Heaven And Hell novel Chapter 110

"I'm not going to marry him!"

"Who says anything about getting bloody married?" she scoffed, momentarily shocking me by her cursing. "You'll be free after this task" -- she sliced Keller a stare as the young woman coughed -- "and don't worry about my nephew. I'll take care of everything. All you need to do is act slightly interested in him."

That was totally going to be hard. But even though my mind warred with the strange feelings in my heart and gut, I opened my mouth to say, "Okay," like someone controlled my words.

God, I was always such a sucker for helping people. It was my undoing. Seriously. I'd covered for my brother multiple times, taking the blame on occasion back when we were in high school; I'd pretended to be someone's girlfriend in middle school when my old friend Jacob was being bullied because they'd thought he was gay (he was, and he was much happier in San Francisco now); I'd taken in a rebellious fat cat under my wing, even though he tried to steal my necklace and swipe at me with his claws...and now this. There was a lot in my mind that channeled in on my "goodness," but I couldn't count them anymore.

Now all I had to do was tell this to my family.

And Brett.

This is only temporary this is only temporary this is only temporary.

"Where are they?" Lady Cutting ground out, searching out the wide and tall window in front of us, with a panoramic view of the beach.

Keller checked her phone for the millionth time. "Michael said they were caught up a bit due to a flat tire, but they're working on it. Twenty more minutes." Then, she said unrepentantly: "And besides, isn't patience a virtue?"

"Absolutely not," Lady Cutting said emphatically, "and if you think so, you're less of a woman than I thought." She thumped her cane against the floor, narrowly missing my right foot.

And then, after twenty minutes of silence from us, and Jimmy Fallon's voice from the television in the background, she went at it again. "I say," she continued, "have either of you caught sight of my grandson yet?"

"Which grandson?" Keller asked.

"Which grandson," Lady C echoed impatiently. "Which grandson? The only one I like, that's which."

"You like all of them," Keller droned, rolling her eyes. "Grandson, grand-nephew; great grandson, great nephew. They all have a special place in your wicked heart."

I didn't even bother to hide my shock. "So Colton...is coming today?"

I thought Michael was coming here with someone else! A different cousin, maybe, but not Colton! Lady C said she'd tell him the plan soon, and he'd most likely agree, if not for any other choice, and that I wouldn't be to blame because I was only talked into this.

It was very reassuring, really. I resisted snorting.

Now I wouldn't be able to stare at Colton properly, knowing we'd pretend to be "kind of engaged."

Dammit.

The arched brows still didn't go down. Well, Keller's didn't anyway.

The dowager grumbled. "Well, I used a heavy dose of guilt on Michael, and he's doing all he can to bring a suspicious Colton here."

"Ah," I murmured, even though I didn't know much about Michael, at the exact time Keller said, "That makes much more sense."

Lady C sighed. "I might have told him I wasn't feeling exceptionally well."

Keller was dubious. "Might have?"

"Did," Lady C admitted.

"You must have done an extremely good job of it to get him to come today," I said admiringly. One had to appreciate Lady Cutting's sense for the dramatic, especially when it resulted in such impressive manipulation of the people around her. It was a talent.

Then, all of a sudden, we saw two young men a few yards away, with surfboards under their arms. Even from afar, I remembered the way I saw Michael Cutting on television back home.

Lady Cutting's grandson was none other than the (previously) notorious Michael Cutting, Marquess of Sterling. Although it probably wasn't entirely his fault that he had gained such a wicked reputation, I mused. There were plenty of other men who behaved with equal lack of morality, and more than a few who were as handsome as sin, but he was the only one who managed to combine the two to such success.