Chapter 32
HARPER
Christmas dinner with the Bianchis is more fun than I expected. Alex’s family is like my own. Enzo reminds me of Caleb. To the outside world, he is fun and frivolous, while underneath it all, he’s searching for something. His obvious devotion to his daughter reminds me of Eli.
Gabbi is like me. She has fought hard to be heard in a family full of dominant males, despite it being ruled by a matriarch.
But then our family’s no different. My father may have been the figurehead, the one who went out and made the money, but Mum was the backbone, holding it all together.
It’s probably why everything didn’t completely fall apart when Dad died—well, for some of us.
Avril leads Charades. As there are seven of us, we split into boys versus girls.
It’s Gabbi’s turn. She twists herself into all sorts of shapes, throwing her arms around.
“Snow,” Avril shouts, earning herself a thumbs-up.
“Time’s running out,” Enzo shouts a little too enthusiastically.
Probably because the women are two points ahead.
“Mobile?”
Gabbi shakes her head.
“Storm?”
Another no.
She makes one more move.
“Time’s up.”
Gabbi drops into the chair next to me.
“Gents?” I say.
“Easy… Snow White,” Alex says with a grin.
We groan.
“Come on, that was an easy one,” Gabbi says.
“When you know the answer,” Avril says, throwing herself back against the sofa.
“Last round. Our guests will be arriving soon,” Sophia says.
My heart stutters, and I glance across at her, but she merely smiles back warmly.
Shit, does she not realise how risky this is?
Alex gets up before I can make my excuse.
“For a draw,” he says to his team.
His competitive side is coming out.
Gabbi flips the timer over.
He gestures broadly, sweeping his arms around. This is a side of him I never thought I’d see. His barriers are down, the same way Gabriel’s and Elijah’s are when they’re safe inside the family home.
“Big,” Edoardo shouts, earning himself a grin from his son.
“Time’s running out, gents,” Gabbi says gleefully. “You’re going down.”
“Shut up, sis,” Enzo says, sitting forward, his arse perched on the edge of the sofa.
Alex scowls and stomps around the room.
The expressions on his teammates’ faces are ones of total confusion. Having played this game many times at parties in my teenage years, I think I know what he’s doing.
“Time’s up. Last guess.”
The two men look at each other, completely perplexed.
“Come on,” Alex says. “My dramatics weren’t that bad.”
The look Enzo shoots him sets Sophia and Avril off into a fit of giggles. I don’t think I could ever have imagined Sophia this relaxed. She’s always appeared so… proper.
He drops onto the sofa next to his father and brother.
“Bloody useless.” He huffs. “Ladies?”
We all look at each other and grin.
“Big Bad Wolf,” we chime as one.
“No wonder we didn’t get it. He was being himself,” Enzo says, jumping up as Alex goes to clock him around the back of his head. “No violence, brother dearest.”
The doorbell goes, announcing the first guest.
“That was fun,” Sophia says, standing up and smoothing down her immaculate dress, her features settling once more into their usual stoic expression.
“Granny, can we play again later?” Avril asks.
“I think it will probably be too late, darling, maybe tomorrow,” she says, running a hand over Avril’s hair affectionately.
“Mrs Bianchi, your guests are arriving,” Elaine says, appearing at the door.
“Show them in,” she says, ushering us to our feet as the first guests enter. “You’ve got this,” she whispers as she passes me before plastering on a smile and air-kissing the first woman through the door. “Darling, it’s so good you could make it.”
“We’d never miss one of your parties, Sophia, you know that.”
I step back, only to have Gabbi grip my arm.
“Don’t worry, we meet, we greet, we full-on retreat,” she says conspiratorially in my ear. When I look at her, she wiggles her eyebrows.
“Won’t we be missed?” I ask.
“In a room full of Mother and Father’s friends.
Not likely. Alex is the only one who can’t get away.
The rest of us are of little value to this lot.
Unless someone wants an item of jewellery, then Enzo must play nice, but usually he just tells them to call him during office hours and moves swiftly on. ”
“So, Alex will spend the rest of the evening talking business?”
My heart goes out to him.
“The joys of being CEO,” Gabbi says. “He doesn’t mind. You can’t have missed the fact that my older brother lives, breathes and eats St Clair and has done since Loretta left him for Myles.”
“But they’re still friends?”
“They are. He has a lot of respect for her. He knows he was a shitty husband.”
From Gabbi’s comment, I get the impression she blames her brother entirely for the breakdown of their marriage and is unhappy that their relationship ended.
“They couldn’t have children,” Gabbi continues, sharing more than I’m sure Alex would be happy with, especially with his PA.
“Loretta was desperate for a child. They tried for years, but nothing happened. I don’t think he understood how important having a child was to her until she wasn’t there anymore. ”
Gabbi must sense my confusion.
“She has two little girls now and is ecstatically happy with Myles. He’s a lovely man. Fantastic husband and father.”
My mind wanders to Leah and her desire for a child and how it brought her and my brother Gabriel together.
Was it that he didn’t understand, or that he couldn’t control the situation? I don’t know him well, but I know Alex likes to be in control of every aspect. Fertility treatment is not an exact science, and he may have seen it as a failure on his part.
The door opens, and a new guest walks in. I recognise her immediately.
Sophia steps up. “Aubrey, welcome. It’s lovely to finally meet you.”
“Thank you for inviting me,” she says, sharing an air-kiss with Sophia.
She’s tall, lithe and stunning.
My gaze shifts to Alex, whose head has shot up. A frown mars his brow as he excuses himself from the guests he’s talking to and makes his way towards her.
Aubrey steps forward to meet him. “Darling, surprise,” she says, leaning forward for a kiss.
“Aubrey, I wasn’t expecting you,” he says, his tone neutral, one I recognise when he’s trying to cover his displeasure. Why is he unhappy she’s here?
“Isn’t that the entire purpose of a surprise?” she says, not taking the hint and pressing her lips to his.
His frame tenses.
“Mother?” he says, turning to face her.
“I thought it was about time we met officially. You two have been seeing each other for a while now. All very cloak and dagger,” she says, giving Aubrey a little nudge with her elbow.
Alex’s cheeks darken.
“Oh hell, he looks like he’s about to blow,” Gabbi says at my side. “You’d have thought our mother would have learned by now.”
“Do parents ever learn?” I say, thinking back to Mum’s disastrous matchmaking skills.
Although, to be fair, she did drive Gabriel and Leah together, even if it was Gabriel trying to dodge being set up in the beginning.
When we look back, Aubrey and Alex have disappeared. They reappear a while later and begin mingling with the crowd. My stomach clenches as I watch them together. She moves around the room with grace and elegance, schmoozing everyone. Even her laugh is delicate and perfect.
The party goes on. I stick to non-alcoholic drinks, despite a growing desire to hide in the corner and drink myself into oblivion.
Gabbi introduces me to some of the more bearable attendees.
I let Harper surface beneath Brooke’s persona.
It is, after all, the only way I’ve got through similar events at home.
Being a Frazer has always meant playing the part I was born into, whether I felt comfortable doing it or not.
Dad’s funeral was the worst, having to stand there and accept everyone’s deepest condolences, listening to everyone tell me how sorry they were for our loss, what an amazing man he was.
I wanted to stand there and shout, “I know, he was my dad, and it’s all my fault he’s gone.”
But being a Frazer, I didn’t. I stood there, accepted their air kisses and sympathetic glances, before thanking them for coming and telling them how much Dad would have appreciated it.
“Brooke, are you all right?” Gabbi asks.
I shake myself mentally and give her a wan smile.
“Just a little tired. My family called early this morning. They keep forgetting there’s a time difference.”
“Do you want me to arrange for Benjamin to take you home?”
“No need. Aubrey and I are about to leave. I’m driving back to the city tonight. I can take Brooke home,” Alex says, appearing in front of us.
“I thought you were staying?” Avril says, her face dropping.
He grips her shoulder and gives it a squeeze. “I’ll be back in the morning, probably before you’ve even opened your eyes.”
“Promise?”
“Absolutely.”
Gabbi shoots him a look, an unspoken question passing between the siblings.
Aubrey appears at his side.
“Everything all right, darling?” she asks, her hand coming to rest on his forearm.
His gaze drops to her hand, and she lets it fall to her side.
“Are you going to introduce us?” Gabbi asks.
“Gabriella, this is Aubrey. Aubrey, this is my sister Gabriella.”
I notice he doesn’t introduce her as Gabbi, and warmth blooms inside my chest.
“Pleased to meet you.”
“This is Brooke Feldmann,” he says.
“Ah, Brooke. Why do I know that name?”
I hold out my hand. “We’ve spoken on the telephone several times.”
“Ah, you’re the PA.” Her tone makes it clear that I’m meant to take it as a slur. “You’re the one who never puts me through,” she adds.
Alex turns to her. “Yes, because she’s good at her job.”
Ouch.
His jaw flexes. He’s mad. Is it because Aubrey’s here, or is there more afoot?
“Always working.” She tuts, trying to cover up his verbal slap.
She reminds me of so many of the men and women I grew up around, all carrying the same air of entitlement Mum slapped out of us from a very young age.
“Brooke, if you’d like a ride back into the city, I’ll be leaving in five minutes.”