You Got It Wrong - Part Thirty Three

Chapter Thirty Three

Short notice a dark cocktail dress was as good as it got, Nina hung it on the back of the bedroom door, then made for the shower, she was no makeup artist, but she had a couple of hours to make herself as glamorous as she could, because she knew that tonight’s event was going to be lavish.  She’d booked a taxi to arrive fashionably late, after all she still had to decide what she was going to do when she got there.

Her shoes glowered at her from the doorway; it had been ages since she’d forced her feet into torture items like the spiky heels that rested elegantly on the carpet. She giggled; they wouldn’t be elegant for the rest of the night, that was for sure.

Theo tugged at the tie at his throat and groaned, he was beginning to hate all the pomp and ceremony of life. He owed Tony, and this wasn’t the greatest favour he’d ever done, a posh party, but as with them all, there were the predatory mothers, eyeing up single and eligible men for their ‘darling’ daughters like the Bennett’s did centuries earlier, time moved on, but in some sections of society marrying well was still the most important thing for parents to ensure for their child. Fortunately he didn’t have fame, a name or the reputation to put himself on their map, but he’d seen how different things were when Daniel arrived, a known political player, a known family name, people conveniently forgot that their father was a first class bastard, a drunk, a womaniser.

Tonight the room was full of dignitaries and wannabes in equal amounts. For Tony there was a huge chance to network, but for him it signified boredom.  As he grabbed a whisky from the bar, he noticed a message blinking on his phone, Daniel.

His brother was invited tonight, after all the man getting married to London’s most well known society daughter was the son of Jack Willoughby an infamous political big voice from the last generation and the old boy’s club meant that the current political army would be automatically invited to any occasion. But Daniel had shirked it at the first opportunity; apparently Willoughby junior was an arrogant bastard, a chancer and a loose cannon. Even more reason for Theo wanting to be anywhere but there.

He thought of Nina and the flop their liaison had become, after their secret afternoon of love she’d disappeared like an enigma and other than a few “Sorry, but I have to go away” messages he knew nothing else. Almost two weeks had passed and he’d started to doubt he’d see her again, which was a disaster as he’d really enjoyed their time together...more than enjoyed.

Tony swaggered across the room towards him carrying two drinks, whisky he presumed, a beam of satisfaction on his face.

                “What made you so happy?”

Tony shrugged, “the whole ridiculous of it all. I’m just had to witness the signing of a PRE-engagement prenup, can you believe that?”

Theo shrugged, he was disinterested and disillusioned, he’d used up a rare babysitter opportunity for what was a farcical flop of an evening. Tony was definitely back in the debtor role in their friendship, “why marry if you have to do that?”

                “There’s a lot of money involved on both sides...” When Theo shook his head in amazement, Tony added, “love doesn’t always work better.”

                “Touché! I just thought society arranged marriages were a thing of classic Bronte novels.”

Tony laughed, “the upper echelons of society are a complete confusion, don’t ever forget that.”

They were all milling around in the restaurant prior to sitting for the dinner that was being prepared, large groups of people, the noise of multiple conversations causing an uncomfortable din, when a kind of hushed silence took over the room. All heads turned to look at the doorway and Theo gasped. Stood there looking the epitome of classy in a dark cocktail dress and heels, hair smoothed into a pixie cut, eyes wild with fire, was Nina, the subject of his dreams.

                “What’s she doing here?” He hissed under his breath.

Tony looked at him, “is that?”

Theo nodded, it was a long time since he and Tony had bumped into her in that hotel months back, but it seemed that it wasn’t just he that found Nina unforgettable.  

As he started to march towards her torn between wanting to shout at her for being SO absent, and smothering her in passionate kisses when he felt Tony’s hand on his arm restraining him.

                “Look...”

They both, with the rest of the room, watched as James, the betrothed and host of the party reached for Nina and secreted her off through a door to his left.

                “What’s he doing to her?” Theo turned to glare at Tony, “if he hurts her I’ll kill him.”

Tony was shaking his head, “there’s something going on here.” He wanted Theo to calm down...but Theo was having none of it. Storming across the room, he threw the closed door open, aware that everyone in the room was watching him now. But the sight he saw in the other room stunned him, Nina had her hands on her hips and was definitely the one in control of the situation. James was staring at her, pale worried. And another woman, one he didn’t recognise was stood between them all three talking at the same time.

At the sound of the door opening all three looked in his direction, but whilst two didn’t know him, he saw the hint of recognition, the hint of a smile, but then she turned back to the others, dragging their attention from him.

                “I’m not letting you do this, I’m not letting you lie...does she know about you both?”

Theo was bemused, as he watched the other woman a staggeringly attractive woman gasp, “NO. There’s nothing too know Nina.”

                “If that is the case darling Imelda, then why wouldn’t my darling brother and dear step mother invite me to said engagement party? Huh?”

As the two looked po-faced, unable to answer that, Theo was desperately trying to decipher all that he was seeing. Nina was the sister of this man? She’d said she had no family, but then there appeared to be no love lost between them all, then there was the second realisation that Nina was the daughter of Jack Willoughby...he placed a hand to his head, he’d not realised, but then why would he? She’d not told him...if anything she’d avoided any talk about her family, her life.

He stepped back, suddenly realising he knew very little about the woman he’d come so close to letting into his heart. Women, with their lies, their subterfuge...he groaned, he’d just about had enough of conniving women, lying and cheating. He wouldn’t succumb to it again. The argument in front of him wasn’t as colourful as the one in his own head, so he turned and made for the door, leaving the three alone once more.

Nina could feel Theo retreat in her peripheral vision, but that was not her battle tonight, staring at her brother she watched him trying to find an answer, “James, I thought I’d seen you reach the depths of depravity many years ago,  but I have to say, that this...” She gestured around her, “you’ve now drawn another family into your shit. And I suppose the money you desperately needed was to pay for this? Your last grab at my father’s estate was to pay for a farcical engagement party.”

                “Nina, it’s not like that.”

Imelda’s plea fell on deaf ears, “it is EXACTLY like that! You two...” Her anger had reached fury level.  “You railroad through life uncaring WHO you hurt. And now another chunk of the fortune our father spent his life working for has been burned, literally. But then what do I expect of the people who put a sick man in a nursing home miles from any family or friends. You two are despicable and disgraceful.”

Neither looked sad or ashamed, but the fact that after she left home at eighteen days after finding Imelda in bed with her then boyfriend, and hours after her father laughed, refused to believe her and told her to “grow up and stop making up stories”, her father was taken ill, possibly Alzheimer’s, but instead of him being diagnosed, managed, treated...he was literally abandoned to a home for mental health patients. Left to die in solitude. When Nina found that out, AFTER he’d passed away, she’d been consumed with guilt. The letter he’d left her outlined that he knew everything, Imelda was a bitch and guilty of all that Nina had accused, James was a selfish bastard who had no time for anyone but himself, and that as a father he was interminably sorry that he’d not listened, not been there for her, never listened. She had cried when she read it, huge body wracking sobs, that all fell several months too late to count or be heard.

And now she was expected to watch and listen when the only family she had made a farce of their name and squandered their future.

Theo was livid, he’d never felt so usurped, so overthrown. Was everything that he knew a lie? Tony must have spotter him because he came across the room to meet him, leading him to a corner.

                “What’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Theo reached for a drink then downed the whole thing, “sure feels like that.”

                “That was Nina? From the hotel?”

He nodded, “Nina who I thought wanted more from me...seems that I know NOTHING about her. Nothing at all.”

                “What do you mean?”

He ran a hand through his hair, “James is her brother, she’s Jack Willoughby’s daughter.”

Tony’s eyes widened, “that’s a turn up for the books, forgot old Jack had a daughter. You didn’t know?”

Theo laughed, “and there it is! I ASKED her about her family, she told me they were all dead. I trusted her with my daughter, with my life...and all the time she was lying?”

                “Don’t over react Theo, would you admit to that wastrel being your brother?”

He laughed again dryly, “I admitted that my bastard of a father was just that, I’ve always been honest. Why can’t women be the same?”

Tony laid a hand on his forearm, “take stock for a minute, she’s NOT Sadie, not everyone has an agenda like that...”

Theo wasn’t convinced, shaking his head he reached for another drink, hating that he’s led his guard down. What was he thinking?

                “You can’t change things.” James had changed attack, “no one will believe you.”

Imelda to his left nodded suddenly looking pleased with herself, and that caused Nina to laugh, “you think that I need them to listen? Cos I don’t! I called our solicitor earlier; apparently you have mortgaged the house to over ninety thousand pounds! Far more than you could ever manage. So now...I’m the one in control, and by eight am, the FOR SALE sign will be up over the front door to Dad’s house, so any bargain you’ve made based on the house...well, you don’t need me to spell out what that means.”

                “But you can’t!” James stood mouth agape. And suddenly Nina realised how this was working. He needed the house to keep up the facade to his ‘fiancée’s’ family, he needed the wealth of his in laws to be to survive. She should feel sad that she was bringing him to his knees, but she didn’t, not at all. Instead she gave her head a sad nod, and turned and left them to their own hell.

Theo.

That was her priority, she’d not acknowledged him when he’d burst in on them a little earlier, she should have stopped what she was doing to speak to him, but it was arguably the most vital conversation she’d ever had with her family, closure, the final point in a horribly long and until now one sided relationship. She’d had to put them to bed, it was time to move on, once and for all, and selling her family home wasn’t a pleasant thought, because that truly WAS closure. The end of her childhood, the end of her family. With a sigh, she perused the room. She had to find Theo.

A waiter walked past her carrying a tray laden with champagne, and she reached out to take a glass, she should feel a million dollars, finally moving on, and finally having some sort of comeuppance but she felt hollow, empty. Pasting on a smile, she ignored the eyes that watched her; no one knew who she was, ironically, so she was like an outsider as she made her way through the restaurant.

Theo was stood at the far side, talking to a man who was vaguely familiar, when he glanced in her direction, saw her approaching, his face contorted into a scowl. And taking a deep breath she walked up to him.

                “Theo...”

He gave a nod of recognition, but a silence sat between them that was more than awkward.

                “Can I talk to you?” When he shrugged, she added, “in private?”

With a reluctant “excuse me” to the other man, he took her elbow and led her in the direction of the bathrooms, once they were away from prying eyes he pulled her to stand in front of him and scowled, “what?”

She shook her head for a moment, then offered, “I’m sorry I haven’t been in touch...there’s a lot going on...”

He shrugged, “you obviously don’t owe me any explanations.”

That stopped her in the tracks, “what?”

He gave a sardonic laugh, “your brother...” he spat the word out, “you made out that all your family was dead, we may not have had a lengthy relationship but I liked you, I let you in to my world, you met my daughter...all the time you were keeping what you were, who you are a secret. You made out that your family were all dead. What else are you hiding?”

Nina took a step back, she’d had a traumatic day all things considered, the last thing she needed was recriminations and accusations, especially unjust ones. She had to get outside, take stock, and breathe fresh air. Taking a step back she looked up at him, “if you know anything about the man hosting this party you’d know that I don’t think about him as family, he is nothing but a leech to me, to society and to the air we breathe. Same for her...” she spat out the words. “But YOU. I thought you were different, I thought you cared. This...” she waved around herself gesturing at the air between them, “this is ridiculous. Pity that I wasted time and my heart on you!”

With that she spun around and marched out away from him.