Especially as she seemed to be talking quite animatedly to the people around her. Marie’s face was her usual perpetual scowl, but the rest of them look enraptured.
“I’m sorry, did that girl just sigh at whatever Kate was saying?” I asked no one in particular.
“Can’t say I saw,” Anne said.
“I’m sure, now she’s away from it all, she’s romanticised the crap out of the whole thing,” Austin said.
I nodded and sighed. “You’re probably right. Well, I’d best go and see what my idiot sister has to say for herself.”
As though she’d heard me, the idiot sister looked up and waved at us enthusiastically.
“Oz, Jax, please excuse us,” I said through gritted teeth.
Anne and I went up to the table, just catching the end of Kate’s latest speech.
“…all want to get yourselves an older man. They know how to please you.” She was nodding as though the most knowledgeable on the topic.
“Are you kidding me?” I said, dropping into a seat across from her.
“Lily!” she cried as though I’d given her the warmest reception and she was returning it. “How I missed you.”
“Yes, I’m sure you did.” I frowned.
“Liam was such a gentleman.”
“That I find less easy to believe.”
“Oh, Lily! There’s no need to be jealous. Just because you had a little thing for him and I had sex before you, doesn’t mean you should be such a grump!” She laughed and looked about the faces at the table.
“If you’ll excuse us, girls,” I said, not looking at anyone but Kate.
I heard chairs scraping and only breathed out when we were alone.
“Not that it’s any business of yours, Kate,” I said, jaw clenched, “but you weren’t the first to have sex. As for Liam, I did not have a little thing for him. I lost count of the amount of girls he took to bed when he was here, and I don’t care about any one of them.”
Kate’s face fell momentarily, but she recovered quickly – my father’s stepdaughter after all.
“You’ve had sex?” Gemma asked just as Kate replied, “Green is such an ugly colour on you, Lily.”
“How were Mum and Dad when they picked you up?” I asked, ignoring Gemma’s question.
“Oh, Mum was such a bore. She frowned and wouldn’t say a word to me. Dad, though, agreed that it was a grand adventure and we should all go to Australia next year for the holidays.”
“Oh, do you think I’ll meet a nice Australian boy to lose my virginity to?” Gemma sighed wistfully.
“Over my fecking dead body,” I growled, then cleared my throat and looked at my sisters.
Seriously? How could they be so stupid? It was like they thought sex for the first time was romantic and any guy who did the honours was their knight in shining armour. The reality was far from the fantasy; it was awkward, weird, unsatisfying, and messier than the movies imply.
I got up and walked out, not being able to hear any more of her bullshit. God, did she still not grasp how awful Liam was? Maybe you could get Stockholm syndrome in only a few days? If she was still going on about him like this, how did the Fosters get her on the plane home?
****
I rolled my eyes at Anne as we walked behind Gemma and Kate.
Kate was still going on about Liam; how wonderful he was – particularly in bed…yuck – and how they’d had such a wonderful time. She’d been back almost a week and it was all the same drivel.
I’d gone back to avoiding anyone associated with Rosings. I had no idea if Cass had kept my secret, but no one pointed at me and no one seemed to talk about me in any other capacity than as Kate’s unfortunate sister.
Anne squeezed my arm. “It’ll be okay, Lily. She’s probably just putting on false bravado to hide her pain.”
I scoffed. “If she’s feeling any pain then she’s hiding it bloody well.”
“We don’t know what she’s feeling inside.”
“So like you to think well of everyone, Annie.” I smiled at her. “Thank God for you.”
She laughed. “Well, we can’t really both be cynics.”
I chuckled. “If I didn’t love you, I might think you were being insulting.”
She nudged me with her elbow. “Love you, too.”
We walked on, heading outside and towards the café. I was dying for a piece of cake and I seriously hoped they hadn’t run out of their blueberry cheesecake. My thoughts were firmly planted on blueberry cheesecake as we walked along, so I didn’t notice the commotion until Anne nudged me again.
“Lily?”
“Hm?”
“Isn’t that Liam Anders?”
I followed where she was pointing and saw someone who certainly looked like Liam being wrangled by two of the school security guards – oh, yeah, we have security guards.
“Liam?” Kate squealed and turned. When she saw him, she took off running.
“God, desperate much?” I muttered as I took off after her.
I had no idea if Anne, Marie or Gemma were following, but I only had time to think about one sister at the moment, and that was the minger running toward the total wanker.
I caught up to her a few metres away from Liam. Crashing into her, I grabbed her around the waist, catching her arms, and sent us sprawling to the floor. She was taller than me, but I was more determined to keep her from him than she was to get to him.
“Lily!” Liam cried.
I looked up at the sound of part-anguish, part-hope in his voice.
“What the hell are you doing here, Anders?” I asked.
“Ugh, Lily, let me up!” Kate squirmed and I was thrown off her.
She was up and to him before I could pull myself off the grass. Heedless of the security guards, Kate pressed herself against his chest. But, he just watched me over her head; Kate was tall, but Liam was taller still.
The security guards followed the scenario with obvious interest.
“I just need to talk to you,” Liam said. “Please, just let me talk to her.” He looked at the guards.
They looked at me as though in question.
“Will you behave yourself?”
“I swear, I just need to say my piece and I’ll go if that’s what you want,” he said.
“No, don’t leave!” Kate whined.
I nodded to the guards, who stepped away.
“We’ll give you some privacy, but we won’t be far,” one of them said.
“Thanks,” I said, then looked to Liam and crossed my arms. “Well, what do you want?”
“I need to apologise.”
“Oh, Liam, you have nothing to apologise for!” Kate said, snuggling up to him in the most disgusting way.
If I could have brought myself to get closer to him, I’d have pulled her off him. As it was, there was a school of people watching the exchange and she was in no immediate danger. Liam stuck out like a sore thumb in his red, very Military College uniform.
Liam pushed Kate away, who made a noise of complaint. He stepped towards me and I shook my head. He stopped.
“I’m sorry for everything. You have to believe me, I didn’t mean for any of this.” He sounded earnest, but I just didn’t have time for his shit.
“That’s what you came to say?” I asked him, showing him just how unimpressed I was with his display. “You essentially kidnap my little sister, sleep with her and God knows what else, and now you have the gall to show up here and ask me for forgiveness?”
“But, Lily-”
“Goodbye, Liam.” I grabbed Kate’s arm and pulled her after me. She protested, but my anger gave me a vice-like grip on her.
“It’s always been you, Lily! Only you!”
In my surprise, I let go of Kate’s arm. I turned back to him stunned. Kate, though, it seemed was less stunned as she was in front of him and slapping him before my shock dissipated.
“Only me?” I asked, laughing, as Kate came to stand next to me. “You have a very funny way of showing
it, Anders. God, even Austin Cooper does better at showing his affection!”
Still laughing, Kate and I joined arms and walked away from him. We heard him shout, but he didn’t follow us. We heard later that the security guards had taken him down and escorted him off the property.
“I’m sorry, Lil. You were right, Liam’s a total arse! He’s probably just upset that Austin…” Kate started as we came back to Anne, Marie and Gemma.
“Austin, what, Kate?” I asked, slowly.
“Nothing. Austin didn’t do anything,” she stammered.
Anne, Marie and Gemma looked at us with interest, but I was focussed on Kate. “Katie?”
“He told me not to tell you!”
“Sister’s don’t keep secrets,” I replied forcefully.
“You didn’t tell us you weren’t a virgin!” Gemma said quickly.
I looked at her with a ‘really?’ face. “Sisters don’t keep important secrets which affect the others.”
Kate sighed and looked about as uncomfortable as I’d ever seen her. “Fine, but you didn’t hear it from me.”
“Hear what?” Marie asked with excitement.
“Austin was the one who found us.”
“I’m sorry?”
Kate smiled as though it was all a game and I wanted to throttle the information out of her. Finally, she continued, “I don’t know how he found us, but there we were in this funny little seaside town and, lo and behold, there was Austin!”
“Austin was in Australia?” I said.
She nodded. “Yes, he and Liam had words, then he drove me to a hotel, booked our flights and put me on the plane the next day. Oh, Lily, he got me first class tickets and everything! And he had to fly first class on the way there!”
“What?” I asked, more incredulous than confused now.
She nodded again. “It was so lovely. I didn’t sleep a wink, I was so distracted.”
“I’ll bet you were,” I said wryly.
“Come on, let’s get to the café before it closes. I really need a cookie,” Gemma said, bouncing on her toes.
“You need a cookie about as much as you need a hole in the head,” I muttered as I followed them.
What the hell had Austin been doing in Australia? Jesus, how much money had he wasted on my worthless sister and her idiotic adventure? I resolved to find out and pay him back when I had access to my trust.
But, no. I couldn’t do that. Austin hadn’t wanted me to know. How could I approach him about it when it was supposed to be a secret?
Ha! When would that usually stop you? I asked myself.
But, I had no decent answer, I just knew I couldn’t bring myself to face him about it this time.
Chapter Fifty-Two
I could easily make it back before dinner on Sunday, Aunt Celia’s wasn’t that far away.
Mind you, depending on how it all went, I wasn’t sure I’d want to stay the night. I could wait to ask her on Sunday morning…then run out right after?
Bloody hell, Oz, man up.
I stretched my neck as I drove. I barely stopped at Aunt Celia’s gate, just enough for them to know it was me, then I gunned it down the drive to the front door. By the time I got there – it was a bloody long drive – Aunt Celia was standing at the top of the stairs and smiling at me. Well, it was as much of a smile as she could muster, anyway; more of a sneer, really.
“Austin, dear, lovely to see you.”
“Aunt Celia, pleasure as always,” I replied, trying my charming smile on her. It seemed to work.
“To what do I owe this pleasure, dear nephew?”
“Shall we get inside first?” I asked.
Now I was here, the nerves were starting to creep in and I had no idea how to start. Aunt Celia led me into her sitting room and called for tea. She sat, as composed as ever, her eyes shrewd. I followed suit and we sat in silence until the tea had come and the servant gone.
Not being able to stand it any longer, I got up and started pacing.
“Dear me, Austin, what is wrong with you today?”
I stopped long enough to look at her, then resumed pacing.
God, I haven’t been this nervous since I told Lily I liked her…loved her. You told her you loved her.
Oh, I could feel this visit to my aunt was going just as well as that day had gone.
“Austin, for goodness sake, stop that pacing and tell me whatever terrible news you have to tell me!” she said finally.
I dropped down to my knee at her side and I could practically see the cogs in her mind working as she tried to work out what I was about to say.
“I need mother’s ring, Aunt Celia.”
Aunt Celia smiled which, for her, was the equivalent of jumping up and down and clapping her hands.
“Oh, I knew she was worrying unnecessarily.”
“Who was what?”
“Fleur, dear. She came to see me a couple of weeks ago and gave me some story about how you told her you’d never marry her. Of course, I told her she was being stupid.”
My brain fought hard to keep up with her. “Of course you did…”
Do I tell her it’s not for Fleur? Or…not so much…?
“Now, I presume you’re staying tonight? I can have the ring ready in the morning.”
I grinned. Don’t tell her. “That would be great, Aunt Celia, thank you.”
She made the call and confirmed the ring would be at her home in the morning.
“Excellent, I will call Fleur now and tell her to expect you,” she said happily.
Panic set in.
It was one thing to let Aunt Celia assume I was giving the ring to Fleur to dupe her into giving me what was rightfully mine, but a whole other thing for her to warn Fleur about it. The last thing I needed was Fleur thinking I was going to propose.
“What? Uh, no!” I said quickly.
“What, why not?”
“I…want it to be a surprise,” I said, fervently wishing Amanda was there…she was so much better at improvising that me.
“Oh, nonsense, Austin. No girl wants to be surprised by a proposal. She wants to be ready, dressed the part, practised her reply.”
That was somewhat not in keeping with what I’d been led to believe, but what did I know about the female mind?
“Aunt Celia, you can’t tell Fleur.” Want to sound any more desperate?
I watched her eyes narrow. “Why not?”
I fidgeted. I had three choices now; tell her my real intentions for my mother’s engagement ring, keep lying to her, or leave without the ring. Option three was not going to happen. The likelihood of option two was slim given I couldn’t think of anything else to say. And, I was a little concerned she’d kill me on the spot if I went with option one.
“Austin?” she said in her most aristocratic voice. “Why do you say I cannot tell Fleur?”
I felt sweat running down my back and my mind was entirely blank. All I had up there was fuzzy white static.
“I’m not proposing to Fleur,” I blurted out, then snapped my mouth closed and wanted to punch myself.
“Who are you proposing to, nephew?”
I swallowed hard. “No one…yet.”
“You want the ring so it’s ready for when you do propose to Fleur?” she asked as though that was indeed what was happening and God forbid if I disagreed with her.
I nodded. “No.” Damn you, mouth!
“What do you want it for, Austin?”
I fidgeted again.
“Stop that. You were brought up better than to stand there bouncing about and making faces. Speak to me plainly, nephew, and I will reconsider disinheriting you.”
Well, with the threat of disinheritance looming, I was totally going to be forthcoming, wasn’t I?
“I’m never proposing to Fleur, Aunt. Whatever she told you was no doubt true. I despise her and have no intention of ever marrying her.”
Aunt Celia practically laughed. “It matters little if you despise her, Austin. You don’t need to like
her to marry her.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“People like us don’t marry for love, Austin. People like that Lily friend of yours, they’re free to marry for love. Even Hunter can probably afford it. But, you, Austin? No,” she shook her head, “love, or indeed like, is not necessary for marriage.”
“Well, as inspiring as that speech was, I intend to marry for love, Aunt Celia, when it’s actually time to marry…which it isn’t, yet. But, when it is! I’ll marry the girl I love.”
“The girl?”
“A girl, I’ll marry a girl I love,” I said, mentally chastising myself.
“So, you just want your mother’s ring for…whenever this day might be?” she asked.
I nodded. Sure, let’s go with that story. “Yes.”
“No.”
“What?”
“Don’t say ‘what’, it’s vulgar.”
I sighed. “I beg your pardon?”
“No, you may not have the ring. You can have that ring when you propose to Fleur, and not a moment sooner.”
“Aunt Celia! You cannot be serious? That ring is rightfully mine!”
She stood, her face thunderous. “I will not hear any more of this, Austin. You will marry Fleur and you may have the ring then. That is the end of it.”
“Can Jax have it then?” I asked.
She gave me a look that I’d seen make better men than me wish they’d brought the brown trousers. I was pretty impressed when I stood up to her, returning her look just as well.
“That ring is for Fleur,” she said.
She swept from the room and I forced myself not to grab the closest trinket and smash it against the wall. My fists clenched and I made a very feral noise in my throat.
When I felt sufficiently calm to move without breaking anything, I stormed back to my car. I was dialling Amanda’s number before I’d started driving.
“Oz!” she giggled as she answered.
“Where are you?”
“Oh, you’re in a mood, what’s up?”
I yelled. “Aunt Celia is…is a…”
“Come on, boy, you can do it!”
“She’s an absolute bitch!”
“Hooray! The great Austin Cooper finally says something scathing about dear old Aunt Celia. What did the mad bat do now?”
Netherfield Prep: A Modern Reimagining of Jane Austen's 'Pride & Prejudice' Page 34