Chapter 7: The Family Dinner

When Nathan heard the news, his brows furrowed. "You don't have to do that," he said from the doorway, arms crossed.

Ashley whirled around, startled. She hadn't even realized he was there.

"I do." She sounded stubborn. "I can't do this over the phone. No more running. I need to see him."

Nathan looked at her for a long moment, sizing her up. "Okay," he said finally, and he was so firm that Ashley blinked up at him. "I'll go with you."

"This is family business." She blinked at him again.

"It's security business now," Nathan corrected. "You're still in the middle of something dangerous. I'm not letting you go into a situation like that alone." 

Ashley did not argue, though part of her was silently grateful for his offer. 

She dressed carefully that evening, but not for Harvey. She dressed for herself. A simple black dress, pearl earrings, hair in a low twist. Ashley wanted to look calm. Impassive. Invulnerable. 

The West family estate was everything Ashley remembered, grand, cold, perfect. Everything was gilded and flawless, designed to impress and overawe. The dining hall glowed with crystal chandeliers, polished silver, and tall vases filled with fresh flowers. It was the kind of room that made guests feel like outsiders, like they were always in danger of being seen as insignificant. 

Ashley walked in, heels clicking on the marble floor, and immediately felt the eyes of everyone there on her. Harvey was already there, leaning with a bored air against the fireplace, his cousins flitting about him like usual.

"Look who finally deigned to make an appearance," one of them snorted loud enough for Ashley to hear. 

She ignored him and nodded politely at Harvey's parents. 

"Good evening, Mrs. West." 

Harvey's mother appraised Ashley silently, from head to toe, with a smile that was not quite a smile. "Ashley," she said. "We were afraid you wouldn't come. I told Harvey you were probably too upset." 

Ashley forced a smile. "Thank you for having me." 

They all sat at the large table for dinner. The room was stiflingly quiet, except for the scraping of silverware. Ashley sat up straight, hands folded demurely in her lap.

Halfway through the meal, Harvey's mother spoke. "Ashley," she cooed, "I have always respected the time you spend on your studies. But you must realize that our family name is important. If you marry, it will be a political alliance first, a romance second."

Ashley carefully set down her fork. "I understand, Mrs. West." 

Mrs. West smiled coldly. "I do sometimes wonder, dear, if you realize what you're getting into. After all, you have no family name, no place in society. People will think..." She trailed off, leaving the rest unsaid. 

Ashley felt a knot form in her chest. 

"She's marrying for money, not for love," one of Harvey's cousins whispered with a laugh. 

Mrs. West chuckled softly, not denying it. 

Before Ashley could respond, a deep, clear voice spoke from the other end of the table. 

"I have always thought Ashley carried herself with more dignity than most of us could in her situation," said a woman with green eyes and a quietly commanding presence. 

Ashley whirled to look. Nathan was seated beside her, she hadn't seen him slip into the room, and sitting next to him was the woman speaking. 

Nathan caught Ashley's shocked glance. "Ashley," he said quietly, "this is my mother." 

Ashley blinked in surprise. She hadn't even realized Nathan had a family, let alone that they were somehow connected to the Wests. 

"You two know each other?" Harvey asked immediately, his annoyance apparent. 

"It's confidential," Nathan replied in his calm voice. 

Nathan's mother smiled gently at Ashley. "My son's uncle is Harvey's father," she said quietly. "We are blood family, even if we do not always congregate." She looked at the rest of the table, eyes soft, and it eased the tension slightly. "The Wests are in commerce, and the Fords are in the military. Nathan is a major at a very young age. He has the most potential of any of his peers." 

Ashley nodded, still stunned, and murmured a quiet, "It's a pleasure to meet you." 

Nathan's mother smiled at Ashley, pleased. "And it is a pleasure to meet a young woman who knows her own value." 

Ashley swallowed against a suddenly dry throat. She straightened her shoulders and looked back at Mrs. West. "Excuse me, with all due respect, I am not here to prove my value to anyone at this table." 

The room fell silent. Harvey set his wine glass down, meeting her eyes with a scowl. "Ashley," he said slowly, "what are you doing?" 

Ashley took a deep breath, dug into her clutch, and pulled out the ring. She stood, holding it out on her palm. 

"I am breaking off this engagement," she said. "I would rather be on my own than with someone who does not respect me." 

There were gasps around the table. Harvey stared at her like she had spoken an ancient, incomprehensible language. "You're serious?" 

Ashley nodded. "Yes." 

His cousins all glanced at each other, one of them muttering under his breath, "She's making a big deal out of nothing. Everyone in our circle has open marriages. She should be grateful he even wants to marry her." 

Ashley heard every word, loud and clear, and turned to them serenely. "If I am to be grateful to be treated like an option, then no thank you. I would rather be single than half loved." 

Harvey glared at her, his expression hardening. "You think you can just walk away from me like this?" 

"Yes," Ashley replied, voice steady. "Watch me." 

She set the ring on the table in front of him. The diamonds sparkled in the chandelier light and glinted, an affront to the silence that fell over the room.

For a long moment, no one moved. 

At last, Harvey pushed back his chair and stood slowly. "You're not in your right mind," he said.

Ashley met his eyes one last time. "I've never been clearer in my life." 

She turned and headed for the door, heels clicking against the marble floor.

Nathan caught up with her there. "You all right?" he whispered.

Ashley sighed, uneasily. "I think so. That was harder than I expected."

Nathan looked slightly gentler. "You didn't flinch. You're more than most people."

Ashley smiled at him, a little, a little tiredly. "I guess I'm not that girl anymore."