Tidings of Great Boys by Shelley Adina Read Free Book Online Page B

Lissa’s door.

chapter 6
    I NEED YOUR HELP.”
    She closed the top drawer of the bureau, and turned to me without hesitation. “This is your house, so I don’t know what use
     I can be. What do you need?”
    “I just talked to Mummy. She had your parents in to dinner this evening, and she and your mum seem to have hit it off. I need
     you to call your mum and have her convince mine to come for Christmas.”
    Lissa reached behind her for the edge of the bed and sat slowly. “And a woman she’s met once is going to convince her when
     her own daughter can’t?”
    “I’m hoping so.”
    “Isn’t that a little… intrusive?”
    “Lissa, you don’t understand. It’s not enough for me to ask her. She isn’t listening and I think—”
    Carly stuck her head in the door. “Oh. Sorry.”
    “No, it’s okay.” Lissa waved her in. “We’re having a war council.”
    “Strategizing again?” Carly smiled at me.
    “It worked on your dad, didn’t it?”
    “I think it wasn’t so much our strategy as it was his wanting to get one over on my mom.”
    “But I paved the way. If we hadn’t softened him up beforehand, it would have gone much differently.”
    “You’re probably right.” Carly yawned so hugely I heard her jaw crack. “Does anyone but me feel like it’s the middle of the
     night?”
    “Um, hello, it’s tomorrow morning.” Gillian and Shani came in and shut the door behind them, though there wasn’t a soul on
     the whole floor but us. “Or is it last night? The clock says nine p.m. but we’re…” She gazed into the distance. “I’m too tired
     to even calculate what time it is.”
    “It’s one in the afternoon, California time,” I said helpfully.
    “Yes, but which day?” Then Shani waved her hands, pushing an answer away. “Never mind. What’s going on?”
    “Mac’s mom won’t come home for Christmas, so she’s trying to rope mine into convincing her,” Lissa said. “I don’t think it’ll
     work.”
    “Just try.” I hoped I didn’t sound like I was begging.
    To give Lissa credit, she convinced her mother to ring mine up and offer to include her in their party. But when Patricia
     called half an hour later, the only person who’d managed to accomplish anything was Lissa. She’d unpacked her underwear and
     filled another drawer with it.
    “No luck.” Lissa tapped her iPhone off and gave me an apologetic look. “Apparently your mom was nice as could be, but she
     still said no.”
    I clutched my hair in frustration, which didn’t do it any favors. “What is the matter with that woman? She and my dad are
     perfectly civil to one another. Would it hurt so much to come up here and spend one single holiday?”
    “Maybe she’s afraid,” Carly said softly.
    “Afraid of what? Dad is the least threatening person on the planet!”
    “Not to someone who was in love with him once.”
    I stared at her. Lissa and Gillian stared at her. Shani just smiled.
    “Oh, my,” I said. “I think I’ve just had a brain wave. And we’re rolling to Plan D.”

    COULD MY MOTHER still be in love with my dad? If so, what on earth was keeping her from chucking her divorce decree and coming
     back? I knew it wasn’t another man—unless someone had stepped into her life since I’d seen her in October at the trial.
    No, it must be something else—and I was going to find out when I finally got her here.
    “All right, listen,” I told the girls. “Mummy has two weaknesses. If Carly is right—and I don’t know if you are.” I glanced
     at her. “But if you’re right, Dad is one of them. And the other is her social standing.”
    They blinked at me. “You mean like her title?” Carly asked. “The one she still uses even though technically she isn’t married
     to an earl anymore?”
    “Yes, but it’s more than that.” I tried to think it through as I spoke. “She’s always on about mixing with the right crowd.
     Her friends are all titled, and half of them are still Sloane