The Ambassador's Daughter

Chapter 41

A few days after Louise moved into the palace, she was reading in the garden. Bucky Found her sitting on their bench. "I have a proposition for you." He said, sitting down beside her.

"Another one?" Louise teased, holding out her left hand, letting the sun glitter of her new ring. Bucky smiled and slid his arm around her shoulders.

"I know you are hurting over the state of your relationship with your mother." Louise tensed and closed her book. She made a noise as if she wanted to interrupt, but Bucky ignored her. "I also know you don't want to talk about it, but we need to. You should offer an olive branch to you mother."

"How? She more or less kicked me out and is not talking to me."

"Offer to move back to the United States with her." Louise made an odd noise, somewhere between a shriek and a growl. "Just for a few months. Go back with her, plan the wedding, and then come back to me. She might accept that." Louise looked up at Bucky, she could see that he was sincere in his plan. She sighed. "Louise, you know that if I could go to America with you I would. We would be on the next flight out, if it would help. But you and I both know that if I go back to the United States I'm a dead man. At least for the next few years. But we both also know that you need your mother and she needs you."

Louise opened her mouth, but Bucky cut her off, "Don't tell me that you don't need her." He said softly. Louise closed her mouth and stared off towards the palace for a moment. She sighed deeply and pulled out her cell phone. She dialed her mother's phone number and tried to hide her disappointment when a servant answered.

"Hello, American embassy residence, speaking?"

"Hello. This is Louise Brandt. Is my mother, Elise Brandt, available?"

"No, Miss." The servant responded too quickly, as if she had been given instructions not to forward calls from Louise to her mother.

"Oh, ok. Can you take a message for me?" The servant sighed, as if she felt this went against the spirit of the law.

"Yes, miss."

"Please tell my mother that I have an olive branch to extend. I will go back to the United States with her, for a few months. I want her help planning my wedding. I need her."

"Is that all, Miss?"

"Yes. Stress the 'I need her' part, please."

"I'll try, Miss."

"Oh, tell her if she wants to contact me I have my phone. Or she can come to the palace and see me."

"I'll tell her, Miss." The servant hung up. Louise sat listening to the dial tone for a moment before she too disconnected.

"She doesn't want to talk to me." Louise muttered, dropping her phone into her lap. Bucky pulled her close. He knew this couldn't be easy for her, but he didn't regret encouraging her to make the call. "Well," Louise said, after a moment, her voice falsely cheerful. "We have a wedding to plan. Anyway, it'll be easier to plan a wedding on location." She stood up and headed into the palace.