Page 10 of Holiday Home

Right now, that almost seemed like a desirable outcome, if only so he could hide away for a while.

I… guess it couldn’t hurt to hear what this is all about, Liam eventually decided, almost entirely because he didn’t want to disappoint her with an immediate “no.”

“Okay,” he said hesitantly, “I’ll hear you out.”

Tess exhaled, plainly relieved. “Good, good. Thank you, Liam. I know this is a bizarre request, especially coming from me.”

You have no idea,Liam thought wryly.

“So, who is it? And… why?” Those seemed like the first two appropriate questions to ask.

“Her name is Annabelle Royce, though she goes by Anna.”

Something about that name sounded off a set of wind chimes in Liam’s mind, though he couldn’t entirely guess why. Frustratingly, its familiarity eluded him.

“As to why,” Tess continued, losing her smile, “it is because the man her father is hoping to marry her off to shouldn’t be allowed to marryanythingsentient.” Vitriol flooded her voice in a way that Liam had never seen before. “He is no good. No good for anyone. Someone out there might be right for Douglas; it’s just not me.No oneis right for Trent Alden. He is a punishment I wouldn’t thrust on anyone, no matter their crimes.”

“Wow,” Liam said, caught off guard by her sheer malevolence for this person. “I guess he’s not a great guy, huh?”

“He’s detestable, and he’s allowed to get away with his abhorrent behavior solely because of his family’s wealth. That wealth is the only reason Anna’s father is pushing her to marry him once she graduates.” Tess’s countenance descended into even further disdain.

“And Anna? I mean, this isn’t the feudal age anymore, so her dad can’t just force her to get married… right? How does she feel about marrying him?”

Tess sighed heavily. “No, this is not the feudal age any longer, but in certain circles of wealth, it might as well still be. Our neighborhood is strictly in the upper-class income bracket. Everyone living in this neighborhood makes at least six figures a year. The Royces and the Aldens make a hundred times that every year. It’s an entirely different world for them.” She looked at him suddenly, squinting at the lack of recollection in his eyes. “Liam, Royce Railroads. Alden Electronics. They’re a major battery supplier on the west coast.”

Alden Electronics didn’t spark a memory; he didn’t know the name, though he believed what Tess was informing him about them. However, Royce Railroads was a very different story.

That’s what it was,he finally remembered.

The Royces sponsored all manner of events in the area, from art exhibits to charity sporting events to various social initiatives. Specifically,heremembered them because of an annual marathon they sponsored, which his parents had always participated in. The colorful banners depicting a crimson steam locomotive finally popped into his mind with clarity.

“I still haven’t gotten an answer,” Liam pointed out. “How doesshefeel about marrying this guy?”

Tess shook her head, leaning her folded arms on the table. “She doesn’t like him either.”

Liam could sense the hidden “but” waiting in the wings, so he waited quietly for Tess to reveal it.

“However, she didn’t grow up in an environment where ‘no, this isn’t what I want’ is in her vocabulary, at least when it comes to her father’s draconian wishes. If her father had his way, Anna would already be engaged, and the marriage would happen the moment she obtains her bachelor’s degree. It’s only because her mother is pushing back against Anna having no choice in the matter that she’s being given a chance to date and exercise her human right to pick whom she would like to be with.”

“So, why doesn’t—or hasn’t—she?” Liam could see that more layers needed peeling back before he understood this whole strange mess. “I’m not trying to be rude, but unless she’s…reallyunappealing herself, I can’t imagine the Royce heiress couldn’t catch plenty of attention.”

Tess’s severity deepened. “That kind of relationship is precisely what we’re hoping to avoid.”

We?

“It’s the last thing we want for her,” Tess continued, unaware of his thought, “Anna attracts sycophants and opportunists who are after her wealth all over campus, and I’m sure well beyond it.”

“So, shedoesattend Bellmore?” Liam asked, having expected it since the conversation began.

“She does. And the reason I’m asking this favor of you is because youdon’t.The Royce’s influence spreads far, and connections are everything in the world most of Bellmore’s privileged students come from. Upsetting Trent Alden, and by extension, Theodore Alden and Arnold Royce, isn’t something most of them—or their families—want. Some take the risk, but they’re usually nearly as bad as Trent or motivated entirely by greed. And setting Anna up with someone like that would only end up disastrously, and possibly cause her to finally relent to her father’s continued pressure that she should do as she’s told and marry Trent.”

“It sounds like you really care about this girl.” If anything were true, it was at least that. This went well over and beyond helping a favored student find a date. And what exactly was Tess’s end goal? Just how much did she want from him?

“She is as wonderful and kind a person you’ll ever meet, which is shocking given her father’s bullish personality,” she said. “She deserves to make her own choices and experience a normal relationship, one outside her father’s control.”

Liam wasn’t sure he’d describe what Tess was trying to do as the beginning of a “normal” relationship, but he decided to keep that thought contained. “So, what do you actually want from me, Tess? And why me? How do you know I’m not some gold digger who’d only be interested in the money?”

His candor earned a flat look. “The fact that you didn’t leap at the idea the moment you realized who she was is proof enough.”

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