“I know,” Whit says, reaching for the door handle. “I’ll mention Sylvie to her too. How she needs to leave her alone.”
“She won’t listen,” I say, knowing I’m telling the truth. “She’ll do what she can to try and get her back into her life.”
“I’ll mention the possibility of a restraining order. Though I will not mention the fact that her future son-in-law is lying in wait for her. That would fuck everything up.” He gets out of the car and turns to face me. “Don’t do anything stupid.”
He shuts the door before I can answer, which is a good thing.
I don’t want to make promises I know I can’t keep.
THIRTY-THREE
SYLVIE
I arriveat the Newport house late on a Friday morning, excitement rippling through me when I enter the home. The foyer is bathed in warm sunlight, everything clean and sparkling and beautiful. The servants are lined up and waiting to greet me as I walk through the front door like we’re in freaking Downton Abbey.
There are so many memories wrapped up in this house. Most of them good. Only a few negative. So many family holidays were spent here. Summers here too, until Mother purchased the Hamptons house and we always ended up going there.
I haven’t been to the Hamptons in years. I view that as her territory. She received the house in the divorce and she can have it. There is no desire in me to go to the Hamptons.
None at all.
I greet all of the servants I know with warm hugs and shake the hands of the ones who are newer. A few of them even bow for me, which makes me feel embarrassed. I don’t need all the pomp and circumstance like my parents do. Father just expects it, and my mother absolutely demands it.
After all the formal greeting, I escape to my bedroom, collapsing on the giant bed as soon as I shut the door. I stare at the intricate ceiling, the painting in the center circle that dates back to the early nineteen hundreds, and I realize I’ve never in my life stayed in this house by myself.
It’s kind of nice.
Not that I’m alone. There are so many servants, my mother wouldn’t dare try anything with me. Not that she knows I’m here but…
She could. She’s got spies everywhere.
Spencer is coming out to join me this afternoon. Actually, he should hopefully be here within the hour since he left work early. Traffic wasn’t as bad as it usually is when I left the apartment, so I arrived early, which he didn’t want to happen. I know he’s worried about my mother possibly showing up, but she doesn’t know I’m here, and besides, there are plenty of people on the premises.
I’ll be fine.
We’ll spend the weekend here and head back either late Sunday night or early Monday morning. He also mentioned we’re due for a long talk about what he does for his father’s business. He swore he would tell me everything, not leaving out a single detail.
“I’ll tell you all about it this weekend,” he said last night over dinner. “When we’re all alone and with no interruptions.”
I almost don’t want to know. He makes such a big deal out of it, I’m afraid to hear the details. But then again, it might not be a big deal after all. Kind of like when something is overhyped. Everyone raves about that certain movie you’ve been dying to see and when you finally go to the movie theater, you realize it’s not that big of a deal and you’re disappointed.
I’m afraid that’s what is going to happen with his explanation. It’s probably not as bad as he makes it out to be.
My phone rings when I’m about to go downstairs in search of some lunch, and I see Roland’s name flashing on the screen.
“Roland! How are you?” is how I greet him.
“Exhausted after chasing that cat all over the property,” he grumbles, sounding completely put out, which is his usual mood.
“Did you catch her?”
“I did, but she sure scratched me up.” I hear incessant meowing in the background and I can’t help but laugh.
“I can hear her complaining to you.”
“More like she’s complaining about me. She’s not happy with me at all. And she probably won’t be happy with you either when she gets to the city.” He hesitates. “You sure you want to take her in out there? She’s kind of wild.”
“I’ll tame her,” I say with confidence.