Second Chance Girl (Happily Inc. #2)

As that was a dangerous train of thought and a worse line of conversation, she made a deliberate attempt to change the subject. “Is the Wi-Fi fast enough for you to handle your email?”

“It is. I’m nearly caught up. All is well at Battenberg Park.” He picked up his sandwich. “And by that I mean there have only been four minor crises since I left.”

“Plumbing? Electrical or guests?”

“Not electrical. Plumbing is a constant problem in a house that old and water damage is the devil to stay on top of. We had a group of schoolchildren come through yesterday and a lamp was broken.”

She winced. “You have insurance, don’t you?”

“We do, but many of the items in the house can’t be replaced and getting them repaired is challenging. We are constantly balancing giving our guests a true feel for what life was like in a house like ours and not having antiques stolen or broken or damaged.”

“So people come through for day tours of the house and grounds?” she asked.

“Yes. We also have a conference center and a hotel.”

She tried to hold in a smile. “But no theme rooms.”

He sighed. “Alas, no. Perhaps I should learn from Austenland and embrace all things Mr. Darcy.”

For a second she imagined Ulrich in Regency dress. The picture was delightful and sexy. Allow me to express how ardently I admire and love you. Violet was sure she had the line from Pride and Prejudice wrong, but she was close enough to get a little shiver.

“You would hate playing Mr. Darcy,” she said, forcing herself back to the present. “You much prefer being yourself.”

“That is true, but I didn’t hate the movie as much I would have expected.”

“It was charming,” she told him. “You laughed.”

“I did laugh.”

His gaze seemed to linger on her face. Violet felt the intensity of his attention down to her toes which curled ever so slightly.

“I’m sure that a lot of older homes are exploiting all things Pride and Prejudice, not to mention Downton Abbey.”

“They are,” he said. “Tourists flock to them.”

“And when word gets out about your TV series, they’ll flock to you, as well.”

“It’s not my series,” he assured her quickly. “We’re simply the vessel.” His mouth twitched. “A well-paid vessel. The influx of tourists will be welcome.”

“And endured,” she added, her voice teasing.

“That, too.” He picked up his sandwich. “Do you have any plans to visit my grandmother?”

Violet’s mind spun in fifteen directions. Was he really asking about Nana Winifred? Was she ridiculous to hope he was secretly trying to find out if he would see her again? Did he like her?

“We haven’t talked about it, but I always enjoy her company.”

“You should plan a trip. I could show you the estate. Perhaps we could spend a few days together in London.” He offered her a smile. “As my way of thanking you for taking such good care of me.”

She laughed. “How could I turn down a chance to hang out in the Drive-in Room?”

“I know it’s been a treat for me, as well.”

Their gazes locked again. Something warm seemed to grow in Ulrich’s eyes. Violet knew she was being foolish, but couldn’t help saying, “A trip to see your grandmother sounds like something I should do. Sooner rather than later.”

“I agree.”

*

CAROL HAD A LONG, serious talk with herself. She knew she’d totally overreacted to what had happened between her and Mathias. Finding out he hadn’t remembered about that night had been both good and bad. On the one hand, at least she knew he hadn’t been ignoring her. On the other hand, seriously? He’d forgotten that? Talk about unfair.

She’d been nearly on her way to dealing when he’d shown up with his ridiculous do-over suggestion. The man was a moron. Worse, he was breaking her heart. She didn’t want some weird, awkward “Hey, I owe you” encounter. She wanted what every woman wanted—to know that the man who was standing in front of her was totally and completely swept away. That he was weak with longing and found her the sexiest, most appealing woman on the planet. Instead he was offering her the sexual equivalent of “You got lunch last time, it’s my turn to buy.”

Not that she was going to try to explain that to him. There was no way—not without revealing too much and she didn’t want to risk that.

If only she could ignore him for the rest of her life. Or not see him. Only that wasn’t an option. Not only were they neighbors, their lives here intertwined. Exhibit A—she was on her way to a teleconference about Maya and Del’s wedding. Backing out wasn’t an option and she knew for a fact Mathias would be there.

Life certainly had a sense of humor.

She parked by Weddings Out of the Box. She’d deliberately come a little late, hoping not to get trapped in the conference room alone with Mathias. For once, her timing was perfect. Mathias’s car was already in place, as was her sister’s. As Carol got out, Silver pulled up next to her and they walked in together.

“I love brides who want to have fun,” Silver said as they headed for the conference room. “Maya’s pretty much given me free rein. I’ve come up with a couple of really great signature drinks.”

“Mojitos?” Carol asked, her voice teasing.

Silver shuddered. “No and no. Signature drinks can’t be labor intensive. Not unless you can do all the heavy prep in advance. No one wants to stand in line for twenty minutes just to get a drink. No mojitos. Don’t even think the word.”

“Sometimes you’re really bossy.”

“I know. I can’t help it.” She linked arms with Carol. “You love me anyway.”

“I do.”

They went into the conference room and saw that Pallas had already started the call. Maya waved at them.

“Hey, you two.”

“Hi back.”

Carol and Silver took their seats. Carol smiled at everyone, careful to keep her gaze moving so it didn’t linger on Mathias, even though lingering on him made so much sense.

She couldn’t decide if fate was on her side or not. Mathias gave her an absent smile, as if their most recent encounter hadn’t happened at all. Which was good, right? They weren’t alone and if he acted strangely, people would notice. So his disinterested nod was perfect and there was no reason to feel slighted or hurt.

She held in a groan. There were days when she had to question her emotional sanity.

“Shall we get started?” Pallas asked, pulling out her tablet. “Maya, I want to go over our progress since our last call. First, the flowers.”

The meeting went quickly. All the details were reviewed. Silver made her drink suggestions and then confirmed the catering menu. Violet opened a garment bag to show Maya the work she’d done on her veil.

“That picture you sent was perfect,” Violet said. “I matched the beading.” She waved at Carol. “Come, model.”

Everyone turned to look at her. Carol felt herself flush as she stood and walked over to her sister. Violet set the veil on her hair.

The tulle was anchored with a mini tiara that fit snugly. The edges of the veil had been decorated with tiny beads in a swirling pattern. Violet pulled the shorter piece down over Carol’s face and angled her sister toward the camera.