Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 83343 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 417(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83343 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 417(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
“He’s always been a snob and not just about wine,” Jacob says. “Quick tip for a weekend at the Cove house: ignore everything my dad says, eat everything my mum cooks and don’t let the dog out.”
“Shit,” Carole says. “Where is Dog?”
“Who are we expecting when?” Vincent asks. “Oh and we brought these for you.” Vincent hands Carole a bunch of flowers from the Crompton gardens I picked on my lunch break.
“Where did they come from?” I ask. “I thought I’d forgotten them.”
“Molly brought them up with her,” Vincent replies.
I try not to act shocked. I usually see Vincent in very different circumstances. Yes, he’s the boss, and yes, he bought the entire Crompton Estate, so of course I know he’s wealthy. I just haven’t appreciated how wealthy. Not until today with the helicopter, the assistant. He’s just so comfortable in all of it.
“Is that the minion you had dropping off the car in the drive?” John asks.
“That’s my assistant who helps me with personal things,” Vincent says. “For legal reasons, I don’t refer to Molly as a minion.”
“Shall we get this wine open?” John says.
Jacob had left the room and wanders back in, this time trailed by a pretty woman with long brown hair. Had I seen her at the tea shop? “Kate, this is my fiancée, Sutton.”
Sutton and I kiss each other on the cheek. “I remember the first time I came here. It’s pretty overwhelming, isn’t it?”
I just smile. It’s a lot. But it’s great. Everyone is treating me like I’ve been coming here for years. It doesn’t feel as alien, as scary and awkward, as I expected.
Out of nowhere, Jacob starts handing out champagne glasses to everyone.
“I thought we were going to try the pinot noir?” John asks. “I don’t want bloody champagne.”
“Honestly, give it a couple of hours and you’ll never want to leave,” Sutton continues. “Carole and John are secret witches and I swear there’s something in the air here that makes you want to come back as soon as you leave.”
“Witches.” John tuts. “If we were witches, I’d be conjuring you all out of here. Carole and I would have the place to ourselves. We’d only allow Vincent to come up just so long as he brought some good wine.” He turns to me. “Of course you’d be welcome too. I hear you’re not a medic either?”
“Were you expecting me to be a doctor?” I ask.
“Absolutely not. Far too many of us under one roof as it is.” He shrugs. “Although the number has shrunk recently. My son Zach has packed medicine in and is writing books now.” He chuckles. “Can you imagine? He’s terribly good at it. What do you do?”
“I work at Crompton, in the tea shop, and now I’m also Vincent’s assistant’s assistant. I’m hoping that when the hotel opens, I’ll work in the guest relations team.”
“She’s going to head up our guest relations team,” Vincent clarifies.
“A little toast,” Jacob says. “To the calm before the storm.”
“What does that mean?” Carole says. “What storm?”
“Just this weekend. It feels like every few months one of us brings a woman up here and expands our crew. This time it’s Vincent. Next time maybe it will be Beau.”
“Who would have Beau?” John asks. “They’d have to be desperate.”
John is less than complimentary about his sons, but I get the feeling it’s a bit of an act. They clearly all love him dearly. No wonder Vincent wants to be part of all this. It feels like a community, or a club with very exclusive, if eccentric, membership requirements.
“He’s got a pretty face and could sell sand to Arabs,” Jacob says. “He’ll get someone to marry him.”
My stomach roils. Is that what people are thinking? That Vincent and I are on our way to marriage? I don’t let myself think about next week when it comes to Vincent, let alone the rest of my life.
“How’s that Crompton place coming along?” John asks, interrupting my train of thought. “Is it the money pit I told you it will be?”
“We’re breaking ground next week,” Vincent replies. “I guess we’ll know then.”
“Well, Vincent,” John says. “You have great taste in wine, women, and investment opportunities.”
Vincent shoots me a look of concern. “By women, you mean Kate, right?”
I take a step closer to him and circle my hand over his back. He doesn’t need to worry so much. I’m not made of glass. I’m also not blind to how handsome Vincent is and how that, combined with him being richer than any person I’ve ever known, means he must have his fair share of female admirers. I’m not an idiot. But I also don’t want to think about anything but right here and now. I don’t want to ruminate on what it means that Vincent brought me to a family occasion. I don’t want to speculate on how long he’ll stay at Crompton. We’re together now and that’s all that matters.