Total pages in book: 27
Estimated words: 25708 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 129(@200wpm)___ 103(@250wpm)___ 86(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 25708 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 129(@200wpm)___ 103(@250wpm)___ 86(@300wpm)
Whom your son marries is not your business, the voice in my head remonstrates. Keep your nose out of it.
Yet the attraction I feel to my son’s beautiful fiancée can’t be denied. Juliette is everything that I’d want in a woman, from her flushed cheeks to her pouty lips and big, hazel-green eyes. She’s witty, clever, and charming, with a college degree and a gift for small talk. This is the woman for me, and not my son.
But my train of thought is interrupted when Harry materializes in the doorway. He’s so excited that he’s bouncing on his toes, his green eyes wide and sparkling. Then, he strides over to where Juliette’s seated and drops to one knee before her while taking her hand.
“Juliette,” my son murmurs. “You are the light of my life, and the stars in my galaxy. You are the answer to my dreams, as well as the dream itself. You are—”
His words go on, flowery and over the top. Meanwhile, Juliette smiles hesitantly while sitting frozen on the settee. Finally, Harry finishes his speech, and pops open the top of a velvet box with a flourish. Inside is a giant sparkler. It’s a rose cut diamond of about five carats, set in an antique gold band with emeralds flanking the center stone.
“This ring belonged to my Grandmother Elinor,” Harry murmurs. “It was discovered in India, and brought thousands of miles over the ocean by my Grandfather Herbert after one of his trips abroad. The stone has a long lineage, and even longer history. But would you do me the honor of wearing it, Juliette? Would you become my wife? What do you say, my dear?”
The young woman blinks, astonished, at the diamond ring. Then she whispers, “Harry, I thought we agreed on no jewelry. Didn’t we agree on that? Or am I imagining things?”
“No, we agreed,” Harry says with a proud nod of his head. “But you are too beautiful and precious, my dear Jules. I want you to have this heirloom piece and to wear it with pride.”
Do my eyes deceive me, or does Juliette blanch slightly as Harry takes the ring out of the box before slipping it onto her finger? It must be my imagination because in the next moment, she’s smiling and nodding while admiring the giant gem.
“Thank you, Harry,” she says in a quiet voice. “It’s beautiful.”
“Yes, I thought you’d accept,” my son says with a proud nod. “Don’t all women love jewelry? Grandma Elinor’s diamond is especially notable due to its long and storied history.”
My son’s just about to launch into the tale of the diamond when I interrupt because my new daughter-in-law looks distinctly uncomfortable. She’s biting her lip and squirming a bit, and definitely looks like she’d rather be anywhere but here. I take pity on the poor thing and intervene.
“Why don’t we go into the dining room and talk?” I ask in a smooth tone. “We can discuss the history of the gem over Beef Wellington.”
Harry leaps to his feet.
“Yay, Beef Wellington!” he cheers. “My stomach’s rumbling already.”
Then, Harry scampers off in the direction of the dining room without a second thought for his new fiancée. I smile at Juliette, my expression nonchalant.
“After you, sweetheart. I look forward to discussing all sorts of topics over dinner.”
After all, it’s pretty clear that Harry and Juliette have made some kind of agreement. This isn’t going to be a real marriage, but rather a paper one for convenience. But why? What are the details? I look forward to ascertaining the truth ... because ultimately, it’s my lineage at stake.
3
Juliette
Dinner was awful. Harry prattled on about this and that, and I could hardly focus. All I could feel was Jordan’s deliberate gaze on my curves. I could feel those blue eyes scanning my rounded cheeks before going down to my slightly-parted mouth. Then, they’d dip lower to my big breasts, which were encased in a modest blue dress. Still, the man’s eyes are like x-rays, and I swear he could see through the fabric to the heaving ivory orbs with their hard pink nipples.
It’s taboo to think of your future father-in-law this way, the voice in my head scolds. What in the world is wrong with you?
My subconscious is right and I clench my hands tightly together as Harry prattles on next to me at the wheel of the Accord.
“So my Great-Grandfather Meriwether,” he continues.
I sigh because I’m in more of a bind than I thought. First, with this ring. I could swear that Harry and I agreed that we wouldn’t wear traditional matrimonial jewelry because our union isn’t real. The lack of a diamond wouldn’t alert authorities, either, because lots of people don’t wear rings these days. It’s not a big deal.
But instead, he popped out this monstrosity of a gem which glitters and gleams even in the darkness of the car. It’s so big that it weighs my hand down, and I feel like I’ve been chained to a future that’s filled with lies and deception. Holy shit, what have I gotten myself into?