He nodded. “I think I would enjoy getting to know you a bit. But I have to warn you, I’m going to have to take it slowly. It’s been a while since I’ve done something as normal as go on a date with a woman.”
“Been living in a cave, have you?”
“Euphemistically speaking.”
“I suppose under the circumstances, I don’t need to worry that you’re planning to club me and drag me back by my hair to your stone lair?”
He smiled, thinking how on a certain level he’d love to do just that. But only time would tell with this one. “I’d hate to mess up your pretty hair,” he said. “Besides, I think I’ll save that trick for another time.”
The two talked for a while, Gab slurring, no doubt because of the empty shot glasses on the bar.
“I have to run to the loo,” she said. “Save my seat?” Even though the two of them were actually standing at the bar.
“I’ll keep it warm for you.”
But Gab no sooner disappeared than Clementine showed up. “We need to get out of here now,” she said, grabbing his arm.
“But Clem, I’m busy.”
“Well, unbusy yourself,” she said. “We have to leave so that Isabella’s got no way home except with Sawyer. If we slip out now, she won’t know we’re gone.”
“That seems like a shite thing to do to your mate, just disappearing on her like that. She’ll be searching all over the place for you.”
“You don’t understand matchmaking at all, do you Edouardo?” his sister said, chiding him.
He knit his brows and shook his head. “Thanks, but no. Nor do I want to.”
“Just know that I’m being the hand of God in this little one-act play and making sure that Sawyer has a chance to get underneath Bella’s suit of armor.”
“I want to know nothing about him undressing her,” he said, plugging his ears with his fingers.
“That was figurative, not literal,” she said, bopping him on the head lightly.
“You need to at least let her know you’re leaving.” He looked at Sebastian, who was holding Clem’s hand for support.
“Don’t look at me,” he said. “I don’t want you to hit me so I’m staying out of this.”
Edouardo shook his head while Clementine laughed.
“Fine, come here sweetie,” she said, grabbing Sebastian as she held up her phone. “We’ll Snapchat a message to her. Make a goofy face.” She pressed on the screen and lined up their faces, then did a face swap.
They looked at the image and started howling with laughter. “She’s at least going to have to momentarily crack up even though she’ll be furious with me for this one,” Clem said, sending it to her friend.
“Now let’s go before she finds us.”
She grabbed Edouardo and Sebastian’s hands and pulled them out the front door, not even leaving her brother time to say good-bye to Gabriella.
Chapter Twelve
“Well, crap,” Gabriella said as she returned from the bathroom only to find Ricardo and no Edouardo at the bar. “I guess that didn’t go as well as I’d thought it did.”
Ricardo unscrewed the lid from a bottle of Pellegrino water and poured it into a champagne flute for her. “Here,” he said. “Have this. You’ll thank me in the morning. But in the meantime, you should know you weren’t ditched. Your boyfriend got pulled away by someone named Clem who said they had to leave before someone named Bella knew they’d left. Some trick she was pulling on her or something.”
Gab knit her brow. “Huh,” she said. “Interesting. And kudos on your spying abilities. I know they say your local bartender makes a good therapist. To that I’ll add spook. James Bond would be duly impressed with your intelligence-gathering capabilities.”
“Didn’t want you to drown your sorrows needlessly,” he said with a wink.
Gabriella nodded. “You already know me far too well. Thanks for taking care of me.”
~*~
“So, Edouardo,” Clementine said as the car left the estate and approached the coastal road on the drive home. “Any luck with Gabriella?”
Edouardo was chauffeuring, and now that they didn’t have Isabella in the front seat, he felt like a servant. An awkward one at that. His sister and Sebastian were in the back seat nuzzling and being just generally too damned close for his tastes. He’d almost rather engage in conversation of a personal nature than sit idly by as Sebastian fondled his sister. Almost.
“Really, Clem,” he said. “I don’t ask you about your conquests. Why do you insist on minding my business?”
She giggled. “Because you’re my brother, of course,” she said. “Besides, don’t you know I get the ultimate decision-making ability in whoever you plan to marry one day?”
Her brother snorted. “That’s rich,” he said. “Aside from being complete fiction, it’s also never going to happen, so be my guest and believe that all you want.”
“Ooh, did you hear that, sweetie,” she said, oohing and goo’ing with Sebastian in the back seat. “I’m in charge of Edouardo’s love life!”
Edouardo pulled out a piece of gum from the center console, unwrapped it, and stuck the gum in his mouth. Then he balled up the foil wrapper and lobbed it at his sister in the back seat. “Just as soon as I have total control over whom you’re with.”
“Too late,” she said, leaning over to kiss Sebastian on the lips. “I’ve found my perfect match, and there’s nothing you can do about it. But enough about us. Are you taking her out on a date?”
“Who?”
“Gabriella, of course,” she said. “She’s so sweet and super smart. You’d be lucky to land her.”
Edouardo thought about that. Idiot that he was, he could’ve landed her about two hours earlier when she was happily attempting to pounce on him. But he was such a weenie, he was too afraid to seize the moment and he’d blown it. At least, thanks to Zander’s pep talk, he earned himself a second chance, and this time he wasn’t going to mess things up. He also wasn’t going to share his private life with the whole world. He needed to take this slowly.
Rather than answer Clem’s question, Edouardo reached down to the radio and cranked up the volume, leaving his sister to continue whatever she was doing with Sebastian. This was too new and raw for him to let anyone else into this fledging world he just might be ready to venture into.
~*~
Edouardo lay in bed in the dark staring at the ceiling, his hands clasped behind his head as he tried to make sense of this evening’s sudden turn of events. In a small way, it almost felt like the tide was turning or trying to shift directions. Maybe it was more like an ocean liner that was trying to make a U-turn. In a small harbor with shallow water. Surrounded by fragile reefs.
Nevertheless, for the first time in many months, Edouardo felt something dangerously like hope—or dare he even ponder actual happiness?—bubbling up from the primordial ooze his life had turned into and practically threatening to destroy his misery. What the hell? Hadn’t he been content to be discontented? If he wasn’t careful, before he knew it he might even find himself in a better bit if headspace.
He thought about how he felt when he first caught sight of Gabriella in that purple frock she wore. He would never admit it to a soul, but she momentarily took his breath away. The dress wasn’t even that revealing. But damn, her tits looked great in it. And her shapely legs. And that great ass. God, if he only could allow himself to get a healthy hold on that thing someday. If... Could he give himself the space to hope? To plan? To contemplate a life other than the one he’d known up until now?
Chapter Thirteen
For the first time in months, Edouardo woke by seven, took a shower, and donned clean clothes before showing up for breakfast.
His mother was sipping tea with Darcy, who was speed-eating a plate of eggs as if his life depended on it.
Lady Charlotte took a look at her younger son and smiled. “Well, good morning, love,” she said as he sat down at the table. “Aren’t you looking sprightly tod
ay?”
Darcy looked up from his eggs. “Welcome back,” he said and returned to eating.
Their mother cocked an eyebrow. “Are you back?”
Edouardo shrugged. “Was I ever gone?”
“You tell me.”
“So, how was your dinner with Uncle Alastair?” he said, happy to redirect the conversation.
His mother smiled. “It was divine.”
Edouardo squinted. Divine? Dinner with Alastair? He could think of all sorts of adjectives that might apply to dinner with his Uncle Alastair. Delicious. Interesting. Engaging. Fun. Entertaining. But divine? He let out a little nervous laugh. “Almost sounds like you were on a date.”
His mother’s face grew somber, and she reached out a hand, placing it atop his. “Would that trouble you if it were?”
Edouardo’s eyes shot open wide. “If you were dating someone? Like, some man?”
His mother laughed. “Generally speaking, it would be with a man, yes. At least for me it would.”
“What would Papa say?” Edouardo said, his voice rising an octave at the mere suggestion.
“About what?” Darcy said, looking up from his meal.
“Mum wants to start dating,” Edouardo said with a curled lip. He felt a strong case of agita coming on. Where was the bottle of antacids when you needed it?
Darcy looked at his mother. “Mum, that’s fantastic. I think it would be good for you to get out and mix it up again.” He reached out and rubbed her shoulder. “I’m sure you’ve been lonely since Father passed.”
“You’re right, Darcy, I have been very lonely,” she said. “But the one saving grace has been Alastair.”
“Wait a minute—let’s back up here. I don’t know where Darcy’s coming from but I am totally not on board with you dating men.”
“Would you rather it be women?” Darcy said mid-bite, his eyebrow cocked and a twinkle in his warm, brown eyes.
His mother gave him that look—the one moms give sons when they know they’re baiting their younger brothers. “Darcy...”
“Sorry, Mum, couldn’t resist.” He shot her a wink.
“The thing is, I’m not just interested in dating any old man,” she said. “There’s one in particular I had in mind. And he’s not old, for that matter.”
“That’s great,” Darcy said. “When can we meet him?”
Edouardo’s eyes practically bugged out of his head. To think this day had started so well. “By not old I hope you don’t mean young. The last thing we need is to have a cougar for a mum. Besides, I don’t want to meet anyone. I don’t want there to be anyone. Papa will be spinning in his grave to know that you’re taking your marriage vows in vain.”
“Edouardo, darling,” she said, rubbing his arm with her left hand, which prompted him to notice her wedding ring was no longer resting in its rightful place on her ring finger.
“Mum—your ring. You’ve lost your ring.”
She laughed. “No worries.” She flapped her right hand. “It’s right here. I just moved it to the other hand. I figured it’s been long enough now.”
“But, but, but it’s like you’re advertising your availability!”
Darcy just laughed at his brother and shook his head.
“Sweetheart,” his mother said. “I know it’s not easy to think about moving on, but your father would have wanted us all to do just that. That means me, and it includes you. He wouldn’t have wanted us suspended in amber for all eternity. He would choose for us to live our lives to the fullest—probably more so than anyone considering his life ended so suddenly and unexpectedly. We all thought he had many years in front of him, yet he didn’t. I’m sure he would have been glad he didn’t waste his time dwelling on what-ifs and worrying about what everyone else thought he should do.”
“That’s complete crap!” Edouardo said.
“Honey, I’m merely honoring your father.”
Edouardo crossed his arms over his chest, preparing for figurative combat. “So, who is this Mister Wonderful, who, by the way, I have no intention of welcoming into this family with open arms?”
His mother scrunched her eyebrows, frowning. “I’m afraid you’ve already welcomed him into your family.”
“We’ve met your new beau already, Mum?” Darcy said.
“You’ve known him your whole lives.”
Edouardo lowered his chin, closed his eyes, and opened them wide. “You mean to tell me he’s already insinuated himself into our lives, unbeknownst to us?”
“My goodness,” Charlotte said. She reached over and scruffed Edouardo’s hair. “I thought perhaps since you showered and dressed and came to breakfast, maybe you were turning over a new leaf. One in which you left your temper in bed.”
“I’m not grumpy.”
Charlotte and Darcy exchanged glances.
“As I was saying, this man that I have particularly fond feelings for is indeed someone you know well, and, dare I say, someone you love.”
Darcy and Edouardo looked at each other, perplexed.
They heard a knock at the back door.
“Hello? Charlotte?”
Lady Charlotte stood and walked to the doorway as Alastair entered the room.
“Uncle Alastair, perfect timing,” Edouardo said. “Please, you need to help me talk some sense into Mum. She claims she’s fallen for a man. We need to help her come to her senses and stop this before it’s gone too far.”
Alastair looked at Charlotte, who reached out and clasped her hands with his.
“Boys,” she said, “I’d hoped to wait until your sister was up to break it to you all at one time, but I think I need to just get this out in the open. The man in my life is Alastair. Your Uncle Alastair.”
Chapter Fourteen
Well, fuck to the fuck. His mother. With Alastair? Impossible! Alastair was his uncle. Well, not really an official uncle. But that’s how they’d always regarded him. And he certainly wasn’t his mother’s love interest. That just went against the laws of nature. Or should. Ugh, the concept made Edouardo want to shrivel up and slink beneath the table. If it was bad enough thinking about your parents having sex together, multiply that times infinity to fathom your mother doing it with the man who was the next best thing to a father to you. That was something that simply wasn’t supposed to be. Edouardo knew what he had to do.
“I’m sorry, I must have heard you wrong,” he said, using his pointer finger to attempt to clear out whatever surely was clogging up his ears. Meanwhile, his duplicitous brother was busy giving Alastair a traitorous man-hug and welcoming him into the damned family. Bloody hell.
His mother shook her head. “I’m pretty sure you heard me,” she said. “Alastair has been my rock since your father passed on. We’ve spent a great deal of time together over the past year, during which he was a shoulder to cry on, a guiding light, and an inspirational friend. And somewhere along the line we realized that, well, were are very compatible.”
Compatible? A goat and a pig could be compatible in a farm friendship sort of way, maybe. A button and a hole could be compatible if they fit together well enough. But his mother and Alastair? That would be like pairing pickles and hot cocoa for dinner. It simply did not compute.
Edouardo waved his hands as if erasing something off an imaginary whiteboard. “I think you both must be mistaken. Like maybe some hormone kicks in when you’re bereaved that draws you to the first thing that swoops in and saves you from your grief. The way an orphaned bird attaches to its rescuer and mistakes it as one of its own. I mean it’s obvious: you’ve known each other forever, so naturally Uncle Alastair was going to be that person. Clearly the two of you have been fooled into thinking it’s something more than it actually is.”
Lady Charlotte and Alastair gazed with affection into each other’s eyes, and it was more than obvious that the only one fooling himself was Edouardo.
“Mum,” Darcy said, linking elbows with his brother, who’d yet to even eat breakfast, “allow me to congratulate you both.
I think the two of you could not have chosen better than each other. And to that, I say bravo. I’m sure Clementine will also be over the moon about it. And now, I will do you the great favor of taking your agitated son away from your presence so that you two can enjoy a few moments’ peace.”
Darcy bowed at the waist, holding tight to Edouardo as he tugged him out the back door.
~*~
Edouardo’s face tended to turn red when he was angry. And he was seething.
“What the hell was that all about?” he said to his brother.
“You mean the two of them together or me dragging you out before you made an even bigger fool of yourself?”
“Both. Minus the fool part. I’m the only one who isn’t behaving like an idiot here. Do you not realize that our mum—your mother—is consorting with someone other than our father?”
“Newsflash, dear brother,” Darcy said with a grimace, “our father is no longer of this earth. You might recall having heard of those marriage vows: till death us do part. That pretty much means that once a spouse dies, it changes everything.”
“Yes but—”
“But what? You should be happy that Mum is moving on and finding a happy life rather than wallowing in sadness and self-pity. For that matter, you might want to take a page from her.”
Edouardo furrowed his brow. “I am not wallowing in self-pity.”
Although as he spoke the words, deep down he knew better. This morning was the first time in forever he could have possibly said that about himself with a straight face. That is, until his mother announced her near-betrothal—more like betrayal—with his uncle. Talk about a double whammy—knocking down two venerable institutions in his life with one whack. What about him? Who cared what Edouardo thought?
“I might beg to differ,” Darcy said. “You’ve spent the better part of this year parked like a hibernating bear on the sofa engrossed in mindless crap on television just to avoid figuring out your life. At least your mother is doing something about her despair.”
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