“But...but you got upset. You threw the brownies at Marjorie. You got a stroke.”
“I know, I know.” Claire waved her hands dismissively. “So I’m an old tyrant. That’s how I’ve always been. And I have a hot temper. That’s just me. You should know that by now.”
“But how do you go from being upset to this? You’re so...mellow.” Golden shook her head in confusion. “I thought you’d hate me for causing your stroke.”
“Now you stop that. You did not cause that stroke. I brought it on myself, eating those brownies all at once. My body can’t take all that sugar.”
“What brownies? Not the ones Marjorie brought? You threw them at her. They fell on the floor.”
“Only a couple of them fell out. I ate all the rest and boy, were they good.” Her eyes sparkled and she licked her lips like she was devouring the brownies all over again. “I think it was the sugar shock that did me in. Ten brownies at one go was too much for this old body to handle.” She shook her head. “I was never strong in the self-control department.”
Leaning forward, Claire put her elbows on the table and rested her chin in her palm. “Do you know what, though? That stroke served a good purpose. It was like a smack to the forehead. A wake-up call, as they say.”
Golden leaned forward, too. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying if I hadn’t looked death in the eyes I wouldn’t have faced up to the fact that I’ll be gone soon and when you’re dead, you’re dead. No more chances to make things right.” She lifted her head then leaned back in her chair but although her body looked relaxed her eyes were intense. “All these years I’ve been the worst fool, carrying my ex-husband in my heart, hating him, punishing Marjorie for loving him. I was hurt by both of them. Her father, I still don’t like, but Marjorie...I’ve been holding a grudge against my own daughter.”
Claire’s eyes grew misty as she spoke. “I was in shock when I saw her last week and I guess that’s why I reacted the way I did. I’d been holding on to my anger so long it exploded as soon as the fuse was lit. But it was the stroke that made me realize I’m nothing but an ass. I could be dead now and I wouldn’t have told Marjorie how I really feel about her.”
“And...how is that?”
“I love her, Golden. You know that. That’s why you got her to come here to see me. Except that I made shambles of that experiment,” she gave Golden a rueful smile, “because of my pride.” She reached out to take Golden’s hands. “Can you help me? Get her to come back and see me.”
Golden clasped the withered hands. “Are you sure?” She stared at her friend and as she did, a worrying thought entered her mind. Was Claire showing signs of senility? How could she move from explosive rage, throwing things at her daughter, chasing her away, and not a week later ask to see her again? “Do you know what you’re saying, Claire?” she pressed.
Claire tightened her lips then pushed them out in a pout. She pulled her hand from Golden’s grasp. “Don’t patronize me, child. I know exactly what I’m saying. Now go and convince Marjorie to come back. Tell her I’m ready to see her.”
“I’ll try.” Golden gave her a slow nod, knowing she would do that and more but wondering if, now that Claire was ready, Marjorie would be willing to forgive.
***
The day after Golden had given Reed a copy of the will he called her into his office. Slowly, she got up from her desk, steeling herself for bad news.
It had been a task, getting her mother to make her a copy. It had taken three days of pleading before Eugenia got the original from the safety deposit box and had a copy made. Immediately, Golden handed it over to Reed and he must have shown it to his lawyer right away because here he was, a little over twenty-four hours later, calling her to discuss the document in question.
As soon as she pushed the door and stepped into his office he waved her toward the chair across from him. Quickly, she slid onto the seat and looked at him, her heart pounding in anticipation of his next words. Had the lawyer found a way to rescue her from impending imprisonment, marriage to a man who was more than twice her age? She couldn’t read a thing in Reed’s expression.
“Did you even look at the will?” he asked once she’d settled into the chair.
“N...no. I...I was so relieved to get it from Mother I just stuck it in my bag and next morning I took it straight to you.” She frowned. “Is something wrong? Is it...worse than I thought?” Then her eyes widened as a thought struck her. “Did the date pass? Was I supposed to do this when I was eighteen?”
Reed shook his head. “No, nothing like that. But there is one surprising thing about this will.” As he rested back in his chair, his elbows on the arms, he tented his fingers. “You said the will requires you to marry your father’s friend, a man selected by him. Lord Mountbatten.”
“Yes,” Golden said, her eyes searching Reed’s face but not finding any clue to where this was going. “And he already called my mother twice this month. He wants me to go and see him.” She looked down at her hands. “Thank God she didn’t breathe a word to Manchester.”
“Well, you’re wrong.”
At his words, Golden jerked her head up. “Wrong? Manchester knows he’s been calling?”
“No, I’m not talking about that. You’re wrong that you’re required to marry Lord Mountbatten before you turn twenty-one.”
“But...” she stared at him, confused. “But that was what my father told me. If I want to inherit the money I have to get married before I turn twenty-one.”
“Yes, but not to Lord Mountbatten.”
Golden’s heart lurched. Was a miracle about to take place? Could she inherit the money without sacrificing herself? But then his words came back to her again – yes, but not to Lord Mountbatten. So she would still have to marry. “Then to whom?” She held her breath, praying it wasn’t someone even worse.
“To anyone you choose. Or, at least, anyone you can find who’ll agree to marry you on such short notice.” He gave her a tight smile. “One month is not a long time.”
“So I don’t have to marry Lord Mountbatten?” Golden slid forward in the chair. Was she dreaming? “I can marry anyone I want?”
Reed nodded. “You can.” Then he let the document he was holding fall on top of the desk. “Sorry we couldn’t get you totally out of this. Your father wrote a tight will but at least he didn’t record Mountbatten’s name. He probably wanted to steer you in the direction of an older, more responsible man and that was why he told you to choose his old friend. You can thank your luck stars he didn’t put that part in writing.”
A slow smile crept onto Golden’s lips and then her face broke into a wide grin. “Thank you. Thank you so much.” She had to fight to keep her bottom on the seat. All she wanted to do right then was jump up and fling her arms around him. It was like he’d saved her from a fate worse than death.
And he’d opened a whole new world of possibilities. She could marry any man she wanted, any one who would agree to take that step with her. And she already had one in mind.
The only man who had ever made her heart leap inside her chest was sitting right across from her. The only man she would consider marrying was Reed Davidoff.
The only question was, would he want to marry her?
CHAPTER NINETEEN
“Paris, here I come.” Golden laughed out loud as she threw the rest of her clothes into the suitcase and snapped it shut.
Reed had asked her to accompany him to Paris during Fashion Week where he would launch a new line designed by his recently appointed fashion director. And, an unexpected bonus for her, he’d given her all of six brand new haute couture gowns that she could wear to the shows in Paris. She’d never been blessed with such generosity in her life and that made her love him all the more.
She had to admit, though, that things had been strange between them for the past week, ever since she got the news of the loophole in her father’s will.
Probably because she now saw Reed as a possible marriage partner, she’d felt herself growing closer and closer to him. He, on the other hand, seemed to be pulling away. Not literally, of course, but there were days when he shut himself away in his office, not even coming out to exchange a few pleasantries as he would normally do. Still, she didn’t let it worry her too much. He probably had a lot on his mind.
And anyway, she’d come up with a sensible plan. It was still a few weeks before her twenty-first birthday so there was still time. Not much, but enough for her to wait for the perfect moment when she could share her thoughts with him.
Until then she would enjoy each moment and right now the highlight of her life was this trip to Paris, her first venture outside of England since she’d arrived six years earlier. She’d been so sheltered but now that she was a working woman who could stop her from spreading her wings? Certainly not Dunstan Manchester.