In Love with a Stranger (10 page)

He looked at my hand and flopped on his back on the floor, covering his face with his hands. “Just hang it up.”

“I can’t do that. William, she said she’s a countess or something. It might be important.”

“It says ‘Uppity Git’ on the phone, correct?” I nodded yes. “It’s just my mum, go ahead and hang up.”

“I’m not hanging up on your mother, that’s rude!  I’d strangle a man if he hung up on me when I was trying to talk to Penelope. No, you get over here and talk to her now.”

“Settle down, I’ll talk to her, but I’ll warn you, she’s not going to do anything but complain about me not being in England, and then tell me about a mess of stupid parties that I don’t want to attend.”

“I don’t need a woman, Mum,” he called toward the phone without taking it.

“William, you have to take the phone.” I held it out, as I followed him into the kitchen.

“Just put it on speaker and let her go. She can talk for hours and not care if you’re listening.”

I put the phone on speaker, just in time to hear, “Not Care? William Theodore Greyson, if I could fit you over my knee, I’d paddle you!”

I was snickering at him, until she started talking again.

“Who was that woman who answered your phone, and what were you doing sleeping in her daughter’s bed? What perverted game have you gotten up to? You know that won’t reflect well on the family, and it’s not like you, William. I’m worried. Your father and I have presented you with several lovely ladies from good families, and you won’t even give them any consideration. Now you’re running off with American hussies. It’s insulting, and it can’t go on any longer. You’re nearly thirty. It’s time to settle down with a proper lady. You’ll attend the next ball and...”

“No, I won’t. I’m not going to be in England for a while, and then I’m not coming back. I’m moving to the states.”

“The states, with those unruly Americans? Don’t even jest. Your father will have a heart attack.”

“Well, have the doctor on hand, because I’m moving here.”

“Now you’re just being…”

“My daughter’s here. The girl I cut our call short for is my daughter. She’s six, and her inconsiderate grandmother woke her at five o’clock in the morning. I’m staying here.”

“Mom?” Their heated discussion had woken up Penelope.

“Hey, pretty Penny, it’s time to get ready for school.”

“Why was dad yelling?”

“He’s not, he’s just talking on the phone right now.”

“Is that her? William, don’t you give them a pound. You get a test done. This has to be some kind of…”

William hung up on his mother and picked up our daughter, kissing her cheek. “Shall we get ready for the day, then?” he asked, like he hadn’t just hung up on his furious mother. So much for hoping she’d like me.

Chapter 11 – Make it Count

WILLIAM

Once we’d sent our daughter off to school, Hannah needed to get ready for the day herself and make sure Shawna could cover for her.  I decided to have Duncan meet me in the bookshop. I told Hannah she could take her time, and I’d watch her store while she readied, letting her know Duncan would be coming over briefly.

I wanted to go over our plan with Duncan and discuss how we would handle things, once we attended our next meeting two days from now. The break allowed time for the bigwigs at Jackson Enterprises to deliberate the deal we’d presented and come out with a counteroffer. I felt bad for leaving Duncan to handle things before, and I wanted to let him know it wouldn’t happen again.

He arrived fairly fast, which would bode well for getting things finished, before Hannah was dressed and had breakfast made like she’d promised.

“Hey, William, do you want to tell me why your mum called me and asked me to tie you up and send you home in a trunk?”

I knew my mother would be upset, but I didn’t think she’d have resorted to calling my friend.

“That’d be Hannah,” I said with a sigh.

“Hannah?” Duncan asked, and I remembered he could be a bit dense when it came to things that were not business-related.

“My mother found out I spent the night here, and she had a fit.”

“Why would she get upset over that? You’d think she’d be happy that you’re actually showing interest in the opposite sex.”

“It wasn’t so much Hannah, but our daughter.”

“Daughter? You only met her a month or so ago. I didn’t realize you hooked up then. That’s mad. I can’t believe she’s up the duff already. No wonder your mother is upset. You’d think you’d know not to play without a raincoat on. How does she know it’s a girl already?”

“Hannah’s not pregnant. We didn’t ‘hook up.’ Our daughter is six.”

“Wow, so you donated to a sperm bank or something? That’s got to be a shock to know you have a kid. What made you do it? Did they pay you extra because you’re a viscount?”

“Are you telling me you didn’t hear a bloody thing that was said over lunch yesterday?”

“Ophelia was there,” he made an hourglass shape with his hands. “I didn’t focus on anything but her, and lucky for me, she gave me the same attention. We had a date last night. It went very well.” He wore a silly grin, so I didn’t doubt it.

“How about I catch you up to speed? Hannah is my old girlfriend from seven years ago I told you about. I’d planned to ask her to marry me. I had to return to London for work, and I was going to pick up a wedding ring while I was there. You know our European antiques are unparalleled.”

He nodded in agreement.

“While I was gone, something happened to her.”

“The attack Ophelia told us about when we first got here, that was why you got sick!” he shouted, pointing at me as it all clicked.

“Yes, I was the man she’d forgotten. Her daughter, Penelope, is my daughter. We’d lived together in New York for a few weeks, before I was called back to London. My mother’s upset, because I have a daughter whom I don’t plan on getting a paternity test for, and I told her I’m moving here to be with them. Needless to say, she didn’t take it well.”

“She’d probably settle if you took a test. She’s always wanted you to have a family,” Duncan mused.

I shrugged. “Maybe, but nothing I say or do will get her to accept the idea of me moving here.”

“Your father’s going to go absolutely mental when he finds out. He’s been all about the ladies since I met you, and I’m not talking the big-busted ones.”

I wasn’t sure I followed what he was saying, but he was right about one thing. My father would go completely bonkers once he found out I had plans to marry a woman who was not a lady of the royal peerage.

It was just after breakfast, when my phone started to ring, my parents’ home number flashing on the caller ID. “Uppity Git” was the name I’d given my father. Anytime his mobile phone or the house phone rang me, it was the name that appeared on the screen. I was afraid I’d made a bad impression on Hannah with the way I had handled my mother, but I’d found over the years that a firm stance was the only way to keep them from interfering in every aspect of my life.

It stopped ringing, only to start right up again. Hannah looked at it and frowned. I was sure she thought it was my mother, but if I had to hazard a guess, it’d be that it was my father calling to start a row over my conversation with my mother.

“Are you going to answer that?” Hannah pushed, and I shook my head no. “I don’t think they’re going to stop calling, William. You might as well get it over with.”

She didn’t realize it’d be far from over with one phone call. She reached for the phone, but I snatched it up and answered it. I didn’t put it on speaker phone.

“Good morning,” I said in my most polite tone.

“William, your mother tells me you’ve taken up with a woman, one with a child and…”

“Yes, Dad, and I plan on moving here.”

“She said you’re not even getting a test to prove parentage. William, you’re being taken advantage of, and your stubborn ways are going to ruin you. No American girl is worth her salt in England.”

“I think there are a few in the Royal Family who’d dispute that. Ever hear of Princess Diana?”

“Now you’re just being ridiculous. What’s the name of this
woman
who has you acting like a fool?”

“I believe you know of her. She was the only one I’ve ever taken up with.”

My father let out a huff. “If it’s that Madison girl again...”

“Are you serious? She was missing and presumed dead, and you’re upset that she’s alive and well?”

“That’s not the point. I have some business to attend to,” he snapped and hung up, leaving me angry and confused.

It wasn’t twenty minutes later that Hannah’s father called her phone. “You made me answer mine, it’s only fair,” I taunted.

She scowled at me, before she answered it, and I listened to her short, clipped argument. I didn’t know what it was with our fathers, but it was getting ridiculous.

Her father had accused mine of being involved with Hannah’s disappearance and insisted I divulge my “title,” so she’d know what she was getting into, which was nothing, but there was no convincing him of that. I’d never thought anything of it and had no problem with telling Hannah about the ludicrous title that’d been given to me for just being born.

My father’s obsession with his title was ridiculous. It afforded us no more than invitations to parties I had no interest in attending. I never had and never would go to them. I think he thought he could change my mind by setting me up with loose, frivolous “ladies,” but that was impossible. I never gave his “ladies” a second glance…a glare maybe, but not a glance.

I didn’t think my father would do anything to physically harm Hannah, or anyone for that matter. He’d been known to bribe and slander like a scorned teenaged girl, but violence was not his M.O. I didn’t think he’d do such a thing. I knew it was most likely someone else, and Detective Madison was just a prejudiced fiend, picking up on my father’s self-importance and twisting it into guilt. New York was a dangerous city. That alone was the reason Hannah had been attacked.

“So, what’s this scandalous rank that has my father crying foul?”

“I’m a viscount, but only because my father is an earl, which is the equivalent to a count, hence my mother being a countess. Really, it’s nothing. Just a title bestowed upon my family. There isn’t anything special that goes with it. I’m not even giving anything up by moving here to be with you and Penelope, other than a pack of annoying people who think they’re better than average, because they can insist people call them by fancy titles.”

“So you’re a viscount?”

I shook my head. “Not for long. It really is nothing. Once I move here and become a citizen, it’ll become irrelevant.”

“But it’s something now?”

“It’s my father’s title that affords me the
supposed
honor of being called Viscount Greyson. I did nothing but be born. I had no intention of embracing it before, and I still don’t.”

“What about your family? Will they hate me for it?”

“Definitely not nearly as much as your father hates me. My sister already adores you, and I’m sure my mother will love you once things settle down with her. As for my dad
, Lord Greyson
, he’s a pompous ass. I don’t think he even likes himself. He has no interest in my happiness or anyone else’s. He’s just riding the coattails of my grandfather’s past, like he could be someone.”

“So…Viscount, do you live in a castle and play an organ, counting to twenty?”

“Twenty?”

“Well, maybe not the counting and organ playing, but you live in a castle, though, don’t you, or at least grew up in one?”

“No, just a regular house, it was bigger than this place, but I think everywhere is bigger than this place,” I teased.

“So no creepy castle like Count von Count?”

I didn’t know who this count was, but he sounded weird if he had a fascination with counting to twenty.  “Who is this count you speak of?”

“You know, Count von Count. Everyone knows him. He’s famous for his counting. He lives in a castle. Are you sure you don’t have a castle somewhere?  Maybe your family doesn’t live there because it’s drafty. It seems like a count should have one.”

“I’m a viscount, my father is an earl, and my mother is a countess. There are no castles anywhere in our family. I grew up in a house. I live in a regular flat in London. I’ve never heard of this Count von Count. I think someone has been lying to you and should be reported.”

She waved me off. “No, he’s a count, just not your kind.”

“Not my kind, like Scandinavian?”

“Sesame Street,” she stated plainly, like she made sense. “He has a castle and lives on Sesame Street,” she tried to clarify and failed.

“Here in the states?”

“He’s part of a kid’s show.”

She grabbed her laptop and pulled up a video of a puppet singing about numbers while playing an organ. “Is he a vampire?”

“Yes, are you a vampire? Is that part of being a count?” she teased. I realized she’d been messing with me this whole time.

“I’m a viscount, it’s a lesser title, and no, you don’t need to be a vampire.” I leaned over, sucking on her neck. “I could be a vampire if you want me to be.”  Her hand gripped my thigh, much like she had in the past. I knew I couldn’t push her for more, but it felt like she wanted more at times.

“We need to see about getting Penelope’s passport,” I said, trying to distract myself from the hand on my thigh.

“I’m sure there won’t be a problem getting it.  Mine’s still good for a few more years.”

“Wonderful, I’m not leaving until she’s cleared to travel with us. Maybe we could put a rush on things. I know it’s possible. We’ll have to look it up.”

She grabbed her laptop and started pulling up the information. From the looks of things, I had to establish parentage before we could apply for her. That sent us on to another site and another list of information we had to gather, so we could have me added to the birth certificate. It was going to take longer than I’d thought it would.

I’d be in New York for another two weeks, working with Jackson Enterprises, and then I’d have to use my holiday leave to cover the time to wait for Penelope’s passport to come through.

I had a feeling it was going to be maddening.