Page 95 of All Yours
“Look at the sparkle,” she marveled.
“That’s gorgeous,” Alice said.
“The boy did a good job,” Mrs. Pennington agreed. “It looks like he chose a quality stone.”
My head swam from the champagne on an empty stomach. “I think I’m going to need some food.”
“Let me see where those canapes are,” Mrs. Pennington said and marched off.
“Yes, yes. That sounds great. Call me.” Jonah’s voice came from behind me, then an arm slid around my waist. The warmth of him enveloped me.
“There’s my fiancé,” I said, giggling. It was such a new concept.
He beamed at the moniker.
“You two are such a cute couple,” Alice said.
“Yeah, we all knew they’d make a great couple,” Lauren said, grinning.
“It took me a while to get there,” I said, snuggling against Jonah.
“It was the perfect amount of time,” Jonah said, kissing the top of my head.
My stomach rumbled, reminding me that the tray canapes had not materialized.
“Y’all want to get out of here?” Jonah asked Camden as he approached and wrapped an arm around Lauren.
“Let’s go to Lou’s. I’m starving,” Lauren said. She turned to Alice. “We should get together sometime while you’re here.”
“That would be great,” Alice said, reaching into her bag and bringing out a cell phone. “Let’s exchange numbers.”
Lauren and I gave our numbers to Alice while Camden and Jonah retrieved our coats.
Once back inside Camden’s Maserati, I kicked off my heels and snuggled against Jonah, folding my legs into the seat, his arm draped around me. My hand came to rest on his knee, my new engagement ring sparkling in the flickering light from the lamppost. Camden pulled out of the parking lot and drove along the long, windy driveway through the wooded area, plunging us into darkness.
“I’m so excited to see what Alice is going to do with all this land,” Lauren said. “But it’ll be weird that the place won’t be a private home anymore.”
“Surprised it lasted this long,” Camden said, slowing the car even more for a hairpin turn. The headlights picking up the road again as the car swung around the bend. “Running that place has to be expensive, especially with only one person living there.”
“Alice said that the remaining staff also live there, so she’s not there alone. They all live in what was called the boys’ wing back in the day and not the original servants’ quarters,” Lauren said.
“I’m guessing those digs are a bit nicer,” Jonah said.
“Are we headed to Lou’s?” Camden asked, pulling the car to a stop at the end of the drive at the junction to the main road.
“Yeah. I’m starving, and we need to tell Adrian about the engagement,” Lauren said. Turning toward me. “Did you text Eden?”
“No. Let me call her,” I said, retrieving my phone. “Have you spoken to her?”
“I wanted to tell her what happened at your arraignment but haven’t been able to get hold of her.”
Eden’s voicemail answered. “Her phone’s off. I really wished I knew what was going on with her.”
Jonah’s hand ran from the back of my knee up under my skirt, sending my brain into two competing thoughts. One was concern for Eden and the other was getting Jonah’s head under my skirt.
“I’m guessing that Adrian could tell us more than he has,” Lauren muttered.
“Yes, it’s strange that someone in this town isn’t blabbing to anyone who’ll listen,” Camden quipped.