The Duke's Runaway Princess Page 0,8
me choose my own husband in my own time.”
Zarah had considered her options carefully, but was still nervous about following this plan of action. Could she really follow through with what she desperately wanted to do? The risks were terrifying, but the possibility of marrying one of the men she’d met so far was equally bad. She still had three more candidates to meet, but she didn’t want to waste any more of her time if the previous seven were any indication of her brother’s selection criteria. She was dumbfounded that her brother would think any of the candidates so far were even remotely attractive.
Taking a deep breath, she continued on with her planning. “What would I do for a job?”
Suzanne shrugged her shoulders. “You could work in one of the little shops. I know my mother’s friend Mary is looking to hire someone at her dress shop. Her last assistant just flew the coup but Mary really is a wonderful person. She’s not the most organized though so beware.” Suzanne looked at her cautiously. “Some might even label Mary as chaotic so be warned. She’s also the only place to get a nice dress or outfit in all of Willingham so she pretty much has the market cornered. Women have to drive at least a half hour to get to the next mall.”
If she’d thought about it, Zarah would have laughed at the idea of spending six years in school only to turn around and work as a dress shop assistant. But the alternative wasn’t just bad, it was creepy and disgusting. None of the men she’d met so far were worth her time of day, although they’d all arrogantly thought they were prizes that she should be excited to win for herself.
She thought about the possibility for less than a minute before she decided to take the leap. “Let’s do it,” Zarah announced before she backed out and ran back home to the security of what she was familiar with instead of daring to fly out on her own.
Suzanne looked surprised. “Are you serious? You really want to work in a dress shop and run away from all those delicious, sexy and thrilling men who are vying for your hand in marriage?”
Zarah rolled her eyes. “Those weren’t men. They were rodents,” she commented. Zarah sprang up from Suzanne’s sofa, filled with renewed energy and a strong purpose to take control of her life even if it meant defying her brother as she’d never done before. “Okay. So if I’m going to do this, we need to work quickly. The apartment will have to be in your name, but I’ll pay half the rent. I’ll pay you for the first year up front so that I don’t leave a paper trail.” She paced back and forth in her friend’s small apartment while Suzanne continued packing. Zarah worked through the details, considering storage of her possessions, moving her clothes across the Atlantic…hiding any trace of her actions that might lead Rashid to finding her before she was ready to return.
What she would do at the end of this little adventure, she wasn’t sure, but she was going to have some time for herself anyway. She’d figure out her future once it arrived. And in the meantime, she could avoid all romantic entanglements, get some work experience, show Rashid that she was fully capable of living on her own and maybe he would relent on needing to find a man who could ‘protect’ her.
The next several days passed quickly as Zarah closed out several lingering issues in New York. She packed up all of her clothes in a cardboard box, shipped them to Suzanne’s residence and paid for the postage in cash so it couldn’t be traced. She gave all of her furniture and kitchen items to The Salvation Army, including dishes and cookware but shipped her bedding and other things she would need in another cardboard box, amazed that her life would fit into two large boxes. Zarah felt no regret in rescheduling any lunches Rashid set up for her. Within one week of making the decision, she and Suzanne were booked on a flight to London and standing at the gate, ready to board. It would also be the first time she’d flown on a commercial plane and in economy no less! She was thrilled with being treated just like a normal traveler and Suzanne was laughing it up.
“I have a phone call to make,” she whispered to Suzanne