Excelsior

Chapter 29: Sharpening swords

With her own assurance, Mrs. Lowell stepped through the doorway. Pietro was waiting for her seated in front of the fireplace. They both ordered a hot coffee, before talking about the matters that corresponded to such a meeting. While she had been absent for some time and the idea of trying to destroy the society that saw her growing up did not convince her, she had to accept on those lonely nights that, once outside, it was impossible to be accepted into it again. She gave up.

"If there's something you must know," she said, slowly moving her spoon. Smoke caressed her smooth face, "is that they're very close."

"They say divide and rule. What can you tell me about them?"

Selma got up and went to the large office window. She watched the street and its pedestrians in silence before answering, while her mind organized her thoughts.

—The society is made up of those families in the Social Registry. To be there, each member must behave according to their standards, descend from a family that has been at least two hundred and twenty-five years uninterrupted in prominence, and have a worth of at least fifteen million.

"My heritage is greater than that and I'm not accepted because of my ancestors." He crossed his legs. "Tell me something I do not know."

Selma turned to him.

"The rules to be on the list must be followed. If you do something against the registry, it's almost impossible to get accepted again." She turned and ran his hand through his hair." The registry is sent to the best restaurants and boutiques so that they give better service to their members. This exclusivity allows them to inflate prices, and people are willing to pay them."

She saw a volume of La Société on the coffee table.

"The director of the Social Registry is Mrs. Cornell, and she works side by side with La Société, which monitors everyone's life in the city. Do you know who is part of its board of directors?", she said taking the magazine.

"I have plenty of people in mind."

"Mr. Gresham, belinging the twelve families. The one who represents him there is actually Pandora Gresham."

"Who is Daphne's best friend," she pointed out and brought her hands to her chin.

"Pandora is the vigilante, and along with Daphne, they rule the social scene."

"Tell me about the twelve families, will you, Selma?"

"A.K.A the great capital; families whose fortunes exceed a billion dollars and have enjoyed prominence in the Social Registry. Not every family with great wealth can enter." She took the coffee cup from the table with both hands and looked at it. Her blue eyes moistened. "They also have a lot of influence in Washington."

"The Lowells... they are part of great capital, aren't they?"

"Yes," she answered in a brittle voice. Pietro watched her cheeks redden. "The twelve families are an exclusive group within an exclusive group." She ran her hand over her cheek. "They arrange marriages between them and are skeptical about letting someone else in because they see marriage as a business to get a profit from and keep exclusivity." She looked up at the fireplace.

Something about this place was familiar. Images of the winter afternoons in her teenage years by the fireplace with her siblings, feeling the closeness of their mother and enjoying the attention of their father came to her mind. Selma was the favorite of all her siblings. Above the fireplace hung a family painting.

"My parents also wanted to arrange a marriage for me."

"The Du Ponts are also part of those twelve families you mention."

"Yes," she hid her face in her hands. "Changing the subject, everyone avoids being on page six of La Société. I've already lost count of how many times I've been there."

"I've been four times."

"The Social Registry is not fair. People pay to hide their scandals and be included, and not only to it, but also the magazine. This allows Mrs. Cornell and Mrs. Gresham to run the city at will and be seen as the Queens. They have access to the fortunes of its members and their secrets, who are then extorted, and what they earn they invest in lobbying to strengthen influence in Congress."

Pietro made a comment that Selma didn't hear.

"You could say that this society is misogynistic while deep down, it is run by women."

He went back to the window.

"And that's how Lexington works. If we want to destroy it, we have to enter big capital."

"Well, my dear Selma," he said, getting up, leaving the sofa warm, "that's why I've come to you."

"I'm not welcome anymore." She crossed her arms.

He took her by the shoulders from behind.

"But you know them."

"What we have to do is find the weak link in the White Gloves, Mrs. Cornell's circle. I heard that a Cecile just joined them, and she's very young."

"Then she's out of the question. We need someone Daphne trusts, someone who already knows her thoroughly."

Slowly, Pietro slid his hands down Selma's body past her waist and hips.

"This wasn't part of the deal!" She exclaimed as Pietro kissed her shoulders. "You're so bad," she laughed.

"That's what they say."

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Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed. English is not my native language, so any feedback, suggestion or advice to change the grammar would be really appreciated.