worrying me,’ Ivy said. ‘At least now we know he wasn’t ready to ruin your relationship with Jackson in order to get back at his mum. That
would
have made him evil.’
Olivia couldn’t imagine Alex being cruel; he seemed so sensitive. ‘Are you absolutely sure about this?’
‘His mother is a separationist, and everyone says they fight a lot.’ Ivy jumped up and started pacing. ‘Having a human girlfriend would be one sure-fire way to make his mom really angry.’
Olivia sighed. ‘I think you’re right that Alex is sometimes unhappy with what his mother and his position demand of him, but he’s not a bad person.’
Olivia was worried it was worse than him pretending to like her; what if he really did likeher? If that was true, she was going to have to do something about it. She was with Jackson, and even if things were weird between them right now, she had to stay true to him.
‘So . . .’ Ivy said.
‘So, what?’ Olivia asked.
Ivy sat back down on the coffin. ‘Am I forgiven?’
‘You’re forgiven,’ Olivia replied, giving her sister a big hug. ‘As long as we can bury that shirt in my suitcase and forget I ever bought it.’
‘Deal,’ Ivy said.
‘Or maybe I should make you keep wearing it as punishment?’ Olivia grinned wickedly.
Ivy let out a strangled noise and hurriedly pulled it off.
The next morning at breakfast, Ivy was delighted to see a table of pancakes, sausages, hash brownsand eggs laid out buffet-style.
‘Yum,’ she said to Olivia as they entered the dining room with their father. He sat down towards the foot of the table. ‘Nudge me if I look like a werewolf during a full moon.’
The Countess beamed from her position at the head of the table. ‘I’m so glad you like it. It was Tessa’s idea.’
Ivy grinned at her new friend, who was laying out a selection of maple syrups, and mouthed, ‘Thank you!’
Tessa smiled back. She held up a bottle and made a show of pointing to it and mouthing, ‘Try this one.’
‘Now, fill up, girls,’ the Count said as he sat down opposite his wife. ‘Your grandmother will be putting you to work soon with all the preparations for this evening.’
Ivy didn’t need telling twice and heaped foodon to her plate. She made sure to choose the maple syrup that Tessa had recommended, which was labelled ‘Apricot Maple Syrup’.
The Countess cleared her throat. ‘Charles, my son.’
Ivy paused in her feasting, sensing that something was about to happen.
‘I had hoped that you would be by my side tonight and escort me into the ball?’ The Countess spoke slowly but with a hopeful look on her face. ‘Like you used to do?’
Please say yes,
Ivy wished.
Please!
Ivy remembered what he’d said in the car before they’d arrived at the house. He was only here for his daughters – but maybe spending time here had convinced him to forgive his parents?
Mr Vega hesitated. ‘I regret to say that I am not feeling entirely myself today and so do not think I will be able to attend. I apologise.’
‘Of course,’ said the Countess, her voice catching in her throat. ‘I hope you feel . . . better . . . soon.’
Ivy didn’t know what to say and the rest of breakfast passed in almost silence. Half an hour later, she leaned back in her chair and rubbed her full belly.
‘Now you look like a werewolf who
ate
a full moon.’ Olivia said, laughing.
‘Mmm.’ Ivy smiled. ‘Bliss.’
‘Come along, now, my darlings,’ the Countess said, getting to her feet. ‘There are a few things to do before the ball tonight.’
Ivy pulled herself out of her chair, gripping the edge of the table.
‘Should I get you a crane?’ Olivia teased.
‘How about one of those motorised scooters?’ Ivy replied, trudging after her grandmother into the parlour. Piles of silky red and black ribbonswaited for them on each of the polished oak side tables.
‘You girls can sit there.’ The Countess pointed to a sofa behind one of the tables with ribbon.
would
have made him evil.’
Olivia couldn’t imagine Alex being cruel; he seemed so sensitive. ‘Are you absolutely sure about this?’
‘His mother is a separationist, and everyone says they fight a lot.’ Ivy jumped up and started pacing. ‘Having a human girlfriend would be one sure-fire way to make his mom really angry.’
Olivia sighed. ‘I think you’re right that Alex is sometimes unhappy with what his mother and his position demand of him, but he’s not a bad person.’
Olivia was worried it was worse than him pretending to like her; what if he really did likeher? If that was true, she was going to have to do something about it. She was with Jackson, and even if things were weird between them right now, she had to stay true to him.
‘So . . .’ Ivy said.
‘So, what?’ Olivia asked.
Ivy sat back down on the coffin. ‘Am I forgiven?’
‘You’re forgiven,’ Olivia replied, giving her sister a big hug. ‘As long as we can bury that shirt in my suitcase and forget I ever bought it.’
‘Deal,’ Ivy said.
‘Or maybe I should make you keep wearing it as punishment?’ Olivia grinned wickedly.
Ivy let out a strangled noise and hurriedly pulled it off.
The next morning at breakfast, Ivy was delighted to see a table of pancakes, sausages, hash brownsand eggs laid out buffet-style.
‘Yum,’ she said to Olivia as they entered the dining room with their father. He sat down towards the foot of the table. ‘Nudge me if I look like a werewolf during a full moon.’
The Countess beamed from her position at the head of the table. ‘I’m so glad you like it. It was Tessa’s idea.’
Ivy grinned at her new friend, who was laying out a selection of maple syrups, and mouthed, ‘Thank you!’
Tessa smiled back. She held up a bottle and made a show of pointing to it and mouthing, ‘Try this one.’
‘Now, fill up, girls,’ the Count said as he sat down opposite his wife. ‘Your grandmother will be putting you to work soon with all the preparations for this evening.’
Ivy didn’t need telling twice and heaped foodon to her plate. She made sure to choose the maple syrup that Tessa had recommended, which was labelled ‘Apricot Maple Syrup’.
The Countess cleared her throat. ‘Charles, my son.’
Ivy paused in her feasting, sensing that something was about to happen.
‘I had hoped that you would be by my side tonight and escort me into the ball?’ The Countess spoke slowly but with a hopeful look on her face. ‘Like you used to do?’
Please say yes,
Ivy wished.
Please!
Ivy remembered what he’d said in the car before they’d arrived at the house. He was only here for his daughters – but maybe spending time here had convinced him to forgive his parents?
Mr Vega hesitated. ‘I regret to say that I am not feeling entirely myself today and so do not think I will be able to attend. I apologise.’
‘Of course,’ said the Countess, her voice catching in her throat. ‘I hope you feel . . . better . . . soon.’
Ivy didn’t know what to say and the rest of breakfast passed in almost silence. Half an hour later, she leaned back in her chair and rubbed her full belly.
‘Now you look like a werewolf who
ate
a full moon.’ Olivia said, laughing.
‘Mmm.’ Ivy smiled. ‘Bliss.’
‘Come along, now, my darlings,’ the Countess said, getting to her feet. ‘There are a few things to do before the ball tonight.’
Ivy pulled herself out of her chair, gripping the edge of the table.
‘Should I get you a crane?’ Olivia teased.
‘How about one of those motorised scooters?’ Ivy replied, trudging after her grandmother into the parlour. Piles of silky red and black ribbonswaited for them on each of the polished oak side tables.
‘You girls can sit there.’ The Countess pointed to a sofa behind one of the tables with ribbon.
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