Chapter 31
ALEX
“Now make sure you make her welcome,” Mother says.
“We make everyone welcome,” Enzo says.
“Not that kind of welcome,” Gabbi says, rolling her eyes at our brother.
“What?” he says, his face a picture of innocence.
“You know what. You’re a playboy,” Gabbi says. “Brooke is off limits. I like her.”
“Brooke is definitely off-limits,” I say, knowing I’ll never cope if I have to watch my brother flirt with her all day. “Remember, she works for St Clair and is my PA. I don’t need the headache.”
Enzo laughs. “You’re being very protective over there,” he says.
“I am. She’s a good PA. I don’t need her being distracted or derailed by you.”
“Boys, boys,” Mother says.
He pulls a face at me behind her back, but I know he’s got the message.
Enzo in full flirtatious mode is something to behold. Women fall at his feet.
I glance across the room at my fifteen-year-old niece, Avril.
Her mother, Katrina, and Enzo were high school sweethearts until an incident he’s never talked about drove them apart.
Whether he’s embarrassed, I don’t know, but, somehow, they’ve remained friends.
Katrina wants what’s best for their daughter rather than worrying about her feelings for my brother.
“She’s here,” Mother says. “Everyone on their best behaviour.”
I roll my eyes. Brooke’s my PA, not fucking royalty.
It’s bad enough that Mother invited her to spend Christmas with us.
It’s not like she gave any of us a choice.
But when I found out she was going to be alone…
I’m not a complete heel. But time away from her is something I’d been looking forward to.
Getting my head back in the game, rebuilding some walls.
Avril moves to stand next to my brother.
“Oh, for goodness sake,” Mother says, shooing us away. “Go and sit down. You don’t need to stand in line and wait for her to enter.”
I look at my siblings and chuckle, turning to leave just as the front door opens.
“Brooke,” Gabbi says, running forward and pulling a startled Brooke in for a hug.
Her arms come up around my sister as she returns the hug.
“It’s great to see you again,” Brooke says, pulling back slightly. “Have you recovered from your flight? It sounded horrendous.”
I frown.
What?
Have my sister and Brooke been communicating since Italy?
Gabbi rolls her eyes in dramatic fashion. “The stopover was a nightmare. There was not a single hotel room available. I wasn’t sure I’d make it back in time. I finally arrived late last night. Thanks for all the messages. You kept me sane.”
Oh fuck! My PA and sister have decided to become BFFs.
“Hi, I’m Lorenzo, but everyone calls me Enzo. I’m the middle one, and of course the much better looking,” he says, stepping forward and holding out his hand. “This is my daughter, Avril.”
Gabbi clocks him around the head while Avril rolls her eyes at her father.
“Hi,” she says, copying her father and holding out her hand to Brooke, who smiles before taking it in greeting.
“Hi, Avril, I’m pleased to meet you. I have a niece around the same age as you.”
“Really?”
She nods. “I have older brothers and a sister,” she says.
She barely mentions her family unless asked, and I wonder whether coming to the US was her way of escaping their protective hold.
She mentioned them being protective, but is it more than that?
After all, she could have gone home. There were plenty of flights still available if she’d wanted to take one.
I didn’t question her or Mother about it. Whatever her reasons, they’re her own.
I need boundaries.
“Come in, come in,” Mother says, appearing in the doorway.
Brooke turns back towards the door and retrieves a bag full of gifts.
“Brooke?” Mother says.
Brooke smiles.
“We have a tradition at Christmas. We exchange small gifts, usually at the dinner table, instead of crackers. You must guess what each gift is.”
“Oh, lovely,” Mother says.
“If you’d rather not, it’s fine,” Brooke says with an awkward smile.
“I love the idea,” Gabbi says, linking her arm through Brooke’s. “Brooke told me about it, so I picked up something for her too.”
Typical Gabbi, always coming to the rescue.
Mother surprises me by smiling. “That’s fine. We love other people’s traditions,” she lies. “Apart from the traditional dinner and present opening, we don’t have many of our own.”
Dad appears from the back of the house, having decided to return with Gabbi so he could spend Christmas with the family.
“You must be Brooke,” he says. “Welcome.”
“Thank you, Mr Bianchi,” she says, holding out her hand.
“Edoardo, please.”
“Edoardo,” she says with a shy smile.
Mother claps her hands. “Everyone inside. No need to congregate in the hall.”
I step forward and take the bag she’s holding, our fingers brushing before she releases it. Her eyes catch mine, but she then looks away.
“Merry Christmas, Brooke,” I say.
“Merry Christmas, Alex.”
Gabbi marches Brooke further into the house.
As always, Mother has outdone herself, or at least the help has.
The house has been transformed into a winter wonderland.
Wreaths and lights climb the bannisters, with Christmas decorations in every corner.
Brooke inhales sharply at the tree that’s taken pride of place in the window of the main room.
“Mother likes to go all out,” I tell her.
“A woman after my own heart. I love Christmas,” Brooke says.
“How about your family?”
Her expression falls, and I regret my words instantly. “They love it too. I spoke to them earlier and played a board game remotely.”
I raise an eyebrow, and she smiles.
“Another family tradition?” I ask.
She nods. “My family loves board games.”
Mother chuckles, surprising me. “Reminds me of our time at school. Your mother…” she trails off, clearly not wanting to say anymore.
Brooke smiles warmly.
“She told me all about it,” she admits with a grin, a knowing look passing between them.
“What board games does your niece like to play?” Avril asks, coming to stand next to us.
“We play Monopoly, although she also likes to play Scruples, but I think that’s more to see her dad and uncles squirm.”
Avril laughs. “She sounds like my kind of person,” she says, shooting her dad and me a look.
“Don’t get any ideas,” I grumble, making her laugh.
I love my niece, but she has her father wrapped around her little finger. I think it’s mainly because he doesn’t want to be cut out of her life, especially when he works in London, and she’s here in the States. Sometimes I wonder if he’s making a rod for his own back, never standing up to her.
“I think you’d like her,” Brooke says with a wink.
I move away, not wanting to crowd our new arrival. Her laughter fills the air, like a punch to my solar plexus. Even Mother is smiling.
The Brooke Effect. That’s what I’m going to call it. I know she’s constantly being invited out in the office, but declines politely, unless that’s just for my benefit, not that I’ve heard anything to the contrary.
Elaine appears, announcing that lunch is ready.
Gabbi has placed all Brooke’s table presents at the correct place settings.
Avril picks up her beautifully wrapped gift.
A keeper of secrets and memories you hold dear,
I have a spine, but no bones.
Not to be shared unless you choose
With a key kept next to your heart.
Avril’s face lights up.
“A journal?”
Brooke smiles, and my gaze settles on my niece as she tears open the wrapping, her expression one of pure delight. She holds the beautiful journal close to her chest.
“It’s gorgeous. And it has a lock.”
I quirk an eyebrow.
“No teenager wants their thoughts scrutinised,” Brooke says.
“Thank you, Brooke,” Avril says. “I shall start writing in it tonight.”
We move around the table, every gift is incredibly well thought out. Then it’s my turn.
I pick up my gift. Whatever it is, is hidden inside a box.
I’m born hot, not cold
Often forgotten while emergencies unfold.
Problem now solved.
Avril giggles.
I shake the present.
“A mug?” I say, thinking the box is the size of an average coffee cup.
“I was tempted, but you have so many,” Brooke admits. “Your ‘CEO’ and ‘Bossman’ mugs take up half the kitchen cupboard.”
“It’s not my fault everyone wants to buy the CEO a mug.”
Enzo rolls his eyes.
“You can’t talk. You’ve got the same in London,” Gabbi says.
Enzo runs St Clair’s London-based jewellery division.
“Born hot, not cold?”
“You’re close, think outside the box.”
“Come on, Uncle Alex.”
“Something to do with my coffee?” I ask, holding the box to my ear and gently shaking it.
“Yes.”
Brooke grins, clearly loving this, and I can see why. Her family tradition has been so well received that I suspect our family may adopt it. Even Mother looks entertained.
“Something to warm my coffee?”
“Close enough,” she says, her bright eyes meeting mine.
Unable to help myself, I grin as I tear open the wrapping paper and stare down at the box inside. A smart mug warmer.
“You sit your coffee on it, and it keeps it warm,” Brooke says, although her expression is less certain now that I’ve opened it.
“It’s fantastic. I shall look forward to trying it in the new year. I’m over drinking cold coffee. This can be my New Year’s resolution.”
She shoots me a shy smile.
“Your turn,” Gabbi says.
She’s rearranged the seating plan to ensure she’s sitting next to Brooke.
Brooke’s cheeks darken.
“Read it out,” Avril says.
I have no key, hinges or lid
A little sparkle, a little shine,
but not to be hid
I come in a pair but have no legs.
Brooke picks up the tiny box, her eyes darting to Gabbi.
“You didn’t,” she whispers.
“You said you liked them.” Gabbi grins.
My sister loves giving gifts. Another thing she and Brooke have in common.
“What, what is it?” Avril says, clearly enjoying this part of Christmas.
“Earrings?” she asks, and Gabbi grins.
Brooke tears open the wrapping, her eyes popping wide as she takes in the gift my sister has given her. Diamond earrings.
“This is too much,” Brooke says.
“No, it’s not. They’re St Clair. You said you liked mine, so what better gift than your own set? I had Enzo bring them over.”
Gabbi pulls back her hair, revealing a pair of earrings identical to the set Brooke now has in her hands.
Brooke’s eyes glisten. “Thank you, I shall treasure them.”
Mother claps her hands, breaking the moment. “Elaine is ready to serve.”
Christmas dinner is a jovial affair, with Brooke bringing an easy sense of warmth to the table, and when Mother glances over, I can almost read her mind.
“I told you so.”
I want to roll my eyes but don’t, because for the first time in years, Mother and Father have also kept their snipes to a minimum. Brooke’s sense of humour and positive outlook on life are infectious.
After dessert, Elaine brings in the tea and coffee.
“Brooke, how are you finding it working for my grumpy arse older brother?” Enzo asks.
Although he was raised Stateside and was only four when our grandfather retired, handing the reins of St Clair to our mother, Enzo, like me, speaks with a British accent. His years at a British boarding school having rubbed off on him too.
Brooke shoots me a grin, one that lands straight in the centre of my chest. I arch an eyebrow and smirk as Gabbi playfully grips Brooke’s forearm.
“You don’t have to lie. You’re in a safe space,” she tells her seriously.
“Hey, I’m not that bad,” I say, making everyone around the table laugh.
“Darling, you are the epitome of professionalism. Meticulous in every way. I was bad, but you take perfectionism to a whole new level,” Mother chimes in.
“And as a leading shareholder, I’m making you a lot of money,” I add.
“True.” She smiles. “I’m not complaining.”
“Brooke?”
“He’s not so bad when you get used to him,” she says, shooting me a sideways glance, her eyes sparkling. This is the most relaxed I’ve seen her since she started working for me. “And the job is amazing. I’ve learned so much.”
“Do you think you’d like to go into fashion after this?” Father asks.
“Er, I…” Brooke recovers, straightening her shoulders. “It’s something I’ve always been fascinated with,” she admits, but I don’t miss the look she shoots my mother.
What the hell?
Was I right all along? Are they colluding?
“You’re in the right place if Sandro ever lets you go.
I’m not sure Callie will be coming back.
Once she has her baby, I can’t see her wanting to leave it,” Father says, shooting Mother one of his looks.
The fact that she went to work, left us with a host of nannies and eventually sent Enzo and me to boarding school had never sat well with him.
Not that he was willing to stay at home and raise us.
It would be called a double standard today.
Back then, Mother was a pioneer. One of the leading women in fashion.
“And that will be her choice,” Mother says quietly, shooting Brooke a smile. “When the time comes, you’ll have a decision to make.”
Brooke drops her gaze, and I question once more what it is between them.
Mother catches me watching and plasters on a smile. One that doesn’t fool me. She knows I’ve seen. She also knows I’ll stop at nothing to protect my loved ones.
What are you up to?
I should trust her. Whatever she knows, she wouldn’t risk everything we’ve worked so hard to build for an outsider.
Avril breaks the silence.
“Now we’ve eaten, can we play Charades?”