#Eleanora Blanchard

[potential-fate]

Instead, she only nodded slightly, and smiled, “Of course, I’m sure you’re eager to get back to your conversation with my brother.”

Roman traded the sigh he wanted to give for a stilted nod instead. Eleanora hummed, the same small, almost entertained smile gracing her features. She stepped towards the dining area, nonetheless, and Roman trailed behind her.

He watched her walk back to the room easily, proving he really hadn’t needed to wait for her at all. Roman chewed on his bottom lip and, not for the first time that night, wished he could get a better read on Eleanora Blanchard.

[potential-fate]

“So, Roman Bellamy. Now that we’re alone, have you come to convince me you’re the most eligible bachelor in town?” She raised an eyebrow. “I suppose I must have a lot of competition in this town alone.”

“Funny,” Roman grinned awkwardly, “here I thought I was supposed to be the person making the jokes.”

“Certainly.“ She smiled fully at that, “My name isn’t in the papers every other day though, so I thought maybe I should up my chances.”

Roman flinched at the mention of the papers and he looked away. She didn’t say anything else for a moment, but then she tapped him lightly on the arm.

[potential-fate]

Even Roman could tell that Wanda was practically seething under the surface of her own polite facade, so he wasn’t entirely surprised when, as Eleanora brought up her mother’s original political plans for her, Wanda cut into the conversation.

“Oh, sweetheart, I’m sure you’d do wonderfully in politics.” Wanda’s smile seemed real, but Roman knew better than to trust anyone at the table when they were upset. “Really, we all could use more genuine, magnanimous people like you in politics.”

Roman watched as Eleanora gave his aunt a smile that almost looked natural. The only thing that gave away her lack of surety was the slight curve in her brows.

[potential-fate]

Roman wished he knew how to act or what to say. He wished that he didn’t know his grandparents were cataloguing his every move to use later. He wished that everything had stayed easy and simple and how he’d planned them when he was sixteen. He could have avoided all of this if things had stayed the same. He wouldn’t need to be taking a crash course in how to treat a date, or deal with his grandparents approving of said date, or anything else involved in this. For the first time in over six months, he wished he was still dating Abe.

As soon as the thought crossed his mind he grimaced. It wasn’t even true. But he couldn’t deny that he wouldn’t be in this situation if he were still dating Abe. Though, if he were honest with himself, he wasn’t sure that would have been much better. At least, not in reality, where Abe cheated on him and ruined their perfect relationship for no reason. In reality, maybe he’d dodged a bullet.

Though it felt an awful lot like he was just standing in front of a different gun now.

[potential-fate]

“No…” he said quietly, “just friends… Don’t take too much into account from those papers you’ve seen me in. I just have… friends.”

She raised a brow at his pause near the end.

“So, at least you’re single.” She said. She picked up the glass from the grass next to her and held it out, waiting patiently for him to tap his own against it. When he complied, she said, “Cheers to that.”

He looked at the girl curiously. Eleanora wasn’t what he’d expected when his grandmother told him she’d picked someone out. The girl next to him seemed… normal. Nice, even. Roman really wasn’t sure what to make of her. She could be playing him for a fool, only saying what he—and his family—would want to hear, but his gut said she was being genuine. He wasn’t sure which was worse. The idea that he could be played so easily by a pretty face, or that she was actually as nice as she seemed, and he’d be dooming her to play the same part he had in his family for the rest of time.

•• ━━━━━ ••● x ●•• ━━━━━ ••

[potential-fate]

Eleanora being quiet and demure across from him, and only speaking when Salem asked her a direct question, was probably exactly what his grandfather would be looking for.

Normally, Roman would have barely paid her any mind at all while she did a perfect impression of fading into the background. Except, Roman was too nervous about the entire situation, and he caught her sneaking glances at him any time Salem looked away.

Roman didn’t really think he was all that interesting, but he supposed that being stuck with him for the rest of time was probably a decent motivator. Beside that, it wasn’t as if he weren’t doing the exact same thing any time her brother or Salem requested her attention. When her focus was diverted, Roman eyed her warily. He knew his grandmother had sought her out, had brokered the deal that ended in them sitting across from each other at the table now.

And Roman knew his grandmother. She wouldn’t have picked a woman who would be ideal for Roman. She’d have picked someone who would fit with the rest of his family. Someone who would keep Roman in line the way he’d failed to do himself, but at the same time, would know better than to cross someone like Salem Bellamy.

[potential-fate]

Roman looked down at Eleanora where she sat quietly in the corner of his yard. He took a breath, steeling himself for the inevitable awkwardness of conversation. When he walked up, she looked up from her spot on the grass and smiled sweetly at him. Roman still wasn’t sure if it was an act or not.

Nonetheless, he offered the glass in his hand to her, and she accepted it with a quiet nod as he settled next to her.

“Aren’t you worried about getting grass stains on your dress?” he asked after a moment.

She looked at him curiously for a moment, and Roman belatedly realized that he’s sat on the ground with her. She set the glass he’d given her down next to her and hummed quietly. After a moment, she said, “No, not really. The green should match the rest of it. It’s more my color anyways.”

Roman half snorted before he remembered himself. That would probably come across as rude. He was supposed to be trying to appeal to the girl’s good graces. But surprisingly she had a small smile on her face all the same.

[potential-fate]

He glanced back up at his future fiancée, and realized she’d been watching while he had his internal breakdown. When he managed to wipe the frown off his face and give her a smile, she tilted her head minutely and returned it with a curious look. She didn’t say anything, but somehow, Roman doubted he’d been convincing.  

She held his gaze for a moment longer, and Roman fully expected her to comment. But then she turned to Malika and complimented the food. His grandmother practically glowed under the praise. When Malika thanked her, Eleanora took the opportunity to drag her brother into the conversation and put him in the Bellamy’s good graces as well.

Roman silently relished in the fact that no one’s attention was on him anymore.

[potential-fate]

So far, Eleanora seemed like the perfect candidate for his grandparents favor. Which in the very best case scenario, probably meant she was boring beyond belief. Roman didn’t want to think about the worst case.

Roman’s contemplation was interrupted by his grandmother coming into the dining room. She paused by his grandfather’s chair and stood silently as he finished whatever conversation he’d been having with Nolan.

“Dinner is just about ready, dear.” She spoke up only once Salem had fallen silent and looked toward her, “Wanda is just about done with the finishing touches.”

[potential-fate]

“Not all bad things, no matter what your family might say.” She reassured him. He glanced back at her, perplexed. Surely his grandparents hadn’t brought up his indiscretions, so how would she know that it was them who—

“Do you think you’re the only one with impossible standards?” She asked.

He hummed quietly.

“I couldn’t imagine what it might be like to have everyone mithering over what your public image is. Or what it might be like to be married off to someone who you don’t know, for what qualifies as a business venture?”

He grimaced. “I suppose you would. Sorry.”

[potential-fate]

Wanda, Malika, and Eleanora came back with a few dishes each and set the table for dinner while the rest of them waited. When they’d finished setting down the plates, Roman got up and walked around the table to pull out his future fiancée’s chair for her. Salem gave him an approving nod, and Roman all but sighed in relief.

Eleanora, to her credit, smiled prettily at him and thanked him politely. He could hear the awkwardness in the canned response he gave as he walked back around to his own seat, and his grandfather shot him a look that made it clear he wasn’t the only one who’d noticed.

[potential-fate]

But they were family.

Hunter was his brother more than his uncle. Surely Wanda loved her husband, and by extension, the rest of them. At least, she’d always treated Roman kindly. It could be that his grandfather was simply on the receiving end of Wanda’s frustration more than not.

But maybe Roman had missed something…

He shook his head and pushed the thought away, opening the door to their backyard. His gaze travelled over the patio and the rest of his family, before falling on the two redheads near the pool. He walked quickly over before catching the other boy’s attention and relaying his grandfather’s message.

[potential-fate]

If Roman hadn’t overheard the previous conversation, the comment would only seem to be a compliment. As it was, Roman barely held back a flinch at the subtle dig at his grandfather.

“You know, that’s why I was interested in becoming a politician. So much good could be done with the right resources and connections.” She smiled at Eleanora, and the younger woman smartly only thanked her politely for the compliment.

“Between the two of you, you could do a lot of good.” Wanda continued, turning her attention on Nolan instead, “How does Blanchard Tech expect AI Synth technology to affect politics in France?”

[potential-fate]

“Stop…” She smiled prettily again. At least his grandmother hadn’t lied about how beautiful she was. Roman pressed his lips together instead of continuing to embarrass himself in front of her.

“I am not stupid,” she said gently, “you seem lovely, for the record. I think we could get along pleasantly together, but neither of us want to be in this situation, correct?”

Roman looked at his hands instead of her and said nothing. He wasn’t sure if anyone had ever described him as ‘lovely’ before in the first place, let alone if she were as unhappy with this situation as he was. Maybe she was just a better liar than him.

“Do you have someone else already?” she asked. Roman looked at her, narrowing his eyes, trying to parse what her intentions were. He thought of Lucy, and how the tabloids had made it seem like they were dating. His thoughts drifted to the few people he’d gone on a date or two with, the girl he’d kissed in the club.

In the end, the answer stayed the same.

[potential-fate]

She laughed quietly under her breath, “Not to worry. I’ve had a bit more time to accept the idea my parents have for me than you have. From what I understand, until very recently you were dating the boy next door?”

Roman grimaced. He wondered exactly how much of his personal life was actually personal, and how much could be searched on google.

“Very recently is a stretch.” he said carefully.

“Still, that does give me the impression you weren’t expecting to be engaged to a girl you don’t want to marry.”

Roman flinched. Quickly, he said, “It’s not– I don’t not–, you seem…”

[potential-fate]

“The temperature has cooled down wonderfully. We should take our dessert out on the patio. Wanda, would you check and see if my lovely wife needs help with the pie?” Salem’s tone left no room for interpretation. The dismissal was clear.

Wanda flicked her gaze to him, and for a moment, Roman wondered if he’d be needing to plan a funeral alongside a wedding. But Wanda seemed to have some sense of self preservation left. She nodded slightly. Turning back to Nolan as she stood, she said, “I’d love to keep in touch with you about this topic. I’ll give you my email later this evening.”

Then she quickly disappeared into the kitchen.

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