Her evil stepsister had once told Lexi she’d overheard that little theory. Sometimes Lexi believed it to be true, except she’d seen pictures of her mother. While Lexi didn’t have her tall, slim figure—total bummer—she did have her eyes and her dark red hair and freckles. Another mark against her.
She made do with tucking her hair behind her ears and wiping her sweaty palms down her jeans. She was plastering an inane smile on her face as the door opened—and there stood her grandmother. Unfortunately, not the round, cuddly, cookie-baking type of grandmother. Lexi doubted Grandmamma had ever baked anything in her life.
She was beautiful. Probably always would be. Age wouldn’t change that; the beauty went right down to the bones. She’d once told a fourteen-year-old Lexi that good bone structure was the most important feature a woman could have. Lexi had spent many hours afterward prodding her plump cheeks, searching—in vain—for bones.
Grandmamma wore a Chanel suit and high-heeled pumps, her hair in a perfect chignon.
Lexi sighed and resisted the urge to fidget, which always wound her grandmother up. But what the hell was she doing here? And why did this woman still have the ability to turn her into a mindless moron? Pathetic. Insecure. A wimp.
She came to a halt just inside the room, her gaze sweeping over Lexi. “You’re looking well, Alexia,” she said.
“I am?” That seemed unlikely.
“Although, shoes would probably help.”
She glanced down at her bare toes, curled against the hardwood floor. Where the hell were her shoes?
Her assistant cleared her throat. “Would you like some coffee?” Sadie asked.
Lexi dragged her attention from her feet and raised an eyebrow at her grandmother.
“No, thank you, Alexia. Your company is all I require.”
Hmm, why did that send a ripple of unease down her spine? “Thank you, Sadie. You can close the door behind you.”
Sadie’s face dropped at being excluded from the fun. Lexi glared, and her assistant backed out, closing the door behind her.
When she returned her attention to her grandmother, she was at the desk, staring down at the photo of Josh. She picked it up and studied it with narrowed eyes.
Lexi’s breath caught in her throat. She cleared it with a cough, the sound like thunder in the too-quiet room. “That was our fourth wedding anniversary,” she mumbled. “We went to the Seychelles.”
Her grandmother put the photo down. “I can’t believe he has the time to take you on all these holidays”—she waved a hand at the other photos around the room—“and yet in nearly five years he has never found the time to visit your only family.”
She licked her dry lips. “He’s away so much. We just want to be together when he’s free.” It may be time for a little forward planning. “For our fifth we’re thinking of re-affirming our vows. Josh has always hated it that we married in a registry office, but he couldn’t wait. Now he thinks a beach in Mauritius.”
Oh what a tangled web…
She hated lying. If she did it for too prolonged a period, she came out in a rash.
“How…romantic.” Her grandmother pursed her lips. Romance was not high on her priority list. “He’s a very handsome man, if a little…rough around the edges. And when do you think the rosy glow will fade enough for the pair of you to come and visit us? Perhaps we could all have dinner together while we’re in town.”
Never going to happen.
“Unfortunately, you’ve just missed him. He left yesterday. He’ll be out of the country for…ages, but otherwise…”
“Don’t you want him to meet your family?”
Hell no.
“Of course I do.” Not. “But he might feel a little out of place.” She smiled. “As you said—he’s a little rough. Not like you and Daniel.” Daniel was her grandmother’s fourth husband—they’d married when Lexi was eighteen—a New Yorker and one of the reasons Lexi had made the somewhat impetuous decision she had back then.
Her grandmother’s eyes narrowed even further, studying Lexi with an intensity that made her twitch. “When are you going to give up this little hobby?” She waved a hand around the office.
Hardly a hobby. It was a registered charity with a turnover of millions of pounds. But Lexi just smiled sweetly.
When she didn’t answer, her grandmother continued. “At some point you have to accept that you can’t save the whole world. Or buy love.”
Lexi’s cheeks flushed, but she kept her smile fixed in place. She wasn’t trying to buy love. Was she? She liked helping people, and she had the money, so why shouldn’t she help them?
“Why not come back to New York?” Now her grandmother’s tone was conciliatory, and Lexi wasn’t buying it. “We’ll hire you one of those personal trainers to get you in shape, and maybe introduce you to my personal shopper. You’ll fit in—all it takes is a little effort.”
Lexi gnashed her teeth. “I’ll give it some serious consideration.” Like hell she would.
Her grandmother gave her a sharp look. “It’s time for you to forgive us, Lexi. When are you going to admit that we only wanted what’s best for you?”