Chapter Seventeen

The bride looked dazzling in her Vera Wang dress, a leaf out of Kate Middleton's book, it was classy and elegant, and Colin was beaming beside her. When they entered the reception everyone stopped and the couple greeted each person individually as they wandered into the dining room to the elaborately decorated tables. When they spotted Nina and Lilah who were at the latter part of the line, the two gushed, entwining their hands as they displayed their rings.

"We can't thank you enough Nina!"

She groaned, the rings were only a symbol, she hated that these two placed so much importance on them. It worried her.

"I just made what you designed, that's all."

The new Mrs Wootton gushed at that, "you did SO much more. Everyone has commented on them, I hope you don't mind us telling everyone about you."

"Not at all!" Lilah leaned across and cut off any garbled response from Nina. "We love that you share things. It's all good for business.

Then they moved into the room and took their seats at a large round table to the back of the room.

"There he is," Lilah hissed as she topped up her glass from a passing waitress. "Two o'clock, front row of tables...must be family!"

Nina refused to look, and reinforced that vocally, "I am NOT looking. Now can we please change the subject?"

The food was divine and the wine free flowing. A nightmare for Nina as wine got her drunk, and often delivered a hangover, though never on the scale of Lilah's. The guests on their table were all fringe players in the Wootton life and it was entertaining. Lilah won the sweepstake for the length of the Best Man's speech, eleven minutes; and a gay couple called Fred and Bryan predicted that the father of the bride would say the words 'my darling daughter' nineteen times. Each victory was met with raucous shouts, and shots of tequila from the free bar.

All in all it was a fun time, but as the crowd milled back into the arrival room so that the dining room could be transformed to a ballroom, Lilah had excused herself to the bathroom, which left Nina as a sitting duck. She'd been hiding away in a corner praying for invisibility when a cough from her right alerted her to the one man she had no intention of getting into a conversation with.

"I have nothing so say to you," she offered, refusing to even turn her head, if anything she tipped her chin higher, almost arrogantly.

Theo giggled, she was going to do this, she was going to actually avoid looking at him, try to ignore him like a child would. Leaning against the wall beside her, he sighed, "I'm not going away." Her response was to turn her nose up even higher in the air, and he was overwhelmed with the desire to run his tongue over the column of her neck, despite her petite build, it was elegant, shapely. He shook his head, he'd never been attracted to a neck before...hell, he wasn't attracted to her, she was a nuisance he was getting out of his system, that was all this was, making good. He didn't need another woman, least of all this hellion.

Taking a deep breath, he stared at her nose instead, her angry profile, "I owe you an apology..."

"Again!" She snapped.

He smiled, "and a thank you. Last week...it really helped having you care for Melody."

"She's a cute kid...unlike her father who thought I'd kidnapped her. Wish I'd never bothered. Talk about a kick in the teeth."

Theo grinned, her anger was better than silence, "I was out of order. I get that."

Finally her head snapped around to glare at him, "that's it? You are the most rude and arrogant bastard I have ever set my eyes on, and THAT is what you quantify as an apology? Theo Peterson you are a prick, and really, I never want to set eyes on you again."

She made to walk away, but his fingers darted out, wrapping around her wrist, "don't go. I am really truly sorry."

Snatching her hand away she shook her head, but the venom had left her voice, "this isn't the time or the place."

Nina was panting once she reached the bathroom. Locked in a cubicle, she sat down on the closed toilet lid and wondered why she was barely able to breathe after so angry a confrontation, on her part anyway. Her arm still buzzed from where his fingers had grabbed her and no matter of shaking it seemed to make the life come back to it. Tears prickled her eyes, and that confused her too. She hadn't cried since she'd read the letter her father had written her just before he'd died, the one where he apologised for not believing her, for never loving her enough, for letting her down. She looked to the ceiling hoping to stem the tears.

This was nothing, this was no reason to cry, some man who meant nothing to her.

Leaving the cubicle, she freshened up, patched up her blotchy cheeks, then swiped clear gloss across her lips. Her reflection stunned her, her flat hair was a shock compared to usual, but that was nothing compared to her wild eyes, that was how she looked, wild. Blinking a few times, she turned for the door, because she wasn't prepared to stand alone any longer and try to deal with the way she felt in the aftermath of their encounter. She needed distraction...she needed Lilah.

Outside in the corridor, sat on a low window sill directly opposite the bathroom door was Theo, and he looked as frazzled by the situation as her.

"We need to talk. Seriously."

She wanted to say no, but found herself nodding her head; they had to clear the air, then she followed him through the hotel in the opposite direction to the wedding party.

He obviously knew the hotel well because it took just a few moments to arrive at a small and secluded bar. It was early evening and the place was deserted. As he moved to the bar he lifted an eyebrow in question.

"A bottle of beer," Nina knew what he was asking without words, and as he ordered, she scanned the room for the best place to sit, the place where she could control what happened. That was imperative.

When he turned back to look for her drinks in hand, he laughed. The room was flanked with comfortable sofas, chairs and small intimate tables, but she'd chosen the smallest of those with two dining chairs, and was sat upright waiting.

"Couldn't find anywhere more comfortable?"

She shrugged, "you wanted to talk, not lounge and watch a movie."

He nodded, "I know I've apologised before but I have been grossly rude to you on several occasions."

Nina leaned back in her chair, "you could say that. I have done nothing but good things for your family..."

"I was SO worried when Mansell went missing, you have no idea." He offered the words hoping she'd understand, that she'd put herself in his shoes.

She sipped her drink trying to keep herself calm for a moment, "he wanted to go away, it was a monumental occasion, seventy years since he was part of the greatest military move in history...and no one in your family would take him."

Groaning he ran a hand over his face, "there's only me and my brother..."

"And you are both TOO busy to worry about a man at the end of his life. Disgraceful," she snapped the answer at him.

Nina watched as Theo ran he wrung out his hands with frustration, "you have no idea what's going in our lives."

She grinned at his protest, "you are SO right, and on the flip side you have NO idea what's going on in MY life, or Mansell's! I took your grandfather, not because I wanted a free ride or that I'm after his money..." he had the good grace to look embarrassed at that. "But because he wanted it more than anything."

"He's vulnerable, I was concerned."

Nina sighed, "you immediately presume that I'm after your grandfather's money, that says a lot about you. I think it's YOU that's concerned with getting your hands on this inheritance, not me!"

"It's not like that Nina. I swear."

She shook her head standing from her seat, "how sad is your life that you are THAT suspicious? That you can be that judgemental of a stranger?"

As she made to move away he grabbed her wrist, mimicking the gesture that had really led to them being in the bar alone, "you're right. I am the one with the insecurities, I am the one with a sad life, and unfortunately the reference points in my life mean I have made crap decisions, and I've become cautious...maybe judgemental. And you are right they are my bads. But I want to explain...apologise properly."

She shook her head, "I have no intention of sitting listening to your sob story. We all have crap in our lives, and some use that positively, and others wallow in poison...like you."

"Nina..."

Theo watched the conflict on her face as he stood in front of her begging for the chance to explain, everything she said was right, well he wasn't interested in Mansell's money, but other than that it was all true. She could see into him so clearly. And suddenly he needed her to know that he wasn't shallow, he wasn't bitter, he had history, baggage...that was all.

"I've had to take emergency custody of Melody." That was baring his soul, and that made her stop in her tracks. "At the hospital...it was the day after finding my ex wife unconscious, she has real problems, she's in hospital now, and I can finally keep Melody with me, but it's been so hard watching, waiting...then when you didn't come back..."

"You thought I'd taken her?"

He sighed, slumping into his seat, "if you knew Sadie...I have no idea what she plans to do when she recovers. She drinks, maybe drugs...I don't know. I watched my little girl, had to let her go home to the most unstable environment...All I want is to protect her, and that might mean I make rash decisions..."

Nina gave a knowing nod, "she's a lovely little girl."

That made him smile, "I love her more than I ever thought possible." Then he stared up at her, he didn't want her to feel pity for him, but she was smiling at him.

"Finally. Mansell said you were a nice guy, that's the first time I've seen a hint of that."

She lowered herself opposite him again and reached for the beer, "what happened that day, before Mansell's stroke?"

Theo didn't want to expose himself that much, but he liked being in her company, liked that she smiled at him, genuinely for the first time. "She drinks, all the time, but on bad days I presume there are drugs too. Sadie. And that puts my little girl at risk. It's taken far too many close calls to get Melody away from her. I've been watching, waiting, desperate that she's not hurt...that day it finally came to a head." He sighed, "...it really started when you took Mansell to France, just before. That's why I couldn't take him myself. I had to wait, watch...not let anything bad happen."

She slumped back in her seat, "shit. I thought you were selfish...but you weren't?"

He half laughed, "not sure about that. I AM pretty selfish, but when it comes to Melody she gets put above everyone."

"As any little girl should in their Daddy's eyes."

Theo noted the wistfulness in that statement, it seemed he wasn't the only one with family issues; Nina had her own secrets too. "That's true. You close to yours?"

She shrugged a noncommittal response, "he's dead." He muttered an apology, but she shrugged again, "was a long time ago. Just glad your little girl has you. It's obvious how much you love her."

He smiled at that, but hated that he still knew no more about her than he had back in France. "More than life. So how come you're here today? Where do you fit in?"

She sipped her drink watching him for a moment, knowing that he was scoping her out; she had to decide how much she told him. "I'm an acquaintance of the couple. Kind of business."

That intrigued him, "you work with them?"

Shaking her head again she dramatically paused, "no, I did some work for them..." Seeing his puzzled eyes she gave a half smile, "I designed and created their wedding rings...that's what I do."

He could feel himself stare in wonder, but he really didn't know what to say, "I thought you worked at the home."

She shook her head, "I volunteer there, do some art classes, try to have some laughs with the residents..." He knew his jaw was a gape, and she smiled at that. "I like helping people out, that's why I took Mansell to France. He needed something; I could give it to him."

"And you had to face my wrath for your thanks." He shook his head in wonder; she was amazing, doing things, volunteering - just to help others. Giving time and probably money to help those she could. How unique was that in this day and age?

Nina shrugged, "I can imagine that you were worried, especially with all that going on with your ex wife."

Theo lifted an eyebrow, "that means you understand?"

Laughing Nina reached for her drink and drained the bottle, "understand? Maybe. Forgive? Not even close!"

Her walk away from him was a swagger in her step, but a few metres away from his she stopped and turned around, opening the small clutch bag he hadn't noticed in her hand and pulled out a business card.

"If you ever need someone to take Melody out...when you're visiting Mansell...call me?" And then she was gone.

He looked down at the rather elegant embossed card in his hand:

                Anneau de Saule Jewellery,

               Nina Willoughby, Designer.

Thank you Nina Willoughby, he thought as he pocketed it, knowing he'd have great pleasure in calling on her again.

"Where've you been?" Lilah hissed as Nina sidled up to her at the bar. "I've been like a sitting duck for every single man in here since you disappeared...and none of them were under fifty!"

Nina chuckled, "I can imagine you were more than capable at batting that attention off. Couldn't have been any more amorous than the Veteran Tennis Team last Easter."

Lilah chuckled at the memory of the fourteen septuagenarians who'd been staying in a nearby hotel for a summer tennis club tour match. One night all had walked into their local pub, and immediately where enamoured at the glamorous blonde at the bar. Nina hadn't laughed so much in ages.

"Ok," Lilah agreed, "it hasn't been THAT bad. Now where have you been?"

Nina intended to keep quiet, this wasn't a subject she was happy discussing, not yet, even with her best friend, but the flush of heat she felt sweep up her neck to her cheeks gave away all her secrets.

Lilah's eyes open wide, and it was at that moment that she glanced up to see Theo re enter the room from the same direction as Nina had, "you, Miss Willoughby owe me an explanation."

"It's not what you think!"

Again she chuckled, "it rarely is."