“Did you even look at the will?” he asked once she’d settled into the chair.
“N...no. I...I was so relieved to get it from Mother I just stuck it in my bag and next morning I took it straight to you.” She frowned. “Is something wrong? Is it...worse than I thought?” Then her eyes widened as a thought struck her. “Did the date pass? Was I supposed to do this when I was eighteen?”
Reed shook his head. “No, nothing like that. But there is one surprising thing about this will.” As he rested back in his chair, his elbows on the arms, he tented his fingers. “You said the will requires you to marry your father’s friend, a man selected by him. Lord Mountbatten.”
“Yes,” Golden said, her eyes searching Reed’s face but not finding any clue to where this was going. “And he already called my mother twice this month. He wants me to go and see him.” She looked down at her hands. “Thank God she didn’t breathe a word to Manchester.”
“Well, you’re wrong.”
At his words, Golden jerked her head up. “Wrong? Manchester knows he’s been calling?”
“No, I’m not talking about that. You’re wrong that you’re required to marry Lord Mountbatten before you turn twenty-one.”
“But...” she stared at him, confused. “But that was what my father told me. If I want to inherit the money I have to get married before I turn twenty-one.”
“Yes, but not to Lord Mountbatten.”
Golden’s heart lurched. Was a miracle about to take place? Could she inherit the money without sacrificing herself? But then his words came back to her again – yes, but not to Lord Mountbatten. So she would still have to marry. “Then to whom?” She held her breath, praying it wasn’t someone even worse.
“To anyone you choose. Or, at least, anyone you can find who’ll agree to marry you on such short notice.” He gave her a tight smile. “One month is not a long time.”
“So I don’t have to marry Lord Mountbatten?” Golden slid forward in the chair. Was she dreaming? “I can marry anyone I want?”
Reed nodded. “You can.” Then he let the document he was holding fall on top of the desk. “Sorry we couldn’t get you totally out of this. Your father wrote a tight will but at least he didn’t record Mountbatten’s name. He probably wanted to steer you in the direction of an older, more responsible man and that was why he told you to choose his old friend. You can thank your luck stars he didn’t put that part in writing.”
A slow smile crept onto Golden’s lips and then her face broke into a wide grin. “Thank you. Thank you so much.” She had to fight to keep her bottom on the seat. All she wanted to do right then was jump up and fling her arms around him. It was like he’d saved her from a fate worse than death.
And he’d opened a whole new world of possibilities. She could marry any man she wanted, any one who would agree to take that step with her. And she already had one in mind.
The only man who had ever made her heart leap inside her chest was sitting right across from her. The only man she would consider marrying was Reed Davidoff.
The only question was, would he want to marry her?
CHAPTER NINETEEN
“Paris, here I come.” Golden laughed out loud as she threw the rest of her clothes into the suitcase and snapped it shut.
Reed had asked her to accompany him to Paris during Fashion Week where he would launch a new line designed by his recently appointed fashion director. And, an unexpected bonus for her, he’d given her all of six brand new haute couture gowns that she could wear to the shows in Paris. She’d never been blessed with such generosity in her life and that made her love him all the more.
She had to admit, though, that things had been strange between them for the past week, ever since she got the news of the loophole in her father’s will.
Probably because she now saw Reed as a possible marriage partner, she’d felt herself growing closer and closer to him. He, on the other hand, seemed to be pulling away. Not literally, of course, but there were days when he shut himself away in his office, not even coming out to exchange a few pleasantries as he would normally do. Still, she didn’t let it worry her too much. He probably had a lot on his mind.
And anyway, she’d come up with a sensible plan. It was still a few weeks before her twenty-first birthday so there was still time. Not much, but enough for her to wait for the perfect moment when she could share her thoughts with him.
Until then she would enjoy each moment and right now the highlight of her life was this trip to Paris, her first venture outside of England since she’d arrived six years earlier. She’d been so sheltered but now that she was a working woman who could stop her from spreading her wings? Certainly not Dunstan Manchester.
And she was not disappointed. The Paris show was the most spectacular she’d ever seen, even more breathtaking than the one she’d been involved in, the one that had led to her meeting her boss who now sat by her side. She’d been given a place of honor, the seat right next to Reed, a place she wished she could have for the rest of her life.
But that thought was for another place, another time. Shaking her head to clear her wayward thoughts, she turned her attention back to the display of tall, lanky models strutting and posing on the runway.
Long after the show was done the celebration continued in Reed’s penthouse suite in the Shangri-La. He’d invited all the staff members to celebrate, Golden included.
“Had fun at the show?”
Golden turned to see Michael, the new show director, holding two glasses of champagne. He handed one to her.
“Yes,” she said, “it was wonderful. I’m sure all the buyers were impressed. I know I was.” She meant every word.
Michael, looking pleased with her praise, raised his glass. “Cheers,” he said, “to success. And much more to come.”
She laughed and raised her glass to touch his then brought it to her lips. As she sipped she was still smiling, her eyes flitting over Michael’s fashionably shaggy blond head to something that was drawing her gaze like a magnet.