

Lucas spent most of the time wondering when his cake was going to be served. He might not like it, but he needed a sugar kick. He also spent time analysing the canapés. Perhaps there was room in the market for Sweet Cake Patisserie to supply food for gatherings like this. It was a possible idea.

His cake was finally served at seven and the whole party sang happy birthday to him which was a mortifying experience. He wasn't a person that liked being in the limelight.

"How's the cake?" a female asked him after he had been handed a slice on a plate.

He picked up his fork, took a bite and frowned. It was nothing compared to the wonderfulness of a cake that had been served to him the day before. It tasted like sawdust in comparison.

"Not good? My business made that cake," she drawled and placed her hand on her hip.

That made him take a second look at her. He was detecting that she had an interest in him that extended beyond talking about cake.

"Thank you for providing the cake," he said respectfully and went to make his escape.

Sadly his mother chose that moment to arrive. She beamed at the business owner.

"Lucas, this is Lady Harriet Churchill," she introduced. "She's a year younger than you and runs a catering business."

He smiled at her and clenched his teeth. So far, his mother hadn't made an appearance during any conversations so this lady had to be someone that she definitely wanted him to meet.

"Is that so?" was all he said.

His mother glared at him for poor manners.

"My son hasn't been home for a long time so he's lost his manners," she explained to Harriet.

"It's fine," Harriet laughed. "It's refreshing."

Lucas took a closer look at her. Her long black hair had been curled at the ends and looked expensively styled. Her cream dress was also well cut and on her wrists were several bracelets that Lucas recognised as being high end designer jewellery. In short, she was the woman his mother would love for him to marry and she was probably wearing the monthly rent of Sweet Cake Patisserie on her wrists.

"You're such a nice girl," his mother beamed at Harriet.

Lucas started to not feel well. His palms were sweating and his head began to pound uncontrollably.

"I need the bathroom," he said to them. "Please excuse me."

He put his wine glass down on the nearest table and made his way out the party hall. Outside the room was the family butler who he hadn't been expecting to see.

"James, which bathroom can I use?"

"It is pleasant to see you, young master," the butler said and beamed at him. "In answer to your question, the one down the hallway is open to the guests."

"Thank you, James," Lucas answered. "Is your wife still working here?"

James nodded gravely. "Yes, she's in the kitchen bossing the caterers around."

Lucas smiled at the mental image. This house had been more liveable due to James and his wife watching over him in his childhood . He hadn't thought of them much since he'd left five years ago, but it was good to know that neither had changed.

"I'll see her later," he promised.

The bathroom had certainly been renovated since his last visit. The hideous carpet had finally gone and everything was shining and chrome. He stared in the mirror and took a deep breath. He had already accepted the idea that he was going to have to marry someone that he didn't necessarily like so he had to go out there and do it.

"Keep it up," he said to his reflection.

He returned to the party a few minutes later under his mother's glare and smiled at Harriet who was still standing where he had left her.

"Sorry for my absence," he said with the appropriate apologetic tone.

She nodded gracefully.

"I'll overlook it," was her cool reply.

Lucas blinked. If anyone had at Sweet Cake Patisserie had said that he knew they would be smiling when they meant it, or they would be joking. He looked her at carefully to check if she was just bad at making jokes, but she was stone faced.

His mother had paired him up with an ice princess.

"I like punctuality," she explained. "You can't run a business with tardiness."

He could understand why his mother had picked out this woman. She was from a rich family and was strict. If he looked at it that way, it would be like he was marrying a younger version of his mother. He mentally shuddered.

"I agree," he said. "I'll overlook it in special circumstances though."

She looked at him disdainfully.

"That's not the way to run an efficient business."

"I like to run one that treats its employees well," he argued.

"We shall have to agree to disagree on this one," she huffed. "I pride myself on getting good results."

Lucas watched her stomp away and frowned. Should be look into her business for ethics? He really didn't want to marry her.

"What did you think of her?" his mother asked eagerly.

Where had she popped up from?

"I don't like her even if she's successful," he said warningly. "You said I could choose."

His mother stared at him briefly and then nodded much to his surprise.

"I did say that. She was my first choice, I'll have to think of someone else," she paused. "Don't think that it's an excuse to be rude to everyone here. You still have to keep talking politely."

"Do you have any other choices lined up?" He asked.

His mother appeared to be surprised he was displaying curiosity about his prospective marriage candidates.

"Well yes, I do. There was someone you were supposed to be married to when you were younger as everything between our families were compatible. She isn't an option anymore so I've had to move onto other families that aren't quite as right, but are good enough," she explained. "There's two more here tonight."

His marriage had certainly been planned for a long time. Who was this mystery marriage candidate that he had been destined for?

What had happened?