“No way.”
“You should totally ask her out for ice cream,” Marvin pushed.
“Because it worked so well for you,” his brother taunted.
“She wasn’t into anyone. She never dated at all, not even for ice cream, so it wasn’t my method. Give it a try,” Marvin nudged his brother, as their waitress walked in their direction.
“Hey, Martha, you are one well-defined function.”
She smiled, but then it wavered. “Is he making fun of me?” she asked Marvin.
“He’d like to take you out for ice cream.” He whispered, “Idiot,” at his brother under his breath for botching it.
“Really, or are you guys being mean?”
They snickered. “Mean, we’re better than mean,” Norman joked badly.
Martha frowned and started to walk away. “No, wait, I do want to take you out for ice cream,” he called after her.
“You do?” She sounded hopeful, and he nodded, blushing. “That’d be great,” she answered him with a big grin.
His brother seemed thrilled for all of two seconds, and then he freaked out. “Oh, my god, Marvin, what if she thinks I’m making fun of her on our date? She’s gonna hate me, and we’ll have to find a new diner.”
“Just don’t say anything that has to do with math.”
“What the heck am I gonna talk about?”
I decided to step in, because the boys seemed rather nice, even if they were a little nerdy and strange. “Why don’t you discuss the ice cream flavors that are available, and then let her talk about herself? Girls like that,” I offered.
“Hannah?” Marvin looked shocked.
“She’s pretty,” his brother said quietly. Marvin was red, but didn’t look mad.
“Mind if I join you? I was hoping to talk to you about the fire and the attack. I brought Detective Rogers with me.”
Marvin cleared his throat and sat up a little straighter. “Take a seat, can I order a drink for you?”
“Coffee would be nice, thank you.”
He happily flagged the waitress down to take our orders.
“Can you tell me what you remember about the attack seven years ago?” I asked nervously, hoping I could get some clues.
“Do you mind if I record this?” Detective Rogers asked.
“Go ahead,” Marvin answered, pleased. “I saw Hannah walking home. She used to have lunch here.”
“With you?” Rogers asked.
Marvin shook his head no and continued. “I wanted to talk to her, but I hadn’t gotten the courage up yet. It was the second time I followed her, trying to catch up to her and ask her out, that a man approached her. He seemed to know her, and I stayed back, not sure if I should try and talk to her.”
“Could you describe this man?”
“Dark hair, almost black, and short, he only had a few inches on Hannah, but he was stocky and talked with an English accent. His eyes were blue, and he was clean-shaven.”
“What did he say?” I asked.
“He said he had fifty thousand dollars and a ticket to send you home to Nevada. He said it was in the Greyson’s best interest if you took it and left William alone. I thought it was some kind of test, Hannah. You should’ve taken it and gone home. I would’ve gone with you.”
“Gone with her? Did you know Ms. Madison before the incident?”
“We went to school together. We saw each other around campus. I had her in a few classes over the course of our college years.”
I frowned, not able to place him. I felt bad for not being able to remember him.
“She has a bit of a memory problem,” Marvin stated, and I was surprised he knew that.
Detective Rogers looked at me curiously.
“I couldn’t remember a large chunk of time after the attack. There are still pieces missing.”
“Do you at least remember me helping you with your boxes before you left, or that you bought me a piece of pie and a coffee to thank me?”
My brow furrowed in concentration. “Calculus,” I pointed at him, “You said you were in my calculus class that I barely passed. You’re the one the professor always called on to know the answers.”
“Yes!” Marvin was excited that I was finally able to place him, and I was worried I was giving him too much hope.
“Why didn’t you tell me that when you started coming into the store, Marvin?”
“I realized you didn’t remember me, and they say you should let people try and remember things on their own. I tried to give you clues. I bought books to give you hints. I even special ordered that calculus textbook, remember?”
“Yes, I do. I’m sorry it took me so long.”
“It’s alright,” he smiled.
“Did the attacker say anything else?” Rogers got us back on track.
“Hannah told him she didn’t know him and to leave her alone. He got mad and said she was backwoods American garbage, and she needed to take the offer, because it was the best she’d ever get. She told him to go fuck himself and kept walking. He shouted that she wouldn’t get a pence of the family’s money or esteem. She disappeared into her building after that.
“The next day, he showed up again, and he offered her the same deal and told her William’s family would make her life a living hell if she didn’t take it and leave him alone. She blew him off again. It was the day after that when he was there waiting for her. He didn’t even try and talk to her. She saw him, and she didn’t slow down. She went to pass him, but he yanked her back into the alley he was standing in front of. He hit her hard and slammed her head into the side of the dumpster. I swear I got there as fast as I could,” Marvin pleaded in tears.
“He ran off, and I chased after him. I wasn’t going to let him get away with hurting you. I caught him and confronted him, and he jumped on me, but I ended up getting the upper hand and beating him up pretty bad. He was unconscious when I left him. I ran back to see if you were okay, but you were gone. I thought maybe you’d just went home. I went back to where I’d left the guy, and I was going to call the cops, but he was gone, too. It wasn’t long after that you were reported missing. I was scared the guy had come back for you. I called the tip line and told them everything. I thought they’d catch him for sure.
“It was almost a year later that I saw you walking around with that woman, Ophelia Harper. She and her brother were always around, so I couldn’t get close enough to ask you if they’d caught him and if you were alright. I finally thought I had my chance, when you opened the store, but I quickly realized you didn’t remember me at all.” He frowned, and I felt even guiltier for not knowing him.
“I’m sorry.”
“S’okay, it’s not your fault,” he let me off the hook.
“What can you tell me about the night of the fire, and what were you doing outside of the store?”
“I heard William talking to his mother. I knew she wasn’t happy they were together, and I was scared they were going to hurt her. She has a little girl, and I’m pretty sure she’s his. He doesn’t deserve to have them in his life, and I was worried they were going to do something to them. I tried to warn her. I told her to not let history repeat itself, but I could tell she didn’t get it.
“I finally decided to just screw medical advice and tell her what happened. I went to the store, but she was already gone. I thought maybe she’d come back, but after waiting a couple of hours and then seeing a pizza guy coming and delivering pizzas to the men who were already there, I knew she was most likely out for dinner.
“I planned to come by and tell her in the morning. I’m sorry I was too late. I should’ve told you sooner. If I had, you might still have a store. I was going to help you unload the shipment. I was hoping me moving boxes would help jog your memory, and you’d believe me when I told you what happened. You believe me now, don’t you?”
“Yes, Marvin, I do. Thank you for looking out for me.” His story explained a lot of things, but left us with even more question. We were still no closer to
finding out who’d set my store on fire. One thing I knew for sure, it definitely wasn’t Marvin, and it was looking more like William’s family had been involved.
Our flight to Scotland was leaving at 8:00 P.M. We thought that would be the best time to go, since it was about Penelope’s bedtime. It was a ten-hour flight, but she’d hopefully sleep through most of it.
I just hoped William’s family didn’t catch up to us, at least until after the wedding.
Chapter 21 – Mummy Poppins
WILLIAM
There was really nothing I could do to console Hannah. Her shop was gone, and even though she’d had most of the important things out of the apartment, there was no way to save the years of hard work she’d put into her shop to make it successful.
My father would pay. There was no way I was letting him off the hook. He’d be prosecuted for his part in it, forced to pay restitution, and hopefully, he’d spend some time in jail, blemishing his “good reputation.” That bastard was going down, even if I had to tie him up and drag him to the U.S. myself for him to be tried. He was not going to get away with it, and I had to find a way to punish him for sending someone to attack my girl seven years ago. I’d had it with him. All ties would be cut. I wanted absolutely nothing to do with that man anymore.
I called Camille to ask for her flight information to Scotland and to get the scoop on the latest bullshit my parents were trying to sell. She wasn’t buying it, either. I told her what Marvin had said, and she knew how my parents felt about me marrying Hannah.
“They’re still playing innocent. I think mum might’ve been in the dark on the whole thing, though. She’s a crying mess and is worried about you. She was beside herself, when she heard you’d been hurt. I don’t think mum’s evil enough to try and do something like burn Hannah’s shop down, William.”
“No, but she’s married to an arse who is. She probably still thinks he’s innocent of the first attack, too,” I accused.
“I told her…”
“William!” my mother’s worried voice cried. I could hear Camille in the distance, demanding her phone be returned.
“What do you want, Mum?”
“I didn’t have anything to do with that fire, William. Please, believe me. I’d never condone such behavior or risk hurting my son or granddaughter.”
“But you’d risk your daughter-in-law,” I stated flatly.
“So you’ve already married.” She didn’t sound pleased.
“Goodbye, Mother.”
“No, wait, I’m sorry. I just wanted to make sure you’re alright. Camille told me you were hurt in the fire, but she didn’t say any more.”
“Debris fell on my sleeve, burning my arm. I burnt my hand brushing it off and putting out the flame on my shirt. I’ll have some scarring, but it should be fine. Duncan and Carter also have minor burns, and Duncan broke his arm. We all were treated for smoke inhalation,” I snapped.
“Are you happy now? Your husband destroyed her shop and almost killed us. The man he hired to start the fire disabled the alarms, so the fire department wouldn’t be alerted, and neither were we. We barely got out with our lives, Mother, so you tell that bastard you’re married to that he can go fuck himself. I never want to see his face again, unless it’s in a courtroom!” I hung up, too angry to continue the conversation.
I was trying to settle myself down, since the girls would be back soon. They’d gone out shopping in the village to get some clothes and do the final fitting for their dresses. Hannah had purchased her gown online at a local shop and did the same with the other dresses as well. Ophelia had done wonderfully with keeping Hannah and Penelope distracted by keeping their focus on the wedding.
The castle was beautiful, and the staff had nearly everything ready for the wedding. There were just a few minor things to take care of, our clothes being one of them. My mates and I already had our tuxes. We were much simpler to fit. Camille was cutting it close, flying in tomorrow morning. I realized I hadn’t gotten her flight information from her, which had been the whole point of that last call.
Frustrated, I rang her back.
“I’m sorry, William. She’d stopped in for tea. When you called, I left the room, but she must’ve followed.”
“It’s fine, Camille, when does your flight get in?”
“I was able to get an earlier one than I thought. I’ll be arriving late this afternoon, hopefully before the dress shop closes. Maybe if you ring them and let them know I’m coming, they’ll hold it open for me.”
“I’ll let Hannah know.”
“How’s she doing?”
“Better now that she’s here and focused on the wedding. She needed a break from that mess.”
“William?” I heard Hannah call me.
“In here, beautiful. I’m on the phone with Camille. She’ll be flying in this afternoon. She’s hoping to get into the dress shop before they close.”
“Excellent!” Hannah snatched the phone from me and chatted away with my sister. She looked so at ease it really was a relief.
“Daddy!” my daughter jumped into my arms. “You should see all the clothes we bought! Aunt Ophelia bought one of everything in the store. The lady was so happy and gave us flowers.”
I wasn’t sure if I understood her correctly. I stepped into the main room of our suite and saw the mountain of bags.
“Tell him, Aunt Ophelia! Tell him you bought one of everything!”
“We bought one of everything, but it was a quaint little store with unique designs. Bonnie makes them herself. I was really worried, when Hannah told me she wanted to buy the dresses locally. When she found the perfect dress here online, I thought it was a fluke, but Bonnie really has talent. Our girls needed clothes, and these are originals, William. I bought a few samples as well to take back with me to New York.”
“So you really bought one of everything.”
“Well, two of some things, but yes, one of everything in either Hannah’s or Penny’s size, and they had some really cute coordinating mother-daughter outfits that weren’t too Stepford-esque or cheesy. I think you’ll like them.”
“I like anything my girls wear.” I pulled Penny into my arms and kissed the top of her head. “You’re the most beautiful girl in the world.”
“What about mom?”
“She’s the most beautiful woman in the world.”
“What about Ophelia?”
“He’s allowed to think your mom is prettier than me. In fact, he’d be in trouble if he didn’t.”
“Who’s in trouble?”
“Dad’s not allowed to think Ophelia is prettier than you.”
“What?”
“That was not…” I started.
“He said you were the most beautiful woman in the world, and Penny asked about me. I explained to her that he’s supposed to think you’re prettier…”
“Oh, I don’t know about that. Ophelia is a model and fashion designer. She’s supposed to be prettier than most people,” Hannah excused.
I yanked my girl down into my lap. “But she’s not prettier than you to me.” I kissed her lips softly, and she giggled, blushing lightly. “See, you’re proving my point with that smile.”
I kissed her again, a little too deeply, and Ophelia cleared her throat. “Child in the room over here.”
“We need to call Bonnie and let her know Camille will be in later today. The shop is supposed to be closed, but I think she’d open it for us,” Hannah changed the subject.
“I need to go to the mainland to pick up my suit. I can take her to the shop.”
In the end, Hannah was pretty insistent about coming with me. Just as Ophelia and Hannah suspected, Bonnie had no problem with opening the shop for Camille. Her flight was a little early, so we hurried to the baggage claim, and I watched for her luggage. Her pink and green trunk was easy to spot.
“Hannah!” my sister cheered and enveloped my girl in a hug. “I’m so glad I was able to get here earlier. Were you able to get ahold of the shop
owner?”
“Yes, and she’s waiting for us. Are you up to a fitting?”
“The flight wasn’t bad. I’ll be fine. The faster we get that done, the sooner we can have some fun.”
I was hefting the trunk into the boot, when I realized we’d need to hire a second car when we left for home. There was no way we’d be able to fit all of our luggage into the tiny car we’d hired. I was sure the women were used to large American cars and hadn’t planned their packing with small foreign cars in mind.
“William!” I thought I was hearing things for a moment, but then I heard my name again. I turned around to see my mother rushing toward us. I looked over at Camille, who looked just as shocked as I did.
“How did you get here?” I demanded.
“I followed Camille. I knew she was coming to see you, and I was able to get on the flight, even if it was in coach,” she sneered, straightening her jacket. I realized she didn’t have any luggage with her.
“What are you doing here, Mother?” I wasn’t in the mood to play her games.
“He didn’t start that fire…” she started, and I turned my back on her, not willing to listen any further.
“Stop and listen to me, William, you have to understand. He’d never start that fire, because he wants Hannah to say in New York. He’d never get rid of her livelihood. That shop was keeping her in New York, right where he wanted her to stay.”
“What do you mean? I know he doesn’t want me to move to the states.”
“He doesn’t, he has other plans for you, but destroying her shop wasn’t one of them. It wasn’t him.”
“What other plans?”
“Are you wed yet?”
I wasn’t sure if I should answer her.
“William, this is very important, and I must know, are you wed yet?”
“Why would that matter?”
“Because he has a plan to stop it. I came to warn you. I knew you wouldn’t take my calls.”
“So you expect me to believe that you’re supportive of my marriage now?”
“No, and I’m still not, if there’s no prenuptial agreement, William. If you add up all the time you’ve actually been together, you’d realize you’ve really only spent less than three months in this woman’s presence. How well do you really know her? How do you know she didn’t burn down her own shop with the intent of collecting the money?”
In Love with a Stranger Page 16
