Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 116759 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 584(@200wpm)___ 467(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116759 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 584(@200wpm)___ 467(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
“I wouldn’t. Sierra’s a big girl. So, they like like each other?”
“You really want to talk about Sierra and Harry’s friends-with-benefits situation?”
Dismay and indignation churned in my gut. “If it distracts me from the fact that my friend and grandmother tried to manipulate Lily out of my life, then yes.”
Maddie squeezed my arm in sympathy. “You got it. It started the night of our Thanksgiving dinner …”
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
SEBASTIAN
Calling a princess isn’t that easy. Even when she’s your grandmother. I’d left a message with her staff but so far, the message had gone unreturned. The house was back to normal, the guests all booted out, and Zac had departed.
I’d chatted with Lily again, filling her in on everything.
Now it was after one o’clock and we were getting ready to leave to catch our flight. As Harry helped the girls load their luggage, I called my mother.
I couldn’t spend the entirety of the flight worrying if she’d known about this.
“Sebastian, darling, how are you? I checked and the weather is glorious. I must say, I’m a little envious we gave you the villa this time around. We don’t usually get such lovely weather in spring, but I know you work hard—”
“Mum, may I speak?”
“Of course. What’s wrong? You sound strange.”
Without delay, I relayed to her without going into too much graphic detail what had occurred with Zac and Gisele and Zac’s confession that my grandmother had put him up to it.
“Mummy?” my mother gasped. “Oh, surely not.”
“So, you didn’t know about this?”
“Of course not, darling. I’d never do anything so underhanded.”
“What’s going on?” I heard my father ask in the background and had to wait with growing impatience as Mum told him.
“Dear God, she didn’t?” Pa gritted out unhappily. Then his voice was clearer down the line as he asked, “Are you all right, son?”
“Thankfully. But it could have broken me and Lily up.”
“Did she say why?” Mum asked, and I realized I was now on speakerphone.
“Oh, Granny hasn’t returned my call,” I huffed out bitterly. “But Zac said she said it was because of Lily’s dating podcast.”
“Ah.” Mum sighed. “Yes. Mummy did mention she wasn’t at all happy about that. It is a little inappropriate.”
Instantly irate, I snapped, “Lily could plaster herself naked all over social media and I still wouldn’t break up with her for you, for Granny, or for anybody in that bloody stifling institution. All right?”
“I’m not saying it was right. I’m just saying … you are Princess Mary’s grandson, and it isn’t entirely appropriate that your girlfriend talks about her sex life to the public.”
“Mum—and I’m directing this at you because as someone who worked his way up in life, Pa couldn’t give a shit about appropriate behavior and backgrounds—I know you’ve had a difficult year, so I don’t want to be an arse. However, considering the many aristocratic girls you’ve shoved my way over the course of the last year, I need your promise that you didn’t have anything to do with this.”
“I already told you I didn’t. I promise.”
“Good. Then I need you to do something for me.”
“What would that be?”
“When you meet Lily, and you will meet Lily, you will be kind to her.”
“Of course I will.” She sounded offended.
“No, I mean it, Mum. No introducing me to women you think are more suitable behind her back or in front of her. Ever.”
“Sebastian—”
“Lily isn’t going anywhere. Whatever thoughts you might have in your head about the future, let me clarify them for you. One day I am going to marry Lily Sawyer. That’s where our relationship is heading, and not you, not Granny, not Queen Anne, or a battalion of Royal Marine commandos are going to stop us. I love you all, but if any member of this family does anything to try to ruin my relationship with Lily again, I will walk away from all of you for good. If you don’t want that to happen, I’d start treating Lily like your daughter-in-law now because one day she will be.”
There was a moment of silence after my impassioned speech and then Pa cleared his throat, “Understood, son. And I’m very happy for you. I’d love to meet Lily if you feel this strongly for her.”
“Thanks, Pa. You will. Soon,” I promised. “What about you, Mum?”
Mum let out a shaky exhale. “I understand. She must be quite something, then, if you’d throw us over for her?”
I winced at the hurt in Mum’s voice. “I love her, Mum. I love you too, but I won’t be made to choose. That was the point I was trying to make.”
“You said the same thing to your mother, love, when they didn’t like me,” Pa reminded Mum.
“I did, didn’t I.” Mum’s tone softened. “Okay, Sebastian. I promise to treat Lily well.” Then she repeated dazedly, “She really must be something.”