Page 25

He let go slowly, and stared at me, rubbing his jaw. “You look like a little kitten just weaned off the teat. You can handle a walk down by the water with the man that will be your husband?”
I swallowed and lifted my head.You’re mypotential husband.But I could hear the doubt even in my mind. Tears stung the back of my eyes, and I took a deep breath. Now wasn’t the time to fall apart.
I gestured ahead. “Sure, let’s take a walk.”
The air was a warm breeze, and the sunlight shone through the soft clouds and pastel sky. The view reminded me of the painting I made in Italy of the marionette band playing in heaven. A vision inspired by the dinner at the Cranes. It seemed years ago, that first week in New York City. Everything was new and exciting.I had no idea what was ahead of me then.
“You’re smiling,” Percy’s voice pulled me from my thoughts. “That’s better. It should be a crime for a beautiful woman not to smile.”
I peered at him through my lashes. “A crime? Gah.”
He grinned. “Okay, not a crime, but it was a high compliment. And you being happy about it doesn’t make me think you’re dopey for me.”
I tried not to smile, but I ended up grinning.
He cocked a brow. “See? Not that hard. Just say thank you next time.” His tone was light, with a touch of sarcasm. What had he expected?Perhaps he should be the one asking that question.Still, I gave him a courteous response.
“Thank you, Percy.”
His gaze lingered on my lips before turning back towards the water.
I left his side and removed my sweater, placing it on the back of the new bench seat before sitting down. At first sight, I thought the second gazebo looked out of place in the middle of the hill’s natural beauty. But once we stood and looked out, it was like floating above water.
Percy turned around and leaned against the railing, facing me. “So, you’re a painter?”
I nodded. “Yes, I am.” Any other time, I would have denied it, but with Percy, it seemed like something I needed to defend, especially since he seemed to dismiss it as a hobby.
A ghost of a smile appeared on his lips as he removed his jacket and adjusted his tie. “I used to dabble in the arts.”
My brows rose. “Did you?”
“Yes, Ma’am. I wanted to be a games designer and even made one.”
“Wow. That’s so cool. What type of game was it?” I asked, cheery.
He shrugged. “It was a detective game. The main character had amnesia, and he had to figure out how to piece his life together to save his daughter.”
“Sounds great,” I said, smiling.
“Didn’t expect that from me, did ya?” He smirked and ran his hand through his hair as a breeze swept through the gazebo. “Neither did anyone else. I got millions invested in it, too, but once Daddy caught wind it was more than a passing dalliance, he ended the foolishness.”
I frowned. “I don’t think it’s foolish.”
He placed his hands on his hips and eyed me coolly. “It’s not an experience I share for pity. It’s what I use to teach others that I have a greater purpose.”
I swallowed hard as dread grew inside me and took root. What Percy meant by purpose wasn’t about his own. His example of giving up dreams was for me to know there wasn’t one for me to have as his wife. I didn’t ask more about it like I suspected he wanted me to.
We both fell into silence, the urgent type. The kind where there was much to say but neither one of us wanted to be the one to upend polite etiquette. From Percy’s demeanor over lunch, it was obvious that he was privy to information about our match that I wasn’t, and I wanted him to tell me.
“Do you like to swim, Adelina?” Percy broke our silence. “We all have pools at home in North Carolina. I have one here, but it’s not the same. I miss hearing all my family around, laughing, talking, catching up.”
My hands brushed down the goosebumps on my arm. It sounded like Percy wasn’t planning on staying in New York, but I didn’t want to assume. “Do you have any family here?”
“I did, but just like them we all take a trip north but quickly miss our lives in the south.”
I tensed. “I don’t want to live far from my brother.”
He squinted at me. “Not to worry. There are good care solutions in North Carolina if you want him close to you.”