Chapter 13
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Matthew cursed his luck. Of course he’d be caught staring the one time he looked over at Winnie sitting on the bench.
Okay, he’d looked at her a bit more than once.
Fine, he’d seen her the second she’d sat down and hadn’t been able to stop staring at her since. She just looked so pretty that morning, sitting in the warm sunshine, an occasional smile on her lips as she spoke on the phone.
Just like now.
He sighed in frustration, once more pulling his gaze away from her. Was it any wonder she’d caught him staring? At this rate, she’d think he was obsessed with her or something.
What was she doing over there anyway? No doubt working still. Finding more ways to destroy his festival.
“Do you know her or something?”
Matthew looked to his sister seated beside him on the blanket. “What?”
“That girl,” Char said. “You keep looking over at her and leering.”
Matthew pulled a face. “I’m not leering.”
Especially at Winnie, a woman full of herself yet incapable of opening doors. His lip twitched at the memory of the day before.
“You’re doing it again,” Char said.
He cursed, pulling his gaze away from Winnie once more. Why did he keep doing that?
“So…why don’t you go talk to her?” Char pressed.
He pulled back, giving his sister a look. “Why would I do that?”
“You obviously think she’s cute, otherwise you wouldn’t be staring at her so much.”
Matthew cringed. It was true. He did find Winnie attractive. But the last thing he wanted to do was talk to her.
“Yeah, I think I’m fine.”
“Why? Why don’t you go over there? Chicken.”
He sniffed in ridicule at her goading. That wasn’t going to work on him today. “Trust me, my speaking with her would do none of us any good.”
Char stared at him, but he focused harder on his nieces as they attempted to kick the football, first placing it with their hands on the ground.
“No hands!” he called out again.
They giggled, and he couldn’t help but smile. Dad had taught him to play football the same way, refusing to allow him the use of his hands. Matthew never had, but how could he fault his adorable nieces for not being as strait-laced with the rules as he was?
Despite his adherence to the rules, he’d never made it far in football. His friend, Cedric, on the other hand, was an entirely different matter. As a professional footballer from Wales, if the man touched a ball with his hands while in play, he’d be bullied from one end of the country to the next. He’d already been torn apart by the media for pulling a muscle and having to sit out for a season for Habergham FC.
Matthew had always admired his mate’s stamina and grace, even under intense media scrutiny. Matthew wasn’t sure he’d be able to do the same .
He couldn’t even handle Char’s scrutiny right now.
“Am I missing something here?” she asked, still watching Matthew with narrowed eyes.
Matthew looked at her with feigned naivety. “What are you talking about?”
She looked at Winnie, then back to him. “Do you know her or what?” she asked again, clearly growing impatient.
He didn’t want to get into this. But then, he couldn’t lie to his sister.
With a side-eye toward her, he shrugged. “Maybe.”
“I knew it. Who is she?”
He contemplated remaining silent, but then, what was the point? Char would find out who she was eventually. “That’s the new consultant Dad hired.”
Char’s eyes rounded, her mouth dropping open. “Her? She’s the American?” She leaned back to see Winnie beyond him. “She’s definitely not who I pictured.”
Earlier that morning, Matthew had told Char all about Winnie and her desire to change everything, hoping to get his sister on his side early on. Who knew if Winnie would win Char over like she had Dad and Mum.
“You made her out to be a lot older than she is,” Char continued, staring. “And a lot uglier.”
Maybe he had, maybe he hadn’t. “I think I painted quite an accurate picture.”
“‘Bitter, fake, and old’ ?” Char said, quoting back the exact words he’d said to her. She folded her arms, shaking her head. “Boy, do you have a chip on your shoulder.”
“I was describing her personality more than her looks,” he defended weakly.
“And what’s so wrong with her personality?”
“She wants to change everything,” he said, acutely aware of how childish he sounded right now. “I already told you that.”
Char exaggerated a gasp. “No, a consultant wanting to change things? Call the constable! ”
Matthew stared at her with a blank expression. He was not amused.
Char, however, laughed. “Look, you know I’m on your side with this whole thing. Dad should’ve told you, just like he’d said. But it is what it is. You can’t change it now.”
Matthew knew that. But it didn’t make it any easier to accept. He’d already forgiven Dad for doing what he thought was best for the estate, but that didn’t mean Matthew had let go of Winnie being there—or would ever let it go. She should have said no to taking over the festival.
“She’ll probably have some good ideas,” Char continued. “Ideas that might actually save the festival.”
That little New York snake had already gotten to his sister. How was that possible?
He glanced back to Winnie, who removed an earpiece from her ear but still stared down at her phone. It was a good job she was so attached to her device, otherwise he might’ve been caught staring again.
“The only thing she’s going to do is run it faster into the ground,” he said.
And he felt that now more than ever. Last night at approximately 11:58 PM, Winnie had sent a lengthy email to everyone on the festival staff, explaining who she was and that she wanted to meet together first thing Monday morning.
“I’m thrilled with the prospect of working with you all!” was how she’d ended her email.
Matthew shook his head. It was a joke. All of it. She would have nothing of value to add to the festival. She was a New Yorker, running on New York hours, living on New York fumes, and bringing her New York vibes where they didn’t belong.
Well, she was in for a rude awakening.
“I’m going to introduce myself to her.”
Char’s words broke through Matthew’s thoughts, and his stomach dropped. “What?”
“Yeah, I’m going to see if she’s really as bad as you made her out to be.”
That was exactly what Matthew was afraid of. Winnie would be on her best behavior, and he’d look like a child again. “No, don’t.”
“Why not?” she asked with an accusatory brow. “ You’ve met her.”
“Yeah, and I regret it very much.”
“Well, I highly doubt I will. She’s not challenging my existence at Foxwood.” She gave a haughty little smile, clearly proud of her teasing, then stood.
Matthew groaned, standing too. Winnie was still sitting on the bench, typing out something on her phone.
Was she pretending to be busy? She hadn’t looked back at him since their eyes had met a few minutes before.
Not that she ought to have. But still, after their touch yesterday, he could’ve sworn he’d seen something in her gray eyes—a level of attraction, perhaps? Whatever it was, it hardly mattered to him. He doubted it had even been real. Women like her never went for guys like him, and he was glad of it.
Wait, where had Char gone? He glanced around him, finally spotting his sister walking across the grass to her girls.
“I’ll be just over there,” she told them, pointing to Winnie on the bench.
The girls nodded, still kicking the football as Char made directly for Winnie.
“Char, wait,” Matthew said softly, trying to catch up to her.
She looked at him over her shoulder. “What?”
He tried to think of what to say. “Just…You don’t want to speak with her.”
She stopped, propping her hands on her hips. “Why not?”
“Because…she’ll be mean to you.” That had to be his weakest argument ever.
“Why, because she was mean to you?”
“Well, yeah.”
She narrowed her eyes. “And were you mean to her ? ”
He opened his mouth, but no words left it. Worthless brain.
“Just as I suspected,” she said, then she turned around again and headed toward Winnie. “You can join me if you want,” she called over her shoulder. “Or you can cower over here with the other little girls.”
Matthew stopped, glancing between his nieces and Char, who was fast approaching Winnie.
He gritted his teeth. He’d much rather be spending time with Char’s girls, but then, what would be said about him between his sister and the consultant who clearly didn’t like him?
Well, that decided it.
With a heavy sigh, he picked up his pace, reaching Char’s side the moment they stood before Winnie.
The consultant looked up with a pleasant expression, clearly distracted by whatever she’d been doing on her phone, then surprise lit across her features as her eyes shifted from Char to Matthew.
“Hi,” Char said with a cheery smile. She was far too bright to be meeting this woman today.
“Hey,” Winnie responded with uncertainty, turning off her phone and standing to face them.
She glanced to Matthew—for an explanation or for reassurance, he wasn’t sure. Well, she wouldn’t be getting either from him. He remained silent behind Char, a watchful eye on Winnie.
“Sorry if this is weird,” his sister said. “I’m Char Wintour. Matthew’s my brother.”
For a split second, Winnie stared, her lips parting and eyes lingering on Char. Then a genuine smile stretched across her lips, no doubt to make a good impression. She’d done that with Matthew, too, before she’d opened her mouth and revealed what kind of viper she was, criticizing his home and festival.
“It’s so nice to meet you,” Winnie said. “I’m Winnie Knox, though I’m guessing your brother has already told you all about me.”
Matthew cringed. Time to put on his armor.