Prada and Prejudice (Dating Mr Darcy - Book 1) by Katie Oliver Read Free Book Online

French restaurant you’ve wanted to try. I’ll make reservations for Saturday night when I hang up.”
    Despite her anger, she relented. “All right,” she said finally. “It’s not your fault. It’s just that you’re always staying late. I’m bloody sick of my own company.”
    “I know, and I’m sorry. But at least Hannah’s there.”
    “Another year and she’ll be off to university.” Then what would she do? Cherie wondered, and fought back the sudden rise of despair. “I miss you,” she added softly. “I miss us.”
    “As do I, darling.” He paused. “Look, if I push it, I might finish up by ten o’clock. Wait for me?”
    “Of course. I’ll see you then.”
    She rang off and wondered, not for the first time, if Alastair was having an affair. But as quickly as the idea occurred, she discarded it. He wasn’t that sort of man. Besides, if anyone was entitled to have an affair, Cherie reflected irritably, she was. Putting up with Alastair’s late hours, worrying about their daughters, what with Holly living on her own in London, and Hannah, off to uni next year—
    Oh, stop , she scolded herself. You’ve a good husband and two lovely daughters who’ve never given you a moment’s trouble . You’ve nothing to worry about.
    She took out the flour and sugar and decided to make a treacle tart for dessert.
    Affairs were for other people, after all. Not for people like Alastair and her.
     
    Miraculously, there were no reporters outside Sir Richard’s townhouse when Natalie arrived. Nevertheless, she parked around the corner and made her way cautiously to the front door.
    She’d barely raised her hand to knock when the door swung open. “Come in, miss, your grandfather’s expecting you.”
    “Thank you, Lyons.” She smiled at Sir Richard’s butler. “Is he in the drawing room?”
    “He’s in his study, miss. Would you like a drink?”
    She’d like more than a drink, she’d like an entire bottle, thank you, and no need for a glass. But, “No thanks,” she said, and walked quickly to the end of the hall. Sir Richard stood before the window, his hands clasped behind his back.
    “Grandfather,” she said in a rush as she tossed her handbag aside, “I’m so glad you’re here. You’ll never believe what that awful Rhys Gordon’s done now!”
    He turned away from the window and fixed a rheumy eye on her. From his desk, he picked up a copy of the Daily Mail , held it up, and asked, “Has it anything to do with this?”
    A photograph was prominently featured on the cover. It was a long shot, and grainy, but it unmistakably showed Natalie standing on the pavement in front of her flat, pressed against Rhys with her arms looped around his neck. It was headlined, ‘Exclusive Photos! D&J Heiress Gives Gordon the Business’.
    She grabbed it from him, shocked. “What?!”
    “I read the papers every morning, and occasionally, I read the tabloids. Although today, I wish I hadn’t. You can imagine my dismay to see my granddaughter prominently displayed on the cover of this—” his lip curled in distaste “—publication.”
    Natalie hurled the tabloid aside. “This is all Rhys’s fault! He engineered all of this for publicity!”
    “Well, then,” Sir Richard said, “it seems he’s succeeded.”
    “Is that all you can say?” she demanded. “He’s using this fake affair nonsense to get Dashwood and James in the headlines! He’s using me as tabloid fodder! At the party, he pretended to help me, after I…when I…” She faltered, and bit her lip.
    “After you got drunk and threw your drink at him?” he said, his expression forbidding. “An action meant, if these stories are true, for that twit of a boyfriend of yours.”
    “Ex-boyfriend,” she murmured.
    “Natalie, sit down,” he commanded. “It’s time we talked.”
    Grandfather rarely issued commands, most especially not to her. This was serious, indeed. She sank without a word into one of the wing chairs facing his