Will. Digging into her pocket, she drew out a small velvet box. ‘Here you go.’
Carol Ann opened the box and her eyes went wide. ‘It’s beautiful!’
It was a bracelet of pink and purple crystals, and she’d known Carol Ann would love it.
The other girl danced on the spot. ‘Purple for me! Pink for you!’ she shouted.
‘Not so loud,’ Will admonished, though he couldn’t hide his smile.
‘Put it on me,’ Carol Ann demanded.
Will did and Carol Ann rushed to show it to Ms Grant and her grandfather.
‘What did she mean about the colours?’ Will asked, drawing her further into the room.
‘Purple is Carol Ann’s favourite colour and pink is mine.’
‘How do you know that?’
‘She told me.’
Carol Ann swung back to them. ‘Because we talk lots and lots on the phone.’
His eyes widened, but he didn’t say anything. She’d thought he knew. She’d thought Carol Ann would’ve told him. She’d never mentioned it to him herself because he’d never raised the topic. So rather than look at Will, Sophie grinned at Carol Ann. ‘Because we’re best friends.’
The pressure of his fingers on her arm informed her he’d be following this conversation up when they were alone. ‘Do you remember Miss Grant?’ He gestured to the other woman. ‘She came to London with Carol Ann when they visited.’
She did. Esther Grant was Carol Ann’s carer. The two women smiled at each other. ‘Of course I do. How’s your father doing, Esther?’
‘Coming along nicely, thank you, Sophie.’
‘He had a hip replacement last month,’ she explained to Will.
Will stared at her with narrowed eyes. ‘And are you and my grandfather in regular correspondence too?’
She turned to the stocky man who surveyed her from the largest armchair she’d ever seen. ‘I don’t believe Lord Bramley and I have ever met.’
‘Grandfather, I’d like you to meet Sophie Mitchell.’
For a moment she thought the older man wasn’t going to rise from his chair, that he meant to snub her completely, but eventually he lumbered to his feet and briefly clasped her hand. ‘Your reputation precedes you.’
Ouch! She refused to let her chin drop. ‘As does yours.’ She meant it in exactly the same way as he did, and had the satisfaction of seeing his eyes widen.
He briefly clasped Will’s hand. He wasn’t as tall as Will, but he was broader. Without another word he installed himself in his chair again. Flicking a glance at her left hand, he grimaced. ‘I don’t need to ask why you’ve decided to grace us with your presence.’
Carol Ann bustled up between them. ‘You’re here to visit me, aren’t you, Will?’
‘That’s right,’ he agreed.
He met Sophie’s eyes over the top of Carol Ann’s head and she sent him what she hoped was an encouraging smile. It was nice to see him with his sister, but there was no denying the tension that had him coiled up tight.
‘And to tell you that Sophie and I are going to get married.’
Carol Ann’s eyes widened.
‘As long as that’s all right with you,’ Sophie added.
More squealing and jumping up and down ensued, especially when she realised Sophie wouldn’t just be her best friend but also her sister, until Esther broke in and told Carol Ann that it was time for her Zumba dance class at the local community centre.
The room grew quiet when it was only the three of them left. Dark undercurrents she didn’t understand swirled about the room.
‘So you’re not going to congratulate us?’ Will finally said, though his tone implied he didn’t care one way or the other if his grandfather approved of the match or not, was happy for him or not. It was all she could do not to wince.
The older man’s gaze turned to her. ‘I noticed you asked Carol Ann’s permission, but you didn’t ask mine.’
A myriad different retorts sprang to her lips, but she sensed hurt behind the belligerence so she swallowed them all back. She sensed similar retorts on the top of Will’s tongue too, but she rested her hand on his arm to keep him from replying.
Will’s grandfather glanced at that hand and then back into her face and pursed his lips.
‘Carol Ann is a darling,’ she said. ‘But Will marrying has the potential to impact on her significantly. We didn’t want her security to feel threatened.’
He thrust out his jaw. ‘What about my security?’
The muscles under her fingers clenched and she tightened her grip. It took a ludicrous amount of willpower not to let her hand explore the intriguing line of that arm further—to test the solidity of the flesh that quivered beneath her touch. ‘Forgive me, sir, but you’re a man of the world and you don’t need mollycoddling. May we sit?’
She needed to sit before her knees gave out. She didn’t wait for an answer, but dragged Will to the sofa and all but fell down into it.
The older man grunted but for a moment she swore she detected a flash of humour in those eyes.
She glanced at Will in her peripheral vision. Why didn’t he say something? She gave a surreptitious nudge to his ribs.
He started. Not the reaction she’d been hoping for. It was all she could do not to roll her eyes.
‘I take it, Grandfather, that you’re in good health?’
That jaw jutted out. ‘Fit as a fiddle.’
‘In that case, as you’re the one who demanded I marry, I’m at a loss to explain your appalling lack of enthusiasm at my announcement.’
Well, that was a no-brainer. He obviously had an objection to Will’s choice of bride. But would Lord Bramley say as much in front of her?
She really hoped not because if he did she’d be forced to retaliate. But as the two men’s gazes locked and clashed it occurred to her that maybe this had nothing to do with her at all.
What on earth was this pair’s problem with each other?
She shuffled upright. ‘We were hoping to be married here, at Ashbarrow Castle, if that’s all right with you, sir.’
Her words broke through the silent battle and they both swung to stare at her. ‘When are you planning to marry?’ barked Will’s grandfather. ‘Spring?’
Spring was six months away.
One
