Page 38 of Carbon

“Splendid. Do you want to choose the cuisine again?”

“No, you pick. Surprise me.”

Although even as the words left my mouth, I doubted anything would ever top Midnight and his chocolate-covered strawberries.

* * *

Angie was sitting in the study when I got back, posting messages to Sapphire’s legion of Facebook fans.

“Good date?”

“Better than I thought it would be. Everything going okay with work?”

Speaking of work, I really needed to do some.

“I got a bit behind. The caretaker came in to measure for some shelves you asked about, and it was difficult to concentrate with him here.”

“Why? Was he noisy?”

“No, hot.”

My eyes widened, and Angie laughed.

“Don’t worry, I’m not planning to slum it with the staff. But a girl can look, right? He’s certainly an improvement on old Gerald, although that’s not difficult seeing as Gerald had two chins and more wrinkles than a Shar-Pei. But enough with trivialities—I want to hear about Gregory. Has he kissed you yet?”

“Nope.”

“Wonder what he’s waiting for?”

“Perhaps because he’s a gentleman? But you need to help me—what happened with his ex-wife? He mentioned her once, and I’m curious about why they got divorced.”

“I’m not sure, but let me call Mathilda. If anybody knows, it’ll be her.”

I sat down and opened my laptop, but the words wouldn’t come, and I ended up staring at a blank screen. Even peaceful music and a cup of coffee didn’t help with my writer’s block. I’d barely got two sentences typed by the time Angie sat on the desk in front of me half an hour later, blocking my view of the depressingly short paragraph.

“Apparently Gregory’s ex cited irreconcilable differences in the divorce papers, but word is she complained to friends that he didn’t look after her properly. Said he didn’t pay her enough attention. Although Mathilda reckons he bought her a new Mercedes convertible a month before they split, so I don’t know what she was moaning about.”

So, Philippa’s story was indeed true, it seemed. “Money doesn’t buy happiness.”

“But it does buy Louboutins and Chanel handbags, and that’s the same thing.”

“I’m not sure about that.”

“Look at our parents—Father’s away for work half the time, and you don’t see Mother getting upset over it.”

“But what about love?”

My parents’ relationship was more akin to a business transaction, and after my talk with Angie in the early hours of Sunday morning, I thought I’d detected a softening of her heart.

“Love doesn’t always win.”

“Sometimes you need to fight for it.”

“And sometimes you need to accept defeat graciously and make the best of what you have.”

“You think I should choose Gregory, don’t you?”

“I wish you didn’t have to, but I think it would be best for everyone. Nobody wants to face Mother’s wrath, least of all you and your stranger. Consider how difficult she’d make his life.”

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