“Yeah,” I say sounding horribly sarcastic.
“And if we do what you’re suggesting, it means I won’t be getting out of my ANN contract.”
“That’s fine!” I tell him. “I’d much rather have you working for Dylan for the rest of our lives than have to deal with my idiot brother for another minute!”
“Well, I wouldn’t,” he says simply.
“Oh really? You want the big stupid royal wedding with the million people we don’t know sitting in the stupid old cold stone church without any sense of whimsy whatsoever? And these awful people right in the front row?!” I ask, pointing at my brother. “Then marry someone else because I sure as shit don’t want them there!”
Will sighs and says, “Belle, it’s been a really bad day for all of us, okay? Me included.” He points to his nose. “But we’re not going to solve anything tonight so why don’t we just calm down and sort this out tom—”
Arthur, Tessa, and Gran all make quiet ‘ooohhhhhh’ sounds.
“Calm down?” I ask in a deadly-quiet voice. “Did you just tell me to calm down?”
He nods. “Yeah, I did, because, quite frankly, you’re not acting like the patient, wonderful woman I fell in love with.”
“Really?!” I ask. “Well, I apologize if I don’t fit your perfect definition of who you thought you were getting, but when I get pushed into the corner, I come out fighting!” I roar at him for good measure, then add, “Like a tiger.”
Tessa stands and walks over to me, then puts her hands on my shoulders. “Arabella, sweetie, I love you. We all love you and we get it. You’ve been under an incredible amount of strain with the film crew following you everywhere and the wedding plans and…us behaving like children. I went totally nuts myself before our wedding. That’s what weddings do to brides—especially royal ones. Awful, beastly things. But please, we’re all very sorry and we’ll doanythingto make it up to you. And if you want to be furiously mad with us, that’s understandable, but don’t take it out on Will.”
“I’m not!” I say, shaking loose from her hold.
“Yeah, you kind of are,” Will says.
I stare at him for a second, then shake my head. “You’re supposed to be on my side.”
“I am. I have been the entire time. I just don’t want to hop on a plane to Scotland in a few hours,” he says. “I mean, why Scotland?”
“Because it’s Jane Austen!” I shout.
Holding up his hands, Will says, “Okay, I’m going back to my place to get some much-needed sleep. I suggest you do the same.”
With that, he strides out, not bothering to shut the door.
I stand in the middle of the room feeling utterly stupid and alone. Part of me wants to run to him and apologize, but I’m still too angry. I glare at my brother, and say, “Thanks a lot for ruining my life. I hope you’re very amused.”
Then I turn and leave, but instead of going to find Will, I go back to my room to find another drink.
Chapter 25
Buckets of Beer, Moonlit Talks on the Beach, and Bad Ideas…
Will
Instead of goingto my cottage, I head for the beach bar, say a quick hello to Lolita, one of the bartenders (and one who thankfully can pick up on my body language that I really prefer not to talk about my nose). I grab a bucket, fill it with ice, and pop three bottles of beer into it. Then I make my way down to the beach where it’s dark and quiet this time of night. Sitting on the sand, I crack open my first beer and listen to the waves roll in. I need to be alone so I can figure out what to do from here. Reynard, who followed me down here, of course, is standing back near the cement steps that lead back up to the resort.
The truth is, I’m exhausted, extremely disappointed, and, even though I won’t admit it, my nose hurts like hell. After weeks of eighteen-hour days spent either filming or preparing for the wedding, followed by two days being caught in the middle of the Family Feud, Royal Edition, I’m wiped. I don’t want this stupid wedding any more than Arabella does, and to be honest, I’m really worried that this is just a microcosm of a life neither of us wants. And now, she’s shelling out more money than I’ve ever earned for one lousy day? What a freaking mess.
I suck back half my beer in one go, letting the cold liquid slide down my throat without even tasting it, then I set it down and sigh. There’s a small cough next to me and my first thought is to tell whoever it is to sod off, but when I look up, I see Arabella’s face. I’m about to ask how she knew where I was, but then I realize, in her family, you can always find out the whereabouts of anyone. You just have to ask your bodyguard to ask theirs.
“Can I sit down?” she asks.
“I don’t know. Are you going to yell at me?”
“No.”
I gesture with my head that she can sit, then have another sip of beer.
