Heiress on the Run

‘A lot of those things can still happen, even if you’re married,’ Sylvia pointed out. ‘In fact, there’ll probably be more talk if you just rush in like this.’

‘I don’t care,’ Dominic said. ‘It won’t matter.’

‘Because you’ll have your ring on her finger.’

‘Because she’ll be my wife,’ Dominic amended. ‘Exactly.’

Sylvia rang the bell. ‘Then we’d better go choose you one.’

‘Thank you,’ Dominic said, grinning. ‘For helping.’

‘Oh, you’re going to need my help with a lot more than this,’ Sylvia said as the jeweller came and opened the door. ‘Have you even thought about how you’re going to propose?’

Dominic smiled. ‘Trust me. That part I’ve got covered.’

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

IT HAD BEEN a week. One whole     long, boring week since they said goodbye. Faith had tried to keep busy, knowing     that the only way she was going to get over Dominic was by stopping thinking     about him. When she was knee-deep in dusters, polish and tarnished brass, it was     harder to remember nights in luxury hotel suites, working together, both     watching for a sign of something more...

No. Work was the thing. She couldn’t daydream when she was     discussing the estate plans with Jack, or working with her parents to clear     decades’ worth of junk from the attics. Jack had the first round of potential     investors visiting at the end of the month—and she had tons of work to do before     then.

Work was the way forward. Not worrying about her parents, who     seemed a little saner every day. Not thinking about Dominic, who was gone. Not     even wondering why Sylvia kept ringing. Faith ignored the calls. She’d moved on.     She had closure. No point ruining all that now.

Except it seemed Sylvia wasn’t very good at taking a hint.

‘Sylvia!’ Faith said, hopping down the steps of Fowlmere Manor     to meet the car. ‘I wasn’t expecting you.’

‘That’s because you don’t answer your phone any more. I’ve come     to take you down to town for the day.’

Faith groaned inside. ‘That’s very kind of you, but I’ve got a     lot on here at the moment...’

‘Exactly why you need a day off! Come on, we can go shopping     again.’

Faith didn’t have especially fond memories of their last     shopping trip, but she did like Sylvia and she really didn’t want to hurt her     feelings. Besides, she did need a new suit for the investors meeting...

‘I’ve got Dominic’s credit card,’ Sylvia said, waving the card     temptingly.

‘I don’t need that.’ Faith was pretty sure there was a little     bit of room left on her own.

‘Just jump in,’ Sylvia urged, and Faith gave up the fight.

‘Okay. Let me just settle up a few things here...’

With hindsight, she should have been more suspicious from the     start. If not then, certainly when Sylvia drove them straight to the Greyfriars     Hotel for their lunch. But Sylvia kept chatting about nothing and keeping     everything light and unimportant, so Faith’s suspicions only really started to     grow when they stepped outside at the exact same moment a red double-decker tour     bus pulled up.

‘What fun! A tour!’ Even Sylvia didn’t manage to not sound fake     at that one.

‘What’s going on?’ Faith said, rounding on Dominic’s     sister.

‘I’ve always wanted to take a London bus tour,’ Sylvia said,     obviously lying. ‘Come on, you can be my tour guide! You can stand up front with     the microphone and everything.’

‘They normally hire someone in to do that,’ Faith said as     Sylvia dragged her up the bus steps and grabbed the microphone from its stand,     handing it to her. ‘Besides, it’s been years since I did a bus tour. I’ve     probably forgotten everything...’

She trailed off. She wasn’t suspicious any more. Because she     knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she’d been set up.