The Secret to Marrying Marchesi

‘This is my daughter’s party, you buffoon!’ she exclaimed in a thick London accent, turning a hasty smile on the crowd of hushed guests. ‘Look at your bloody list again.’

A guard quickly appeared beside Goldie Duvalle, speaking in hushed tones into her ear. Whatever he said made her ageing features twist with distaste.

As though in slow motion, her mother’s trademark red talons lashed out and struck the guard on the jaw.

Nicole prayed for the ground to open up and swallow her at that moment. She looked across the ballroom to Rigo, watching as he nodded briefly to the security guard. The man backed away, clutching his red cheek, as Goldie scanned the crowd and easily spotted her.

‘There you are, my love.’ She rushed forward in her sky-high heels and her daringly low-cut neckline, crushing Nicole into a dramatic embrace.

‘Mother, what are you doing here?’ Nicole kept her voice low, pulling away from the obnoxious display of maternal affection.

‘I’m here to celebrate your engagement with the rest of these people.’ Goldie smiled brightly. ‘I’m going to presume my invitation got lost in the post and speak no more of it.’

Nicole cleared her throat, silently thanking the band for playing a louder tune to smooth over the awkward interruption. ‘I didn’t invite you, and you know why.’

Goldie’s eyes narrowed a fraction. ‘Let’s not give in to dramatics on such a wonderful occasion, my love.’ She took Nicole’s hand in her own, squeezing it in a ridiculously maternal gesture. ‘I decided it was past time to make up after our little spat. I wouldn’t want to miss my only daughter’s wedding over a silly misunderstanding.’

Nicole felt her jaw clench. A misunderstanding? She strengthened her resolve not to lower herself to her mother’s level. She was the hostess tonight after all, and she had to play her part.

‘If you want to stay—fine. I’m not going to draw any more attention to you by kicking you out, so enjoy the festivities. You have already disrupted the party more than enough.’

She had hoped to make a calm exit, but she should have known her mother would never make things that easy for her. Her mother’s eyes hardened pointedly in a way she knew all too well.

‘Disrupted?’ Goldie raised her voice. Both perfectly plucked brows rose in astonishment. ‘I’m hardly a wayward child. I just wanted to see my daughter—is that such a bad thing?’

Nicole felt her control snap. ‘It’s been more than a year since we last spoke. You’ve never even met your own granddaughter.’

Her mother grasped her hand painfully to stop her from walking away, her eyes filling with tears. ‘You’re right, darling, I’ve been awful. But you need to understand—you wouldn’t listen to me.’

Nicole grabbed her hand back, massaging her wrist where her mother’s nails had dug in. ‘You were angry that I wouldn’t sell my story to the press. Nothing more and nothing less.’

‘I was worried about you! I couldn’t have my only daughter throwing away her future. Planning to raise that child alone when you could have lived in luxury.’ She shook her head. ‘But thankfully that argument is null and void now...’

Her mother took a deep breath, a bright smile breaking across her ageing features.

‘Just look at you. My Nicole—engaged to a billionaire, living in his penthouse... I’m glad to see you didn’t let your silly principles get in the way of common sense.’

Nicole felt nauseated at the look of approval on her mother’s face. ‘Are you trying to say that I wanted this?’

‘Of course you didn’t.’ Goldie laughed. ‘Not openly. You’re proud, just like your father was—God rest his soul. You’re just lucky you have me looking out for you, making it easier for you to do the sensible thing.’

Nicole looked at her mother’s smile, feeling a ball of cold dread sink to the pit of her stomach as it all clicked into place. She had been so blind, not wanting to believe her mother could be capable of something so cold. But no one else knew who Anna’s father was.

Goldie continued, unaware of any problem. ‘You are a mother now—you know what it is to only want the best for your daughter.’ She nabbed a flute of champagne from a nearby tray, downing it in one go. ‘There’s no need to thank me for my efforts. Lord knows I never thought the fool would propose, of all things, so I can’t take credit for that. All I ask is that you hold on to him now that you’ve got your claws in.’

She winked, and that one gesture sent Nicole over the edge.

‘It was you.’ Her voice sounded hollow and shrill in her ears. ‘You gave that interview, didn’t you?’