Page 73 of The Christmas Trap

To his credit, he doesn’t give me the I-told-you-so bullshit routine.

When he stays silent, I can’t help but ask. "You’re not going to ask me why?"

"Does it matter?" He raises a shoulder.

"No," I concede.

"You’re here to speak to me about something else?" He levels an assessing look at me. The one I grew up under. I used to hate it. Now, I recognize it for what it is. Concern, dressed up as scrutiny. Gramps hates being seen as weak.

As much as I do.

Maybe, he’s influenced me more than I realized.

The silence stretches. He doesn’t prompt me. For which I’m grateful. I take my time gathering my thoughts.

"Lark’s the smartest person in my orbit. She’s steady. Reliable. Focused. And a very hard worker. She’s proven herself in a very short time. I trust her.” My jaw tightens.

"Good," he says, waiting for me to go on.

I let out a slow breath. “We have a good dynamic. We understand each other. We bounce off each other’s ideas. She’s…wonderful to be around."

I look out the glass walls and over the rolling expanse of Primrose Hill with the London skyline shimmering in the distance.

“But it’s more than that. She sees the whole picture. She’s strategic yet also detailed. She spots problems before they become fires. She handles people with a gentleness that somehow carries more authority than most men’s shouting. She reads a room in seconds. And she’s steady. Calm under pressure. And she cares about the employees. She wants them to be happy at their jobs. She seeks efficiency, but not at the cost of employee turnover. She’s invested in the future of Davenport Capital. It’s like she was built for leadership.”

I shift in my seat.

“She doesn’t just keep me organized. She tempers me. Sharpens me. Makes me better at what I do."

"Excellent." Arthur’s eyes light up. "That certainly makes for a good basis to build a marriage on."

"I want her to be more than my wife."

He stills. His gaze narrows, a calculating expression seeps into his face. I wonder if he knows where I’m going with this. Likely, he does. But he gives no indication.

"I also see her as my successor."

"You want her to take over as CEO?”

I nod. "She's operating at CEO level, and in a stunningly short period of time.”

He places the tips of his fingers together. "From what I heard of her performance at the board meeting, she certainly seems capable of leading the team."

I’m not surprised. Edgar and Arthur go way back. He’d have updated Gramps.

“Lark sees people. She understands how the pieces fit together. She listens. And she uses her intuition, along with her talent to make decisions about systems, relationships, and pressure points. Sheknows how to pull the best out of a room without forcing it. She’s the future of this company."

"You don’t have to sell me on her abilities. I was the one who spotted how right she was for you. Turns out, it’s in more ways than one."

"That may be so. I hired her. I was the one who first took a bet on her."

He chuckles. "And it paid off."

"Absolutely." I nod. "So, you’ll understand why I want her stepping up, and soon."

"How soon?"

"As soon as she accepts the role."