“That sounds lovely,” Craig said. He took a step towards her and looked out onto the city beside her. “I’m so sorry you lost him, Kali. You deserve to be happy, you know.”
Kali felt tears pooling in her eyes. There was a lump in her throat. She needed to nip her emotions in the bud before it got any worse – she took a breath before saying, “Thanks. Are you ready to show us Soho, Mr. Watson?”
“Of course, Miss Mitchell. It would be my honor.” He opened the door for her to step back inside.
They found Ashley checking under couch cushions. “I have no idea what you did with those keys, man. There must be some sort of hidden compartment in one of these walls.” She knocked on a nearby post.
Craig laughed. “Yeah, it’s one thing to misplace your keys. It’s another to hide them so well that a blow to the head erases all memory of their existence.”
“It’s those Wisconsin winters,” Kali said brightly. She successfully managed to avoid crying. She didn’t know what about that balcony made her feel so strange and emotional, but she decided to avoid thinking about it. “Now – how far is Soho Square?”
Chapter 20
An hour before dinner, Craig announced that it was time to head back. He hated to cut Kali’s sightseeing short, but they got rained on when they walked over to the Palace Theater and he wanted to be sure they had enough time to get ready for dinner.
He was quite amused by the walking tour – it was almost entirely narrated by Kali. Apparently, she read some nursing book about how the eradication of cholera started in Soho. Craig had a vague memory of learning that in school, but not to the detail that Kali knew it. She did not, however, know as much as he did about the music scene in Soho – likely because it started long after cholera was eradicated and was of little interest to her. He talked about Trident Studios and Ronnie Scott’s, she talked about the Broad Street water pump. Ashley complained that she was hungry and needed a rest.
They got back to his parents’ house and he pulled up to the front door to return the car to Ted, the chauffeur on duty. He ran up to open the front door for them, then followed them inside. There was no sign of his mother, which was a relief, because he did bring everyone back later than promised and he didn’t want to be scolded. He was about to run up to his room when he heard his name called out.
“Craig! There you are!”
He froze. Bunny. He forgot he’d invited her to join them on the tour and for dinner. She never answered his text, so he assumed she wasn’t coming. “Hello, you!” He turned around and saw her standing in the foyer.
“I have the most terrible news.”
“What happened?” he said, coming back down the stairs.
“They just called to tell me that they may not have any of the tall crystal vases available for the flower arrangements!”
He crossed his arms. “Terrible luck. Uh – where were those going again?”
“In the bathrooms! Honestly, it’s like you’re not even paying attention.”
He let out a small scoff. “Well, that is a shame but it seems that the show must go on.”
“Luckily,” she continued, “the planner found another company that rents them but it’s nearly double the price for them to bring them to and from the wedding.”
Craig shrugged his shoulders. “Perhaps the bathrooms don’t need flowers.”
Bunny narrowed her eyes at him, but before she could respond, Craig’s mother walked in.
“Hello darling!”
He gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Evening mum. Sorry we’re late, I was going to just hop in the shower and then I’ll be down.”
“You’re freezing! Did you forget to bring an umbrella?”
“Didn’t even think of it.”
She made a shooing motion with her hands. “Well run upstairs and warm up, dinner will be ready soon enough. I’ve got a nice surprise for our guests as well.”
“As long as it’s not one of dad’s pranks – ”
“Oh, that ship has sailed,” she replied. “Go!”
He looked at Bunny. “We can figure out the vases later, alright?”
She nodded placidly, but Craig could tell that only his mother’s presence saved him from a long argument about the necessity of bathroom flowers.
He went up to his bedroom and took a short, but wonderfully hot, shower. He wasn’t sure what to wear with this surprise that his mum had in store. She loved surprising people, which led to some awkward outfits, like not having a swimsuit when she surprised him with a pool party when he was nine. He decided to put on some comfortable jeans and a short sleeved shirt.
When he got downstairs, the look on Bunny’s face told him he chose poorly.
“Did you leave all of your sport coats in America?” she asked with a wry smile.
He looked down at himself then back at her. “Do you know what I should wear for this surprise?”
She sighed. “No, but I can’t imagine that an outfit appropriate for riding rodeo bulls is what you’ll need.”
“But I don’t even have a cowboy hat,” he protested.
“You might as well,” she snapped.
His dad walked into the room, so he decided to ignore her comment and instead assess how much his parents knew about the great cholera outbreak of 1854. Predictably, his mum knew the most, his dad knew some things, and Bunny didn’t participate in the conversation.
Ashley and Kali came into the dining room not long after this discussion finished. He was caught off guard by the lovely white dress that Kali wore. She had a shimmering sort of glow about her again, only highlighted by the blush in her cheeks when introduced to his father.
“Phillip Watson, a pleasure to meet you,” he said, voice slightly muffled.
Craig walked around the table to see what his father was up to. His words sounded a bit slurred and he was talking louder than usual.
“Ashley Miller, nice to meet you!”
“Hi Mr. Watson, I’m Kali.” She extended her hand. His dad accepted it with a broad smile and a nod.
Facing them, Craig realized why his dad sounded funny – he’d put in his fake teeth again. Dad thought it was hilarious to put in these ghastly, crooked teeth whenever foreigners visited. He once sat through an entire dinner with a distant Canadian cousin, unable to eat anything that required chewing, just to run the joke that Brits had bad teeth.
“Dad, would you do me a favor?” Craig asked.
“Of course, son.”
“Would you whistle the royal anthem for our guests? I told them what a spectacular whistler you are and they’ve been dying to hear it.”
He nodded dutifully before trying to narrow his lips, but the fake teeth were too big. Despite starting to laugh, he tried to push some air through the teeth. He succeeded only in launching a bit of spit at Kali.
He erupted in laughter, causing the teeth to pop out. Kali and Ashley started laughing, too, once they realized what he’d been up to.
Craig’s mum shook her head, but a smile danced at her lips. “Thank you honey, that was beautiful. Shall we all have a seat, then?”
“Yes, now that we’ve all had a bit of theater,” Bunny said quietly, so only Craig could hear.
He gritted his teeth. Some vivid memories of Bunny not enjoying his dad’s humor flashed through his mind – but what was he supposed to do? Tell his dad he couldn’t joke in his own home? He hoped dinner would go quickly so the mood didn’t grow tense.
As soon as they sat down, his mother started asking Kali all kinds of questions about the sites they saw, adding in bits of her own history knowledge. They seemed to be a match made in heaven – both lovers of history and all the boring bits of cities.
Craig sat between Ashley and Bunny and had a first row seat to all of Ashley’s well meaning but poorly executed conversation starters.
“Is that a real Birkin?” Ashley asked Bunny.
Bunny, in all of her high bred charm, responded with a little laugh. “What else would it be?”
“I dunno,” Ashley said, making a face. “I heard somewhere that those bags can cost a hundred thousand dollars! Or more! I’ve never heard of anything so crazy in my life.”
“Yes, well, it can be hard to understand quality the first time you see it,” Bunny said with a sweet smile.
Craig felt his body tense. Bunny could deliver a gashing insult in the prettiest of tones. Often her victims didn’t know what hit them until later.
“True that, sister,” Ashley said with a nod. The conversation continued with Bunny discussing her father’s favorite thoroughbred horse. Craig felt himself relax. Good – no fight would come of this. Ashley continued to smile politely, asking questions about the horse or his special saddle when appropriate. But there was a moment – just one moment – where Ashley locked eyes with Craig, and he thought he sensed a sort of sarcastic look on her face. It quickly disappeared.
They survived the rest of the meal without further incident. Craig was disappointed that he couldn’t hear more of what Kali and his mother were talking about, but he was just too far away. Finally, as dessert came out, his mother decided it was time to tell them all about her big surprise.
She set down her glass and clasped her hands together. “I’m not sure if you remember this Craig, but I have a good friend at the Victoria and Albert Museum.”
It didn’t ring a bell, so he just smiled at her.
“Well,” she continued, “I’ve arranged for us to have a few hours – alone – in the museum tonight after they close to the public!”
Kali was the first to respond. “Oh my gosh, that’s so awesome!”
A smile broke across Craig’s face. “That’s one way to put it.” He looked to Ashley, who sat there with a smile on her noticeably closed lips.
“What a treat,” Bunny commented before taking the tiniest bite of her dessert.
“Another elegant surprise by my beautiful wife.” Craig’s dad leaned in and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
They piled into two cars to get to the museum; at first, it seemed that Craig and Bunny would travel alone, but he urged Bunny to pick a larger car so they could ride with Ashley and Kali.
“They’re lovely people,” he said quietly. “I would love for you to get to know them a bit better.”
“Oh, of course,” she responded. “Let’s ask Ted to fetch the Rolls.”
They got to the museum and found it well lit but eerily empty. Kali took off with Craig’s mother – they were like two girls in a candy shop.
“You have to see the textiles collection, we have pieces from Predynastic Egypt!”
Ashley wandered off with Craig’s dad to look at the sculpture hall. Craig trailed behind his mother and Kali, enjoying the occasional gasps of excitement that he heard Kali make. Bunny dragged behind him for a bit before sitting down to commit to texting on her phone more fully.
“You’re lucky I’m so involved in planning this wedding, you know,” she told him as she sat down on a bench.
“I certainly am,” he said with a smile, leaving her behind to continue observing Kali discovering the museum. She was so happy that it made him feel quite bad that he refused to take her to a museum earlier in the day. This was much better, though – there weren’t hundreds of other tourists around to get in the way of her discovery. After about two hours, the non-historians of the group grew restless.
“You’ve done wonderfully with this one, Maggie,” Craig’s dad said. “But perhaps it’d be best if I took the others home for some tea.”
“I think I’ll stay,” Craig said. “I haven’t made my way to the ceramics yet, and I loved them as a kid.”
“No no,” Bunny chimed in. “I’ve got a surprise of my own waiting.”
“Is that right?” He looked at her with a raised eyebrow.
“It is right. Perhaps we can make our way back now?”
Kali stepped into the circle. “As much as I’d love to stay, I think we should all go and let the poor employees have a chance to get home to their families.”
“Huh,” Craig said. “That’s a great point in favor of getting out of the museum. Ashley, what do you think?”
Ashley, caught mid-forehead rub, replied, “Yes, definitely. Just what I was thinking.”
“I suppose you’re right,” his mother relented. “But we will just have to come back another time!”
“Absolutely,” Kali said. “This museum would take weeks to know properly. Maybe years.”
“I’ve lived nearby all my life and never managed more than an hour at a time in here,” Craig said. “So for me, I’m coming up shorthanded on a lifetime of visits.”
Everyone laughed and made their way back to the cars. The ride back was quiet – it was dark, and everyone was tired from the day’s activities.
Tea was set up for their arrival, along with some savory pastries and sweet treats. Craig watched Kali’s eyes light up. It was the opposite of sad, single people food – it was rich, British tea food. He decided not to tell her that now, though.
Halfway through tea, Bunny disappeared. After a few minutes, she triumphantly reappeared at his side.
“There, look at this!” She held out a newspaper to Craig.
“What’s this about?” he asked, accepting it. He opened the paper and to his horror, a full page photograph of himself and Bunny stared back at him.
“Let us see, then,” his dad said, stretching out his hand. Craig didn’t know what to do, so he handed it to him. That’s what the photo shoot was about – some sort of publicity thing?
“Lovely hair you have son,” his dad commented. “Did they photoshop it that way?”
His parents burst into laughter. Ashley took a peek and let out a giggle as well. Craig felt himself laughing. The only two who weren’t laughing were Bunny and Kali.
“Perhaps his hair isn’t in it’s best condition,” Bunny said with a frown, “but I think it’s rather impressive, don’t you?”
Ashley set her teacup down. “Oh yes, splendid!”
Craig shot her a look and mouthed “splendid?” Her smile was unfazed. Luckily Bunny was too distracted telling everyone how difficult it was for her to secure this spot to notice.
Craig looked over at Kali. She looked pale. “Are you alright?” he asked quietly.
She seemed to startle. “Me? Yes, I’m fine. A bit wiped out from all the sightseeing. I think I’ll head up to bed actually.”
She thanked his parents for their hospitality and made a graceful exit. Bunny was still explaining to Ashley the exclusivity of the photographer, stressing in a very downplayed, British way of how big of a deal it was. Ashley feigned obtuseness about it. Craig didn’t join in, partially because he didn’t know anything about the photographer. Most of all, though, it was because he was distracted, thinking of brutal winters, lost kittens, and tiramisu.
Chapter 21
After practically running up the stairs, Kali safely got back to her room without being stopped by anyone. She was afraid that Craig might come after her, but apparently she’d been convincing enough. Then she felt silly for thinking that he’d come after her. She was a silly, silly girl, harboring inappropriate feelings for a man who was very, very taken.
The picture of Craig and Bunny in the newspaper really took her by surprise. It’s not like she forgot that they were engaged and getting married soon – but it was one thing to know it, and an entirely different thing to see it blasted on paper like that. It looked like a wedding photo, actually, with Bunny in a white dress and Craig dressed in a tuxedo. She was so impossibly elegant and beautiful, and he was so stunningly handsome. They looked perfect together, and it made her feel like she was going to faint.
And Kali was not an easy fainter. She’d seen a lot of things over the years as a nurse, lots of blood and bones sticking through skin. Nothing rattled her anymore, yet somehow this picture of Craig almost made her lose consciousness.
After he left Wisconsin, it was true that she missed him. It was nice having someone around, she reasone
d. It didn’t mean anything. When Ashley accepted the invitation, Kali was annoyed. She certainly wasn’t plotting some way to see Craig again. At the same time, it was exciting – she’d never left the country before, and she loved Britain’s rich history. It was an incredible stroke of luck that Maggie was such an avid historian, too. She and her husband were both such kind people, not at all how Kali thought they’d be. She secretly thought they’d be snooty and treat her like some sort of peasant, but they were friendly – more than friendly, they welcomed her like some sort of hero.
And how did she repay them? By pining after their happily engaged son!
After her near fainting episode, Kali was forced to admit it to herself. Yes, she had feelings for Craig. She liked him. He was very likable. It didn’t mean anything, though. It was like a schoolgirl crush, she told herself. Who wouldn’t get a bit infatuated with a handsome, fun and goofy guy like Craig? All it proved was that she was still human, not that they had some special connection or something.
Yet here she was, halfway across the world, trying to find little ways to tease him, coming up with any bit of history she knew to talk to him about, lamely trying to impress him with her deep knowledge of cholera. Cholera! What a romantic topic! She was a great flirt, obviously, spending all day talking to him about a disease that caused unstoppable, deadly diarrhea.
Bunny would never talk to Craig about diarrhea. Bunny probably never even uttered the word diarrhea in her life. She was a real lady – classy, elegant, and beautiful. Her hair never looked messed up, she knew how to apply foundation so it looked seamless and she could walk around all day in high heels without ending up barefoot. Kali could never live up to that.
Nurse's Date with a Billionaire Page 13
