“You are Emily. Come closer, child.”
Emily stumbled forward, struggling to keep balance on her high heels now that her ankles were aching. She leaned forward and kissed the woman on her cheek. Her waxy skin was cool and as thin as paper. Her breaths came out unevenly. Emily leaned away slightly to give her space. The elderly woman looked even smaller in person than she had on the TV.
“Lovely to meet you in person….” Emily hesitated. She wondered how to address her. Should she call her Grandmother Marks?
“Let me look at you.” The woman reached out with her bony hand to grasp Emily’s. Her eyes wandered up and down Emily’s body, then rested on her engagement ring.
“My late husband bought me that ring shortly before he died. It’s nice to see it on a much less wrinkly hand,” she said. Her voice was surprisingly steady and her eyes twinkled as she grinned.
Emily gasped. David gave her the family ring? She shot a nervous look at him; he was standing near the foot of the bed and kept his gaze on his grandmother. His face was almost as pale as hers.
“Do you love him?”
Emily turned back to look at the woman, who stared imploringly into her eyes. Emily took a breath. She remembered all of the times David showed her kindness, burning his steak, coming to the dinner with the investors, taking her out on the helicopter ride. She thought about the way his cheeks dimpled as he smiled. The sheepish laugh he made when she cracked a joke, and the way he held her protectively in his arms.
She bit her lip.
“I really do.” Emily’s voice cracked on a flood of emotions. The last few weeks had been a whirlwind. Her job was to match the perfect couple and watch them fall in love. She had been a part of that for years, but she never expected it to happen to her, and certainly not so quickly. Could she pinpoint the moment she knew she loved David? Not really. But at this moment, at his grandmother’s bedside, she knew. The knowledge burned inside of her being, so much so she wanted to scream.
I love David.
The thought came so freely. So simply. It were as if the fact had been there all along.
“And you promise not to betray him? You know what happened to his father, don’t you?” Emily glanced back at David again, who shifted his weight but did not look at her.
“Married the wrong woman. Without a prenup, either. David tells me he doesn’t believe in a prenup. He’s a romantic, just like his father.” Grandmother’s words were flying out of her mouth now. The frail, barely breathing woman was gone, and one to be reckoned with was now in her place. “But I knew, you see. And every day I regret allowing him to marry that wretched woman.” Emily gasped at the vehemence in the woman’s words. “Oh but, my dear, not you. Don’t you worry. I knew from our little chat the other day… You aren’t afraid to tell the truth. David will always know where he stands with you. And I like that.”
Emily squeezed her hands gently as her own eyes pooled with tears. It was lies. All lies. When they spoke on the phone, Emily was just playing a part, and she’d been playing David. Regret bubbled inside of her and rested in the base of her neck. Even though David now knew the truth, she’d still started their relationship on lies.
“Now, answer this for me,” the grandmother continued, unaware of Emily’s internal torment. “Can you imagine growing old with David?”
Her words had a warming effect on Emily, who closed her eyes and imagined them both sitting on a park bench. David would have deep laugh lines around his eyes and mouth as he smiled at her, his thin hair curling at the ears and grey with white streaks. She imagined him holding her hand, his skin warm, soft, and wrinkled. He would then raise his other hand and surprise her with a bouquet of sunflowers. “Happy Anniversary, darling,” he’d say and kiss her gently on the cheek. Emily opened her eyes and tears rolled down her cheeks. Her mouth was glued shut as a bubble of emotion sat in her mouth, silencing her. There was no need to speak, though. Grandmother Marks studied her face and gave a nod.
“I thought so.”
Chapter Twenty
An Eventful Night
“Julie, open the doors. I want to feel the air on my face.” The nurse bowed to Grandmother Marks and rolled back the glass doors. A gust of cool air flooded the bedroom and the group shivered against it. The day had cooled off as the sun set behind the trees. They had been with Grandmother for hours and time seemed to stand still inside the room, but the outside world kept moving.
“Your rooms are ready, and I’ve arranged for you all to have a party tonight, some of my friends will be joining us.”
“Are you feeling well enough to entertain?” Charles asked.
“Well, like the old saying, ‘it’s now or never.’ I choose now.”
The group began to leave. But not before David heard Grandmother say, “Call my lawyer,” to one of the staff. David caught sight of Charles, who give him a pointed look.
“Hey.” He rubbed Emily’s back to catch her attention. Edward and Catherine walked ahead talking to each other in low voices.
“Yes?”
“You go ahead. I’ve got to talk to my father.”
Emily nodded and followed the others. He watched her go, momentarily hypnotized at the sight of her hips swaying with every step. He shook his head. Snap out of it.
“Come on,” Charles murmured and the two of them walked down to the aviary. The high-pitched chirping of the birds was sure to drown out their quiet conversation.
“It’s done. You can relax now.”
David snorted. “You mean, you can.”
Charles raised his brows at him but decided to remain quiet. “She seems to be quite taken with you. I
