“I was in the area,” she commented. “But I can assure you that I did not hang out with the sheik in any way. In fact, I believe he has a very lovely wife, doesn’t he?”
Martha was not to be deterred. “Yes, I think you’re right, but you’ve made a fabulous connection, dear. What have I told you about knowing the right people in this world?”
Joline had heard the lecture too many times over the years. Her mother had once had high hopes that her daughter would help her with entrée into other families. There had been many arguments when Joline refused to attend parties or social events, flirt with the men in the social circles her mother flitted through in her efforts to marry wealthier and more famous men. Those arguments became heated when Martha wanted Joline to pretend that they weren’t related. “Connections are everything,” she repeated, rolling her eyes.
“Exactly. So who do you know at the palace?”
Joline didn’t want to have this conversation. Her mother’s interest wasn’t for her daughter. Nope, it was self-serving. Martha’s mind was already spinning, trying to figure out how to leverage Joline’s palace connections for her own benefit.
Joline looked around at her office. Her desk had piles of papers and a task list that was several pages long. She wasn’t going to allow her mother to derail her day. “I really have to go, Mother. I have customers that I need to help.”
“Oh, good grief, Joline!” her mother snapped. “With your looks, figure and youth, you could have men falling at your feet and instead, you choose to sully yourself with working in that ridiculous shop! You should be…”
“I love my job and I’m part-owner in the business, Mother. I don’t just work in the shop. I run it, I manage it, I build the business!” she interrupted, angry with her mother for not respecting her life’s work. Of course, Joline didn’t respect her mother’s “work” either, so it was a relationship that didn’t work on either end.
Joline knew better than to try and convince her mother that she was happy. Especially when she was this tired. But it still irked her that her mother started scoffing at her efforts here at Jesek. It was a fabulous business with lots of challenges. “I like my life.”
Her mother scoffed. “You can’t be happy working nine to five every day with nothing to ease the drudgery.”
Joline didn’t bother explaining that her hours were more like six in the morning to midnight most nights, longer on the weekends. “Well, I’ll just have to deal with my drudgery,” she responded.
“Why not meet me in London? I’ll take you shopping and we can see the sights together.”
Joline almost laughed. “Would some of those sights be a rich man that could take me away from all of this drudgery?” she asked cynically.
“Well!” her mother scoffed. “If there happens to be handsome men in the vicinity, what would be the harm in talking with them and finding out more about them? It isn’t a crime to fall in love, Joline.”
Joline almost laughed. She doubted very seriously that her mother honestly loved any of the men she’d taken into her bed. Joline wasn’t sure if her mother loved anyone other than Martha! “I’m sure that’s true,” she said, but she was only agreeing with her mother so that she could get off the phone more easily. “I’ll let you know about London,” she promised, knowing that her mother wouldn’t accept a “no” over the phone.
“Let me know soon. I believe Marcus wants to be in London by the weekend.”
“Will do,” she lied. Well, it wasn’t completely a lie, she told herself as she ended the call and tried to focus back on her work. She’d simply e-mail her mother and let her know that she wouldn’t be meeting her in London. It was easier to get her mother to accept no for an answer when she couldn’t argue back.
Joline set her phone to the side, wishing she could just cut her mother out of her life. But there was still some sort of relationship there. And as sad as it was, Joline never gave up the hope that maybe her mother might eventually find a bit of pride in Joline’s accomplishments.
It was a ridiculous hope, she told herself over and over again. Martha Caldwell was simply focused on Martha Caldwell. And the men in Martha Caldwell’s life.
With a sigh, Joline focused on the details in front of her. She had a lot of work to do and not a lot of time to do it, she told herself. Martha Caldwell was not part of her day’s agenda.
Her phone immediately started ringing again and she picked it up, assuming it was her mother again who must have forgotten something during their initial conversation. But when she saw the phone number…well, the area code…she shivered in reaction. Prince Rais!