Eva wondered how someone who worked for Julian, and seemingly for a long time, could misjudge him so much. Julian didn’t need anyone to take care of him; he was the strongest person she had ever met. She’d only known him a little over a week, but he’d spent almost all that of that time taking care of her.
Eva knew it was pathetic, but for a moment, she couldn’t help feeling jealous. Eva knew the elderly lady was staff, and it wasn’t the same as family, but she spoke of Julian with the affection of a loving grandmother. Eva wondered if Julian returned her affection. He never spoke of his housekeeper; then again, he never spoke of anyone. Oddly, for the first time, Eva wasn’t surprised to have discovered yet another layer to Julian Harte. This was a layer she really liked.
A crisp wind picked up and the box resting across Eva’s knees didn’t offer much warmth. She’d been so busy replaying the day that she’d held off opening it for a long time. The excitement of a secret inside was tantalising; she almost didn’t want the suspense to end. She pulled back the layers of silky tissue inside and really hoped to find a coat, the wind was pinching her shoulders now, and she was shivering uncontrollably. It was empty. Eva tossed the layers of tissues around three or four times, searching right down to the bottom. She squealed excitedly as she unearthed a petite, rectangular envelope hiding amongst the scattered tissue. Suddenly, she forgot the cold and ripped it open.
Dear Evangeline,
I knew you’d come. You’ve changed so much this past week, and it’s been more than fun being a part of that. You’re still the same person- just stronger. Don’t let anyone ever make you something you’re not. I hope you know that was never what this was about. Lift the base out of the box, you might need what’s inside. Wear it, don’t let it wear you.
Goodbye, Evangeline Andrews.
Julian xx
Large, fat, salty tears rushed down Eva’s cheeks. The kind that made your body heave uncontrollably as they fell. Julian had said the sweetest possible goodbye. He’d let her go, and just like that, it was game over. And all in time for Eva to realise she was totally, head over heels, in love with him. She’d made many fuck-ups in her life, but this one should come with some sort of award. How could she possibly have fallen for the most unattainable man on the planet? Oh yeah, he was beyond gorgeous, and it turned out he actually gave a shit.
Eva’s falling tears smudged the ink, but it didn’t matter, she’d reread the letter so many times that she knew it by heart. Part of her wanted to rush back to his house and tell him she didn’t want his polite goodbye. Another part of her wanted to scream and shout at him for having the audacity to say it. But the biggest part of her was furious with herself for leading him to say it at all.
Eva waited a long time before she acted on Julian’s advice and reached deep into the bottom layer of the box. If this was her last piece of Julian Harte, then she wanted to savour every moment. She gasped as she revealed her mask. She had been so distracted by Julian’s beautiful house and his friendly housekeeper, she had entirely forgotten that the mask was what brought her there in the first place. But this wasn’t her mask. This was a beautiful porcelain replica, hand painted with their drunken design. The detail was exquisite.
Eva ran her fingers over the golden letters that twisted and curved, just as they had when they transferred from the champagne bottle to her flimsy paper mask. She didn’t doubt that they were real gold. Knowing Julian, (she smiled, deciding that she did know him) she’d be surprised if they were anything less than twenty-four karat. She placed the cool, cream porcelain to her face. The base rested comfortably on the bridge of her nose and the rest was a perfect fit around her eyes. ‘Wear it, don’t let it wear you,’ she repeated the mantra several times out loud. That was exactly what she intended to do.
30
The final days before the ball seemed to fly by. There was plenty of chat and banter in the office as the atmosphere was ecstatic. Nathan had reverted to a polite, often refined friend, and Shelly had dragged Eva shopping more times than she could count on both hands. Julian didn’t contact her, and while deep down she didn’t expect him to, it didn’t stop her obsessing over him and finding it hard to think of anything or anyone else.
Her work was suffering, and for the first time in her life, Eva didn’t let it eat her up. Luckily, most of the staff was too consumed with pre-ball concerns to notice Eva’s lack of dedication. Except Meghan, of course. She seemed to relish Eva’s poor conduct and breathed down her neck, throwing terms like ‘disciplinary action,’ and ‘performance review,’ around at the top of her voice.
Even Mr. Doe seemed odd. He’d called Eva to his office three times in as many days. The first time Eva had stepped out of the lift, certain she was fired, which wasn’t helped by finding Shelly hiding behind her desk in tears. But Mr. Doe only wanted to talk, and not about work. Eva did her best to answer without making herself sound weird, and she simply changed the subject or pretended not to hear when he asked something personal that she didn’t want to discuss.
Apparently, he’d turned over a new leaf, or so Shelly said. He’d not called any girls to his office for sex in over a week. Eva thought Shelly would be relieved, but instead, she was a hysterical mess. Eva tried her best to comfort her, but no words seemed to help. And seeing Eva called back to his office so often to chat, and sometimes laugh, seemed to make it so much worse. Eva and Shelly were barely on speaking terms when Eva got her fourth call to his office late on Thursday afternoon. There was just a little over twenty-four hours left before the ball, and Eva was desperate to put things right with Shelly before then.
‘He’s at his desk, but I don’t have to tell you, you’re his favourite. You probably know more about him than any of us.’
‘I don’t think Mr. Doe is the type to have favourites.’
‘The type? So you know what type he is?’
Eva shook her head. This was crazy. ‘That’s not what I mean…look, I don’t know why he’s calling me up here so much, really. All we do is talk.’
‘Yeah. Fucking. Right. You know, Eva, I really liked you. I thought we could be good friends, but I think Meghan might be right about you.’
‘Meghan knows nothing about me,’ Eva snapped.
‘Really? ‘Cause she seemed to have you spot on.’
A shiver ran down Eva’s spine. She knew Meghan wouldn’t miss an opportunity to bitch about her, but the fact Shelly believed her made Eva feel sick.
‘I don’t know what you want me to say, Shelly. Meghan hates me.’
Shelly exhaled slowly and shrugged her shoulders. ‘Yeah, I know. I’m sorry. I don’t believe her, really. It’s just…’
Shelly paused. Eva nodded and encouraged her friend to keep talking. She had a feeling she wouldn’t like what was said, but she needed to hear.
‘Meghan said you’d try to take over, and well, she’s kinda right. Since you started coming up here, Eva, no other girl in the office gets a look in.’
Eva tried not to smile. It was the nicest thing she had heard in quite a while, but she knew Shelly wasn’t throwing a compliment out there. Shelly was hurting. And even though it was entirely out of her control, Eva still felt terrible.
‘I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. I have no idea why he’s changed.’
‘Me, neither,’ Shelly said, wiping away tears. ‘I liked him better before.’
‘Do you want me to ask him about it?’
‘Nah,’ Shelly shook her head and grabbed Eva for a rib-crushing hug. ‘Just the way it is now…maybe it’s time I got a boyfriend and stopped relying on my boss for booty calls.’
‘That’s the spirit. Hopefully, there’ll be plenty of hot guys to choose from tomorrow night.’
Shelly eyes glistened. ‘If it’s anything like last year, hot would be an understatement. You’re in for one hell of a surprise. I’ll have a glass of bubbly with your name on it, don’t be late.’
Eva was about to quiz Shelly on the details of last year’s events, but
she heard Mr. Doe’s deep voice call her from the depths of his office. She wouldn’t dare keep him waiting any longer.
31
Mr. Doe insisted Eva take the day of the ball off work. She’d tried to act reluctant, but she was secretly delighted. She hadn’t been sleeping well. She’d been missing Julian, and she was riddled with guilt about almost cancelling her date with Nathan. The thought of a lie-in was heavenly. Unfortunately, a little extra rest had turned into a coma, and Eva didn’t wake until well after lunch. Then she had spent the remainder of the afternoon all hot and bothered. But it was nothing four cups of coffee, a hot shower, and curling tongs didn’t sort out.
Although Eva tried to stay calm when the doorbell rang, her nerves were in full attack. She looked at her watch. It was still early.
‘Come on in,’ Eva said, trying to relax as Nathan’s bright smile greeted her.
Nathan took a small step back. Eva blushed as he looked her up and down and smiled.
‘Will we just get going?’
‘But…but, I’m not ready.’
Eva tried to double check her watch without Nathan noticing. The Stud Farm was an hour away according to Google Maps, and she guessed they’d need some time to find it on the country roads, but it was just after six. The ball didn’t start for another two and half hours. She really didn’t want to be one of the first to arrive. She was hoping to just blend in with the crowd later.
‘You look ready to me. You look lovely, Eva.’
Eva ran her hands down the purple silk of her dress. Julian had, of course, included the expensive dress she had tried on in one of the many boxes. He’d gone beyond spoiling her and feeling the soft material between her fingers now, she couldn’t help but think of him and miss him.
‘I’ve left the engine running. If I turn it off, I mightn’t get it running again,’ Nathan said with a sheepish giggle.
Eva’s heart sank. She looked at the bottle of Italian Merlot that sat opened and warming by the French doors. She wasn’t being dramatic; she really wasn’t ready. She hadn’t finished fixing her hair, and her make-up was only half-done, but Nathan looked so anxious, she wasn’t comfortable asking him to wait.
‘I’ll follow you down; I just have to grab something.’
Nathan nodded and swung his car keys around his finger as he walked ahead. ‘Great. Hopefully, we’ll get there early and get an extra pint in. Dutch courage and all that.’
Eva smiled. It was weirdly comforting to know that Nathan was just as nervous as she was.
Flustered, Eva grabbed a small rucksack from under her bed and threw in her make-up, some hair clips, and a ridiculously large can of hairspray. She’d just have to get ready on the way. Eva’s fingers shook as she turned the key in the lock of her front door. She thought about changing her mind and rushing back inside to the safety of her apartment, but she wouldn’t let herself fall at the last hurdle. She’d come so far. She had to do this for the sake of her career. She had to do it for the sake of her sanity.
A light summer mist sprinkled Eva’s loose hair, and she scanned the car park for Nathan’s car. She didn’t even know what he drove. She waited by the main door, stepping into the porch for shelter and hoped Nathan would spot her.
Her phone vibrating in her dainty clutch bag startled her and she dropped her rucksack. It landed in a forming puddle and sprayed the bottom of her dress with murky water. Her faked composure was starting to unravel. She grabbed her rucksack, shook it off, and brushed down the droplets on her dress, praying they wouldn’t leave a stain. Her phone continued vibrating. The pressure in Eva’s head was building, and she had a headache from hell. What was she thinking, swanning off to fancy gala parties in secluded locations? It wasn’t her. She was trying to be something she wasn’t and it made her nervous. The ringing was incessant.
‘Hello,’ she barked at the number she didn’t recognise.
‘Ms. Andrews? Evangeline Andrews?
‘Yes, speaking.’
Eva hoped it wasn’t someone trying to sell her something. She usually listened to them waffle on for ten minutes about the product that would change her life while trying to pluck up the courage to tell them she wasn’t interested. Usually, she chickened out and ended up buying their stuff just to avoid the awkwardness of saying no.
‘Hello, Ms. Andrews. My Name is Anthony. Mr. Harte asked me to pick you up. Can you let me in?’
‘You work for Julian?’
‘Yes, Miss. Can you buzz me in?’
‘Buzz you in?’
Eva was confused. She recognised Anthony’s name, but Julian knew she was going with Nathan. Why would she need a ride with his staff? If Julian was playing games again, Eva was less than impressed.
‘I’m at the gate, Miss. But I can’t get in. You’ll have to open them.’
Eva took a deep breath. She was sure Anthony was a lovely guy, but Julian had out stepped himself. She would have to explain that she didn’t need his service. Christ, she was furious. She had finally taken a break from spending every waking moment thinking about him, and then he barged back into her life with a gesture like this.
‘I’m afraid there’s been a mistake,’ Eva said politely. ‘I have a ride arranged. I’m so sorry to have wasted your time.’
‘No mistake, Miss. Mr. Harte said you might be reluctant.’
How dare he, Eva thought. Going around guessing how she might react, and then warning people. He was so bloody arrogant, so infuriating…and, so occupying her every sense right now, dammit.
‘I’m sorry, Anthony. I know you’re only doing your job, but Julian shouldn’t have organised this without checking with me first.’
‘I think it was meant to be a surprise,’ Anthony explained.
Eva rolled her eyes. Great, now she sounded ungrateful. Maybe she should just take the ride. She didn’t want to get Anthony in any trouble. She leaned back through the main doors and quickly pressed the release button on the gate. She reluctantly stepped back outside and waited with bated breath for Anthony.
A small grey hatchback appeared with its engine roaring as it pulled up beside Eva. A comical splutter shot from the exhaust, and Nathan stepped out the driver’s door.
‘Sorry, had a little trouble with the headlights. All systems go now, though.’
He was more excited than a schoolboy on Christmas Eve. Eva’s face flushed as a long, sleek, black limo rounded the corner and pulled up dwarfing Nathan’s car. She had no idea how this would play out, and she wanted more than ever to duck back inside.
A suited gentleman with a smart grey cap stepped out the driver’s door of the limo and walked to the rear passenger’s door and opened it. A haven of soft cream leather and oak fittings waited inside. Eva’s jaw dropped, actually cracking as it fell. She’d seen people with the open-mouthed expression in movies, but she never thought it actually happened in real life, but right now, she was learning it did. She stood statue-like, unable to speak for a moment.
‘Ms. Andrews?’ the driver asked, nodding toward Eva.
‘Anthony.’ Eva smiled, shaking his extended hand.
‘What the hell is going on here?’ Nathan asked, stepping forward and placing his hand on Eva’s shoulder territorially.
Anthony’s eyes narrowed as he stared back at Nathan. Eva wondered if Anthony had simply taken an instant disliking to Nathan, or if Julian had said something.
Eva stuttered and stammered as she scanned her brain for any sort of reasonable excuse to bar the truth. She couldn’t think fast enough. Anthony pulled himself to his full height, although he was still as broad as he was tall, and the introduction just slipped off his lips.
‘I’m the chauffeur, Sir.’
Eva smiled. It wasn’t a lie, but it was a pathetic explanation. Nathan didn’t seem too put out.
‘Nice one, Eva,’ he said, jumping in, sliding across to the far side and helping himself to the champagne, chilling on ice.
Eva mouthed a silent thank you toward Anthony and followed Natha
n into the car.
32
The conversation flowed surprisingly well. Eva was actually hoping for a little uncomfortable silence, it would have given her time to fix her make-up, but Nathan was full of chat; probably because within the first ten miles, he was full of champagne, too.
‘There’s another bottle in the cabinet to your left,’ Anthony said without turning around. ‘Mr. Harte thought you might need it.’
Eva contemplated taking offence, but she just smiled. Julian was right. She really did need it, but she needed him more.
‘Whatcha thinking?’ Nathan asked randomly.
Eva hadn’t noticed the lack of conversation suddenly. Or that she had been staring out the window for the past ten minutes.
‘Sorry, just nervous - you know.’
‘Nothing to be nervous about.’ Nathan took her hand in his and kissed her palm. ‘We’ll have a great night. Fuck the haters and the bullshitters.’
Eva exhaled. ‘Yeah, fuck them.’
‘That’s the spirit. Now pour the booze.’
By the end of the second bottle, Nathan was looking rather glassy-eyed and Eva wondered how much further this place was. They seemed to be driving forever. They’d turned off the motorway ages ago and now there were no streetlights and minimal road markings.
‘Eh, Anthony,’ Eva said, leaning forward. ‘Where are we?’
‘Almost there,’ he replied. Eva could hear him smile. ‘Just at the end of this road. Look, you can see the gates from here.’
Eva stared out the window. All she could see was the full moon shining down on huge trees in the open countryside. She was beginning to feel uncomfortable about their isolation when large granite pillars, elongated by low stone clad walls, came into view.
They pulled into the huge open mouth of the driveway and Anthony got out of the car, chatted briefly with the security guard, and waited as the enormous wrought iron gates swung slowly open before sitting back in the car.
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