She finished off her drink, and without a word, Elias relieved her of her empty glass and put it down on a nearby table before offering his arm. She took it, then turned as she felt someone close to her other side. Alex smiled widely, and she looped her other arm through his.
As they followed the crowd meandering its way into the main hall, Mia shook her head. “I still can’t understand why you two don’t have dates.”
Alex spoke first. “I’m so ridiculously busy with work that I don’t have time for dating. And even if I did, I wouldn’t bring a date to this event—I doubt she would want to see me again after such a dull evening.”
“I would have thought most women would find this sort of event incredibly entertaining. Beautiful venue, wonderful food, prestigious company, a worthy cause…”
Wrinkling his nose, Alex replied, “Not my sort of lady, I’m afraid. If all a woman is interested in is high society, and rubbing elbows with the rich and famous, then she’s not my type.”
“How do you know that’s not all I’m interested in?” she asked, raising her eyebrows imperiously.
Alex’s face broke into a smile. “Because my good friend here,” he nodded in Elias’s direction, “has impeccable taste in women. And if he thought you were like that, he wouldn’t have been talking to you in the first place.”
“Why, thank you, good sir,” Elias replied in a mock-posh accent—even posher than his real one—having been privy to their conversation, “jolly decent of you to say so.”
Mia pressed her lips together to prevent herself from smirking. It was clear to her that they were indeed, very good friends, and the way they exchanged banter was incredibly entertaining. It showed how comfortable they were with each other, and the speed at which they returned with their comebacks hinted at their intelligence. So not only were the two men handsome, well connected, and well-off—they were smart, too. Alex had to be, of course, since he was a doctor—no dummy would even get the exam results necessary to start medical training, never mind anything else. The thought made her wonder what Elias did with his days. He didn’t come across as a spoiled rich kid, but he could hide it well, she supposed.
They had, by now, passed into the main hall. Elias had checked the table plan and was leading them to the relevant part of the room. “What about you, Elias? Are you too busy with work for dating as well?” she asked, proud of herself for adopting a technique similar to Elias’s earlier one in order to find out what she really wanted to know without being too direct.
“Something like that,” he said with a thin-lipped smile that didn’t reach his eyes.
Frowning, Mia hovered between leaving it there and questioning further. She glanced over at Alex to see if his demeanour gave anything away, but he was a closed book. She decided, therefore, to question further—after all, if she was going to spend the evening with the two men, she should get to know them better, and finding out what someone did for a job was a pretty crucial part of conversation. “That’s a very mysterious answer,” she said lightly. “What do you do for work, then, Elias?”
He gave a bitter laugh and refused to look at her as he said, “Well, I don’t save lives, that’s for bloody sure.”
Whoa. That had gone from mysterious to downright intriguing in two seconds flat. Tensing, Mia said coolly, “There’s no need to be rude, Elias. It was a perfectly reasonable question.” She stopped walking and pulled her arm from his, but kept hold of Alex’s. “If you don’t want to tell me, that’s perfectly fine. Keep your secrets. I don’t care.”
She was lying through her teeth, of course. It wasn’t fine if he kept his secrets—she did care, and was now desperate to know how he earned a living.
Alex’s silence was very interesting, too. He wasn’t saving his friend from a conversation he was clearly uncomfortable with, but nor was he throwing him under the bus—which she’d have expected from a banter-filled relationship such as theirs. So that meant it truly was a sensitive subject, and one she now half regretted bringing up. Now she’d opened the can of worms, though, she couldn’t close it again.
Elias ran a hand through his hair and let out a heavy sigh. With a quick glance around to see who was nearby, he said quietly, “I’m an investment banker, all right?”
His tone made it sound as though he’d actually said something truly heinous, like “I’m an arms dealer,” or “I’m a telemarketer.” True, investment bankers weren’t exactly popular these days, particularly since the financial crash, but it’s not like he was stealing sweets from children or kicking puppies.
She opened her mouth to respond, then realised she actually had no idea how to respond. Confusion whirling around her head, she said, “Um, all right.”
The three of them were saved from any further awkwardness by a bellowing voice. “Oi, Elias, my boy! Stop dilly-dallying over there, would you?”
Now truly looking as though he wanted the ground to swallow him up, Elias’s shoulders slumped with resignation. “Guess we’d better take a seat. If you want to make a run for it, Mia, now’s your chance.”
Alex, who still had hold of her arm, said quietly, “Please don’t. Don’t leave us. Take no notice of Elias. He can be an arsehole at times, but he doesn’t mean anything by it.”
A peek around the room told Mia that almost everyone had taken their seats. She’d stand out like a sore thumb now if she broke away from them and tried to find her allocated place.
She returned her gaze to Alex, who was staring at her, a pleading look in his arresting eyes.
Relenting, she said, “Oh, all right. Come on, let’s sit down, quick. People are staring.”
Elias, seemingly aware of Mia’s irritation with him, went on ahead and sat down, leaving Alex to escort her to the table, before pulling out a chair for her which would position her between him and Elias.
“Thank you,” she said, giving him a warm smile as she took her seat. This evening was definitely not turning out how she’d expected. For starters, she’d arrived alone and had now ended up on the arms of two men. Secondly, both of said men ticked the suitability-as-a-husband boxes her father had stipulated. At the moment she had no preference—though Elias’s sudden bizarre behaviour was rapidly putting Alex in a very favourable position.
The man Mia assumed was Elias’s father piped up again. “Alex! Good to see you. And just who is this lovely creature you’ve brought with you?”
Mia fixed a polite smile on her face as Alex, clearly used to the elder Mr Pym, replied, “Hello, Charles. This is Mia Harrington.” He turned to look at Mia. “Mia, this is Charles Pym—Elias’s father.” He continued around the table then, introducing her to everyone—including his own parents, who eyed her with interest. It was then she realised that Alex hadn’t actually responded to Charles’s assumption that she was his date. Oh well—it wasn’t worth arguing that point now.
She nodded and smiled, saying all the right things while struggling already to remember all of their names.
The introductions over, Charles spoke once more. “I thought I recognised that name. Are you Edward’s daughter, my dear?”
“I am,” she replied, her heart sinking. Just when she thought she’d got away with having ‘that’ conversation.
His bluster gone, Charles said sincerely, “I was very sorry to hear about your father. I didn’t know him very well, but he was a good man. A staunch supporter of tonight’s charity. My condolences.”
She clenched her fists beneath the tablecloth, willing herself to keep it together. No way was she going to get emotional in public, much less in front of strangers. “Thank you. And yes, he did a lot for this charity—including bequeathing funds to it in his will. I’m here in his memory.”
“Good girl. I’m sure he would be very proud of you.” With a nod and a warm smile, Charles effectively ended their exchange, to Mia’s immense relief.
She relaxed and sat back a little, only for Alex to gently touch her arm. She turned to see him offering her a glass of champagne, a long-s
uffering expression on his face. Yes, he was definitely used to Charles and his loud, outspoken manner.
Taking the glass, she said emphatically, “Thank you.”
“You look like you need it.”
In lieu of a reply, she lifted the flute to her lips and drank deeply, enjoying the sensation of the bubbles popping over her tongue. “Mmm, delicious.”
With a smirk, Alex replied, “Yes, you are.”
Oh, so he’d gone back to the confident charm, had he? Well, that was just fine by her. The last thing she wanted was a depressing conversation about her father, though she had to applaud Alex for not asking—he had to be curious, but was obviously too sensitive to mention it. She chuckled and shook her head. “Cheesy or what?”
“What?” He adopted a wide-eyed look. “I’m just telling the truth. I told you earlier you look beautiful.”
“You did. Thank you. Now, can we change the subject?”
Nodding, he replied smoothly, “Of course. Tell me about yourself.”
Appreciating that he’d put the ball in her court, she took another sip of champagne, then said, “All right. As you just heard, I recently lost my father. My mother passed away several years ago. I’m an only child. I studied business at university, and once I graduated I worked alongside my father, helping to run the estate. Now he’s gone, I’m running it myself. Honestly… that’s about it. I’m really not very interesting. Now, what about you?”
Alex narrowed his eyes. “Hmm… I’m not at all convinced about you not being very interesting, but you’re obviously ready to talk about something else, so I’ll oblige. Okay, well we have the only child bit in common. I recently qualified as a surgeon. I’m working hard to build up my reputation, hence the being so busy at work.”
She smiled. “And Elias’s comment about saving lives. Congratulations on qualifying—that’s quite the achievement. Which hospital do you work at?”
“Guy’s. And thank you. It was bloody hard work—still is—but it’s worth it. It’s all I ever wanted to do.” He took a sip of his own drink.
“Oh? Is one of your parents a doctor?”
He chuckled and shook his head. “No. I wasn’t following in anyone’s footsteps. If I was, I’d be in the navy right now.” Then, in a lower voice, he added, “Or I’d be a society wife and member of the Women’s Institute.”
Immediately spotting the humour in his eyes, Mia smiled. “I can’t see you doing either of those things, somehow.” She looked him up and down. “But I can picture you in the white coat, with the stethoscope. Or in scrubs.”
“Oh, food’s here,” he said, looking over her right shoulder.
Mia turned to see a waiter. She smiled politely and leaned back to allow him to serve her. She caught Elias’s eye and saw him mouth, “I’m sorry,” just before the waiter blocked her view.
Elias was still looking at her when the waiter had finished his task and moved around to her other side to serve Alex. Unwilling to get into it at the table, she said quietly, but firmly, “Let’s not do this now, all right? You can explain to me later.”
He lifted an eyebrow, then inclined his head.
Mia turned to her meal, satisfied that the matter was ended, for now. If Elias really wanted her forgiveness, then she deserved an explanation, and it wasn’t up to his friend to give it to her, nor was it fair to ask him to do so.
As she picked up her knife and fork, she remembered she was technically in someone else’s seat. She glanced at the name card. There, inscribed in a beautiful gold script, were the words, Elias Julian Pym.
She took in her food—salmon fishcakes, if she wasn’t mistaken—then sneaked a peek at Elias’s plate from the corner of her eye. Apparently the person who hadn’t been able to make it, the person originally supposed to be sitting where Elias currently was, was on a diet. His plate held a beautifully-arranged, but still not particularly appetising-looking, salad.
Stifling a laugh, she dug in to her fishcakes. She wasn’t sure if he’d realised yet what had happened, but either way, it was a good punishment. And one he totally deserved.
Chapter Eight
After two more courses—where Mia had enjoyed delicious food intended for Elias, and he’d admirably munched his way through much healthier options—it was almost time for the charity auction. In the past she’d always enjoyed watching the auctions—though she’d never personally taken part. Her father had, on occasion, and he’d even let her raise her hand on his behalf a couple of times, which had been pretty exciting. The way the bids went up and up, sometimes at a furious pace and by staggering amounts, sent a thrill through Mia.
But now, following Elias’s accurate assessment, she was on a bit of a downer about the whole thing. They were, after all, having a perfectly lovely evening while some poor souls suffered at home, in hospitals or hospices, and so on.
She didn’t realise her sigh had been audible until Alex turned to her with a querying expression. “You all right?”
Mia cringed. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to do that out loud. I was just thinking, that’s all.”
“May I ask what about?” His eyes held concern more than curiosity, inspiring her to confide in him.
“Earlier Elias was talking about how people throw money around at these events, enjoying themselves while the people the money is going to help suffer. It just made me feel differently about the whole concept, that’s all.”
“Yeah,” he said wryly, shooting a dirty look at his friend, “he can put a bit of a negative spin on things at times. But look,” he took her hand and clutched it in his, “let’s put a positive spin back on it. It doesn’t matter what we think of what’s happening. Fundraisers like this have taken place for many, many years, and they’ll continue to do so. Yes, some people—like your father by the sounds of it—get involved because it’s a cause they feel passionately about. They donate lots to the auction, they bid on stuff, they give their time. And yes, others are just here for a nice meal and to splash the cash, show off. But even if their intentions aren’t as pure, it doesn’t make their money any less useful to the recipients, does it?”
“I guess not.”
Giving her hand a squeeze, he met and held her gaze, and she found herself unable to look away. Or is that unwilling? “People are suffering all the time, Mia, and it’s totally crap. That’s putting it mildly. Sometimes others can help their suffering, and sometimes they can’t. So when there is a way to help, shouldn’t people take advantage of it? Better we all eat a nice meal, drink champagne, and raise money for the charity than sit at home and not raise money for the charity, right? The funds collected from ticket sales alone have to amount to an impressive figure,” he removed one of his hands from hers and indicated the stage, “never mind what’ll end up going into the coffers now.”
He picked up his glass and had a drink, giving Mia the opportunity to ponder his words. After a moment, she said, “You’re very sensible, Alex, has anyone ever told you that?”
“Shh!” He held a finger to his lips, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “Don’t go around telling people that—you’ll ruin my reputation.”
“Your reputation is already pretty shoddy, my friend,” Elias put in, making them both turn to face him. His mood seemed to have lifted, despite the health-conscious food he’d been forced to endure.
Mia was unwilling to let him off the hook for his earlier behaviour, but she couldn’t bring herself to ignore him—she had been invited to their table as both his and Alex’s guest, after all. She released Alex’s hand, then stood and shifted her chair away from the table a little, so the three of them could chat more easily without her stuck directly in between the two men.
“Must be the company I keep,” Alex quipped, then turned his gaze on Mia. “Not you, of course. If anything, you are increasing my reputation exponentially.”
Mia shook her head, though she was secretly glad the banter between the two men had returned, and the awkwardness following Elias’s statement had dissipated.
<
br /> Some loud clicking and tapping from across the room, followed by a hideous screech, signalled the switching-on of the microphone. It was only then that Mia noticed the background music that had been playing since she’d arrived had been silenced. It was time for the auction to begin. Mia turned her focus onto the stage, where a distinguished-looking gentleman with white hair and a moustache stood in front of the microphone. “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you so much for attending this prestigious event. Your presence is much appreciated. I hope you’ve enjoyed your evening so far, as well as the wonderful meal. I’m sure you’ll agree the catering and waiting-on staff outdid themselves.”
He stopped speaking and lifted his hands to clap. Everyone joined in, and the sound of polite applause rolled around the room for a minute, before the man piped up again. “And now, for the main event—our charity auction. People have given very generously, and there are some incredible lots on offer, so I hope you’re all ready to put your hands in your pockets, deep in your pockets, and raise even more funds for such a worthy cause. And, just in case you’ve forgotten, Christmas is but a few short weeks away, so this is the ideal opportunity to get something special for a loved one, or even just to treat yourself. Though to warn you, some of the items on offer will definitely not fit in a stocking, or even under a tree!”
There was a smattering of gracious laughter, and then the man introduced the auctioneer before making himself scarce.
Elias let out a not-so-gracious snort. “As if we could forget it was nearly Christmas. That’s another bloody thing folk spend a fortune on, when they could be helping the less fortunate.”
“Well, you’re a regular philanthropist, aren’t you, Elias?” Mia sniped, fed up of his holier-than-thou attitude. “I suppose you give a portion of your salary away to charity, do you?”
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