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I’ve never known Caspian to have a proper girlfriend, so I’m curious to meet this one. I wonder whether she’s the girl he talked about when he was extolling the virtues of fake relationships for keeping the fam and the press off his back.
As the car thunders across the miles, I wonder casually what Damian is up to.
Personally, I would have loved to see him get together with Jamie. They were perfect for each other, but were the only two who couldn’t see it. Even Grandfather was smitten. I got the sense that he might blur the lines for her, as they seemed to really hit it off.
A thought crosses my mind as I hit the accelerator and switch into a different lane. What if Grandfather would blur the lines for Nathalie?
I shake my head. Last I heard, Jamie was back in London, so I’m getting carried away. That’s all over, and I imagine the pressure is mounting on Damian to make a suitable marriage. If I know my grandfather, he’ll be pushing him into action after the latest fiasco in the press. I hope it’ll divert his attention from his recent obsession with me making an arranged marriage.
The drive was smooth and lulled Daisy to sleep, and as we slow down and wait for the security guy to open the barrier for us to enter the Greystone estate, she stirs.
‘Are we here, Daddy?’
‘Yes, pumpkin. You nodded off.’ I smile at her through the reflection in the mirror and she rubs her sleepy eyes and flashes me a toothy grin. ‘Hang on a minute, and I’ll come and get you out to stretch your legs.’
Greystone Manor rises before us as we pull up in front of the grand old house. The sight of the familiar turrets takes me right back to childhood and returning home from boarding school. Briefly, an image of Tricky Dickhead, as I think of him, flashes into my mind, but I push it firmly away. I will not let thoughts of him ruin the first entire weekend we’ve spent with the family for ages.
It’s bad enough I miss Nathalie already, and there’s an ache in my chest which I can’t seem to shake.
Is this true love? Always feeling incomplete when she’s not nearby?
Before I can ponder any longer on the intricacies of love, Albert, the dear old butler who is as much a fixture of Greystone as the gothic turrets, opens the door and hurries across. He’s slowed down during the past few years, but he still puts on a spurt, and his craggy face breaks into a welcoming smile. Honey follows at his heels, barking and heading straight for me. She jumps up and I bend down to stroke her silky, apricot-hued head.
‘Hello there, lovely girl.’ I say, and she kisses me enthusiastically. Daisy is by my side and Honey runs between us, barking and licking our bare skin and kissing us wherever she can.
‘She’s excited to see us,’ I say to Daisy, who adores Honey and is on the ground tickling her.
Albert follows us in with our small bags, and Alice, the housekeeper, awaits us at the door as we enter.
‘Good morning, sir,’ she greets me. ‘Miss Daisy.’
No matter how much I tell the household staff, Sebastian will do perfectly, and to drop the formality, they never do. It’s a code they all adhere to.
We enter through the wide main doorway, Albert and Alice behind us and Honey spinning around our ankles, nearly tripping us up.
My mother appears in the hall, her eyes sparkling and a huge smile on her face. ‘Daisy, my darling. I’ve been waiting for you. And my darling boy. There you are. I’m so thrilled you’re staying for the weekend. We’ll get a proper chance to catch up.’
After we exchange hugs and kisses, my mother leads Daisy by the hand in search of a glass of milk and cookies. The staff adore Daisy, so I know it’ll be a while before I see her again.
Turning to Albert, I ask where my grandfather is. He tells me he is in his usual spot in the library, eagerly awaiting us. I’m the first to arrive, so I seize the moment and stride towards the library, right into the old fox’s den.
Let’s get the Lizzy interrogation over before the others get here.
CHAPTER38
Sebastian
We gather for dinner and Daisy is hyper excited to wear the dress my mother bought her and to stay up late for dinner with the grown-ups. I’ve barely caught sight of her since we arrived, and she’s been thoroughly spoilt.
‘I really need to see more of Daisy,’ my mother says to me at dinner. ‘She’s such a delight and I’m missing out. Perhaps she can stay on for the week.’
I tell her it’s still summer holidays, so it should be fine. Daisy adores her grandma and loves running wild in the gardens at Greystone.
She nods. ‘How quickly one forgets everything centres around school terms. I remember waiting anxiously for you kids to come home from boarding school so we could have you all to ourselves for the summer.’
We reminisce about the good old days, and I know that both of us are thinking about my father, Julian, and how wonderful it was when he was with us. He’s left a giant hole in our lives and even years after his sudden death, we’re still hurting. I reach to cover my mother’s hand with mine, and she gives me a grateful smile.
‘Do you remember that awful kid at Eton we used to call Tricky Dicky?’ I ask her after a pause.
