Authors: K Carr
“Have the girls not come down yet?” Stuart asked, swishing the whiskey in his tumbler.
Matt arched an eyebrow at his brother-in-law. His tone was dry. “Do you see them anywhere?”
Hannah smacked Matt’s arm, narrowing her grey-blue eyes at him. “The girls are probably getting to know her.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of. I love my nieces, but they never shut up,” Matt drawled, and Hannah gently smacked his arm.
“She seems nice, Matty,” Hannah said softly. There was a touch of uncertainty in her voice.
Matt winced at her use of his childhood nickname, but smiled at his only sister. “She is, Hannah.”
Hannah peered at his face, as if searching for some indication of how he truly felt.
Stuart cleared his throat softly. Not wanting to be left out of the conversation, he added, “Adam mentioned something about her owning a dance company. Is she classically trained?”
Matt shot him a suspicious look as he nodded. “She attended the School of American Ballet. You can ask her about it when she comes down.” He glanced at the double doors. “If she can escape your girls.”
“Stuart, darling.” Hannah dimpled up at her husband. “Go see what the girls are up to. I want to have a word with Matt in private.”
Stuart promptly moved away. Matt covered his amused chuckle with a fake cough. Hannah might no longer carry the Bradley name, but she was a Bradley through and through. She wore the pants in her marriage.
“So,” she began, twirling the champagne flute between her well-manicured fingers.
“So,” Matt repeated, eyeing her intently. Hannah could be outrageous sometimes. He hoped now was not one of those times.
“It must be awkward for you.” Hannah glanced over in the direction of the Gillifords speaking to their grandfather. “What with Louisa being here.”
Matt shrugged. “It’s unexpected. Bearable, but definitely unexpected.”
Hannah nodded. “Yes, I have no idea what Mother was thinking, but you know how persistent she can be. She’s not pleased with the recent publicity.”
“Neither am I, Hannah,” Matt said curtly.
Hannah didn’t react to the obvious change in his demeanour. Instead, she reached up with her free hand and fixed the collar of his shirt. “Does Madison know about your past with Louisa?”
Matt felt a spurt of alarm. “No, and I’d rather she didn’t.”
Hannah scoffed lightly. “I can’t see how it can be avoided, Matt. They’ll be seated at the same table, and you know what Louisa Gilliford is like. Completely obsessed with you. She’s determined to have you and our name.” Hannah waved that unsettling comment away to say, “Adam told me he had dinner at your place in Kensington last night, with Madison.” That uncertain air returned to hover around her.
Matt simply waited for her to continue with whatever she was getting at while his mind frantically tried to work out a way of explaining his past relationship to Madi.
“He mentioned something you may have said.”
Matt’s mouth tightened slightly.
Hannah noticed, but she forged on. “Do you honestly feel that strongly about this woman, Matthew?”
Matt pondered his sister’s words for a moment, then said the only thing he could, “Yes, I do.”
She scrutinized his face for a few minutes. Matt held her unwavering gaze and grinned like a schoolboy.
“I hope she’s worth it.”
“She is,” Matt informed her, still grinning.
Hannah cocked her head at him. “Would you like me to speak to our parents on your behalf?”
Matt shook his head. “I am far from being a child anymore, Hannah. You don’t have to intercede on my behalf. Thank you, though. Don’t tell Adam, but you’re my favourite sibling.”
She chuckled and swatted his arm. “If that were true, you wouldn’t have protested so much when Stuart made known his intentions to marry me all those years ago. And you would spend more time with the girls. They hardly see you.”
Matt leaned over to press a kiss to Hannah’s cheek. “First of all, you and Stuart together seems a bit incestuous to me.” Matt received a mock glare from his sister. He continued jokingly. “Spend more time with Terror and Trouble? You must be losing your mind. I’d rather give up my claim to the inheritance fortune.”
Whatever retort Hannah planned on making wasn’t uttered as they saw Louisa gliding over to them.
“Bollocks,” Matt muttered under his breath.
“Indeed,” Hannah murmured back. “Would you like me to play interference for you?”
“No, I might as well deal wi—” Matt broke off to coolly regard the blonde bombshell who was a few feet away.
“Matt, darling,” she crooned, closing the distance between them. “I feel thoroughly neglected by you tonight.”
“Don’t be silly, Louisa. No one could possibly ignore you,” he said pleasantly, gripping Hannah’s arm when she tried to slip away. Matt was more than capable of dealing with Louisa, but if it could be avoided, then he wasn’t going to waste the opportunity. She’d been giving him bedroom eyes from the moment he said hello.
“How’s your charity work going?” Matt asked into the charged silence. He saw her change of expression and knew what it meant. She was angry and trying to hide it.
“Fine,” she said. “It’s been ages since we’ve seen each other. We’re long overdue a catch up.”
Matt knew exactly what sort of catch up she was implying. The bedroom eyes were back. His gaze wandered over her impeccably dressed form before returning to her face. Yes, Louisa was beautiful, there was no doubt about her stunning features.
But Madi was perfect.
The realization that, only a few months ago, he’d resigned himself to proposing to the woman standing in front of him was just this side of terrifying. Matt felt giddy relief blossoming inside. That relief turned to something more intense and all the more consuming when he saw Stuart ushering Madi and the girls—
“What on earth?” Hannah exclaimed, before jerking away from Matt and striding towards her husband and children. Matt gave Louisa a distracted smile before hurrying after his sister.
Madi’s eyes brightened when they rested on him, and he couldn’t stop the tender smile on his face.
“Natalia,” Hannah scolded in hushed tones. “Why have you changed clothes?”
Matt spared a glance at his nieces. Their sleek dresses had been replaced by jeans and t-shirts.
“Why do you always start in on me, Mum? Nikki’s changed, too,” Natty hissed back.
Matt turned his attention back to Madi. He reached out, slipping his large hand over her dainty one. “All right, poppet?”
“Yes, I am now. Does everyone know about the thing?” She peeked past his shoulders at his parents’ guests before her warm, brown eyes settled on his face.
“What thing?” Matt teased, then gently squeezed her hand when she pouted at him. “If anyone brings it up, I’ll tell them to sod off.”
His niece Nicole slid closer to them, and Matt reluctantly paid attention to the whispered spat taking place between his sister and her other daughter.
“Stop, Mum. You’re making a big deal about nothing. We didn’t want Madi to be the only one in jeans,” Natty said. “Who cares anyway? I don’t even want to be here.”
Matt released Madi’s hand, taking a few steps towards the members of his family. “Hannah, leave the girl alone. I think it’s sweet they changed.”
Natalia sent him a grateful smile before scowling at her mother. His brother-in-law exchanged a frustrated look with him. Matt felt sorry for the man. He was completely outnumbered by the women in his life.
“Should I say something?” Madi asked from his side. She was peering at Hannah and Natty with a guilty expression. Matt shook his head, raising a hand to smooth one of her wild curls back into place.
“They argue all the time, poppet. Let’s get you a drink, then I’ll introduce you to the other guests.”
“We’re taking her to meet Grumps,” Natty said, turning away from her mother’s unamused face. “Come on, Nikki.”
Matt watched as the twins practically swarmed over Madi and started dragging her away.
“Girls, I should—” he started to say, but they ignored him and, with Madi in tow, began to make their way over to where his grandfather sat. Matt turned to his sister, who was obviously annoyed if her flushed cheeks and virulent eyes were anything to go off. “It’s sweet, Hannah. They seem to like her.”
Hannah sighed as Stuart wrapped an arm around her waist. “Yes, you’re right. Natalia is so…so combative of late. I swear she’s trying to turn my hair grey.”
Matt surveyed his sister in her floor-length black and silver dress. Hannah’s chestnut hair didn’t have a strand of grey. Even though she was forty-one, her skin didn’t reflect the ravages of time. Of course, Matt knew she’d recently begun using Botox, something he felt she had no need of. But Hannah did as she pleased.
“And you wanted me to spend more time with them?” Matt joked in an attempt to lighten her mood.
Stuart, like everyone else in the grand salon, watched his daughters and Madi approach William Bradley, Sr. “Do you think it’s wise to let the girls introduce Madison to Grumps?”
“No.” Matt made a move forward but Hannah caught the edge of his dinner jacket, stopping him in his tracks.
“Leave them be, Matt. Grumps knows to behave. I’m sure he’ll be polite and Dad is coming over here anyway. He probably wants to talk business with you. Adam’s been avoiding him all night.”
Matt did notice his father’s looming stride in their direction. He smothered a groan while simultaneously looking around for Adam. His gaze tracked Madi’s movements, unconsciously resting on that sweet arse of hers and causing a stirring in his blood. Madison DuMont had no idea about the lethal effect she had on him. Matt repressed his ill-timed urges and affected a relaxed pose as his father drew nearer. Perhaps coming to dinner tonight had been a mistake after all, Matt mused. The more he dwelled on it, the more he regretted forcing this night on Madi. And himself.
<><><>
“Why do you call him Grumps?” I asked quietly as the girls led me across the huge room. Everyone was staring at us, and I was secretly glad the girls had changed their clothes in a show of support.
“Because he’s always grumpy,” Nikki replied.
On that discomfiting note, we came to a stop in front the white-haired gentleman stiffly seated on a chair. There was a young woman behind the chair, dressed in a proper nurse’s uniform, and I wondered how old Matt’s grandfather was. The man looked ancient.
Cold, grey eyes looked up at me as Natty leaned forward to touch his hand reverently. She suddenly seemed calmer, almost as shy as Nikki.
“Grumps, we want you to meet Madi.”
“She’s Uncle Matt’s girlfriend, Grumps,” Nikki said, smiling sweetly at the old man.
Grumps arched an eyebrow at Nikki’s words, and I swear it was exactly the way Matt would do it.
Was it genetic?
I straightened my shoulders and held out a sweaty palm. “Hello, Mr Bradley. I’m Madison DuMont.”
“Uncle Matt’s girlfriend,” Natty reiterated, unnecessarily might I add, unless he was hard of hearing.
Grumps took my hand and shook it firmly. Damn. He had a strong grip for his age. We peered at each other, his eyes travelling over me, pausing on my rambunctious curls before taking in my attire. He glanced at his great-granddaughters on either side of me, then returned that cold gaze of his to my face. Why hadn’t he released my hand yet? This was getting awkward.
“William Bradley,” he finally replied in a deep, firm voice that belied his years. “Senior.”
“Nice to meet you,” I said, wondering if I should attempt to pull my darned hand away. Why wasn’t he letting go?
“So,” he started, holding my hand prisoner, “you’re Matthew’s girlfriend.”
I could hear the questioning tone in his statement.
I inhaled softly, mentally toughening up. “Yes, I am.”
“I see,” he said and fell silent, still holding my goddamned hand.
The hell?
I counted to five and took matters into my own hand.
“Could I have my hand back now?” I asked politely, realizing after the words left my mouth I hadn’t added a ‘please’.
Shit.
This Grumps was starting to freak me out. The corners of his mouth tightened ever so slightly, and I wasn’t certain, but there was definitely a gleam of something in his eyes.
“Of course,” he said, releasing my hand. I checked my sigh of relief and clasped my hands behind my back. I didn’t want to risk it getting captured again. Maybe he had a hand fetish.
Natty and Nikki stood demurely, as if awaiting instructions, and I was caught in the middle. It felt like being called in front of the principal at school to confess your misdeeds. I risked a slow, moving glance behind me, catching Matt’s gaze and mouthing “help” to him.
He smiled at me. It was mesmerizing. I couldn’t stop my answering smile.
Fuck it.
My man was hot stuff, and his family were going to be blown away by me. I silently pledged that, after tonight, they would be lighting up my phone begging us to come over.
A raspy clearing of a throat had my head jerking around. Grumps regarded me for a moment before turning to Nikki.