Heirly Ever After, Vernon, Magan [best thriller novels to read .txt] 📗

Nope. Probably not the best idea, either.

“Not much to tell really,” I said, trying to be nonchalant, but Cecily’s smile made it seem like she knew exactly how well I knew him. Or exactly how big of a stick he was packing in those dress pants and what it felt like pressed against me.

“Oh please, at least give me a little bit of your fairy tale. I’ve heard everything from Natalie, but there is only so much a girl wants to hear about her brother.” She batted her eyelashes, glancing at Natalie, who fell in step with us. “No offense, sister-in-law.”

“None taken,” she muttered but still had that wondering look on her face. Her eyebrow was slightly raised as if she was waiting intently for my answer.

Thank God we walked to my mom’s room and Cecily took the hint that I wasn’t exactly going to talk about my love life in front of my mother.

Or, well, whatever this was.

Especially since there was another big elephant in the room I needed to address—the breakup and drop out.

But that could wait.

“Morning, girls. I’m sorry, I thought we said ten?” she asked, looking down at her slim gold watch.

When did she get that? She’d always worn the same silver, tarnished piece. Not only was she wearing a new watch, but she had on a similar riding outfit to ours. A year ago, when Natalie had first come here, Mom wouldn’t even order takeout pizza, and now she had new watches and outfits? What was I missing?

Before I could ask any of that, though, Natalie had to throw me under the bus.

“Your youngest daughter was running a little late,” she said, hitching a thumb in my direction.

“Thanks, Sis.” I smirked.

“Okay, okay, I didn’t mean to start an argument. Let’s just have a nice day, okay?” Mom threw her hands up in the air.

Natalie and I exchanged a look that said neither one of us was over it, but we weren’t about to keep going in front of Mom.

That must have at least sort of satisfied her because she put her arms down, closing the door before turning back to Natalie. “Is your mother-in-law or grandmother-in-law joining us?”

She shook her head. “Not today, but we’ll see them for tea afterward.”

Mom fluttered her hand to her chest. “Oh, well, then we better hurry. I’m not going to stand up either lady.”

Natalie laughed, shaking her head as we started down the hallway. “Don’t worry. Lady Helena always likes to make an entrance, so she’ll probably be fashionably late.”

“Natalie, you shouldn’t talk about your future mother-in-law that way,” Mom hissed, glancing at Cecily.

Cecily laughed in return. “She’s right, though. Mother likes to make an entrance. Especially now that we have a few more guests in the manor.” Her gaze fell on mine, a small smile crossing her lips that made me feel about an inch tall.

If only I would have known about Jacob from the beginning. Would I have still agreed to him being my date or would I have run for the hills?

As my heart pounded, I knew that I was too far in to even think about this. Not only was the man doing things to my body I hadn’t even felt with my last boyfriend, but there was also something vulnerable about him. The truth about his family that had more to his story than he let on.

I just had to figure out how to get into his head without ending up on top of him.

Or him on me.

Or…

“Madison, are you okay?” Mom whispered, knocking me out of my haze.

Cecily and Natalie were talking about some of the sconces along the hallway that I guess had been recently updated so the historical society could take the older pieces. I wasn’t as into history as my sister, so a lot of it went over my head and I could zone it out.

But when Mom gave me that hissy-whispered tone that also was somehow still filled with concern, it took everything I had to pull myself together.

“Yeah, fine. Just a lot going on around here. It’s a bit much.”

Mom nodded. “That’s how I felt when I first visited, too. Who would have thought that the Reeder girls would end up in an English manor?”

“Definitely not this girl who grew up sharing the worst bunk beds in the world with her sister.”

Mom waved a hand, shaking her head. “Oh, they weren’t that bad.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Mom, every time I climbed to the top bunk, the entire thing wobbled. Do you know how many times we duct taped the posts just to keep the whole thing from toppling over?”

She sighed, looking at the ground as we walked. “I know. I wish I could have provided more for you and your sister. If I could have given you both the world, and even afforded an apartment with another bedroom, I would have done it all.”

My stomach lurched at her words.

Her and Natalie did everything for me.

And I’d shit on it because of a stupid ex-boyfriend.

“But we can’t go back. We just have to move toward the future.” Her tone shifted from one of somberness to an almost hopeful reach. Something that lifted her. Something that had the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end.

“Is this just an inspirational speech or are you trying to tell me something?”

Glancing at me out of the corner of her eye, a small smile crossed her face. “Well, since you’re the one to bring it up.”

Uh oh.

My shoulders stiffened as a million different scenarios ran through my head. What was that smile saying? Was this going to be a million questions about Chris? About when I was finally going to graduate?

About Jacob?

Would she ask what my future plan was?

Shit.

“Your sister and Gavin took a walk with me after dinner last night and showed me a cottage on the property. Well, they called it a cottage, but the place is at least three times the size of my apartment with