Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 120838 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 604(@200wpm)___ 483(@250wpm)___ 403(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 120838 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 604(@200wpm)___ 483(@250wpm)___ 403(@300wpm)
“Aye, but first, I’ve got some news.”
I wasn’t certain about the new expression on his face.
“What?” I asked, not hiding the uncertainty.
“Jeff must have found himself in a bind and needed some fast cash. He sold his story about what he was to your Mum to a rag.”
Well…
Damn.
“Dad called with the news just now,” Dair went on.
“I suppose we should have known he’d do that,” I remarked.
“Dad’s people are monitoring the reaction, and Jeff isn’t coming off so well.”
That was interesting.
“What’s the response?”
“A lot of ‘good for Helena,’ and ‘if you got it, use it,’ and some unflattering, but accurate, epithets for Jeff.”
Now it was me smirking.
Dair added his grin to my smirk.
“Ready to wander?” he asked.
I nodded.
Before we took off, Christine shouted from the back door. “A ploughman’s for lunch?”
“Aye!” Dair shouted back. “Sounds good.”
“Thank you, Christine!” I was also shouting.
“Enjoy the air!” And yes, she was shouting too.
So, okay, I was probably the first English aristocrat that had shouted conversations with my housekeeper like she was my favorite auntie and not on the payroll.
But…
Well…
Fuck it.
That was me.
Dair slung his arm around my shoulders, whistled for his dog who came dancing to us, and we took off across the crunchy turf during a bright, sunshiny, bitterly cold day.
And like we had all the time in the world, which we did, we wandered my ancestral estate.
As the florists left, having completed their tasks a full hour after they should have, with buried annoyance I studied my binder and made ticks next to Flowers Delivered, Flowers Arranged, Florist Departure.
Alex, only minorly showing a baby bump, bustled up to me.
“Dad texted. They’re on their way,” she told me.
I looked to my binder and checked off, Dad’s Text. I was close to checking off Sharp Family Time, but since that was about to happen, and it hadn’t yet, I didn’t.
But before I was solid on that decision, the binder was whisked out of my hands by Mika, who passed it off to Cadence, before she said, “Go.”
She’d obviously received a text too.
The ceremony had been private, and neither Alex nor I argued that.
In this instance, it was whatever Dad wanted, we were happy to give to him.
The only ones in attendance at the justice of the peace ceremony were the bride and groom, Jamie, Dad’s best man (who obviously brought his woman, Nora), and Capucine, Marlo’s best friend and maid of honor (who, I’d recently discovered, was nearly as amazing as Marlo was).
Alex took my hand as we both searched the Rotunda at The Pierre where the small, intimate reception was to be held.
We found them, unsurprisingly, at the bar.
My sister and I headed that way, collected our men, and then we all made our way to the bridal suite.
Rix opened the champagne.
Dair passed him the glasses while he poured.
Alex and I made sure we all had the ivory rose petals.
So when the door opened, Dad and Marlo entered to a shower of downy beauty.
Dad was beaming.
Marlo was radiating.
She was also wearing a simple, but supremely elegant, long-sleeved ivory gown that had a boat neck and a three-foot train.
I started weeping.
Ugh!
When did I become a weeper?
Jamie shut the door, closing us in on Sharp Family Time.
Dad pulled me in his arms, then he reached to Alex to add her to his huddle, and once my sister was there, he immediately drew Marlo to us too.
I felt better when I saw Marlo crying as well.
“I love all my girls,” Dad said hoarsely. His gaze went to Marlo. “Never been happier.”
I hiccoughed a sob.
Alex whimpered beside me.
We all held on.
And then I said to Marlo, “Oh no! You’re ruining your makeup.”
This comment broke our huddle with Marlo dabbing carefully at her eyes, saying, “Worth it.”
“I’ll get some tissue.” Alex ran off.
Rix handed a glass of champagne to Dad. Dair did the same with Marlo. Alex came back with the tissue. And our men gave us our champagne.
Once I was fortified with an alcoholic beverage in my hand, I assured Marlo, “I have a kit fitted out with everything. I’ll fix your face before you go down.”
“Thank you, my sweet,” she replied.
“Can we toast now? Or do you women want to carry on for another hour?” Rix asked.
Alex batted his arm.
Dad raised his glass.
We all followed suit.
“You could talk until you’re blue in the face,” Dad began, “and say a hundred million words, and you would never convince me I’m not the luckiest man on the planet.”
Oh God.
He turned to me.
Oh God!
Dad kept going.
“I have a beautiful, loving firstborn who has such strength of character, it takes my breath away. She doesn’t let anyone walk all over her. And she’ll do anything for someone she loves.”
I managed to hold it together, sniffed and aimed an air kiss Dad’s way.
Dair slid his arm around me.
Dad turned to Alex.