Chapter Eight
706 Words
That evening, Daniel arrived at the Montgomery estate wearing the best suit he owned, which he'd bought secondhand for a funeral two years ago. He was so nervous his hands were shaking as he rang the doorbell. Victoria answered, and the look on her face almost made him forget why he was there.
"You look beautiful," he said quietly.
"You look terrified," she said with a small smile. "It's going to be okay. Just be yourself."
"That's what I'm afraid of," Daniel muttered, but he followed her inside.
The dinner was formal and uncomfortable. Thomas sat at the head of the table like a king, watching Daniel's every move. Caroline tried to keep the conversation light, asking Daniel about his sister and his education. Victoria barely ate, too anxious to have an appetite.
Halfway through the meal, Thomas set down his fork and looked directly at Daniel. "So tell me, Daniel. What exactly are your intentions with my daughter?"
Daniel met Thomas's gaze steadily. He'd prepared for this question. "I love her, sir. I know that probably sounds naive or impulsive to you, but it's the truth. I've never met anyone like Victoria. She's smart and funny and kinder than she gives herself credit for. I know I'm not what you imagined for her. I don't have money or connections or a prestigious career. But I would spend the rest of my life working to make her happy and to give her the life she deserves."
"And how exactly would you do that?" Thomas asked coldly. "You're a driver. You make, what, forty thousand a year?"
"Dad," Victoria said sharply, but Daniel held up a hand.
"You're right," Daniel said calmly. "I don't make much. But I'm not planning to be a driver forever. I've been saving money. I want to go back to school, finish my degree, build a real career. It will take time, and it won't be easy, but I'll do it. Not because of your daughter's money or her status, but because I want to build a life I can be proud of. A life I can share with her."
"Pretty words," Thomas said. "But words are cheap. How do I know you're not just after my money? That you're not using Victoria to get to me?"
"You don't," Daniel said simply. "There's no way I can prove that to you except by my actions over time. But I can tell you this. I've never asked Victoria for anything. I've never expected anything from your family except the salary you pay me for doing my job. And if you fired me tomorrow, I would still love your daughter. The only thing I want from you is permission to be part of her life."
The room was silent. Thomas stared at Daniel for what felt like an eternity. Finally, he turned to Victoria. "And what do you have to say about all this?"
"I love him," Victoria said firmly. "And I'm going to be with him whether you approve or not. But I would really like your blessing. I would like to have my father in my life and have the man I love in my life at the same time. Can you give me that?"
Thomas looked between his daughter and this young man who'd somehow captured her heart. He saw the determination in Victoria's eyes, the same determination he'd had when he'd built his empire from nothing. He saw the way Daniel looked at her, like she was the most important thing in the world. And he remembered how he'd felt when Caroline's family had looked down on him all those years ago, when they'd thought he wasn't good enough for their daughter.
"I'm not giving you my blessing," Thomas said finally, and Victoria's face fell. "Not yet. But I'm not standing in your way either. You want to be with my daughter? Fine. But you're going to prove yourself. You're going to show me that you're serious, that you're not going anywhere when things get hard. Can you do that?"
"Yes, sir," Daniel said immediately. "I can."
Thomas nodded curtly. "Then we'll see."
It wasn't the warm acceptance Victoria had hoped for, but it was something. It was a start.
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