The Girl and Her Machine

Chapter 1~ Request~ Final part

    Jack raised his hands to help settle her, " Dani, those are all thoughtful questions and I have answers to all of them or at least will soon. I don't know how courtship will work just yet but being a position that we are in, we could be considered a good candidate for marriage by equal, lesser, or higher status families. The situation of the family and the quality of the woman of course needs to be examined along with their trustworthiness. We will make sure to be thorough in our search but not be opposed to making alliances with anyone before they at least have a chance of showing us their qualities. We deserve to give them that much." Dani nodded, this all sounded fair. " Will we have extravagant balls or parties in order to host these? Will we have the funds to do so, and will I need to wear a dress?"

Jack raised his finger to her, " Maybe it's a possibility, and it's effective to see people's character when they are gathered together. But due to it still being wartime with the advent of prestige possibly coming that would also make it a target and a danger. So we would have to make sure these are done intimately in small groups and tight lips if we were to do any of that. Funds yes, and dress, yes! Dani! Of course! It's a formal occasion. Both you and I know you don't hate dresses as much as you say you do, you just like these clothes more."

Dani grumbled folding her arms, " Well Jack you're not wrong but being viewed as something to be judged because of fashion's sake doesn't spell a good time for me." Raelle gave a begrudged poke into Dani's side, who quickly returned an innocent shrug, " I can't say no if he's right Raelle that's exactly it."

"Anyways," Jack began once more, " I'll make sure that the woman I choose to marry loves you or else she could never be a part of a Leathersby family, especially if she hates the co-owner, just imagine the scandal." Jack smiled, his green eyes gleaming. "E-excuse me, did you just say Co-Owner?" Dani breathed, gripping onto the loveseat armrest for surety. This was serious, this was very very serious. She barely got into her teen years yet her brother expected her to be the equal partner of a more than multi-million dollar business and their family fortune.

" Are you sure that's a wise idea?" Dani asked, Jack's face fell a little, and Raelle gasped. She knew this was Dani's dream but both of the statements were extremely unexpected. " Dani, I know you're level-headed but I expected more excitement from you. Why would you say that?"

" Jack realistically. I'm a child. I have a lot to learn from business and I know you were given the opportunity at seventeen but I'm shy a few months of being fifteen. What makes you think that is-is even a good let alone wise idea?" Dani spoke evenly, though in her mind she was a scattered mess of the possibilities of what would go wrong under her co-ownership of the company.

" The best experience to learn is from doing it in person rather than learning from a textbook. We both know this. I will start you with easy tasks till you get the hang of it and are at least experienced and comfortable with all of the necessities of running a business. You will learn quickly, you have a sharp mind and are normally very thought out." He said assuredly while waving his hand over the designs of the current rifles she had brought. " You are the only person I know that is so honest and invested enough in this, and you've already proven you're worth in the last few sets of designs you have produced. Your efforts are world and war changing. So are ours. As I look for a bride to be like you said... I will not have enough time to do it all on my own. That's why I so desperately need your help." Dani nodded, the evidence he had provided was reasonable and even fair. She realized that this decision had deep thought, due to the quality of rebuttals he posed. This alone probably had him thinking 

the whole time he was stuck in his room, perhaps, she will grow to be just as successful as her brother in this new yet daunting task.

" Alright, I'll do it. I can see you thought over this long enough, I think...I think I can be what you need." Dani admitted watching her brother for the first time fully relax from the stress of the conversation. " Wonderful. Thank you, Dani. I believe in you. This, however, isn't it. I wanted to tell you one more thing before you start." Dani jerked her head so hard that Raelle jumped startled by the sudden movement.

" What is it, Jack?" Dani asked, her brows furrowed and voice concerned. She didn't like cliffhangers.

" You will be starting lessons tomorrow, a tutor will come by every weekday to teach you how to be a lady," Jack said quickly standing up, the spark in his eyes gone. Dani jumped to her feet slamming the coffee table with her palms, " Excuse me! Where did this come from!? I thought you said this training was a waste of time and money Jack!" she hissed.

Jack recoiled but placed his hands on Dani's designs and rolled them up, taking them to his desk. " A Proper lady is efficient and can run a business. This tutor won't be like a regular, she has a business of her own and is able to conduct it with strengths that come from being feminine, something that you can't learn from me or from our business no matter how hard we try!"

Dani growled her jaw set, clenching. " Fine. But in the meantime, I'm going out."

She quickly exited, slamming the door behind her, leaving a bewildered Raelle and a sighing Jack. " You're also preparing her for the possibility of marriage in the future aren't you?" Raelle asked, standing while smoothing out her blue dress and adjusting the ruffles underneath expertly.

Jack nodded, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall. He sighed and loosened his tie, he needed to breathe easier. It was quite a bit to get off of his chest.

"No normal suitor will take her seriously without her knowing the basics for being a lady. And no man will take her seriously with business deals unless she can conduct herself as such with the power and skill that a woman has. She needs to be comfortable doing so with the strength that she so desperately tries to hide sometimes. She needs to know that there is more than just the masculine way of doing things and that we need both sides in order to produce something worthwhile.

Raelle added, secretly admiring his thoughtfulness. " My only hope is that Dani won't run her off with her stubbornness. She can be worse than a mule."

"Ah that," Jack grinned looking down at his sister's beloved best friend, " No. I do believe that she will enjoy the woman that will be teaching her. She's nothing that Dani will ever expect. However, Raelle, as much as I love your company I have more work to do. I must get started with payroll and I've heard that people's pockets are a tad thin currently." He sighed dismissing her. With that, Raelle left, pondering just who this mysterious tutor will be.