Chapter 19 NANCY
ALEX WATCHED TRANSFIXED AS BOND sat across from Le Chiffre, the two studying each other over the poker table in the Casino Royale. “This film is great. They’ve got the card game spot on.”
“This film is great. They’ve got the card game spot on.”
“Oh yeah?” I said, barely holding back a laugh. He nipped at me. “Do you play then?”
“A little poker, but I prefer Blackjack.”
“Why Blackjack?” I sipped the vanilla shake Alex insisted I drink. It tasted pretty good and didn’t upset my stomach.
“I prefer the pace of it. It’s more exciting and easier to read.”
“Are you telling me you count cards or something?” He continued to watch the screen with a hint of a smile. “Seriously? Shit, you do have a dark side.”
He clasped me tighter and moved around to my earlobe, pausing provocatively before teasing it between his teeth. “Do you like to gamble?”
I squirmed in his lap and let out a little moan, wondering how we’d made the leap from me launching off him to exclusive dating and fooling around on the couch. “Only with shrapnel, and I’m not very good. My friend Kim always wins. She has a wicked poker face.”
He rested back on the cushion with a satisfied smile. “We could go out to a casino if you like.”
“Yeah? That’d be fun.”
“Actually, there’s an event I need to attend in a couple of weeks. Dinner, socialising, dancing, etcetera, and they set up a casino as part of it. Would you accompany me?”
“I thought we were keeping us on the down-low?”
“There won’t be anyone from work there. It’s a gala, run annually to fundraise for Child Protection UK. It’s one of Toverton PLC’s chosen charities.”
“What if the press takes pictures?”
“There’s a rear entrance we can use. No press can get back there, and they’re not allowed into the gala; it’s invite only.”
“It’s very fancy, then.” I turned away to the screen.
How will that look? The estate girl and the duke’s heir.
He stroked my chin, guiding me back to his eyes. “Yes, it’s a society do hosted at the Park Palace Hotel in Mayfair, but it’s a great night. A few friends will be there, my brother and mother too. I’d like to introduce you to them.”
I stared at him, a little shocked by the prospect. “I don’t know. I don’t think I’d fit in.”
“You sell yourself short, and you shouldn’t. I promise we’re not all reptiles,” he said ruefully.
I gave him a small smile, trying to hide my uncertainty. How was I gonna afford a fancy dress? “I don’t have much in my wardrobe for that sort of event, but I guess I could pick something up. Maybe an LBD would work.”
“Why don’t I take you shopping for an evening gown?”
“You don’t have to buy me stuff.”
“Yes, I do because I want to.”
“Alex—”
“Call it a birthday present.”
My brow creased, and I drew back. I definitely hadn’t told him that. “How did you know my birthday’s coming up?”
He hesitated, then turned his head. “There’s a card on the shelf. I saw it when you were in the bath.”
I followed his eyes to my dad’s birthday card. Despite our distance, he always remembered and sent me an airmail card with a book voucher. This year’s had a cutesy bear on the front, meant for a much younger recipient, but it was the thought that counted.
“Yeah, it’s next Friday… Oh, that reminds me.
My friend AJ can get us in free to a hip-hop/dance night at Ride in Brixton.
It’s a nightclub…but it used to be a taxi depot, I think, hence the name.
It’s probably a bit rough and ready by your standards.
Although it’s pretty gentrified around there now.
” Oh god, I’m mumbling. Just ask him! “I know it’s probably not your scene, but would you like to come?
I doubt anyone from work will be there.”
“I’d love to,” he said, looking touched. “Let me know the numbers, and I’ll arrange transport.”
“It’s just five of us with Kim and Jem, she’s AJ’s girlfriend…” I paused mid-thought. “Maybe you could bring a mate along. I don’t want Kim to feel left out with two couples going.”
“Sure, I’ll ask William.”
“Yeah?” I smiled. “I’d like to meet your brother.”
“He’d like to meet you, too.”
“You’ve already told him about me?” After one date?
“Yah, we talk all the time,” he said easily.
It didn’t answer my question, but I left it. It was probably a good sign he wanted to introduce me to his family sooner rather than later. At least I knew he wasn’t embarrassed by me.
Just then, the front door opened, and Mum walked in huffing from the stairs. She was greeted with the extraordinary sight of her daughter in the arms of a man she only knew from the still life of the tabloids.
“Oh shit!”
I sprang from Alex’s lap. “Mum! This is—”
But he’d already risen smoothly and extended his hand. “Alex Toverton, and you must be Ms Cooper. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
I looked from one to the other, watching our worlds meet. Alex waited with a patient smile to Mum’s statuesque response. Finally, she shook his hand.
“Right. Yeah. You are. I mean, I am, Ms Cooper that is, Tracy…call me Tracy.” She tried to swallow but instead coughed.
“Nancy, love, have you got a moment?” Maintaining eye contact and a bewildered smile, Mum moved back, facing Alex with a slight bow as if addressing a monarch, before turning and shooting off towards her bedroom, her sundress swooshing at her knees.
Alex looked at me, and we both tried to suppress a laugh. “I’ll be back in a moment,” I said.
He nodded and sat back down to watch the movie.
“Nancy, would you like to explain why the duke’s heir is in our lounge and why you both were…” Mum circled her hand towards the door in embarrassment as I closed it behind me.
“His name is Alex, and he’s the guy at work I’m seeing,” I said a little snippily, but seeing the hurt in her eyes, I quickly changed tack.
“I’m sorry. I know I should’ve said something last night, but we’d only organised yesterday’s date on Thursday, and it was all so new I didn’t want to blow anything out of proportion. ”
“I just can’t get my head around this.”
“What’s the problem?”
Mum looked up, disbelieving. “Oh, I don’t know, only that whenever I’ve tried to bring up boys and dating with you, you’ve always shut me down, but now, all of a sudden, you’re dating a celebrity lord that couldn’t be more different from us.”
“He is different, but he’s also thoughtful and generous, and I think he really cares about me. That’s why he came by today.”
She glanced out the window over the estate. “I’m sure he seems nice, Nancy, but there’s not a week goes by that I don’t read about him and the various women he’s with. Do you think a playboy like that is serious about dating a girl from a housing estate?”
“That’s hardly fair.” I folded my arms, the comment a little too close to my own thoughts. “We can’t judge him from the gossip they publish. That stuff’s closer to fiction than reality.”
“Some of it’s real, love.”
“But you can’t know a person through a camera lens. It’s about what they do—their actions.”
“Things can get manipulated both ways. These rich celebs use the papers for their own gain. It’s all about your clout and personal brand.”
“Well, all I can say is that if he doesn’t care about me, he’s an amazing actor.”
She took me by the shoulders. “Nancy, you need to consider all the angles. Have you thought about how you’ll deal with being in the media?
It’s gonna get out at some point, and when it does, your privacy will end.
Everyone will recognise you.” Her voice dropped low. “What if the press digs into the past?”
“How would they?” I whispered. “There’s no record. We made sure of it. Mum, I really like him. It’s the first time I’ve felt like this about a guy, and I want to see where it goes.”
“Okay, I get that.” She sighed. “I just want you to think about the challenges. Getting your heart broken is hard. Having your privacy removed is hard. I don’t want you to suffer.”
“I know it’s hard, and I know you care. I appreciate that. But I don’t want to hide away forever. It’s worth it. He’s worth it.”
She studied my face. “Okay, Nancy.”
“Okay?”
“Come here.” She pulled me into a hug. “I forget how strong you are sometimes.” She drew back and looked at me earnestly. “And Russell Grant says Venus is in motion right now, so new passions are a possibility.”
I nodded, attempting to match her expression. “We’d better get back in there. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah, love. I’d like to meet him. He can stay for dinner if you like”