‘But you are undoubtedly in full support of your husband’s policies now?’
‘From what I have just heard, yes.’ She paused, drawing the line at actually lying. They did sound good, but so did a lot of things which came out of his mouth. ‘But they are as new to me as I am sure they are to many of you. So, since I’m afraid I have never believed in adopting the opinions of those close to me simply because of the ties of marriage or blood, ask me again when I have had time to mull over the facts.’
To Libby’s surprise the whole room suddenly filled with delighted applause—from the women in the crowd, who seemed to be bowled over that she had spoken her mind, and from the men, who nudged each other knowingly, as if it was heartening to know that even Orion Delikaris had a headstrong wife to contend with. From everyone except Stamos, who slipped out of the back door with a face like thunder.
Libby resumed her seat as new questions about health-care and schooling began to pour in thick and fast, the crowd’s tongues apparently loosened by the moment.
‘You’re a genius,’ Stephanos whispered from the edge of the stage.
But something about the look on Rion’s face told her that was not going to be an opinion he shared.
CHAPTER SEVEN
AS LIBBY sank down into the low leather seat of the Bugatti, Rion removed his tie, loosened his collar, and turned the key in the ignition. The car roared into life.
He had maintained his flawless composure during the remainder of the meeting, effortlessly answering each new question from the floor with just the right blend of consideration, substance and wit, but she’d known that inwardly he was seething. And if she’d been in any doubt, then the firm hand at her back and his frosty silence as he’d escorted her to the car afterwards had made it explicitly clear.
Well, Libby was positively seething herself. Yes, she’d gone to the meeting with the intention of riling him, but surely he could see that in the end she’d decided to try and breed a little common decency? It seemed she’d made a serious error of judgement. He didn’t have an ounce of common decency left.
‘Has it escaped your notice that I actually did you a favour in there?’ she shot out suddenly, convinced that if she didn’t say something then the car’s windows would implode under the tension, ‘That the people of Metameikos got to see you as a human being instead of a billionaire who flies around the sky in his own plane and whirls around the streets in his Bugatti?’ She made a disparaging spinning gesture with her forefinger.
‘Hark at you, “Lady” Ashworth, lecturing me about keeping in touch with the common people.’
‘I’m not the one swanning around in the fancy transport.’
‘No, you’re the one who—in the absence of your parents’ wealth to wallow in—has come to wallow in mine.’
She seethed at the accusation. ‘Being forced to do so has only reminded me that money counts for nothing. Doesn’t it occur to you that the people of Metameikos might feel the same?’
Rion’s knuckles went white against the steering wheel, and for a moment his fury was so acute he couldn’t speak. ‘You think that money counts for nothing? Here, of all places? But of course—why would you think anything else when you’ve never known what it is to have none?’
‘That’s not what I meant. Just because my parents have money it doesn’t mean I have no idea—’
‘How it feels to live in squalor? Oh, yes, I’m forgetting the slum of an apartment I made you live in.’
She shook her head, wondering how it was possible that he always got her so wrong.
‘Just because my parents have money it doesn’t mean I have no idea about poverty, Rion. I’ve been all over the world—all over it, not just to the places with bright city lights.’
‘And what did you do when you saw it? Put away your digital camera and thank God you were born lucky?’
‘I did what I could,’ she said solemnly, turning to look out of the window. Which hadn’t been much when she’d been living on her wits herself. But the fund at Kate’s Escape she’d set up, to encourage staff and clients to donate to the areas they visited which were most in need, was now really starting to make a difference.
‘What I meant…’ She took a deep breath, steering her thoughts back to their original argument as they approached the house. ‘What I meant is that I doubt your display of excess is doing anything to endear you to your electorate.’
‘You don’t think so?’ He raised his eyebrows patronisingly. ‘Surely I don’t need to remind you that I was a boy in that crowd once?’