“But she’s not acting like your mother.” Philips was frowning at me when I opened my eyes. “She’sactinglike a nuisance, and she should be dealt with accordingly.”
I blinked at him.
“Mr. Barrington was forced to accept, at an early age, that some people are only out for themselves. And because he is a Barrington, healsohad to accept that because of his great fortune, there were people in his life who would attempt to take and keep taking.” He held my gaze. “Learning how to separate yourself personally from such behavior is what’s known as a coping mechanism, a term I’m sure you are familiar with as you have also grown up with dysfunction.”
I blinked again.
Philips sighed. “What I am trying to communicate is that I believe Mr. Barrington has real feelings for you, something I have historically never seen in him. If you, in turn, have real feelings forhim, I urge you to set aside your judgments and give him a chance to show you who he really is. In any long-term relationship, particularly a marriage, there are ups and downs. People nowadays don’t seem to be able to tolerate that, which is a mistake, in my opinion.”
I opened my mouth and then closed it.
“Lip gloss,” Philips ordered. “You need to be on time for your own rehearsal dinner.”
Once he’d finished, Philips encouraged me to take a final look at myself. My hair hung in glossy waves over my shoulders, and my makeup was flawless, highlighting my eyes without looking overdone.
I turned to the butler. “Thank you, Philips. In more ways than one.”
“You are welcome, my lady.” He dropped into a bow, but not before I saw the twinkle in his eyes. “In more ways than one.”
GAME FACE
RHODES
I might not have hada great game face while I was growing up, but I’d perfected it later in life. It was the one saving grace I had that evening, faced with the wedding rehearsal dinner from hell.
Of course, it was hell only in my mind. The ballroom was decorated beautifully, with fresh flowers, candles, and an enormous crystal chandelier sparkling above. The guests were dressed in crisp suits and flowing gowns. If I were in less of a hellish mood, I might appreciate it.
But that wasn’t the case.
I didn’t know where Rory was. I wondered if she was going to hide in her room all night. But I fake-smiled, shaking hands and greeting guests that I had zero interest in speaking with. I made excuses for my bride to be. “You know how women are,” I said, as if I had a clue. “She’s still getting dressed.”Fuck.I was so over all of this, I needed a new word for over.
I wasn’t the only one in a dour mood. Cousin Andrew stood at the bar, frowning at his martini. I approached him with my regular trepidation. “Why the long face, Andrew?”
“Oh. Hello there.” He shrugged. “I was just thinking about the wedding tomorrow.”
“Ah. And it’s giving you angst?”
Andrew scowled. “I’m getting tired of having my plus-one be a martini.”
“Well, consider the upside: a martini doesn’t require a pre-nup.” Andrew’s most recent divorce had cost him a fortune.
“True, but with everything that’s happened, I’ve been thinking.” His scowl deepened. “Life is short—look at what happened to your father and your poor brother. I don’t want to spend the rest of my time alone.”
He leveled me with a stare. “And now evenyoufound someone.”
I arched my eyebrows. “Is it really that unfathomable?”
“Yes. It is.” It was the first time in maybe forever that he seemed authentic, something other than his typical blowhard, half-drunk, grabby Cousin Andrew self.
“Why’s that? Am I so unlovable?” My tone was joking, but real curiosity twinged inside me.
“No, but you’ve been an island unto yourself for as long as I can remember.” Andrew scratched his head. “My first wife told me I needed to go to therapy. She said otherwise, I was going to die all alone.”
“That’s harsh.”
“Shewas harsh. But maybe she was onto something,” he mused.
I turned around, leaning back on the bar and surveying the party. The well-dressed guests were smiling, socializing, enjoying the gorgeous atmosphere, and their handcrafted cocktails. They were all here for me, for the Barrington celebration, but… I didn’t care about any of them.
