Heaven And Hell novel Chapter 108

Yawning again, I looked at the open doorway and actually slipped from the bed, my butt plopping onto the floor with a thud.

"Lady Cutting?" I said in a husky gasp. "What -- what are you doing here?"

Aunt Mary helped me up and sat me on the mattress again, but I was quickly becoming alert. "I tried waking you up for hours, pet," she murmured in a wheeze. "The dowager came by in the morning, but you shooed me away several times! And...and then she came back." She said that, as if she couldn't believe the dowager Duchess of Rossington had come to visit her twice. Even I would, if I hadn't met her previously.

"Don't worry, Mrs Dunster," the dowager assured her, waving her elegant hand gently, like Julie Andrews in The Princess Diaries. "Your tepid tea was lovely and you and your husband were splendid company."

Aunt Mary squeaked. I, on the other hand, couldn't help gaping. "Is there a problem, Lady Cutting?"

She raised one of her eyebrows, which I was becoming used to, and answered with, "We're going on a little stroll, my dear. One I'm sure you'll find will wake you up."

I was already alert when a female shout came louder by the second as the person climbed the staircase. The young woman gasped and pointed menacingly at someone outside. "Stay away from me!"

"Meoooow!!!" Brad hissed from outside the door.

The dowager merely blinked. "Keller," she chided without looking at the beautiful girl with long, wavy light brown hair and flashing green eyes. "Do remain calm. We're in front of our hosts."

"But you know! You know how animals HATE me."

"Really, Keller," the dowager sniffed delicately. "Don't be so dramatic."

"But --"

Lady Cutting glared at her evilly; Keller narrowed her eyes back.

Uncle Eddie came into view and gathered Brad into his arms. The cat didn't even struggle.

Keller snorted at the dowager. When her eyes scanned the room and landed on me, her mouth rounded, and then it spread into a gorgeous smile. "Well, good afternoon, sunshine!" she teased in flat vowels. Chirpy. American.

I blinked at her. My embarrassment was gnawing at me, but I wrapped myself with my blanket and Aunt Mary smoothed my hair.

"This," the dowager continued, gesturing to Keller, "is the Marchioness of Sterling. And we are going to need your help."

I instinctively shrunk back into my bed. "With what?"

The wicked gleam in Lady C's eyes scared the crap out of me. "You'll see."

You'll see, my mind echoed nervously.

I was so confused.

Seeing my bewildered expression, Lady C sighed and said, "You two will pretend to have been secretly engaged --"

"But --"

"But you believe you're not ready to be a bride quite yet."

I shook my head slowly. "What's the point if I'll cry off, then?"

"The point, my dear, is that it will be an interesting story for his reputation. I do wish Portia's here to tell you the plan with me, but she's not feeling particularly sprightly, so I had to call in reinforcement and had to make do with Keller and Michael instead, since I had no choice."

"Hey!" Keller huffed.

I ignored the banter. "Wouldn't that like...blow his ego? Like, friendzoning him and stuff."

I didn't know much about guys, but what I eventually knew was that they value their egos very much. I knew enough by being the sister of Oliver.

One corner of Lady C's mouth twisted up. "You wouldn't 'cry off.' Let's say you and Colton are engaged, and it got out in the open, but you feel that it is necessary to be reasonable and practical rather than reckless, so you both made a decision to not make the engagement absolutely official, merely an option. No rings, none like that. In other words, you would be like young sweethearts, boyfriend and girlfriend, but with an engagement hanging over your heads. But you, my dear, are being practical enough to think everything through before it is all made 'official.'"