Chapter 26
Chapter Twenty-Six
T he last thing Noah had expected from tonight was pretty much everything that had happened so far. Swirls of emotions were flowing around his body and he felt like he’d had too many drinks when he’d only sipped one glass of bubbly all night.
He was astounded that it was Maya that Rosalie had been trying to introduce him to and he might have missed the whole Tabitha debacle if he’d only listened to her! He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose, which was pounding like mad, so he swiped a glass of water from the bar and gulped it down his parched throat.
Maya had just popped to the bathroom, but what he could hear from the whispered conversations all around him was that she was the talk of the night! He wasn’t sure if that was a good or a bad thing and in the middle of it all, he’d blurted out that he was in love with her in front of Dame Rosalie, who he now knew she was as good as related to! He recalled their conversation in the car on the way there and the playful questions she’d asked, but why hadn’t she said she already had a party invite and knew the host well? Was this all an elaborate charade at his expense? Was she a bored socialite who played with guys like him for her own amusement? He was so confused. Noah didn’t like the heavy feeling of dread that thought brought with it, because he’d never considered her a liar. He hadn’t been introduced to Maya’s brother, Arthur, yet, but Noah knew he was watching him from the bar and it unnerved him a little. Tabitha had described him as a playboy, whatever that meant.
Why did Maya spend her days sitting on a steamboat on the river when it seemed she had fame and luxury in the palm of her hands? She said she didn’t court the press, but he’d just heard from Tabitha… who wasn’t the most reliable of sources that Maya and Blake had been the darlings of the jewellery world and splashed across all the front pages at one time, so that was probably the real reason she didn’t like being photographed now. She’d already told him she’d left that relationship with nothing, so Blake must have betrayed her even more if he’d kept their profitable business, too.
His fingers had itched to Google Maya’s history, but he was loath to do that. Who knew what was real or fake and he understood from his own experience how judged he felt from untrue stories. Maya said that her relationship with Blake was over years ago and he had to trust what she said… He didn’t like the feeling of unease that she was still keeping something from him, but he’d had to let it slide. He was still in shock that Dame Rosalie Alton’s charity ball was just a family party to Maya.
The auction had been a resounding success and Maya had tears in her eyes for the astounding amount Rosalie had raised. Rosalie had sought Maya and Noah out afterwards and she’d raised a glass to them both .
‘To you,’ she’d said, hugging Maya over and over until her grandmother had stepped in and saved her ribs.
‘Well done,’ said Ettie as she turned and faced Noah, his body tensing at her piercing green eyes. Maya’s own eyes were shining with unshed tears and he assumed she was just happy for Rosalie and the success of her auction and party, but once again, Tabitha had been in his ear suggesting that Maya had clearly been lying to him for months about her family, so what else was she hiding? Had Maya helped with preparing the party or something? He wondered, vulnerability settling on his shoulders like a dead weight. ‘So, Noah,’ said Ettie, ‘we finally meet in person…’ which made Maya cringe because the fact that they hadn’t met yet was her fault, not his. ‘I’ve heard about you. Which version is accurate?’
‘Gran!’ said Maya, almost dropping her drink in shock.
‘Well, you haven’t brought him round for me to make my own opinions,’ scolded her grandmother, swishing her long purple dress around her ankles. Noah felt a genuine grin unfurl finally. Maya was so like her feisty grandmother and it actually felt good to meet someone Maya was related to at last.
‘I’m sorry about that,’ said Noah solemnly, going to kiss Ettie’s hand, which she accepted gracefully. Maya’s grandad joined them and introduced himself to Noah with a firm handshake and a slap on the back as her siblings arrived too. ‘We should rectify that immediately,’ he added to Ettie. ‘What would you like to know about me and I’d love to extend an invitation for you all to join Maya and I for lunch at my place by the river, if you have time?’ Ettie took her time in answering, then her face softened and she smiled at him. Noah could see the family resemblance to Maya, as they both had big inquisitive eyes and a beautiful smile .
‘Well, that’s settled then,’ she grinned. ‘I’ve wanted to see inside that guesthouse since Maya mentioned it and I do like a swim,’ she winked at him.
‘Gran!’ squealed Maya. ‘Honestly. I can’t take you anywhere.’ Maya slipped her arm around his waist and moved in so that their sides were touching, a movement noticed by her grandmother's eagle eyes. She gave him a mischievous grin, and he laughed and let some of the tension go.
‘You’re more than welcome to use the pool,’
‘I’ve heard the view over the river is astounding,’ she winked at Maya and she threw her hands up in exasperation and Rosalie snorted a laugh.
‘Ettie, Owen,’ she said to Maya’s grandparents, ‘I think we should leave the youngsters to chat. Poor Arthur is champing at the bit to annoy his sister and Olive and Joe have already bent his ear for the past half an hour. The poor boys just agreed to read Joe’s scribbled notes about a screenplay,’ she chuckled.
‘Sorry Noah,’ said Maya. ‘I forgot to introduce you to my brother and sister. This is Arthur and the gorgeous blonde in the red dress is Romy.’ Noah turned to see a tall, good looking man in smart evening dress, with sandy blond hair and piercing dark eyes move forward to shake his hand. He didn’t seem like someone who was easily won over from the wary look on his face, and Romy’s expression was even worse. Maya gave them both a pointed stare, and they smiled genially enough, but it wasn’t the warm welcome he’d been hoping for. When this had been a fake-date situation, he could have become anything Maya wanted him to be, but now that his feelings were genuine, he wanted them to like him for himself. He remembered Maya telling him that Arthur was a tech guy and Romy had brought a run- down boat and moored it opposite Bertha ’s dock, which had caused a stir amongst the locals, especially the Bowen brothers who owned the glossy cruise ships that sat next to Bertha on the river. Noah tried to summon up the charm that usually came easily to him, but he actually felt a frisson of nerves shoot up his spine. These were two very important people to win over, so he guided them to the bar and offered to refresh both of their drinks, hoping that they took pity on him and eased up on what he guessed would be an interrogation.