Page 59 of Save You

Oliver smiles at me before nodding over at Pru. I let out a long breath and brace myself for yet more Mayfield visitors. Shortly after, a woman with an exquisitely expensive suit, Prada sunglasses, and a neat and tidy chignon, comes into the room like she’s on a catwalk show in the middle of Milan. Her nine-year-old, a mini-me, follows behind her like she’s a model-in-training. Meanwhile, Pru holds the little three-year-old’s hand and leads her in at the back of the procession. She’s a dinky little thing and the epitome of a cute and angelic cherub with big eyes and curly blonde locks.

Claire walks straight past me and over to Oliver, where she kisses him on both cheeks before instructing her eldest to greet him in much the same way. After which, he surprises me by glancing my way with a cheeky eye roll and a curl of his lips. It has to be the first time I’ve seen him act like a normal human being, and to be honest, it shocks me. Before I can work out how I’m feeling about it, he amazes me again by bending down to shake the youngest daughter’s hand. He then gives her a warm hug with his arms wrapped around her like a teddy bear.

“Claire, meet my fiancé, Beth,” he announces as he walks over to me so that I am only a few inches away from the gorgeous little girl still held in his arms. It reminds me of all that I have lost, the daughter I won’t get to see grow up, a daughter who may well have the same curly blonde hair and big blue eyes. Tears sting at the back of my eyes; it takes all my willpower not to burst into tears in front of them.

“Beth?” Oliver prompts me out of staring at the pretty little girl, no doubt looking a little insane with my mouth hanging open, as well as ignoring everyone else in the room.

“Sorry, I was distracted by your beautiful little girl,” I quickly explain, “she’s a real cutie. Maisie, isn’t it?” I pick up one of her podgy hands, still with dimples over her knuckles, and gently shake it.

“Oh, yes, she’s a bit of a handful, but I let the nanny deal with that side of her,” Claire huffs before finally taking off her sunglasses to reveal the same-colored blue eyes as Oliver. She is very beautiful but looks just as intimidating as her cousin. “So, this is the infamous lost grandchild of Carl Steele. Well done, cousin!” She smiles at me like I’m a priceless heirloom Oliver has managed to acquire for his own private collection. “Sophie, darling, come and meet Beth!”

The tall, willowy girl with tightly plaited hair walks out shyly from behind her mother and offers her hand for me to shake. Although dressed to look like a lady, she now looks at me like the little girl she still is, so I bend down to her level and shake her graceful hand with a huge smile on my face, just for her. My efforts relax her a little and she manages to say hello with a small blush on her cheeks. Claire seems pleased with the exchange and quickly turns back to Oliver so she can ramble on about Mayfield gossip. She does not appear the least bit worried about the fact that he is completely ignoring her; he’s too busy watching me interact with both of the little girls.

“Pay with me, pwease?!” Maisie asks in her cute, little voice. “You want a tup of tea?”

“Oh, I would love one. Can you put some milk in it, please?” I reply, going along with her role play. Maisie shows me her little pearly white teeth before running off to get some ornaments to be a makeshift tea set.

“How old are you, Beth? I’m nine, but will be ten in a few months,” Sophie explains, staring at my hair which have been curled into wavy blonde locks by Pru, on Oliver’s instruction. She looks desperate to touch them, but manners have taught her not to.

“Eighteen,” I reply, “I’m double your age, until you turn ten, that is.”

“Wow, and you’re marrying Oliver?” She gasps, then leans into whisper “Isn’t he a little old for you?” I can’t help but giggle over her honesty.

“Sophie!” Claire chastises her. “Stop whispering, it’s rude!”

Sophie looks to the floor guiltily, as if feeling deeply ashamed and embarrassed by her mother shouting at her in front of all of us. Meanwhile, Maisie comes back to hand me my tea, so I decide to throw myself further into the role play to try and lighten the mood.

“Oh, thank you so much,” I tell her in a silly voice, much like her mother’s natural one, and take the little pot out of her hand. “Oh, ouch, it’s a little hot!” I pretend to blow on it while she giggles, then offers me a biscuit of the imaginary kind. “Oooh, a chocolate bourbon, my favorite, mmm!”

“You’re good with her, Beth,” Claire says to me from where she and Oliver are still standing.

“Beth will make an excellent mother…one day.” Oliver smiles with a look of pride and affection. His words sting, knowing that I’m already a mother. The thought of my own child being without me is enough to have me fighting back tears again.

“When do you plan on starting, Oliver? Your bride is a little young, though, not by Mayfield standards.” Claire shrugs as she takes the seat next to me and runs her hand awkwardly through my hair, still making me feel like an inanimate doll on display.

“As soon as Beth turns twenty,” Oliver replies, “Beth knows I want a lot of children.” Do I? Because I don’t remember being consulted on the matter. “Until then, I plan on having plenty of practice making them with her.”

I drop my mouth open over his open reference to having sex with me in front of not only Claire, but her children too.

“Well, we all know how you like your activities between the sheets, Oliver,” she laughs with a strange look of what looks like lust in her eyes. “Beth, I’m sure you will find him a very enjoyable lover!”

She gifts me with a wink before turning back to her cousin, leaving me to feel deeply uncomfortable and a little nauseated. I have to wonder if she’s speaking from experience, seeing as now both she and Felicity have suggested that incest is the norm.

“Enough, Claire!” Oliver says with a hint of threat. However, he quickly softens again when Maisie drops a spoon inside of my teacup with a loud clatter. “There are children present.”

“Shall we begin the fittings then?” Claire suddenly announces. “And where is Pru with our drinks? Oliver, you need to get your staff to work more efficiently.”

“Perhaps I should go and help her,” I suggest, finally using my voice with the ‘grown ups’.

“Oh, gosh, no, you can’t do that, dear,” Claire laughs at my naivety, “don’t you realize who you’re marrying?!”

“Of course, she knows who she’s marrying,” a familiar voice booms across the room as he walks in with unfailing confidence. At my grandfather’s presence, Claire immediately shuts up and stands to greet him in a formal manner, showing him immense respect. “But, of course, Oliver knows who he is marrying too. She is my granddaughter after all!” Carl walks over to Oliver to shake his hand before kissing me on my cheeks. “I haven’t seen you in a while, Claire, how is your husband? Still working on Wall Street?”

Claire saunters over to my grandfather and kisses him on his cheek before returning to her seat beside me, suddenly acting like we are great friends. I ignore the whole arse-kissing theatrics and turn to carry on playing with the girls, who are infinitely more pleasant to talk to.

“We were just talking about having children, Carl,” Claire says with an air of arrogance. “I’m sure you would like to have great-grandchildren; get to see them grow up this time?”

“Of course, the more the better!” he replies with a wink for Oliver, who then grins smugly at me. “And the sooner, ay, Oliver?”

---