Forbidden Earl

by Pinder, Victoria

  She let out a sigh but nodded. “Fine, I’ll marry you still, but I’m not happy.”

  Remington relaxed as he realized that he’d convinced her to give them a real chance. He smiled and offered his hand. “Let’s go see Grannie and make sure Lucinda and Chelsea are really gone.” He didn’t trust them, not like Cassidy.

  She stared at his outstretched palm but stayed back and crossed her arms. “I meant it. No more kissing for fun.”

  He kept his hand out, insistent. “I’ll make you a deal. No more kissing until after the wedding, unless you want me to.”

  Cautious, she slowly accepted his deal and curled her fingers around his. “I’ll take what I can get—but I won’t ask, Remy.”

  They walked down the stairs in silence, as a team. He had to find a way to get her alone and keep her there until they worked out a rhythm of daily life. What held him back from mentioning a honeymoon was his Grannie’s health, but the spark Cassidy’s kiss sent through him needed to be explored.

  On the bottom step, Cassidy stopped and looked around the expansive hall and foyer. “I think they’re gone. I don’t hear anything…”

  “Let’s go.” He motioned with his head toward Grannie’s room.

  Cassidy stayed in step beside him. “I thought for a few minutes you’d want her back—she’s very beautiful.”

  There was no contest between Lucinda and Cassidy. He stopped them and stared down at her. “Never.”

  She swallowed but her face began to get its color back.

  Remington knocked on the door and then opened it before peering inside. “Grannie, we’re back.”

  His grandmother sat up, pillows supporting her back, a bowl of soup to finish on a tray before her. “What kept you? Who was at the door?”

  “No one important. Let’s eat.” He motioned that he and Cassidy would take their seats. The servants removed the silver cloches warming their roast beef and set the steaming dishes before them.

  As he picked up his fork, he glanced across from him. Cassidy being here was right. After the wedding, he’d show her the pleasure she’d denied them both for the next two days.

  Chapter 9

  The birds sang as Cassidy walked toward her new car, the sun shining down on her head in the early morning. The new car drove like a dream, though part of her felt guilty for not fixing up Reynoldo. Her old car didn’t fit in here. Remy’s home was so different than hers. Here everything was green and cared for. The house and all the machines were in top shape. She slipped behind the wheel and smelled the new leather that had no trace of coffee spills embedded in its interior.

  Despite going back “home” her shoulders weren’t weighed down. As she passed through the polished gates of Bei Giardini Manor, she actually felt peaceful. The short drive through town was peaceful—she took note of the fresh paint on the buildings, the cut grass on the side streets, the smooth sidewalks, but the moment she reached her ancestral home, she noticed how dull the black gates were in comparison to Remington’s.

  She’d never had the cash to make anything shine. Cassidy waved at the workers who mowed the lawn bi-weekly and parked the Mercedes in the circular drive.

  While the structure was similar to Remy’s, her old home needed work. The stairwell had sagged, and the marble had cracks that needed mending.

  The butler opened the door for her with a welcome smile and directed her to the dining room where she immediately saw the one person she wanted to speak with. Cassidy leaned against the door. “Morning, Mother.”

  With one sideways glance in her direction, Cassidy stood straighter like she was caught slouching again. Her mother, the still beautiful and once famous Francesca Bright, waved her in with a welcome smile. “It’s good to see you, my dear. You’re up early. Your haircut looks nice.”

  Right. She reached behind her to smooth the hair that no longer pressed against her spine, and fluffed it anyhow. “It’s a work in progress. I have another appointment today at noon, but for now, I have to go shopping.”

  A huge smile grew on Francesca’s face, the same smile that used to grace covers of magazines. “Is that an invitation for me to join you?”

  She glanced at her mother’s almost empty bowl of granola, banana and yogurt, her usual breakfast, and nodded, though that hadn’t been her original intent. “Sure. But it’s not for my wedding dress. I’m supposed to go to the Duke of Oakley’s small wedding tonight and I don’t have anything to wear. I only really have work clothes.”

  Her mother dabbed a napkin at her lips and stood. “I’m disappointed. Wedding gown shopping would be fun.”

  Shopping with Francesca was never easy as her mother could be super critical when it came to clothes, but Cassidy had chosen a dress she felt suited her. She hoped her cheeks didn’t blush although she felt them heat as she looked toward her leather flats. “The princesses had extra dresses at the castle and I found one I loved.”

  Her mother walked with her through the old house that really needed an interior paint job. Oh, and the wall paper was peeling. Her mother grabbed her pocketbook. “It’s good not to bankrupt your about-to-be husband, I suppose.”

  The butler opened the door for them and Cassidy smiled at him as she said, “Mother, I’m not looking to bankrupt anyone.”

  Her mother’s brown eyes widened at the black Mercedes. “Remington upgraded your car,” she said with approval. “Now we can really be seen.”

  Cassidy clicked it open and walked her to the passenger side, thinking it might be nice to spend a little time just with her mother, something they hadn’t done since she’d been sixteen and they were still in California. She’d thought this morning would just be a quick conversation but shopping might be good for both of them. Once her mom was seated, Cassidy went to the driver’s side, put her hands on the wheel, and turned toward her mother. “We need to talk about Chelsea. She came over yesterday to start trouble.” She started the car, which ran so smooth she couldn’t hear the engine.

  “I don’t know how to handle her, honestly,” her mother said.

  Cassidy drove off the property. Once they cleared the gate, she tapped the console between them. “After my wedding tomorrow, I want to send her on a long trip across Europe. I’m hoping she’ll agree.”

  Her mother’s eyes brightened like she’d won the lottery. “How fun. I’ll go with her. I’m sure your father would love to see Paris again, too.”

  Of course, Mom would think this was a family treat. Cassidy let out a breath. She had a few dollars in her savings account to add to the trip, though it was supposed to be for repairs on the roof. No way would she ask Remy for help. She shrugged. “Fine, all three of you can go. I’ll figure out the bill for that, but I’ll need your promise that Chelsea won’t interfere with my wedding.”

  “Of course. I’ll be in your corner, dear.” Her mother brushed her arm with smooth fingers. She then pointed to the right of town. “Let’s go to Vivian’s to find your dress.”

  “Sounds good.” Cassidy veered in that direction and parked in front.

  Vivian’s was an upscale boutique that never had sales—either the patron could afford to shop there, or not. She’d normally wait for the street fairs in July to find a good bargain, but Cassidy needed to impress Remy, who considered looks important. His kiss still tingled on her lips. His last gorgeous girlfriend made her feel homely so she would look amazing for all photographers tonight, and tomorrow on her wedding day.

  Without caring about the bill for once, she bought a dress that her mother insisted showed off her figure—she trusted Francesca’s fashion sense. Afterward, Cassidy, still smiling at her mom’s witty humor, dropped her mom off and then met Michael for the chemical treatment on her hair. He convinced her to let him apply makeup for a trial run to see how the colors looked, which made her feel pretty. Finally in the early evening, she headed back to Bei Giardini Manor, her new home.

  As she pulled in front of the sprawling, well-maintained estate, the posh bag beside her with her dress, s
he felt almost like a princess. Even for her prom where she went solo and Remy had gone with Emily Woods, she’d never bothered with shopping or caring to look extra nice. She kept the bag in her hand and refused to give it to the servants as she entered—going immediately toward Gigi’s room. She knocked, the dress over her shoulder, and let herself in. “Good afternoon, Gigi.”

  “You’re smiling.” The older woman closed her book and sat straighter in the armchair next to the window overlooking the roses.

  “And you’re sitting in a chair—not in bed!”

  She nodded and leaned closer like they were sharing secret. “I’m feeling better but I don’t want to get anyone’s hopes up. Last week the doctors were all doom and gloom, but I’m dreaming of being in my rose garden again.”

  A nice stroll in the garden would probably do Gigi good—Cassidy looked toward the wheelchair that was folded in the corner of the room. She put her garment bag on the edge of the bed and stepped toward it. “Tell you what, I’ll take you.”

  “No.” Cassidy stopped and looked down at Gigi, who was smaller than a few weeks ago. Frail despite her brave words. Gigi had no idea her thoughts because she reached for her hand and said, “I don’t want to mess up that pretty hairstyle or your makeup. I know you have a date with my Remy tonight. The day after your wedding, we’ll make a plan for my recovery.”

  A date made the wedding of Donna and Blackwell seem like something else, something with more emotional pressure. Her marriage was smart and wasn’t based on love or dating. Cassidy kissed Gigi’s cheek. “Sounds good.”

  Gigi kissed her back and then asked, “You were gone early. What else did you do today?”

  Cassidy lifted the designer garment bag and started to unzip it, eager to show Gigi. “I went to see my mother about Chelsea but we ended up spending a fun morning shopping for a dress.”

  Gigi shook her head. “Later. I want to see you in it before you go.”

  “Okay.” Cassidy gently settled the bag down again.

  A servant brought Gigi tea and placed it beside her on an oval table, looking to Cassidy to see if she’d like one, but Cassidy said, “No, thank you.”

  Gigi picked up the delicate china cup. “How are you getting along with my Remington?”

  Cassidy took the ivory brocade armchair next to Gigi. “I don’t know actually. Being here all the time these past few days has been different but good. For years I came to see you when Remy was out of the house, mostly out of avoidance. But I think Remy’s matured a little over the past few years, but don’t tell him I said that.”

  “I won’t.” Gigi winked at her, her eyes sparkling. “He’s always been a good boy.”

  Remy had lived with her all his life, making her more than a grandmother. Cassidy sat back. “He’s been your world, Gigi.”

  She put her rose tea cup down. “While yours has been more difficult. When we were all in California, I tried to teach you a few lessons to survive.”

  “Thank goodness.” Cassidy lowered her head. Her mother was sweet but flighty. Her father believed that his next roll of the dice or turn of a card hand would be the answer to all their prayers. He’d won some, but more often lost, and never once thought to save. She felt heat in her cheeks, but ignored it as she said, “Without your influence Gigi, I don’t know where I’d be. Since college, I’ve been working nonstop but it’s never enough. I made it this far because you taught me to invest every small dime or bonus and grow it for at least six months before touching it.”

  Gigi yawned and clutched the closed book on her lap. “You’re a good girl and will be a great Countess of Sky.”

  Cassidy stood and kissed the older woman’s soft cheek again, getting a hint of the delicate scent of Gigi’s rose water wash that she’d used all her life. “Thanks. I’ll let you get some rest.”

  Cassidy slung the garment bag over shoulder and headed toward the door.

  “Don’t forget,” Gigi said. “I want to see you in that dress of yours before you leave. You already look beautiful.”

  “Thanks.” Cassidy gave her a thumbs up as she felt her cheeks glow from the compliment. “I’ll be back in a little while, then.”

  She closed the door and turned toward the main room and the stairs, but ran right into Remy’s strong shoulder. He stepped backwards, focused on her in surprise, then he frowned. “Cassidy. You’re wearing makeup.”

  This was nothing compared to her plans for tomorrow. She lowered her head. “We are going to a wedding.”

  He lifted her chin and stared into her eyes. “You don’t need that powder or blush. I like the glow of your natural skin.”

  Glow? She clutched her bag and her shoulders went inward. “I thought you’d be happy with my efforts.” If he thought she would get married without primping he was crazy. “I will be made up tomorrow for the wedding pictures—but it isn’t like I will get my hair and makeup done every day.”

  He nodded like he had a say. “Good.”

  If he didn’t think she was pretty, then she was in trouble. Michael and his palace staff were world-renowned and if they couldn’t pull off a miracle for Remy to find her attractive, nothing would.

  Cassidy ignored the pang in her heart and held her bag like it was a shield. “Give me fifteen minutes to change and be ready for tonight’s wedding. Gigi wants to see us before we leave.”

  She turned to walk up the stairs, but Remy stopped her. “She’s looking better.”

  About his grandmother, they were on the same page. “She is.”

  He nodded, holding her gaze as he took a deep breath. “I don’t want to get my hopes up.” His voice cracked.

  She walked over to him and hugged him. She’d have hugged anyone who had that pain in their eyes. Cassidy breathed in the woodsy scent but then pushed away. “We’ll talk to the doctors together, if you want.”

  A small smile grew on his face as he nodded. “I’d like you there, Cassidy. Thanks.”

  It hurt that she didn’t attract him physically but at least they had other issues in common. She let her body relax and took the first step up. “Okay, I’ll be back soon.”

  She’d expected a different reaction from him about her makeup. Would he approve that she’d spruced herself up for the wedding tonight? She hoped he didn’t expect to marry the old her. Since being at Bei Giardini Manor, she felt a shift inside her, and she needed to figure out where this emotional pull took her. Remy made her feel safe, but she needed to push harder. Safe wasn’t enough.

  Chapter 10

  Cassidy Bright’s sparkling pink dress highlighted her pink complexion. The tailored waist made her thin body have curves. She tugged the beaded bandeau snug over chest, her strapless bra in place, and left the mirror. Looking good for herself was all that mattered and right now, she felt pretty.

  Her hair was smoothed in sleek waves with nary a frizz. Tomorrow she’d have an updo with cascading curls. Her plan to wow Remy at her wedding with a complete transformation was gone. Hopefully she’d still shock him, but it felt kind of nice to dress up.

  No one was here to make her feel ridiculous for being more like a girl which would be exactly what her sister would do, even if she just tried to wear lip gloss on a windy day. She never should have hid herself because of college. She’d given Alex too much power.

  She floated down the stairs and Remy’s eyes widened as she neared him on the bottom step. He’d changed into a black tuxedo that hugged his body and showed off his taut muscles.

  He held out his arm for her, a slight frown between his brows. “You look so different.”

  She tugged on the side of the dress to ensure she was good. Isn’t this what he wanted from her since she’d moved here? She kept the question to herself and instead laughed and tucked her hand in the crook of his elbow. “My initial plan the other day was to keep my long frizzy hair in my face until our wedding day.”

  “Your plan?”

  Tonight she’d take her place at the top of the world. Tomorrow, Remy was hers. As they
walked into the main room, she slowed down, remembering Gigi as she answered, “But Michael, the stylist, insisted we had too much work to do for that and we needed to start right away. This is part two of three.”

  He brushed his hand against her cheek, careful not to touch her skin. “I’m afraid of part three then.”

  “Why?” She blinked, not certain if he approved.

  He leaned closer. “Because you’re stunning. I won’t want to leave your side tonight to do my best man duties.”

  Her lips tingled like she wanted to ask for a kiss, but she ignored the sensation and patted his arm. “Blackwell has been your good friend for years now.” She remembered how the two of them were friends in college. Her heart stammered a little as she realized she was no longer just watching Remy from the sideline. As they passed another mirror, he stopped.

  She checked her strapless dress with a quick glance to make sure it was all in the right place as Remy picked up a rose boutonnière that he attached to his lapel. “I have to give a speech.”

  “I’m sure you’ll do fine,” Cassidy said. “Though I have to say for one of the most eligible dukes in all of Avce, his small, intimate wedding in the chapel is a surprise.”

  Remy turned toward her. “He never wanted to be the Duke of Oakley. Unlike me, his father was around and handled life for him until recently.”

  Part of her heart still squeezed and felt sad for Remy like she had as a girl knowing that he never had his parents. She fixed his tie that was a little crooked. “I’m sure you miss them.”

  He shrugged and offered his arm again. “I don’t remember them. I have an ideal of what a family looks like but Grannie has always been enough of a parent for me.”

  He walked toward the front door, but she stalled. “I don’t remember a school function without Gigi showing up to support you, even when you tried to be in Tinkana, your rock band.”

  A huge grin grew on his face. “You remember that? We were ten when I went through that phase.”