Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 87609 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 438(@200wpm)___ 350(@250wpm)___ 292(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87609 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 438(@200wpm)___ 350(@250wpm)___ 292(@300wpm)
“What the fuck, what?”
“Just a minute.”
I wait while he focuses on sliding his finger across the screen. He has such elegant hands. Both strong and dexterous. As he showed me time and again last night. There’s every chance my thoughts regarding this man are going to be purely physical and in the gutter for the next few days to come.
“My apologies, but I’m going to have to retract that last bit,” he finally announces. “It seems it is in fact too late for you to change your mind about us. There’s a horde of paparazzi and news vans at the gate. I’m sorry, Lilah. But news of our fake nuptials has been leaked.”
My eyes all but fall out of my head. “The world thinks we’re engaged?”
“Yes.”
“The whole wide world?”
He just nods.
“Shit,” I say. “Why? How?”
“That’s what I plan on finding out.” His cell buzzes and his gaze jumps to the screen. His lips thin as he puts the call on speaker. “Mother, what did you do?”
“How hurtful. I didn’t do anything, darling,” she says. “Unless you’re talking about the small fire at your grandfather’s hunting lodge that time. Someone really should have told me that serving flammable cocktails at my sweet sixteen was a bad idea. But it’s not like they weren’t able to rebuild. Still. You wouldn’t believe how Daddy carried on about it. Of course, Mummy didn’t care, but—”
“Mother, I’m not talking about that.”
“No? Oh, no. Of course not. You’re talking about today’s big news—your engagement! So exciting, my sweet boy. I see the news is everywhere!”
“Did you have anything to do with that?”
“No.”
“Are you sure about that?”
Lady Helena’s sigh is epic. “I suppose I did tell the princess in the first place. But how was I to know she’d tell them and they’d decide to leak it to the press? Though of course I knew she’d report back to them. Any idiot would know that. But telling reporters...how déclassé. My point is, I’m a mostly innocent party in all of this!”
“It definitely wasn’t you that told the media?”
“No. Absolutely not.”
“Why would the palace leak it?” I ask. “What do they hope to gain?”
“Good question, sweetie,” says Her Ladyship. “As I was opening the second magnum of champagne last night, the princess happened to mention that the heir apparent is less than happy with his new fiancée. In fact, she said he’s close to calling the whole thing off. You can imagine the commotion such an announcement would cause. Which explains why the king has been calling me to work off some stress.”
“They’re using us to distract the media?” asks Alistair.
“I imagine the press were about to run a report the crown didn’t like. So they offered up you two instead. It’s not the first time we’ve lost control of the narrative,” says Her Ladyship. “But does it necessarily have to be a bad thing? Does it really matter if people know you’re engaged?”
Which is when I join in on the frowning. “But we’re not engaged.”
“Aren’t you?”
“Yes. I mean, no. I mean... Oh, God, I don’t know.” I drop my voice to a whisper. “Make her stop, Ali. I love your mother, I really do. But it’s too early in the morning for this. The world thinks we’re getting married, and I haven’t even had coffee yet. Let alone talked to my parents.”
“It’s not as if you haven’t always yearned for some stability, my darling boy,” continues Her Ladyship, blissfully unaware. “And any fool can see you have feelings for each other.”
Alistair squeezes his eyelids shut tight and shakes his head. As if he’s in actual pain. “Mother. No.”
“You two are so sweet together and you’ve already got the ring. And you can be certain I wouldn’t hand over the Lennox diamond to just anyone. As I told the princess yesterday, it’s a treasured family heirloom.”
“You lost it for most of the early 2000s.”
“But I found it again. That’s what’s important.”
Her son does not look convinced.
“You and Lilah make such a charming couple. Odds are you were bound to take the leap sooner or later, don’t you think? And I don’t mean to be harsh, but you’re not getting any younger, darling. It takes a certain amount of energy to run around after children, and to make them in the first place,” she says with much raunch. “Just think about it... You could have the ceremony and reception here at the beach. The house is big enough for a few hundred guests at least.”
“I’m hanging up now.”
“But, darling—”
I reach for my cell. Things have calmed down since I turned off notifications. But I still have a bunch of texts, several from Rebecca.
THIS IS YOUR MAID OF HONOR TEXTING. Are you really getting married?
Definitely not getting married, I reply. Long story. TTYL
There are also many messages from my mother, whose name starts flashing on my screen as the cell vibrates again.