Page 144 of Pervade London
He gave me a crooked smile as though this was all business as usual and pushed to his feet. I followed him down the stairs and out of the House of Commons into a grand foyer. We carried ourselves with the kind of grace that would fool everyone. No one would believe that we’d just committed some naughty act in the seats of Parliament that probably carried some ancient punishment.
My thighs were sticky, and I couldn’t ignore the feeling. I looked around for a place where I could freshen up.
A familiar face came into view.
Mike Todd, the burly Labor leader and head of the opposition, strolled by us, his rosy cheeks and waddle unmistakable. He was heading into the House of Commons.
At least this time James received a nod of recognition from him.
Todd paused before entering the grand chamber that we’d just left to exchange courteous words with the young man in the duffle coat who had handed the Prime Minister one of our folders.
Todd was handed the other one.
With a nod of approval, the Labor leader accepted it and then headed into the House of Commons.
James grabbed my hand to get my attention. “Don’t stare, Emily, it’s rude.”
I turned to look at him with wonder and trepidation burning my soul in equal measure. James Ballad seemed to be the man pulling the strings oneverything.
“Head for the Tesla,” James said.
“What happened to the other car?”
“Walk faster.”
I spun to look back at the Houses of Parliament. He grabbed my elbow with an ironclad grip and guided me over to a flashy car idling on the curb. The blacked-out windows prevented anyone from seeing inside the Tesla.
I paused next to the vehicle, replaying what had just gone down inside those hallowed chambers. “Who gave you that level of authority?”
“God, I suppose.”
“God?”
“Fate, then.”
“My vote means nothing?”
“It’s not that cut and dry.”
“Your man always gets in?”
“Or woman, yes. Undoubtedly.”
“Who else is in on it?”
He gestured to the car. “Get in, Emily.”
“Who are you, really?”
He yanked open the Tesla’s rear door and shoved me inside, then climbed in and sat beside me.
I felt a rush of relief when I saw who was behind the wheel.
Xavier turned his head to glance back at us. “How did it go?”
“The speech needs some tweaking,” said James. “But we’re close.”
Xavier’s gaze lingered on me. “How did it go for you?”
