AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She pouted. “I’m in character.”
I laughed, straightening up again. “Are you? Shall I call the BAFTAs and nominate you for your role as The Viscount’s Girlfriend?”
“You could try, but they’d probably rename this productionThe Lady and The Tramp.”
“Ooh, you wound me.”
Her lips twisted into a smile. “I can if you ask nicely.”
“You two disgust me,” Olive said, approaching us with an olive-filled martini in hand. “Are you sure this is fake? You look far too loved up. I’m very uncomfortable with you snogging my granddaughter in front of me.”
I fought back a laugh. “I didn’t know you were there,” I replied. “And might I say that you look lovely tonight?”
“You’re an arse-licker, Glenroch.” Her words were sharp, but her mouth was smiling. “Keep it coming, and I might approve of this relationship yet.”
“Granny,” Grace said. “There is no relationship.”
“You say that, but you’re over here sucking his face like you’re in a desert and he’s the only cactus with any water around.”
“Granny!” Grace gasped. “Would it kill you to engage your brain and be somewhat polite? Have you forgotten your manners?”
Olive grinned slowly. “Ah, there’s the toff in you. I knew she was still in there, no matter how hard you try to deny it.”
Grace ran her tongue over her lips, then drew in a deep breath which she quickly huffed out. “I should have made you take me back to the airport,” she muttered, sipping her glass of wine.
I laughed, gently squeezing her into me. “I’m very glad you didn’t.”
“Aw. Look at you, you little lovestruck fucker,” Olive said, smiling at me. “It’s gross.”
“And I’m done,” Grace said, extracting herself from me. “I’m going… I don’t know, perhaps Dewy has another story about an army of bunnies or something.”
“Probably,” I called after her, watching her walk across the room.
God.
She was beautiful.
Olive narrowed her eyes. “Oh, balls. You really are a little lovestruck fucker.”
I stared flatly at her. “Do you have to put it like that?”
“Aha! I thought you’d deny it.” She shuffled closer to me. “You fell fast, didn’t you?”
“I’m not in love with her. Not even close,” I said quietly. “But I can’t deny she’s an amazing person.”
“Thank you,” Olive said. “I am very proud to have passed that part of me down to her. Lord knows she didn’t get it from her father.”
“No love lost between you and Edward, I see. Not that I blame you for it.”
“Ah, she’s told you, then.” She sipped her martini. “She’s tough,” she continued after a second. “Her parents’ relationship has jaded her.”
“She doesn’t try to pretend otherwise. She has a very mixed view of love.”
Olive bobbed her head in agreement. “She’s seen both healthy and unhealthy relationships, but I fear her parents’ issues wiped out all the good she saw in my marriage and of her other grandparents.”
I didn’t say anything. I didn’t know what to say.
“But she doesn’t know everything,” she mused, looking thoughtfully in Grace’s direction. “In fact, there’s a lot she doesn’t know, but perhaps it’s time I told her father where to stick it and told her everything.”
