Page 68 of Scandalous Heiress
There was that marvelous endearment again.She grinned at him.“With you.Oh, yes.”
“I’d happily arrange that.”
“Do.”
“First, I must see if I have enough friends to win the vote.”
She clasped her hands together and leaned toward him.“I’ve no doubts of that.”
“Support me, do you?”
“If I could vote, I would.But women cannot in America or here.But they should.”She eyed him.“Don’t you agree?”
“I do.We’d have more cooperation.”
“Fewer wars.Never good for commerce.But there is that other issue to your running for office…”
“Which is?”
“Do you truly want to do that?Instead of running your company and returning to Shanghai?”She had to know that she was not the reason he sought office.Because if he won and hated it or failed and hated his choice, and he’d changed his life to accommodate her wish not to go to China, she’d be to blame.Whatever happiness they might share would be ruined.
“I do.I always have wished to be in Parliament.Thought I’d be good at it.”
“You would because you listen to others.You know how to mediate.”
“Thank you.You are kind.”
“And observant, too,” she added.“How many friends do you have in politics?”
“Inpolitics?Four.Interestedorinfluentialin them?Ah.Dozens.”
“And how many must you see to garner adequate support?”
“As many as possible.Party leaders have not thought of me in years.It will take time.I know not how much until I begin.”
“How long until you know if they at least favor you?”
He shrugged.“By summer’s end, I should have a sound indication of support.”
“That’s enough?”
“It will have to be.”
“Because you’ll have to make plans by then to return to Shanghai?”
“Because the Member who occupies the seat now is ill.He wishes to resign for the autumn term.”
“Oh.”This political speculation of his would not take years and years.But merely months.“Just enough time to allow you to enjoy publication of your book, too.”
“We’ll hope that sells well.It may not.Too analytical, some may say.”
“Why would they criticize it?”
“It outlines changes the British should make to deal with the Emperor.Problems in the ports with the clash of Chinese values with Western will hurt us all someday very badly.”
She folded her hands in her lap and looked confident as the Queen.“Good advice then.A feather in your hat.”
He barked laughter.“May it be so!And in the meantime,” he said with more timbre in his voice, “shall I have the coachman stop so I might buy you an ice from the sweet shop?Or does an ice equate to sweets and bad poetry?”
“Bad poetry would make us run home and hide.But an ice?”
“Would cool us both.”
