Chapter 5 Romantic Hero Lila
Romantic Hero
Lila
“No, no!” she snapped. “We need a more vivid verb there. The stable boy doesn’t just walk to her. He storms.”
I looked up at her, feeling my nostrils flare. “Elizabeth, every word is not going to be perfect on my first draft. It’s sort of hard to do your best work with someone reading over your shoulder and critiquing every single word.”
She rolled her eyes and sat down in the armchair behind me. “Yes. I can see how that might be possible. But you must realize how difficult this is. I’m letting someone else do the singular thing I love most in the world. This isn’t comfortable.”
“Then get a new one,” a voice I recognized said.
“Not the chair, Grady!” Elizabeth snapped. “Having someone else write my book, for heaven’s sake.”
“Mom, it’s been, what, four hours? You have to be more open minded. Give this all a chance.”
My heart raced uneasily, because this could not fall apart. I made a mental note not to complain to Elizabeth. I needed this job. I needed her to hold up her end of the bargain. I needed another shot at my big dream.
Grady sauntered toward me. Elizabeth would like that better than walked. He smiled a smile that made my heart flutter, and handed me a manila envelope. “Your contract.”
I nodded, feeling a little uncertain.
He turned. “Mom, same for you.”
Then he turned back to me and, leaning in close, his breath on my ear sending a trail of goose bumps all along my neck and down my arm, said, “Since you don’t have an agent, I was yours. I took care of you.” He rested his hand on my shoulder, letting it linger.
He took care of me. He was mine.
My “thank you” came out throatily. Was it getting hot in here?
Elizabeth sighed. “I need a lunch break.”
“Me too!” I said, relieved. “And more coffee!”
Elizabeth looked from Grady to me and said, “Darling, could you please take Lila to the historic site to see the Lords and Ladies display? I feel she is having a little trouble ascertaining what our characters would be wearing.” She smirked at me.
“And maybe get some lunch while you’re at it.
I need you fresh and energized for the afternoon! ”
I wanted to defend myself. It wasn’t that I didn’t know what they would be wearing. It was that she was looming over me like a vulture, and I couldn’t even think. But I bit my tongue.
“Don’t you want to come with us?” I asked.
“No,” she said pertly. “I know what our characters would be wearing.”
Grady coughed to cover his laugh and put his hand on the small of my back, leading me toward the door.
Exiting into the bright light of the day and walking down the wooden-planked boardwalk was like stepping into a different world.
I looked out over the harbor filled with beautiful sailboats and fishing boats docked for the season.
It was so picturesque here. I reminded myself that all this was worth it if it meant I got to stay.
“I feel like I’ve just busted out of prison.” I paused. “I mean, no offense. I know she’s your mom . . .”
Grady laughed as our feet moved in time.
“Oh, I know exactly what she’s like,” he said.
“I’m not going to lie and say this attitude is out of character.
She’s always been, um, formidable.” He paused.
“But my dad’s death changed her. He was her calming force, and I can’t be what he was to her.
I don’t know how to fix her or soothe her like he did. ”
I looked over at him as we walked. “Unfortunately, I don’t think anyone can fix a person’s broken heart. Not even her own son. It’s just a place she’s going to have to get to on her own.” I wondered if I was overstepping as I said, “Has it been hard on you too?”
He nodded. “My dad was my best friend, and his death was so sudden. But I think I’ve just been avoiding all that to try to take care of Mom.” He put his hands in his pockets and looked over at me. “Sorry! Wow. Let’s be less depressing.”
I gasped as, as if on cue, a dolphin jumped out of the water. I grabbed Grady’s arm and pointed, realizing it was a whole pod. “Talk about brightening things up!” I said.
We paused to watch them before turning up the sidewalk and into the blue historic home with gingerbread trim on a street of historic homes, where the Lords and Ladies exhibit was held.
Walking inside was, truly, like walking into one of our novels.
Or one of Elizabeth’s, anyway, as Victoria had made it clear I no longer wrote Regencies.
The original hardwood was covered in thick oriental rugs, and dark-wood furniture and velvet settees contrasted with wispy lace curtains.
Mannequins were staged around the room to look natural.
Ladies on a settee, men (clearly discussing the market) in the corner, the butler over by the bar cart, and so on and so forth.
“I love it here,” I whispered.
“Oh, me too,” Grady said sarcastically.
A tour guide was leading a group through the back rooms, so we had this parlor basically to ourselves.
Grady took the opportunity to whisk a very refined top hat off one of the male mannequins and put it on his head.
“Lila, darling,” he said in an affected accent with maybe a touch of British, “will you join me for a snifter of brandy in the drawing room?”
I giggled and whispered, “Put that back! We’re going to get in trouble!”
He did as I requested as I studied the women’s hats, the fullness of their skirts, their jewelry.
“It’s all rather Austen-tatious, don’t you think?” Grady asked, still in his affected voice.
I burst out laughing. “That is literally the worst pun I’ve ever heard. Are you sure you’re related to one of the most famous authors in the country?”
He raised his eyebrows. “Do you really think she’s one of the most famous?”
I knew my face was incredulous. “Um, yes. For sure. Are you really not aware of that?”
He walked into the dining room, and I followed. “I guess? I mean, I know I’m her agent now, but it’s hard to reconcile these two people. She has always just been Mom to me.”
“Well, I assure you, she is a legend.” I admired the ornate gold-leaf china and sterling silver on the dining table. I had been here many times, but it never got old. “A legend who is already driving me nuts,” I said.
Grady laughed. “What about your family? Do they drive you nuts too?”
I smiled. “They are the best. I grew up on this big farm a few hours from here. My parents have been married for thirty-five years. They were high school sweethearts, and the farm was their dream. And now it’s my big brother’s. He’s expanded it, and it has fully become a family business.”
Grady picked up a sterling fork, and I resisted the urge to tell him not to touch it as he said, “What about you? No farming?”
I shrugged. “Writing by the ocean. That has always been my dream.”
He smiled at me, his eyes locking on mine for a long moment. “You light up when you talk about writing,” he said. “I guess a lot of my clients do. But there’s something special about—”
“Excuse me!” a pert voice called. “Young man, please do not touch anything that is a part of the display.”
I wanted to scold the woman right back! Couldn’t she see we were having a moment? Then again, all the signs clearly said no touching.
“I’m so sorry,” he said. “Lila and I are here doing research for my mother, Elizabeth Lancaster.”
The woman in the bonnet gasped. “Oh my word! Why didn’t you say? How can I help?”
I smiled sweetly at her. “It’s okay,” I said. “I think we’ve gotten what we needed.”
We walked out the door, laughing like children who had been reprimanded on a field trip.
The waterfront was bustling with boats and tourists, seagulls and squealing children, feeling so alive, like the embodiment of summer itself.
Grady and I chatted about school and friends as we picked up sandwiches and iced coffees to go, and it felt so easy, so normal.
As we walked back into Elizabeth’s house, I said, “Thanks for taking me. I mean, I didn’t need to learn about Regency clothing, but I had fun.”
Grady held me in that gaze of his again. “You know, Lila, I did too.”
I laughed. “Well, you don’t have to sound so surprised that I’m good company.”
He smiled. “No, I just mean, let’s do it again sometime.”
“Okay! Thank you, Grady!” Elizabeth interrupted, zipping into the room. “We have hours and hours of work ahead of us.”
“Hours and hours?” I croaked.
“Welcome to the dark side,” Grady whispered, leaning close, giving me chill bumps again.
“I heard that!” Elizabeth said. “Now, get out of here. We have a book to write.”
“And contracts to sign!” Grady reminded. He put his hand on my shoulder again. “Let me know if you have any questions. I’m just a phone call away if you need anything at all.” The way he smiled made me wonder what that anything at all included.
As I made my way back to Elizabeth’s office, I felt like I was floating. Let’s do it again sometime was playing on a loop in my brain.
I got back to work. I was supposed to be writing about Mrs. Percy’s stable boy. But the only romantic hero I could think about was Grady Lancaster.