by Cee, DW
“Yeah.”
Ruby’s and Cat’s eyes cut over to me before greeting one another. “It’s so good to see you. I was told you’re shaking up the theater world.”
Cat burst into a guffaw befitting her nickname, “Crazy Cat.”
“Your career in Hollywood go as well as mine in London?”
Ruby joined the lunatic laugh. The two conversed about their acting careers with Daniel joining where he could.
Brendan turned his attention to me again. “How do you know Ruby?”
“Why? You want a proper introduction? She’s beautiful, huh?”
“She is beautiful.” His agreement poked at my heart. “But you’re stunning.” My heart was now doing an all-out Macarena.
“Ruby and I grew up together.” It was hard saying all those words without grinning like a moron.
“Yeah?” This Magic Mike was so hot. I continually reminded myself not to stare. “So you grew up with Michael, too?”
“Yep. I have pictures of zit-faced Michael in braces to prove that His Future Grace went through an ugly period like the rest of us.”
“Can you give me his number? I’d like to reconnect with him. Maybe we can all go grab a beer?”
Joy… “Sure.”
“Maybe you and I can go grab a beer, first—just the two of us?”
Joy! Joy! Joy! “Sure.” My nonchalant answer fooled no one. Mr. Twin Dimple took out his phone and waited for me to do the same. When I followed, he looked through his calendar. I followed his lead.
“Tomorrow night?” I had to stop and think about what he’d just said. Was he asking me out? The confusion must have been obvious. “Beer? Wine? A meal, preferably?”
“I have to go to an antique auction this weekend for my new client, so I thought I might go see my parents tomorrow.”
“You need a lift? I was going to go visit Mum and Dad this weekend, but I suppose I could go tomorrow.”
I thought I might hyperventilate. But, I kept cool. “Are you sure you want to go out of your way? It’s a far drive and an even farther one from my parents’ to yours.”
He gave it more thought. “You’re right.” Damn. Why did I have to be rational and accommodating? “How about we catch the train to Scarborough and then I’ll transfer to Liverpool?”
“That’s crazy. You’ll be on the train all day. I don’t know if you’ve ever made that trip, but Scarborough to Liverpool isn’t close. Let’s compromise. We can ride up to Leeds, and then separate from there. I think that’s about halfway between your destination and mine.”
“I see you’re going to be the brain in this relationship.” Did he just say, “relationship?”
“So then you’re the brawn? Is that like you being Beauty and me being Beast?”
Brendan’s deep chuckle had several heads turning toward us. “That made absolutely no sense, but OK Beast. I’ll book our seats when we get home. I’m considering the train ride as our first date. Don’t complain later about our first date not being a romantic one.”
My head was spinning; this “relationship” was speeding along without me.
“I’d worry more about graduating to a second date, Beauty. Three hours on a train with me could be a bust for you.” I winked and joined my girlfriends’ conversation.
I had no idea what the hell was happening, but I liked who it was happening with—Brendan O’Shaughnessy!
Chloe: The Duke, Who?
“Are you ready?” Brendan asked, grabbing my bag.
Brendan and I were really doing this. It was early in the morning, tickets were purchased last night, and we were headed to the train station. We would spend three plus hours together getting to know one another.
“I think so. I have everything I need.” I knew he wasn’t asking about my toiletry kit so much as he was asking if I was ready to spend time with this virtual stranger. “And you?” I returned the question full of double entrendres.
Mr. Twin Dimple appeared, gently ushering me through the door.
Brendan carried both duffle bags and attempted to hail a cab when my phone rang.
“Hello?”
“Chloe.”
“Grandpa Harry? I mean, Your Grace?”
“You’ve been back for a few days but haven’t called me. Is something wrong? Have you taken ill? Are you ignoring me? Have you gone daft?”
I couldn’t hold back the laughter. “I’m sorry, Your Grace.”
“Stop ‘Your Gracing’ me. When did we become so formal?”
“I’m home. Nothing is wrong. I am not physically ill, but must be mentally stupid for not having called my favorite grandfather.”
“I’m your only living grandfather,” he reminded me with a stern warning. “Come to the summer house. I need to talk to you.”
“I can come see you next week, Grandpa Harry. I’m on my way to Mum’s right now.”
“Chloe.” He let out his ultimate duke voice. “I’ve been waiting by the phone for the past three days. Neither you nor Michael has called. Ruby was the only one with enough sense to ring and say hello.”
“I’m sorry. I have no adequate reason for not calling. I will make it up to you, Grandpa.”
“You can make it up to me by hopping in the car with Finneas. He will drive you up here.”
How to appease an old man who was used to getting his way… “Mum is expecting me…” I knew he wouldn’t make me change my plans of going home.
“Your mum is expecting to see you in Derbyshire.” Um…maybe he was changing my plans?
“Stop,” I whispered to Brendan who had hailed a cab and placed our bags in. “Give me a moment.” I needed to figure out this confusing situation.
“Your moment is over.” Grandpa Harry must have believed I was talking to him. “Hop in the car with Finneas.”
“Why is Mum in Derbyshire?”
“Your entire family is headed here. Get yourself here and you’ll find out.”
“So my family won’t be home?”
“They’ll be home in Derbyshire, Chloe.” That was awfully sweet of the duke to think of us as family.
“OK. I guess I’ll see you soon.”
“What’s going on?” Brendan asked as soon as I got off the phone.
“You know Harry Bennington?”
“Not well, but sure. I’ve met him once. He’s Ruby and Michael’s grandfather?”
“That’s the one. My family has worked for the Bennington family since my great-grandfather’s days. My father still works for Harry Bennington. Grandpa Harry just informed me that my family is meeting him at his summer home. He has to talk to us about something.”
“Oh.” Brendan wasn’t sure what else to say. I, too, didn’t know what to feel. I was looking forward to this time of get-to-know-yous. “Is that how you grew up with Ruby and Michael?”
I nodded. “We literally grew up on the same estate. When my dad was younger, he lived in the cottage in Derbyshire with his parents. I grew up in the same cottage in the summer and in a part of the flat in Belgravia until I was twenty.”
“Where’d you go after?”
“I took design courses here, but eventually moved to New York and LA to work.”
“Why all the way there?”
“Because I needed to stop leaning on the Benningtons for everything, but still wanted to be near Ruby.” I saw Finneas pulling toward us. “I’m sorry, Brendan, but I need to cancel our plans.” I pointed to my ride. “Can we finish this another time?”
“It seems as if I don’t have a choice.” Brendan handed back my bag. “I was looking forward to spending quality time with you.” He leaned in and placed a chaste kiss on my lips. “Rain check?”
“Rain check,” I agreed. I had to make a quick escape before I made a fool of myself and went back for another, deeper kiss. Situating myself into the passenger seat of the car, I waved good-bye.
“Hello, Miss Chloe. Boyfriend?”
“Naw,
Finneas. A friend saying good-bye.”
“You snog every boy who says good-bye to you?”
I laughed. “Only the cute ones built like Magic Mike.”
Finneas and I caught up on one another’s lives the entire ride to Derbyshire. We hadn’t seen each other in so long, three hours didn’t give us enough time to talk, laugh, and reminisce. Finneas’ family, like my own, had been with the Benningtons for generations.
“The old house is as majestic as ever.” I spoke in awe of the Bennington estate.
“There’s nothing like an English home,” Finneas agreed.
“An English home is where you and I live. This is a mini-castle.”
“That it is.”
I stepped out to familiar grounds and marveled at how very little had changed in the four years I’d been away from home.
“It’s about damn time, Chloe Noel Darcy.” Duke Harry Bennington put out his arms to greet his secretary’s daughter. “Why the hell did you stay away for four years?”
“It’s good to be home, Grandpa.” I hugged him fiercely.
“It’s good to have you home. Your bedroom is ready.”
I was not a Bennington, but Grandpa Harry continually treated me as one. His family had provided above and beyond the average salary for the Darcy family. My great-grandfather started as the valet for the duke’s father. My grandfather grew up with Harry Bennington and worked as his personal assistant. Dad also grew up with Michael’s dad, but ended up working for Grandpa Harry rather than Michael Sr.
“Mum and Dad here?”
“Not yet. They’re on an errand for me, first.” The duke led us into his library where tea sandwiches and cakes for an army sat on a makeshift tea table. “Come sit. I want to talk to you about something.”
I did as was told and dug into the yummy scones and double-whipped Devonshire cream immediately.
“What’s going on?”
“What do you plan to do now that you’re home?”
“You’re going to be proud of me,” I answered with a mouth full of food. “I landed a job, yesterday.”
The duke gave me his grandfatherly I’m proud of you smile. “Who snatched you up, already? You just got here.”
“Do you know the Kents, who live around the corner of your Belgravia flat?”
“I do.”
“The young Mrs. Kent wants the flat and her summer home completely redone. She’s also given me referrals to some of her friends.”
The duke looked overly proud of me. “Good for you, Chloe. I, too, have a job proposal for you.”
“Really?” The scone that almost hit my mouth went back on my plate.
“I’m not getting any younger and neither are my properties. Your father has gone around to all the properties to assess what needs to be fixed and it turns out the job is bigger than originally thought.”
“OK…” I was confused but didn’t interrupt.
“My son has no interest in taking over my position, so Michael will fill in immediately. He will make sure all the necessary repairs begin as soon as we get approval from each town.”
I still wasn’t understanding where I was needed. “How can I help you?”
“I’d like for you to redo the interior of all the properties while Michael cares for the exterior. Everything needs fixing, according to your father.”
“But they’re rentals, Grandpa. You don’t want to spend money redecorating the inside, do you?”
Harry Bennington grinned. “You’ve always been the savvy one. No, I don’t want to spend too much money on the inside. However, your father says the interior is in bad shape. We need to make not-so-costly, but looks-like-I-spent-a-lot-of-money type of changes.”
“Dad can do that easily. He’s got a good eye for color and a great sense of style.”
“Your dad wants to retire.”
What??? Why wasn’t this important information passed along to me? “Dad never mentioned…”
“He hasn’t mentioned it to me, either, but it’s the sense I’m getting.”
“How do you figure?”
“Your father was a born farmer. He’s been using the piece of land he lives on to farm vegetables. He and your mother sell them at the local town market and they’re happy. When I last saw your dad, he was tanned, smiling, and waxing lyrical about his life as a farmer as if he’d won the national lottery.” Grandpa looked happy for my dad. “I’m going to let him go and allow him to enjoy the rest of his young life doing what he truly loves to do.”
“Then who will be your secretary? You need an assistant.”
Grandpa shrugged. “I’ll have to find someone else.”
“But that position isn’t easy to fill. You need to find someone you can wholly trust, someone who understands your whims, someone who gets along with the Benningtons, someone who’s a…Darcy…”
The light went on, off, and then back on. I realized what I had to do—what I was already committed to do since birth. For only a millisecond did I fight my destiny. In that brief millisecond, I wondered why my family had always served under the Benningtons. Why couldn’t we be aristocrats, or even regular Jacks and Jills who had desk jobs? Why had we been connected to this family for so long?
Then I pondered through the fact that my dad and I were educated thanks to the Bennington family. Though none of this was mine, I had lived in luxury for most of my life and no one, but my own self, made me feel as if I didn’t belong.
The house that Mum and Dad lived in was given to them by the duke. My private school education, alongside Michael and Ruby, was also a generous gift from His Grace. Though I opted not to study in the States with my two best friends, my two years in design school were enough to start my career. That, too, was thanks to Grandpa Harry.
His Grace continued to watch my ever-changing expressions. “What do you say, Chloe? You can continue your job as an interior designer for your clients. I’m asking you to take me on as a client, too.”
It didn’t take long to understand what I had to do. “Will you be traveling much?”
“I hope not,” he stated emphatically. “These bones are too old to travel far.”
“You’re younger in mind and spirit than most young men I know.” I put great emphasis in my statement, too. “You’ll basically be between London and Derbyshire?”
His Grace nodded. “I’ll be up in Fife from time to time as well as the Paris apartment. Why do you ask?”
“You need an assistant. There are very few people who understand your bluster, Grandfather. People are frightened by your supposed gruffness.”
“So what do you propose, Chloe?”
“If you don’t have an issue with me working side jobs as an interior designer, I’ll be your assistant.”
I actually surprised His Grace, Harry Bennington. “Chloe, you don’t have to fill that role. You’re not an indentured servant. I don’t ever want you to feel that your family owes me anything.”
“I know, Grandfather. I really want to work with you. I figure there won’t be too many years left for us to spend quality time together. I will probably be the last Darcy to work under the great Harry Bennington,” I teased.
His Grace thought about my proposal. “You’ll still help redo all the properties?”
“Yes, but I don’t want to be paid for that part of my duties. The redecorating, I’ll do for fun. I only want the pay of an assistant.”
“I’m not going to have you do extra work and not pay you.” I knew Grandfather would fight me on this one.
I didn’t plan on losing this argument. “Will I be staying wherever you’re staying, rent free? Will you feed me whenever I’m with you? Will you be paying for my travel fees? Did you pay for my education all my life? Did you treat me any differently than your own grandchildren?” His Grace looked surprised. “I’ve never loved you any less than Grandpa Charlie or Grandpa Willie. I always thought I was the luckiest girl in the world to have three grandfat
hers. Let me do this for you.” Once again, he was speechless. “If you’ll take me as your assistant, I’ll decorate all your properties. Deal?”
The great Harry Bennington stood up and gave me a grandfatherly hug.
In the course of half a scone and a few sips of tea, my life was headed in a completely new direction.