The Secret

Chapter 5

After the thrill of the wedding, Rory followed Logan to London for what would serve as their honeymoon until they were able to get away together. Because they kept it so quiet, Logan couldn't take extended time off without raising his father's suspicions of what he was up to. So, they decided to stay local. Logan went to work each day, but made a point to go in early to try and leave early.

While it wasn't what either of them wanted, they decided to make the most of it. Rory attempted to do some writing and hunt down leads while Logan was at work and, once he got home, they tried to go out and enjoy being first married. Even if it wasn't what they initially imagined, it was still perfect. They were able to make love and try to figure out their lives. While the conversations weren't easy, Rory was glad that they were being so open about the difficulties they faced in the coming months or even years until they announced it to the world.

The biggest issues they faced was the problem that Mitchum would face with his dynastic plan for Logan. Rory was aware that there was a plan, but she wasn't aware that Logan had already been pushed into it.

Logan sighed. "I hate that we have to have this conversation," he told her as he sipped his scotch.

Rory placed her hand on his thigh, reassuring him, "It's okay. We need to make sure we're on the same page. What comes after I leave is going to be the worst part of everything."

Logan nodded. "I know you're aware that my family has always had a plan for me as far as my getting married and producing 'heirs.' What I haven't told you yet is that my dad has already entered into a verbal agreement with someone about my marrying their daughter."

Rory stared at him, not quite believing what she was hearing. "You mean an arranged marriage?" she asked, wrinkling her nose.

Logan nodded again. "Yeah. They are some big French family that dad thinks will boost his holdings in Europe if 'our families combine,'" he elaborates, emphasizing what Mitchum told him.

They were silent for a few moments and Rory looked at Logan and noticed the discomfort on his face. "What else?"

Logan sighed. "They've already introduced me to their daughter, Odette, and have forced us to go to several events together."

Rory didn't respond initially. Her younger self would have immediately stormed out of the room, not willing to listen to anything Logan had to say because it wasn't right they weren't being faithful. But, this situation required some finesse to be able to keep the charade up long enough that Mitchum wasn't able to annul their marriage. "So, what does this mean exactly?"

"At the moment, nothing really. Odette and I are just two people that are going along with what our families want. Neither of us is interested in the other and we're only doing it so our families leave us alone. But, down the road, I see it potentially becoming a problem because they are going to force the issue when they deem it appropriate."

Rory nodded that she understood. "So, what are we going to do for now?"

Logan grimaced. "Well, I was thinking we let Odette in on our charade."

Rory's eyes bugged out. "Logan! Why? The more people that know, the more likely we are to be found out!"

It was Logan's turn to offer some comfort to Rory. "I know, Rory. But, if we don't have her on our side, things could get messy. By including her in on it now, she knows there is no obligation here and she might actually be able to help us pull this off."

Their conversation continued back and forth for several minutes with Logan attempting to convince Rory that telling Odette was the right thing to do. Though she didn't like it, Rory finally relented and agreed to tell Odette. Logan's compromise was calling Odette while Rory was still there so all three of them could have the conversation together.