hey guys, im so sorry about the wait, i had my art exam, which went really really well..i was pleased.
ok so im dedicating this chapter to DrAgOnLoRd simply cus hes a total sweetie and isnt freaked out by my odd sense of humor :)
ok another majorthing we need to discuss is the fact that from now on my uploads will be less frequent, like i mean once a week, twice tops...i have my exams in 3 weeks and i really cant spend an hour each evening writing, but look at it this way, once they are finished you guys will have me ALL summer, except for when i goto london with the other half of my sloane duo...god that city is going to be ruined by us !! but for 3 whole months im going to be writing non-stop. i hope to get this story finished soon and focus on my other ones and then start a couple more that are playing around in my head :)
but anywhos, i did my exam and got a lovely model who i renamed "mascot" i proceeded to call him mascot until my teacher yelled at me. and then i called him it even more to piss her off...dont you just love being the cheeky kid :D
anyways ASHLEY MANGUM if you are out there, a. you are one hard woman to get in contact with and B. you won the competition so please message me and i can talk to you about prizes and if i can post your excerpt on this book???
onto reading, do me a favour vote and comment?? i love it when you do...
KISSES....*big slobbery kiss* oh wait, that was your first kiss...........well this is awkward....
I stood there comically looking to every face in the room; did he really just use the word fortune? “What do you mean by fortune exactly?” I asked in a hesitant voice, not sure if I actually wanted to hear the answer.
They all looked at one another and rolled their eyes, hell even Hamish gave me a 'what the f*ck' look. It was Andrew who finally answered, but only because the dreaded line in between my eyebrows was appearing which meant that Tess would be opening a can of whoop-ass soon, and she bloody well wouldn’t need a tin opener to do it either.
“Well the Byron family are loaded. Even richer that the royal family” he said with an easy grin, Sloane smiled too, jasper had detached himself from the conversation and was now going through my sketchpad that im guessing Sloane brought in and Hamish, well Hamish just looked scary, and was looking at Andrew like he would look very appetising between two slices of white bread.
“What exactly do you mean in loaded?” I asked in a quiet voice, looking at Andrew who was looking back at me, the delight he was feeling being the person to deliver this news to me evident on his handsome face.
“Well, when you’ve got more than one billion why keep counting” he said with an easy shrug and picked at his nails.
My mouth fell open and was now resting against my collarbone. Did he just say the word billion? Andrew looked up, even happier at seeing my scared face. So I was to inherit billions, there had to be some mistake. Something in my face must have said that I was close to fainting as Hamish shot Andrew an even dirtier look than before and took a hold of my arm gently and steered me back down onto the bed tucking me in like a child. I was breathing rapidly and running my fingers through my hair trying to figure out how exactly didn’t know how rich my family was before this.
My head finally started to process this making my mouth form back together again, I looked over to jasper who was sitting on the chair to my right pretending he was looking at my sketch pad but judging by the angry set expression on his face, either he was pissed off about my one of my ball gowns or that he had heard something that he didn’t want to. He noticed me looking at him and shot me a grin as fake as Joan rivers nose, I narrowed my eyes at him letting him know that I was onto him, but couldn’t bear to question it further, I got the strange feeling that it was something that I wouldn’t exactly want to hear.
The door opened then and my father burst into the room, followed by my grandparents who had enough flowers in their hands to sink a small country.
“Hello sweetheart, it’s good to see you awake”. Dad said making his way over to the bed and sitting in the seat that jasper had artfully evacuated when he saw them come in, he took a hold of my hand giving it an emotional squeeze. I shot him a weak smile, he looked awful, Like Jamie he had bags under his eyes making his vivid blue eyes looks tired and drawn. Poor old dad, I could tell by his expression that he had been worried sick; he was relieved to say the least. He jumped up no longer content with a mere hand squeeze and grasped me in a bear hug. “I was so worried; I couldn’t lose you, not after your mother. I wouldn’t survive it if I did” he said in a choked voice, and I hugged him back greedily.
He let go of me then, probably afraid of hurting me, I had just come out of a coma after all, whether I felt like it or not. At the moment I just felt overwhelmed and underdressed, not one of the best situations to be in when there are like a gazillion people present.
The awkward silence struck, something that always confused me, how is it in a group of large people you all go silent all at once, and then the next person to speak always ends up talking over another person and they struggle to talk over one another causing this big battle that only lasts for a short amount of time until the dreaded silence takes place again.
“Awful weather” said my grandfather trying to start a conversation at the same time as Andrew piped up with “Hamish really is terribly ginger”. The strange thing is, the awkward curse was broken when he said that, there was no yelling to talk over one another, just a more awkward silence that lasted until my grandmother let out a giggle that wouldn’t be unusual on a five year old with bubblegum, and then they all started laughing. That is everyone except me and Hamish, I was just still too stunned to take it all in and Hamish who was glaring at him and murmuring something about him ‘being strawberry blonde’ to which Andrews reply was a loud snort that officially started the awkward silence again.
Everyone stood in silence for five minutes, all picking up the courage to be the next one to speak and face even more blank faces and weird looks, Andrew especially. My heart rate was returning to normal and I was looking around the room trying to hold in hysterical laughter, my grandfather was looking at Andrew like he just offered him a strip tease dressed as Liza Minnelli, and Sloane was pretending to read a leaflet on erectile dysfunction.
“Oh for god sake, just go” I said in a huff after five more minutes of total silence, I could practically feel the tension reach new levels.
Jasper, Sloane and Andrew looked at me hopefully, all standing up quickly but turning around to give excuses when they realised just how rash and hopeful they had seemed.
“I have to go and take my hay-fever medication” said Sloane with an angelic smile, that made my grandfather smile readily back making grandmother elbow him and whisper something about ‘being a pervy old man’. She shot out of the room quickly, like she was on fire.
Jasper was up next to bat and was wearing his most charming smile. “I’ve just realised that I parked my car in long term stay instead of short term, I better go and move it”. He said shooting grandmother a warm smile making her go all fluttery and her eyelashes bat more that humanly possible, making grandfather shoot her a resentful glance. Right now the whole situation resembled a miss world pageant.
I looked at my father who was smile was quivering like he was trying to hold in laughter, and even Hamish was laughing but unsuccessfully covering it up with a cough, making him sound like a hyena with asthmatic difficulties.
Next it was Andrew, who started by shooting a charming smile that was simply outstanding to my grandmother who was sitting with her mouth open, grandfather on the other hand looked bored and that he had smelled something funky.
“I have to go...erm...turn off the toast- you know what, ill just close the door behind me”. He said shooting out the door even quicker than Sloane.
There was a period of around five minutes where everyone I the room looked at each other and shot a warm smile, grandmother extended Hamish her hand in a greeting, and he shook it readily.
“I am Lady Byron, you must be the man who is going to protect my darling granddaughter” she said with a warning behind her charming expression.
Hamish nodded and smiled widely picking up on the warning, and bowed to her. “With my life” he said kissing her hand and standing straight again so he towered over all of us.
I could hear the sincerity in his tone and I could tell that we were going to get along just fine.
“Ok Tess darling, we have a few things to discuss”. Grandmother said sitting on the other chair and making it clear that all her attention was now focused on me.
“That’s an understatement” I said with a wry smile.
“Indeed. So when you are discharged, you are going to come back to the house with your grandfather and me. It’s probably a good time to mention that we started a trust fund for you when you were born, even though we weren’t in contact we wanted to do well by you, so you are entitled to that from now on”. She said smiling widely at me, she skimmed quickly over the ‘weren’t in contact thing’ and went straight to the trust fund. I still wasn’t completely sure why my mother had left, but I got the feeling that it was a LOT larger than something as simple as getting impregnated by a peasant.
“Trust fund?” I asked in a croaky voice, a bloody trust fund! Like all those stuck up bitches at my old school, note to self: don’t let money go to your head.
“Oh yes, it’s only rather small im afraid, around 2 million” she said with a disappointed sniff. I looked over to my father who looked like he was going to keel over any second and die.
“2-2....mill- million...2 m-m-illion” I said stuttering weakly. The range of emotions that were passing through me were so intense it was almost making me faint.
“It would have been larger, but we had a bit of money trouble when you were younger” she said looking at her hands. I couldn’t even register this at all and started laughing hysterically like a hyena. My laughter came out loud, high and crazy making everyone look at each other in fear.
Luckily I was saved from explaining anything by Hamish jumping into the conversation. “Excuse me, my lady. But im afraid after everything Tess’s has gone through she might need some rest before she can process everything you’re saying”. He said standing protectively to my right making me shoot him a grateful look in thanks.
“Yes you’re right Hamish, she probably will need a while to get used to everything” dad said getting up from the chair, followed by my grandparents copying his lead. I yawned loudly not realizing how tired I felt until then, my dad kissed me on the forehead before leaving the room followed by my grandparents, Hamish saw them out and went to stand at his post outside the door.
I rolled over to my side and closed my eyes. I felt sleep filling my senses like sand until I heard footsteps, I opened my eyes to find Jamie looking at me, a loving expression on his beautiful face. His blonde waves were falling around his face like he had never even heard of a comb and his grey eyes looked tired. He was about to turn around thinking that I was asleep and I held my hand out to him, he looked at it and pretended to roll his eyes before taking it and climbing into the bed beside me and wrapping his arms around my waist. I felt my eyes go heavy and my brain shutting down, I was at the stage where you can hear things but no longer being able to answer coherently.
“I love you” Jamie said snuggling around me and pulling me tighter to him.
“I love me too” I said before falling asleep hearing him chuckle before I fell asleep.
Jamie’s P.O.V
“I love me too” she said, her voice the picture of drowsiness, she moaned a couple more times as she snuggled into my arms until she was completely comfortable, that was her usual routine to fall asleep, seriously it was like lying next to a puppy with ADHD.
I planned to lie beside her only until she fell asleep and then get up and let her catch her rest, but the thought of having her in my arms especially after everything she had been through. I had seriously thought that I had lost her when her heart beat dropped and they had to jumpstart it.
I looked at her now, her bruises covered by my arm so I didn’t see them. Her golden skin was so clear it was almost translucent, the black lashes dusting her cheek and her plump lips pursed as she slept, I kissed her cheek the smell of her filling my nose.
I had had an eventful two hours, not only had I posed for over a hundred photos, kissed a hundred babies and listened to various stories about why people were sick, all part of my payment for being able to sleep in the room with Tess while she was unconscious.
I felt drowsy myself, the past three days I had been living on negative hours of sleep and boy was I feeling it now, I was nearly asleep, the smell of Tess bringing me into a state of calm and comfort, when something caught my eye through the glass, jasper was standing there, looking at us curled up on the bed his face unreadable before turning away and leaving a bouquet of violets on the table.
Instantly jealously flared up on me and I clenched my fist and gritted my teeth. Now that I had Tess I wasn’t going to let him get in the way.
Tess’s P.O.V
“Chin up, chest out and elbows off the table” said Mrs. Pennyworth, I shot her a simpering look telling how annoying she was getting and she simply tutted.
Did you know there are 15 ways to greet royalty and god knows how many rules, and now because I was being preened and polished to be the girlfriend of a prince and the whole thing had a princess diaries feel to it, and it was really starting to get old.
“Therese”. Mrs. Pennyworth snapped bringing me back to reality. “Sit up straight” she ordered making my hand itch to pick up the butter knife and imbed it in her pug like eyes.
Instead I inclined my head the graceful way that she had taught me to and sat up straighter, I was seriously beginning to miss the comfort and stability of my cottage at the palace, I even missed cleaning and that was really saying something.
It had been a week since I had been discharged, the first day here, I realized that what my grandparents considered necessities and what the outside world considered to be extremely distorted, my room wasn’t so much a room but an apartment, I had my own lounge and mini kitchen (which I burned my food in) and a bathroom that wouldn’t be out of place in the palace. A shiny red Porsche arrived on my second day here followed by a gorgeous black cob that I had named Digby that was now munching her way through piles of hay in the stables. Out were the bargain brand clothes and cheap make up and in were the expensive designer handmade pieces and expensive creams and lotions.
Jamie had been invited over for dinner every day and soon Penelope was going to be kicked to the curb, the fact made me smile but other than that I felt bored. Completely and utterly bored.
“That’s enough for today”. Said Mrs. Pennyworth pursing her lips in obvious displeasure, I fought the urge to flip her the bird and gritted my teeth instead.
“Praise Jesus” I said under my breath feeling, I got up and left the dining room and sloped my way down to the garden where my grandmother was pruning her flowers.
I took a spot in the garden and tried to wish away all feelings of resentment from my system, something that was easier said than done, I felt in a way like I had been shoved into a shark tank while on my period. I knew none of the rules and etiquette that I should, that’s why Mrs. Pennyworth had been called in. I ran my fingers through my hair feeling the soft straight silkiness of it, something that was courtesy of the best hair stylists in the country.
“What’s up darling?” My grandmother asked looking up from her prized flowers to my slumped position on the grass.
“I just feel a little overwhelmed by the whole thing Ro” I said to her trying to cheer up a little. She made me start calling her Ro when I moved here, apparently grandma made her feel old and Rosalind was too formal.
“ducky I know there’s a lot to learn but a smart girl like yourself will have the details memorised in no time” she said sitting by me, and putting a comforting arm around me, I leaned forward into her embrace and relaxed slightly, but I still felt lonely.
Ro realised this and she pulled away and clucked me under the chin, “why don’t you call your crazy friend and go out for a while”. She said kindly realising that I was lonely, with no Jamie, no Andrew and no Sloane here to keep me occupied it got boring. Even jasper got mysteriously called away to shoot a movie in Australia, which for some reason effected me more than I thought it would.
“I think I will”. I said getting up off the grass and whipping my ass clean of grass.
“TESS” came a screaming voice from the corner of the lawn and I looked over Sloane and Belle were running across the grass like they were trying to escape zombies, apparently I didn’t need to ring her after all.
“What is it?” i asked running to meet them, something big must have happened.
Sloane just stopped in front of me panting and belle wasn’t far behind, she thrust out a magazine to me and I took it frowning.
“Justin Beiber afraid of mice?”Said the heading on the page she handed me, I shot her a look that stated that she had officially lost all her marbles, when she tutted and turned it over to the cover.
“A princess no longer?”Said the headline on the cover, the picture was of Penelope and Jamie from their photo shoot at the palace and another underneath it, where they were obviously fighting in a restaurant. I walked over to the garden bench and at down reading what the article said.
“Lady Penelope Beauchamp or the other half of crown prince James as she’s more commonly known as has been kicked to the curb. Representatives of the prince announced the split earlier today after pictures of them fighting made their way to covers of magazines and newspapers across the country; it became obvious that there was trouble in paradise. Penelope had previously made the faux pas or refusing to shake the hand of an homeless man while she and prince James toured the country earlier this month, making her shoot up to one of the most hated people in the country almost overnight. Sources close to Penelope say that she is distraught, and had even planned out the wedding and checked out designers. Though the ever dashing prince has kept his silence so far sources close to the prince, fellow prince Andrew revealed to our undercover reporter at a party earlier this week that “Penelope always was an insufferable bitch, James had the patience of a saint to continue the relationship” he then went on to imply that James’s heart had been taken by another, somebody much more fitting to his kind and generous personality.
“Andrew himself is currently in a relationship with Sloane parker the daughter of the uber famous Danny parker, and he has toned down his wild persona and has settled down completely- well as settled down as Andrew could be, im sure you all remember the pictures of Andrew strip teasing a nun that made their way to this magazine in January. But we at this magazine promise to our readers that we promise to investigate who exactly is this demure beauty that has not only stolen the heart of James and the royal family, and whether she is an improvement to lady Beauchamp or a step down”
I finished reading the article, and looked up at Sloane who was grinning at me. “What the hell has Andrew done?” I asked her knowing that he would only give the information if he had some dastardly plan set.
“It’s not him that’s planned it. The queen has arranged for you to be debuted into society in a week and to be formally announced to society a week from now as Jamie’s girlfriend” she said smiling widely.
I felt my mouth open in shock and Belle giggled at my expression. “How the hell have you found this all out before Jamie?” i asked in disbelief, there was no way i was ready for this, i mean i had only just began my training into becoming a ‘lady’.
Sloane just shrugged pushing her long hair off her shoulders before giving me a broad grin, “it’s amazing what you can find out when you’re only wearing high heels”.
I gulped, nervously and ran my hand through my hair.
So the games have officially started.