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Chapter 1
The scene greeting her now in no way resembled the one that had greeted Paige Foster the last time she entered the grand ballroom at the Bellevue Hotel in downtown Providence. Six months ago, she’d known more than half the people there as she and two hundred other guests celebrated her close friend Clarissa’s wedding to Alan. True, tonight she recognized several of the faces inside the ballroom; anyone who’d ever read the society section of the Providence Gazette or bought a copy of the Star Report would. However, except for Aunt Bebe standing next to her, she didn’t personally know anyone. Actually, Belinda Fleming, or Bebe as everyone called her, was her great-aunt, but Paige never thought of her that way. In fact, Aunt Bebe acted more like a grandmother than an aunt, which explained why Paige now found herself surrounded by society’s elite at the Helping Hands Foundation Bachelor Auction, an event she never would’ve been able to afford even if she had been inclined. And she wouldn’t have been. She found the idea of watching men parade across a stage and then bidding on them ridiculous.
“I think I see Josephine Ambrose,” Aunt Bebe said as they passed a few tables already full of guests. “I haven’t seen her in ages.”
Paige glanced around the room in search of her aunt’s acquaintance. She’d met the woman briefly when she’d visited Aunt Bebe’s home in Texas. “You’re right. Either that or she has a twin sister.” She spotted the woman in question sitting at the same table as Scarlet Novak and her daughters. At least she thought the three women seated with Scarlet Novak were all her daughters. She knew for certain two of them were. Both Milan and Paris Novak had graced some of the biggest runways and magazines covers in the world. Not to mention they both resembled the former model turned business mogul. The third woman didn’t look at all like the others, but the way they interacted pointed toward a close relationship.
“Perhaps later I’ll stop and say hello if she’s alone. Scarlet Novak always rubs me the wrong way. Come on, let’s find our seats. We’re at table twenty.”
Paige followed as Aunt Bebe weaved her way between the many tables. According to what she’d read, tonight’s fundraiser was a sold out event. Not a big surprise considering the bachelors up for auction. She didn’t remember every name listed in the article on the auction, but she did recall it included Ryan Keene and Daniel Johnson, both members of the New England-based football team, a player from the Boston hockey team, the CEO of an up-and-coming video game company located in Providence, and Derek Sherbrooke and Scott Belmont, President Warren Sherbrooke’s nephews. With a lineup such as that, how could it be anything but a sold out affair?
“I’m so glad you were able to come with me tonight. This’ll be so much more fun with you here.” Aunt Bebe squeezed Paige’s hand before she took a seat at their table.
Coming tonight had meant driving back into the city, something she avoided doing unless it was for something extremely important. In her opinion, a bachelor auction, no matter how good a cause it was for, didn’t qualify. Spending time with her aunt whom she loved and looked at as a grandmother, however, did. Especially, considering the health scare the woman had endured earlier in the year.
Aunt Bebe looked through the program they’d each been handed when they first arrived. “Have you looked through this? If I was only forty years younger.” She gave a little sigh and turned another page. “And not married.”
Even though Paige had no intention of bidding, she opened her copy, curious to see who else was listed. Flipping through the pages, she read the short bios printed about each man near his photo. While most names she recognized, four she’d never heard of. Considering the rest of the night’s lineup, she didn’t doubt those four men would be wealthy and successful.
“Any thoughts on who you want to bid on?”
Paige dropped the program on the table rather than give her aunt the impression she was reading to make a decision. “Aunt Bebe, I only came to keep you company tonight.” Even if she wanted to participate, her bank account would’ve had other ideas. “I’m not bidding on anyone.”
The older woman waved a dismissive hand. “Oh, where is the fun it that? Come on, let’s go through the names together and pick out a few potential candidates.” She picked up Paige’s program and handed it back to her. “Speaking from personal experience, I’d stay away from any professional athletes. I don’t know if I ever told you, but I once dated Dave Fitz, he played third base for New York back in the forties. One of the most conceited men I’ve ever met. Maybe even worse than your granddad.”
She’d never spoken to her great-aunt about her past romances. However, she did know Aunt Bebe had dated a few Hollywood greats as well as a rock and roll legend before marrying her husband and the love of her life, Earl Fleming.
“Of course your granddad loved him. He was more upset than me when I ended the relationship. He asked me to reconsider, if you can believe that,” Aunt Bebe continued, referring to her brother, Paige’s paternal grandfather. “As you can imagine, it wasn’t the first or last time we disagreed on something.”
It was no secret Aunt Bebe frequently clashed with her older brother, Michael, especially when it came to family matters. In fact, after the way he’d treated Paige’s dad when he’d been in his early twenties, Bebe had gone a full year without speaking to him. Any and all communications between the two had been passed via Earl, who worked as the CFO at Foster Oil.
“Even with the professional athletes off the list there are still nine other potential bachelors to pick from,” she said. “I don’t know anything about Evan Williamson, but he looks handsome in this picture.” She pointed to the picture beside Evan’s bio. “If Edmund Niven is anything like his father, I’d recommend staying away from him too. Your uncle and I supported his father’s reelection to the Senate last year because he’s a great politician who gets things done, but he wo
uldn’t think twice about stabbing his own mother in the back if it benefited him. I’m always amazed his wife stays with him. She’s a sweetie. Nothing like her husband.” Aunt Bebe turned a few more pages before she spoke again.
“What about Derek Sherbrooke? I’ve never heard anything negative associated with him. His mother was a peach. It was so sad when she passed. Of course every media outlet will be all over whoever ends up with him.”
Paige agreed. Not only was the man handsome and wealthy, but his last name was Sherbrooke. America had a strange obsession with everyone named Sherbrooke. “I’ll pass, Aunt Bebe. He’s handsome, but I don’t need a photographer trying to climb through my bathroom window while I’m taking a shower.”
“Understandable. What about his cousin then? He’s just as handsome.”
Aunt Bebe pushed the program toward her, leaving Paige no choice but to look at the picture of Scott Belmont. Her aunt was right. The man was gorgeous, and unless you knew it, you’d never guess Derek and Scott were first cousins. While most of the Sherbrookes had light-colored hair and sapphire-blue eyes, Scott had dark brown hair and from the looks of it brown eyes. She guessed the lack of a family resemblance and the fact his last name was Belmont helped the man fly under the media’s radar more than his cousins.
“Aunt Bebe, I’m serious. I’m not bidding on anyone tonight.” She leaned a little closer to the other woman. “It’s not exactly in my budget,” she whispered. As a nurse, she made more than enough to support herself and have much of what she wanted. Compared to the other people in the ballroom, though, her bank account probably contained less money than some spent in a month.
Aunt Bebe made a tsking sound. “Let me worry about money, sweetie. You just pick out the man you want and bid.”
