Page 75 of Pride
“Champagne and burgers are even better,” I added.
“To us,” he said as he took his glass from my hand and tapped it against mine.
“To new beginnings,” I replied.
We sipped our drinks and then started to eat our burgers, and Alex said, “From the first moment I met you, I knew you were someone I had to get to know. But I don’t know enough. Tell me more about yourself.”
I hated those kinds of questions. I never knew what to say. So, I finished my mouthful, laughed, and replied, “From the first moment? But I was awkward and spoke a load of rubbish.”
“You weren’t awkward, at least, I didn’t see that side of you. I think you were brave, coming to an event like that on your own when you didn’t know anyone, and for a work assignment, too. Give yourself credit, Emma, you stood on your own and you fitted in. You more than fitted in, you shone.”
“That’s kind of you to say, but that night was a turning point for me, and not for the best.”
He raised his brows, then looking affronted, he said, “Perhaps in some respects, but there were positives that came out of that night, too. You met me.” And giving me a knowing smile, he added, “Always look on the bright side. When one door closes, another opens. And I have access to some pretty amazing doors. That night was the start of something beautiful.”
“Maybe you’re right,” I said, sipping my champagne to hide the fact that I was blushing.
“I’m always right. Now, tell me about your childhood.”
I put my glass down and tried to think of the right words as gentle music played quietly around us.
“I had the best childhood,” I told him. “Don’t get me wrong, losing my mum at such a young age was tough, but I couldn’t have asked for a better dad.”
“How old were you when she passed?”
“Eight. But dad was always my hero. He was there for me every day, in every way. He never missed a school event or anything that meant something to me. He put his life on hold to bolster mine.”
“You were his life.”
“I suppose I was. Losing him was tough.” I paused to compose myself. Talking about Dad always made me emotional. “Do you know, he used to send me a Valentine’s card every year with a question mark inside and a single red rose. It was only after he passed away that I realised he’d done that, because the next Valentines, there was no card, no rose.” I smiled at the memory. “To be honest, I always guessed it was him, but I liked to play along and hope it was a mystery admirer. And dad would pretend to be angry when he saw the card and rose. He’d say no one was going to steal his girl away.”
I got choked up thinking about my childhood. There were a million stories just like Valentines that I could tell, but I wasn’t ready to share them. Not yet.
“What about you?” I asked, deflecting. “It must have been amazing to grow up in a home like Sunford Manor.”
Alex sighed, but he didn’t look nostalgic about recounting his history, not like I’d been.
“My upbringing was very different to yours, I’m afraid. Yes, we had money, but as we both know, money isn’t everything. It can’t buy you happiness. My mother wasn’t very maternal. Don’t get me wrong, she loved me, but she didn’t really show it through affection. And my father was too in love with my mother to haveroom for anyone else. He could be a harsh and cruel man, but not to her. Never to her. He treated her like a queen. It was quite fitting that they died together. I don’t think they’d have survived without each other.”
He paused to sip his drink, then added, “I was sent away to boarding school as soon as I was old enough. I spent more time with strangers than I ever did with my parents. But they created me. I suppose I should be grateful for that.”
It was heartbreaking to hear him talk about his past in such a detached way. Like it was something he just had to get through. There was no love, no affection. It was the polar opposite of my childhood.
“You have so many beautiful paintings of your mother’s to remember her by, though,” I said, trying to be positive.
“She loved painting. She never painted me, though. Her passions lay elsewhere.”
He didn’t think she thought about him. And from the pensive look on his face, that still affected him.
“Maybe we shouldn’t talk about the past,” I ventured, not wanting to taint the magical mood of the evening.
“You’re right,” he mused. “The future is more appealing.”
The hint of a boyish smile graced his handsome face as he stared at me in the subtle light of the space we were sitting, the golden glow making him look even more striking. Butterflies fluttered inside me, and I dipped my gaze, feeling the intensity of the moment.
“You said you wanted to get to know me after that first night,” I asked. “But why? There were a lot of beautiful women at that event.”
Alex shook his head and give a wry smile as if he disagreed.
