The Ambassador's Daughter

Chapter 38

Louise locked her bedroom door and threw herself onto her bed. "Well, that went well." She mumbled sarcastically to herself. That was not how she wanted to announce her engagement to her mother. Granted, it got a much quieter response than any other way of announcing it would have.

"Louise!" She heard her mother's panicked voice on the other side of the door. She chose to ignore it. Instead she pulled out her phone and dialed Bucky's number.

The phone rang three times and Bucky answered without preamble, "How'd it go?" He asked, anxiously. He knew that it couldn't have gone well, but there were different levels of how badly it could have gone.

"Well, it wasn't Chernobyl." Louise replied, ignoring her mother's insistent knocking.

"How bad?"

"Well, it could have been worse. We were packing up Father's things and she said she was keeping them in case he wants them if he gets out of prison. Then she said she would allow him back into her life if he ever came back for the boxes. I tried to tell her it was ok to leave him. She got mad and said that if I loved my assassin the way I say I do, then I should understand why she's not leaving Father." Bucky made a noise, Louise couldn't decide if it was a sound of anger or agreement that he should be compared with Brandt. "I did not like the comparison and told her that the difference between her husband and my fiancé was that you never hurt anyone if you can help it."

"So that's how you told your mother you're getting married?" Bucky asked quietly.

"I like to think of it as that's how I prevented Chernobyl from happening in my house." Louise countered. "But it doesn't matter how I told her, all that matters is that I did tell her, so you can tell your people." Louise smiled as she thought of the satisfactory responses that Bucky would get at the palace. The knocking got louder and more insistent. "You should go let Steve know. I know that we weren't exactly subtle at dinner, and he probably guessed something was up. I love you."

Bucky laughed, "I love you." They hung up and Louise stared out her window for a moment before deciding that she was being cruel ignoring her mother like this. She moved to the door and unlocked it. She opened the door and stared into her mother's livid face.

"YOU CAN NOT MARRY THAT MAN!" Elise shrieked, placing a hand on Louise's door, as if afraid Louise would close it again.

"Here comes Chernobyl," Louise muttered. She sighed and shifted her weight. "Yes, I can, Mamma."

"I forbid it!"

"Mamma," Louise said with the patience of someone explaining something to a child. "I am nearly twenty two. That means I can make my own choices and I have chosen what makes me happy and what makes me feel safe."

Elise stared at Louise, as if she couldn't believe her ears. "Makes you feel safe? Look at what he's done to you! He admitted it was his fault!"

"He didn't do anything, Mamma," Louise said softly, suddenly feeling very tired. She turned and moved back into her room and sank onto her bed. Elise followed. "Bucky didn't do anything except tell me he wanted me to be happy and allow me to choose what would make me happiest."

"And you chose him?" Elise demanded, clearly hurt.

"Well, I wasn't sure I could let you go," Louise admitted. "Until you told me that if I stayed with you I would not be safe from my father. I know Bucky will not let Father near me ever again. I cannot spend the rest of my life wondering if I will turn around one day to find my father threatening my life. So, being married to Bucky will make me very happy and very safe."

Elise sank into Louise's desk chair. "Have you really thought this through, though, my child?"

"Yes, Mamma, I have. I want to be with someone who cares about me enough to keep me safe. I know you love me. But I also know that I cannot live in the same house as my father ever again. There will always be this between us," Louise raised her right arm, "There will always be this fear that he'll try again."

"But if you severed your relationship with Barnes, surely your father would have no desire to hurt you?" Elise protested, hopefully.

Louise smiled sadly, "You know as well as I do that a break up is not always mutual. Sometimes one or both parties are left with lingering feelings. And as long as I love Bucky or he loves me I am not safe from my father in your home. Besides, I have no desire to break up with Bucky."

Elise frowned but she could see there was no swaying her daughter. Elise sighed deeply, "Then I guess there's nothing more for me to say, is there?" Louise shook her head. She wished her mother would say that she hoped Louise and Bucky would be happy, but Louise knew that was not going to happen. Elise stood up and left the room. Louise looked after her mother, but made no effort to call her back. They were done.

She pulled out her phone and called her cousin. Here, at least, she knew she would find an enthusiastic reception to her news. And she desperately needed an enthusiastic reception.