Chapter 50

3:45 p.m. Friday

Andy got off the elevator and headed down the hallway to the Ambassador Suite. He hadn't seen his mother since the morning before because she had left for work earlier to make up the time she'd missed earlier in the week.

Evan had been asleep when Andy departed so he hadn't seen him since the evening before when he informed him that the pre-prom dinner was a go. Evan had seemed elated to get the news.

Regan had said that she was on the way but that Joy and Ruth wanted to drop their dresses off at the house before they came to the hotel. Andy invited her parents to join them but she told him they were going on a date that night.

"In the words of Esperanza Gomez ... Aye Carumba!" Andy had replied – which led to an explanation of the housekeeper's story. He and Regan had both been laughing when he'd ended the call in the parking garage.

Now he steeled himself to meet the Dowager Countess Smithfield – his grandmother. He saw his father first when he opened the door and Evan held a finger to his lips.

"Mum is sleeping," he whispered. "Let me assure you from my teenage years that she hears everything – even when she's asleep."

"Sounds familiar," Andy related. "Regan and her crew will be here about four."

"I know," Evan said. He appeared happy to have a suite full of teenagers – something that confounded Andy. He could barely tolerate being in a room with two people of his age for very long.

"When's Mom home?" Andy asked.

"I think she's waiting until the coast is clear," Evan related with a smile. "She left us alone to survive Hurricane Anne."

He saw the confused look on Andy's face and continued.

"That's Mum's name," Evan explained. "Of course, she'll expect you to call her Grandmother."

"Are you sure?" Andy asked.

"He's sure," Anne Duffield said from the hallway. Andy turned in surprise. He hadn't heard the door close or her footsteps. The woman before him was small, perhaps five-feet-one or five-feet-two. Andy knew she was at least 60 years old or close to it but she didn't look it. Evan would turn 39 in September and he doubted Anne Duffield got pregnant at age 16. The only place her age showed was in a few streaks of gray in her brown hair and the wrinkles around her eyes. She wore a long nightgown but was beaming at her grandson.

"I failed to mention my suspicion that she once trained as a Ninja," Evan said in a stage whisper.

"At least you didn't tell him that I simply appeared out of thin air like a witch," Anne said, shaking her head. Andy and Evan were clearly father and son. The young man in front of her reminded her so much of Evan at that age that she was astounded. Andy walked forward and put his hand out.

"It's nice to meet you, Countess Smithfield," he said formally.

Anne was having none of the formality.

"Posh," she said, slipping inside of Andy's hand to give him a warm hug. "I told you, I'm Grandmother or Grandmum if you prefer. Let's just stay away from Granny until I'm more comfortable with the idea."

Andy stood stiffly in the middle of the hallway, neither pulling away from his grandmother nor returning her embrace.

"Not a hugger?" she asked when she stepped away.

"Uh," Andy stammered.

"This is what I meant by Hurricane Anne," Evan said, putting his arm around Andy's shoulder. "Mum, give him a moment to get his bearings, please."

"I have literally waited to hug my grandson for two decades," Anne said. "I decided I did not wish to wait a moment longer. Now, if you gentlemen will excuse me, I need to put on my face. I understand we're about to have company."

"My girlfriend and two of her friends are coming over," Andy admitted. "I can call her and let her know to come later if you wish."

"To blazes with what I wish," Anne said with a laugh. "I'm not the Queen. Now she's an old bat. I'm just a doting grandmother coming for a visit. If your lady friend wishes to call, I am more than happy to meet her – although I do reserve the right to critique her in order to determine if she is appropriate for my grandson."

"Mother," Evan said in a warning tone.

"I hope you have a better sense of humor than that one," Anne said with a wink toward Andy. "I think they revoked his when he went through customs."

She gave Andy another hug with one arm and then headed back down the hallway to her room.

"I'm sorry, Andy," Evan said. "I know she's a bit much at times."

"She's great," Andy said, shaking his head. "She's ... she's exactly like I've always pictured a grandmother – but a lot younger. Did she have you when she was 12 or something?"

Anne's head popped back out of her room – upside down as she clung to the doorframe.

"I heard that and I adore you even more," she said, grinning broadly. She disappeared again and Andy heard the door close behind her.

"The kids at the daycare have kept her young," Evan replied. "She's ... well, she's given them all the attention that she planned to give to you growing up. She'll calm down some in a day or so but for now, she's excited to get to know you. She and your mum had a grand time the year I took Cami over to meet them. They were quite the cutups – and she hasn't changed much."

"Mom has," Andy replied.

"Indeed," Evan remarked. "She was a bit more relaxed last night. I think she's finally starting to accept that the lean years are over."

"I just don't want her to go crazy with the money," Andy admitted. "We always had most of what we've needed."

"You really need not worry about that," Evan replied. "My solicitor has recommended some investment counselors. Even with conservative investments, she should be able to see a healthy return. She plans to meet with one one day next week. If she wishes, I'll go with her."

"Did you speak to her about reinvesting in your operations?" Andy wondered.

"Not right now," Evan replied. "For now, I'd prefer she find her own way. Obviously, I won't turn her away if she wishes to invest with us but I think it would be better for her to be in complete control of her funds until she gets used to having them."

Andy nodded. It made sense and it reinforced Andy's perception that Evan was viewing Camille as a long-term project. It was probably the best way to handle his mother, Andy knew. She tended to push back when she felt pressure.

"Good plan," Andy agreed. "Oh, I just heard the elevator. That'll be Regan and the crew. Grandma will love Joy and Ruth. They're hilarious."

"Regan seems to be a wonderful young lady," Evan said. "I truly was impressed with her when we met last week."

"As you tried to see who could be the most cordial," Andy joked. He opened the suite door just as Regan prepared to knock. She felt her heart flutter slightly when she saw him standing there and continued forward until she hugged him tightly. Evan noted that Andy had no difficulty in returning Regan's embrace. He gave her a soft kiss on the lips before ushering her into the suite. Two other girls – one Evan vaguely remembered from the weekend before and the other he'd never seen – followed.

The girls were dressed demurely in knee-length skirts and Polo shirts. When she saw Evan, Regan looked slightly embarrassed that she had hugged and kissed Andy.

"Ladies," Evan said with a nod.

"Lord Smithfield," Regan said. This time she did curtsey.

"Oh, shit," Andy muttered. He turned to Joy and Ruth. "And what's up with you two? I expected bun huggers and tank tops."

"Andy!" Regan said.

"He's my dad," Andy said plaintively. "He's not going to ask you to kiss his ring or anything like that. Just act normally around him."

Evan gestured to Andy with his thumb.

"What he said," Evan said, smiling. "I want to get to know the real you. Or the real collective you or something."

"And you!" Andy said. "Stop behaving like you're having tea with the Queen. I know you can act normally. I've seen it when you're joking with Mom."

"That's the way, Lad," Anne said from the hallway. "Lay down the law at the front. It's the only way to handle him. Now listen to your own advice."

"Countess Smithfield," Regan said, gulping slightly as she looked at the elegant woman in front of her. Anne had put on a summer dress but wore no makeup and no jewelry.

"My name is Anne," she said. "May I assume that you're Regan?"

"I am," Regan said. She was surprised when Anne hugged her tightly.

"Lovely to meet you," she said. "And who are these two lovely ladies?"

"This is Joy Dalrymple and Ruth DeLancy," Andy said, performing the introductions. "They're Regan's classmates. One of my classmates will be here in a few minutes."

"Chris is coming?" Joy asked happily.

"Chris, Elizabeth and Paul were invited but Chris is the only one who can make it," Andy said. "I hoped that Mom would be here but she appears to be in hiding."

"I'm a fearsome Ninja," Anne said, elbowing Regan slightly. Regan couldn't believe a member of the British aristocracy had just nudged her and told her a joke. Her mother would be mortified. She smiled involuntarily.

"Come, let's sit," Evan said. "I've taken the liberty of having tea and biscuits brought up."

"Those are cookies," Andy noted.

"They're the same thing," Anne said. "You say tomato, I say cranberry, and all that muck."

"I was wondering why we'd be having biscuits with tea," Andy said with a shrug. "I prefer gravy with my biscuits."

Regan wondered if Andy was just being purposely dense. Anne was smiling and shaking her head so Regan thought he might just be goofing around with his grandmother.

"You're awfully quiet," Andy told Ruth as they sat down. "Last weekend, you talked about a mile a minute."

"It's a bit intimidating," Ruth admitted.

"It's because I'm a Ninja," Anne declared, nudging Regan again with her elbow.

"I don't understand the reference," Regan admitted.

"She snuck up on us," Andy explained. "Evan said he was convinced in his teens that she was a Ninja."

"Or a witch," Evan added. "As I got older, the witch became more likely, I think."

"I'm not too old to make you get a switch," Anne joked. She turned to Ruth and Joy. "I don't know what your knowledge base is about our land. I suspect you've gotten most of your information from reading those rubbish tabloids that follow our set religiously. I'd like to dispel some myths. First off, Evan and I are relatively minor nobles. The family has a lofty title and substantial holdings but nothing compared to Miss Riley's family. We do not participate in many of the things others view as their birthright. Evan does not hold a position in the government and he does not participate in Parliament."

"The House of Lords," Joy muttered. "I forgot about that."

"Yes, but as she told you, I have no interest," Evan said. "We live in relative anonymity because we prefer it that way."

"But, you're related to the Queen, aren't you?" Ruth inquired.

"Distantly," Anne answered. "We are cousins 20 times removed or something of the sort. Several hundred years ago, one of Evan's ancestors married the granddaughter of King George IV. He was awarded an earldom in order to keep the young woman out of London. Personally, from what I've read, I think he settled for too little. He should have held out for the crown jewels."

"She was not a pleasant woman," Evan recounted. "Today, she probably would be diagnosed as a sociopath. In those days, she was known as a shrew. Unlike the Bard's tale, this one had no redeeming qualities. She managed to sire one child – a son – before she perished. After that, we have tended to marry better. But yes, that son was the great grandson of a king. Again, that was three hundred years ago. As the years have progressed, our claim to the crown has diminished. Right now, I believe we are around 30th."

"Twenty-eighth after the new baby arrived," Regan corrected. Anne turned to look at her. "I looked it up on Wiki then confirmed it through a genealogy chart. After the sons, daughters and grandchildren, you'd be fifteenth in line."

"So, it isn't likely we'll be moving to Buckingham Palace anytime soon," Evan said.

"But you've been there?" Joy asked eagerly.