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His brow furrows and his jaw hardens, but he nods. I glance to Carson and I can tell he’s not any happier about this either, but he nods as well, taking a tiny step back and letting Tally and I take the lead.
Inhaling sharply, I take a step forward and Tally matches me, we glide into the room, our heads held high, practiced smiles gracing our faces as the first people notice our arrival. A hushed whisper rolls around the room as hundreds of eyes turn to us. When a waiter appears at my side, I reach out and take a martini from the tray he offers me. The glass is filled with pale pink liquid and I lift it to my lips as an identical waiter offers Tally a silvery colored drink. It’s a little ridiculous that we’ve arranged for the drinks to match our outfits, but when she turns to me and lifts her glass, I do the same, tapping mine against hers in a silent cheers motion before the first group of people approaches us.
“Carrigan, sweetheart, you look as beautiful as ever,” Mrs. Appleby says, before she looks to Tally with a genuine smile. “You must be Tallulah, it’s lovely to meet you dear.”
Mrs. Appleby’s son, Henry, appears at her shoulder, not even trying to hide the way he eyes us both appreciatively. “Carrigan, it’s a pleasure to see you again,” he says, his eyes lingering on me for a moment before he turns to Tally. “Tallulah, congratulations on your engagement, it’s nice to meet you.”
“It’s nice to meet you too,” Tally says politely.
“We heard about the inheritance,” Mrs. Appleby says quietly.
“I imagined you had.”
“I don’t care,” Henry says a little more loudly than is polite. “I think you are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen and I’ve never cared about the money. I would love to get you know you better,” he blurts.
His mother turns and smiles at him, before looking back to me. “We think you did the right thing dear,” she whispers, leaning in to me. “We always thought the will was wrong.”
Tally’s grip on my hand tightens as my lips part on a silent, shocked gasp. “Thank you,” I eventually say.
“We’ll leave you to greet the rest of your guests,” Mrs. Appleby says with a warm smile.
“I’ll call you,” Henry tells me with a wink, before offering his arm to his mom and walking back into the fray.
“What just happened?” I ask my sister.
“You just got asked out,” she laughs.
Before I have a chance to reply, more people approach, and we’re surrounded by those either commiserating the loss of the money, or applauding it. Some sneer, some pry, some denounce my great-grandfather’s outdated wishes, and one of my potential suitors even calls me an idiot.
“I’m sorry I have no idea which one of you is which,” Rupert Overston slurs as he leers at us, his eyes swinging from me to Tally and back again.
Inwardly cringing, I try to force my face into a neutral expression as I take in the man in front of me. If my parents had their way, I’d be married to him by now and pregnant with his little ginger babies. At fifteen years older than me, Rupert has a visible pooch, a receding hairline, and the ability to make me feel dirty just by the way he looks at me. According to Arlo he’s also bisexual with a yen for very young male prostitutes.
“Rupert, how are you?” I ask with as polite a tone as I can muster.
He sighs audibly. “Oh yes, you’re the one,” he sneers. “You’re not as interesting when you don’t come with billions,” he laughs. “I’d still take you, if the twin comes too, I’m sure we could have some fun,” he sneers, his disgusting lips twisting up into a salacious grin.
“Fuck off Rupert,” I hiss, turning to leave. Dragging Tally behind me as I move, my escape is cut short when I’m greeted by the hate filled eyes of our parents standing right in front of us.
“Mom, Dad,” Tally says coolly. “I’m glad you could make it. How was Marrakesh?”
“What is the meaning of this?” Dad snaps.
“Oh, we thought a party would be fun,” she retorts, a brittle smile plastered to her face. “Don’t you agree?”
“Flaunting your stupidity and begging the families of the sons you should have had your pick of to still consider you. I think that screams of desperation, dear,” Mom says, her narrowed gaze fixed firmly on me.
“I’m not looking for a husband,” I say.
“Thank goodness, the amount of weight you’ve gained you’d never find one anyway. Your sister always could eat whatever she wanted and never gain a pound, unlike you. Yet another thing she was better at, if only she’d been born first,” Mom sneers.
“Mom, Dad, a pleasure as always,” Arlo growls, his voice like ice as he appears at Tally’s side, pulling her back into his chest.
“Arlo, it looks like you picked the right sister after all,” Dad says with a laugh, glancing a look in my direction and scoffing before dismissing me and looking to Arlo once again.
“Do you have a yacht Freddie?” Arlo asks.
“Of course,” my dad replies.
