But she’d promised Clementine she’d show up at her house to hang out with her tonight. She was trying to be mindful of Clem’s feelings, since she’d lost her father several months earlier. It seemed that Clem would start to feel better, only for something to trigger her sadness and grief again, so Pippa had become adept at anticipating when Clementine might need some companionship. And a dreary, wet autumn evening alone at home could be just the ticket.
She’d have loved nothing better than to call Zander to come watch a movie in her home theater, like old times. Except she was still not speaking to him, and it felt sort of lonely to do so by herself. Her parents had been gone for months now on one of those luxury cruises around the world—they had their very own penthouse apartment on an elegantly appointed cruise ship, where they got on and off at their leisure.
They’d not be home for another six months, which meant a lot of solitary nights had been accruing for Pippa. Not that she felt a need to live alongside her parents at this point in her life, but being in a big old house on her own just got sort of depressing after a while. Which is why she acceded to Clem’s wishes and drove to her family’s estate; it was only about twenty minutes from her place but felt like it was hours away. What with the heavy rain coming down and her wiper blades barely keeping up with it, it seemed like she’d been driving all night. She couldn’t decide what was coming down harder, the rain or leaves being blown from the trees with the storm. Either way, it made for a stressful trek.
She pulled up to the house and got out of her car only to end up with one foot ankle-deep in mud.
“This is just bloody perfect,” she said, muttering. “She had better have some damned good wine at the ready.”
She shook off the spare mud from her foot, trying to wipe the sole of her trainers on the wet grass so she didn’t track dirt into the house.
She climbed the steps and rang the doorbell—one of those doorbells that goes on forever. Oddly, no one came to the door. Pippa knocked with the large brass horse-head knocker, a nod to the racehorses Clem’s father, Lord Weltenham, had long bred.
“Huh,” Pippa said. “Where the hell is she?”
She tried the door latch, and it gave when she pressed down on it, so she went ahead and opened the door. Not that she hadn’t regularly helped herself to entering their home in the past, but it seemed weird to do that now that she was a grown-up.
“Clem?” Pippa shouted, confused because the lights were all out. “Where the hell are you? Stop messing with me and get out here. This place is kind of creepy in the dark!”
Just then, the lights went on, and a collective yell of surprise just about sent Pippa to the emergency room with heart failure. She stood there, jaw open, unable to comment.
Finally she spoke. “Are you fucking kidding me?” she said, looking with murderous eyes at Clementine, who was leading the pack.
Clementine reached out and grabbed her arm and pulled her into a two-cheeked kiss. “Surprise?” she said with a laugh as she then gave her friend a once-over.
“My God, you sure do clean up well, Pips,” she said, pointing out her left foot, which was mud covered to her ankle, and mentioning the slovenly outfit.
“You said you were lonely,” Pippa said. “I wanted to stay home and watch a movie. It’s miserable out there. Yet I came because you needed me. But then, well, this!” She stretched her arms out to point out the obvious.
“Oh stop with your issues,” Clementine said.
“Issues? I practically came over in my pajamas. Besides, on a good day, I’m not one to dress up!”
“Well, hey! At least I got you here. And a good fifty of your closest friends were willing to brave the elements just to help you celebrate!”
“Oh, God, Clem, that was rude of me,” Pippa said, apologizing. “I guess you just totally threw me with this surprise, and, well, look at me. I’m a hot mess.”
“I’d venture to guess you won’t be picking up anyone looking like that tonight.”
Pippa tossed her a “shut up” look. “Try ever.”
“Oh, I dunno,” Clem said. “You never know what’s just around the corner.”
“Promise me you haven’t flown anyone here without my consent.”
“Of course not! You know I’d never do something like that,” Clem said. “All good, my friend. Now let’s get a drink in your hand, and let’s get this party started!”
Chapter Nine
THE party was winding down, and Pippa had thankfully managed to pep up for the guests, despite her hangdog attitude earlier that night. She even extended a cursory hello to Zander and warmly greeted Andi.
“Sweetie!” she said to Andi, kissing her cheek twice. “I can’t tell you how happy I am to see you here. Even if it is with a certain someone.” She rolled her eyes over her continued annoyance with Zander.
“Pips, I wouldn’t miss this for anything,” Andi said. “You’ve been so wonderful to me I was happy to come celebrate your birthday. And as far as that certain someone, well, let’s just say he’s on notice.”
“Good,” Pippa said. “I’m sure the man only responds to being cut off.” She winked again.
“How’d you know that’s what I threatened him with?”
“The oldest tool in the book.”
Andi shrugged. “Yeah, true dat. But hey, it works.”
Pippa smiled.
“I’m still a little irate with Zander, but I’ll come around. Eventually. In the meantime, make sure he knows you’re in charge.”
“Already taken care of,” she said. “We’re going to take off. I think Zander doesn’t want to be hit up for dishwashing duty.”
“As if he ever has been!”
“I know, right?” Andi said. “It’s more likely that he wants to cash in his reward for good behavior tonight.”
“In that case, go.” Pippa pushed her friend toward the door. “Someone around here needs to get lucky.”
Finally all that remained were Clementine and Pippa. Even Clem’s brothers had gone off to bed as had her brother Darcy’s fiancée, Caroline.
“Damn, seems like everyone is pairing off these days, doesn’t it?” Pippa said with a whiny tone of voice as she helped collect beer bottles and dirty dishes.
“It’s not fair,” Clementine said. “Why not us?”
Pippa sighed. “Seriously. Leave it to me to find the one person on the planet I wouldn’t mind being with but can’t,” she said. “Not that he’d want to be with me again anyhow.”
Clementine shook her head. “I swear you are about as daft as they come, girl.”
Pippa knit her brows. “Huh?”
“If you think for one second that Topher doesn’t want to be with you, well then you must have been completely high when you were with him and missed out on what actually happened that night.”
“That’s funny,” she said. “I haven’t been high since my first year at university. I couldn’t tolerate the calorie intake involved with smoking weed, so I gave it up. So I was definitely not high. Besides, how would you know?”
Clem rapped on her head with her knuckles. “Uh, you told me in pretty much graphic detail.”
“Me and my big mouth.”
“So I have one present I forgot to give you,” Clem said, slipping an envelope into her hands.
“What is this?”
“Oh, a little something from me to you,” she said. “The thing is, it expires at midnight, so you have to take advantage of it right now.”
“What are you talking about?”
Clementine pointed at the envelope. “Open it!”
Pippa slid her finger along the sealed edge of the envelope and pulled out a sheet of paper inside.
Dear Pippa, it read in Clementine’s quite impressive cursive. Surprise! Not only did I totally catch you off-guard with this party, but I also have an even bigger surprise for you! Now go to the front door and look outside.
Pippa scrunched her brows, deeply suspicious about what was up, while Clemen
tine ushered her to the front of the house. She entirely expected a whole ’nother group of friends to shout out “surprise” and give her another near heart attack. But instead, what she saw was a long white limousine with a driver standing next to it holding a sign that read Pippa Grimaldi.
“Okay...,” Pippa said.
“So here’s the deal,” Clem said. “I’ve had a hard time of it over the past several months with losing my father. And you’ve had a hard time of it over the past couple of months, well, for other reasons. So I decided that you and I are going to get away from it all for a week! Starting now!”
“What?” Pippa said, incredulous.
“There’s a plane waiting for us at the airport. I had your maid pack a bag for you, so you’re all ready!”
Pippa shook her head, trying to absorb it all. “Like right this second I’m supposed to just set everything aside and go to some mystery destination with you?”
“Well, why the hell not?” Clem said. “I mean have you ever had anything but fun with me? Plus you have no place you have to be. I know that for a fact. I also had Greta look at your calendar on your computer to be sure you had no pressing engagements.”
“And here I thought Greta was just a good housekeeper. I had no idea she was a veritable spy.”
“Your bag’s in the limo already,” Clem said. “I’ll just grab mine from my bedroom and give my mother a quick kiss, and we’ll be off! Oh, and one last thing,” she added. “We’re flying on a royal jet. I told Zander that he owed it to you for all the trouble he’s caused.”
“Sometimes I could kill you,” Pippa said. “But this time I think I might just squeeze you to death with a hug. Divine retribution makes me happy.”
Chapter Ten
IT’S not that Pippa didn’t travel in a rarified world; she did, and such things as first-class accommodations were part of her regular travel experience. But there was something amazingly special about flying on one of the Firm’s jets, which put even premier class to shame. The Firm was the insider’s term referring to the royal family. She had joined Zander’s family on many occasions for holidays, so it wasn’t her first time in one of their jets. But it was her first time with just her and her best friend. With an entire plane to themselves.
“I don’t think I’ve stayed up all night for a girls’ night since I was at boarding school,” she said, giddy with excitement. “But I think this calls for endless glasses of champagne and a movie marathon.”
“Yes, I’m afraid we have to settle for movies,” Clem said. “I thought about arranging for a male stripper, but then you’d be stuck with the man for the entire flight.”
They looked at each other, shook their heads, and laughed.
“God, no!” Pippa said. “Happy to settle for eye candy on the big screen.”
Because it was late, the flight crew didn’t offer up a dinner, but by the time morning arrived, they were treated to a breakfast of Belgian waffles with hot syrup and local sausage from Monaforte.
“I swear I don’t think I can stomach any more champagne, but mimosas, well, what can I say?” Pippa said, pointing at the flute placed in front of her.
Clem nodded. “Can’t. Turn. Down.”
They both tipped their glasses and took a sip, laughing.
“Oh this is the life,” Pippa said, “when the biggest care in the world is whether or not you’re obligated to drink yet more bubbly.”
“I’m all over it,” Clem said.
“Okay, so when are you going to tell me where we’re going?”
Clementine shook her head. “When we get there! It’s a surprise. It wouldn’t be much of one if I spoiled it in advance, now would it?”
The women passed the time playing Scrabble and watching more movies until the pilot finally announced they were about to land. Pippa looked out the window to see the most beautiful water she’d ever seen before in competing shades ranging from teal and azure to ultramarine and indigo. It sparkled with reflected sunlight, and every now and again she could see the wind-infused pop of a sail winking at them.
“It’s beautiful,” she said as she fastened her seat belt, still no clue where they were.
“Okay, now you have to promise me you won’t look at any signs though once we land,” Clem said. “In fact, I brought a scarf that I’m going to tie across your eyes. This is going to be a big surprise for you.”
“Or creepy,” Pippa said. “I feel like I’m being kidnapped.”
Clem shrugged. “In a way, you are. In the best of ways, that is. But I like to consider it best-friend-napped.”
Before getting off the plane, Clementine tied the scarf blindfold around Pippa’s head, then helped to guide her down the steps of the jet to a waiting car.
“God, it’s hot,” Pippa said. “You sure I can’t take this thing off? It’s making my eyeballs sweat!”
“I don’t think it’s physically possible for eyeballs to sweat. Besides, no negotiating with the hostage taker,” Clem said. “Just follow my directions, and everyone will be happy.”
Pippa grumbled. “Happy schmappy. I want to know where I am!”
“In due time.”
Once they got out of the vehicle, Pippa could smell the scent of brine in the air and knew she was being led toward the water, but for what purpose, she still hadn’t a clue. Clem escorted her closer toward the salty scent until she heard a man’s voice.
“Ladies,” the man said. “Welcome aboard. My name’s Sebastian, and I’ll be your skipper.”
Sebastian took hold of Pippa’s hand and shook it, which she thought was awfully strange, considering she couldn’t even see him.
Then, with Sebastian holding one elbow and Clementine the other, Pippa was lowered into what she figured was a dinghy.
She heard an engine start, and then they were off, motoring toward who knew where.
Once they were far enough from land to no longer be able to see signage, Clementine removed the blindfold from Pippa’s eyes.
“Wow,” Pippa said, taking a look at the scenery. As far as she could see, calm seas in every direction, morphing in color from cerulean to aquamarine to seafoam green, were set against a cloudless blue sky. Occasionally in the distance, she’d see islands popping up, with white sugar sand beaches and sleepy palm trees.
“When you decide to kidnap someone, you sure do know how to do it right.”
“I’m thinking of starting a business doing this,” Clem said.
“I’ll reserve judgment on whether I’ll give you a good review or not.”
“You kidding me?” Clem said. “Honey, I know you’re going to give me five stars on TripAdvisor. Just you wait. Right, Sebastian?”
Pippa gave the skipper a once-over. He was surprisingly handsome for a boat captain. Perhaps it was unfair of her to think that, but she always thought of sailor types as sort of rode hard and put up wet, weathered with the weather, as it were. But this Sebastian guy had wind-tousled light brown hair with sun-kissed highlights that framed a face with warm brown eyes and a broad, white smile. She could only hope the skipper was going to be at their disposal. Judging by the sidelong glances Clem was throwing his way, she figured somebody had designs on the man.
Soon the dinghy approached a large catamaran, stark white against the brilliant sea. As they neared the sailboat, Pippa could just make out the name emblazoned on the back of it: Royal Blue. A logical sort of name, considering the color of water it was floating on, she thought, but sort of boring. She’d have gone for something a little more creative, like Fanta-sea, or Yacht-Sea (one of her favorite games when she was young). Or maybe Sea Sic. Well, that would be good if you were a writer or editor. Or Latin buff. Back to the drawing board with that one, she thought.
Lost in thought, Pippa barely noticed when a man wearing a baseball cap appeared at the stern of the boat, standing with hands on hips, waiting to help tie up the dinghy once they got close enough. She didn’t have her sunglasses on, thanks to Clementine’s earlier blindfold maneuver, so sh
e had to shade her eyes with her hand and squint to see what the man looked like.
With the sun at his back, it was hard to really tell, what with the glare from the late-day sun. His eyes were shaded by a pair of glasses with orange reflective lenses. A little loud, but it worked in this tropical setting. What hair she could see, peeking out from his cap, was wet and slicked back but was decidedly dark. Her gaze continued down the length of him, and her breath hitched.
She’d recognize that chest anywhere; she’d spent enough hours near it, on it, and under it, and with her roaming hands all over the thing (that is, when they weren’t a little lower on his torso). Topher. Her eyes grew wide as she realized what her friend had done. She started to stand, but standing doesn’t work without some forethought when on a malleable dinghy and she nearly fell overboard.
“Clementine Squires-Thornton,” she said, trying to catch her balance, her voice elevated to near shrill. “The minute I’m on terra firma, I am going to absolutely kill you. But before I kill you, I’m going to seriously kill you.”
Clem smiled. “Well, good, because it’ll be a while till you’re on terra firma, so I think I’m safe for now.”
“You do not play fair.”
“All’s fair in love and kidnapping, my friend.”
Pippa gritted her teeth. “Whoever said anything about love?” she said with a growl. “For that matter, who said anything about friend?”
She glared at Clementine. She wasn’t sure if it was good or bad that the dinghy motor prevented Topher from hearing the gist of the conversation.
“Well, how about lust, then?” Clementine said. She exchanged knowing glances with Sebastian, who’d been staring intently at Clementine’s cleavage. “Lust works fine for me.”
Love is in the Heir Page 5