Page 31 of Falling for your Fake Boyfriend

“And that’s what I love about you, Grandma. Goodnight.”

ChapterFifteen

Isla

Islept late, even though I knew it meant missing what was probably a delicious breakfast. Gretchen knew I hadn’t come down to breakfast, so she had one of the staff bring me up a tray with a chocolate croissant, a bowl of strawberries, a miniature pot of coffee and a small handwritten note.

I’ve found that Irish butter works best in the croissants, too.

Enjoy, Gretch

And enjoy, I did. The croissant was flaky and buttery, and hidden inside was the most delicious piece of dark chocolate. Even the coffee was better than any I’d ever tried. I’d found one reason to envy this lifestyle—the food. Of course, Gretchen was the secret ingredient for that.

In the midst of my late morning dream where I somehow ended up in a bowling alley with a group of people I didn’t know and where they served weird small cups of hot cocoa that contained something wriggly, like worms, I heard lively voices downstairs and, afterward, outside the window. I knew the group had gone off for a horseback ride around the estate. With any luck, the whole lot would stay out for hours. Even Luke. I was so angry at myself for liking the man. I needed to tamp that down. He’d readily gone off for a horseback ride, knowing full well I wouldn’t be joining them. And he also knew full well that Alexandria would be out there, riding Majesty in her skintight riding breeches and those cool, shiny black boots the English riders always wore.

I walked to the window with my second cup of coffee. I rarely drank two in a row, but this coffee was so rich with flavor, I couldn’t stop myself. I’d probably be spinning like a hummingbird later, but that would only make a walk in the garden more fun. I had a view of the elegant red brick stables from my window. The Greyson’s horses lived better than most people I knew. There was even a decorative fountain with a horse and rider on top. The countryside missed out on the cold salty fog that usually blanketed the coast. The sun was already shining at full tilt, and it seemed to be lavishing all its attention and warmth on the gardens. From my vantage point, I spotted a maze-like arrangement of neatly trimmed boxwoods. Various flowers were planted in standing urns at the entrance to the maze.

I finished the coffee and got dressed for a long walk. I pulled on the straw hat Ella insisted I take. She wasn’t thinking of me avoiding the sun as much as she thought the whole straw bonnet look went with a weekend at a country house. I grabbed my sunglasses and phone and headed out the door. I was starting to learn the lay of the land, so it only took me one wrong turn to find the French doors leading to the grounds. I turned right, in the direction of the boxwood maze. “My straw hat and I are off for a jaunt around a boxwood maze,” I texted Ella.

It was incredibly quiet outside. The riders were no doubt clear across the many acres by now. Alexandria was probably dazzling Luke with her gorgeous smile as she gracefully maneuvered Majesty over a shrub or fence.

Ella texted back just as I left the veranda. “I’ve always wanted to get lost in one of those mazes only to be found by a handsome lord of the manor. Speaking of handsome lords of the manor???”

“He’s out riding with his future princess, and his hired sidekick, namely me, is on her own for the morning. So, if you don’t hear from me, I’m lost amongst the boxwoods. I will let you know if there are any more lords of the manor sauntering about.”

I turned on the path that would take me to the maze and nearly ran into one of the staff members coming the other way. She looked harried and disheveled and not at all happy to see me. Her brown eyes rounded, then she immediately glanced behind her, almost as if she was being chased or followed.

“Morning,” I said tentatively. My greeting stunned her more.

“Oh, hello, I mean, morning.” She flashed a nervous smile.

“Everything all right?”

She sidled past me. “Just took too long of a break and now I’m late getting back.” She picked up her pace and raced back toward the house. I was sure Margaret didn’t tolerate tardiness, clumsiness or anything with a -ness ending.

I continued toward my destination.

The boxwood maze was less impressive as I got closer. I supposed I’d watched far too many Regency era movies where ten-foot-high walls of tightly trimmed boxwoods took the visitor on a crazy series of twists and turns before they reached their secret tryst location. Still, the Greyson garden maze was impressive enough for a short, fun adventure.

I stepped past a large patina-covered urn that was overflowing with dark pink and white petunias. I took the first right and strolled along a shrubby corridor. I took a picture and sent it with the text—“No handsome member of the gentry. Just a lot of bees.” The busy buzzers were flitting around the tiny, fragrant beads on the shrubs. My hope was that they stayed entirely focused on their pollen collection and not on the woman wearing fruity-smelling sunblock.

I took a whiff of the fragrant shrubbery but was shocked to smell smoke. I was no expert, but I was sure it was cigarette smoke. I hoped that was the case, because I hated to be wandering in a flammable maze while it burned.

A cough stopped me in my tracks. I wasn’t alone. I stood still, waiting to see if I could tell which direction the smoke and cough came from. Suddenly, something cold and wet hit the back of my leg. I chirped out a sound that was half gasp, half scream and spun around quickly. Mr. Greyson’s dog, Leo, was staring up at me with a big, happy-to-see-you smile. I breathed a sigh of relief and patted the dog. I just as quickly reminded myself that dogs don’t smoke cigarettes.

Leo’s tail spun around like a helicopter blade, and he barked once at something behind me. It was Rachel’s fiancé, David. He looked slightly less pulled together than usual, with his shirt half untucked and his hair ruffled. The cigarette mystery had been solved. He quickly lowered it and tried, clumsily, to hide it behind his back.

“Your secret is safe with me,” I said.

He blanched. “Pardon?”

I motioned toward the cigarette.

“Oh, right. Yes, Rachel disapproves.” He smiled weakly and walked past me. It was sort of amusing, but knowing that David had a dirty secret like a smoking habit almost made him more interesting and edgy.

Leo decided to stick with me through the rest of the maze. I was right on my initial assessment. It was short and rather uninspiring as far as boxwood mazes went. We stepped out the back side, and I continued my stroll up a grassy knoll. Leo trotted happily along behind me. The top of the knoll gave me a great view of a large portion of the grounds. The horse riders were in the distance, bouncing up and down in rhythm in their saddles. Their voices and laughter carried all the way to where I was standing. Luke was sitting astride a tall black horse, fitting for him. Ella would say the only thing missing was a top hat and frock coat. I scoured the group of ten or so riders and easily spotted Alexandria. She sat a horse like a queen in a procession, posture straight and her long legs, tucked in those sleek black boots, hugging the sides of the horse.

I patted Leo’s head. “Thanks for keeping me company.” The wedding tents had been erected. Their white peaks stood out in the otherwise emerald green landscape. “Let’s go see what a million-dollar plus wedding looks like, Leo.”

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