Page 12 of Arrogant Heir

My mother says there’s no rush, but it prays on my mind. The last thing I want is to marry, but if I don’t, there’s always a threat hanging in the air that Sebastian will become the new custodian of Greystone Manor when Grandfather passes away.

It irks me. I’m the eldest son and heir. Greystone should be in my custody. Sebastian is too easygoing and has already been married and has a young daughter. The divorce didn’t go down well with Grandfather. He threatened to disinherit Sebastian, but in the end, he didn’t, because anyone could see the marriage falling apart was not Sebastian’s fault. At least, not intentionally. He tried to win his wife back, but she fell for some big shot premier league footballer and insisted on a divorce.

It’s a wonder he’s still so upbeat, but that’s Seb for you. I’m the heir and he’s the spare. The weight of the family legacy is on my shoulders, while he seems to cruise through life and even his failed marriage hasn’t crushed him. I’m a bit envious of his easy-going nature, although I’d never let him know.

Anyway, fortunately my grandfather isn’t piling on the pressure for me to marry just yet. He knows I understand the criteria and that must be enough for him for now. He’s had the family solicitors draw up contracts tighter than a camel’s arse in a sandstorm, so he knows it all must pan out as he stipulates, anyway. It’s fair to say neither Seb nor I have an impressive track record in love. That’s why I’m not rushing down the altar.

As I’m never falling in love again, it’ll have to be a marriage of convenience for me. My heart is colder than an iceberg. Many people have told me so. It doesn’t overly concern me. Based on the number of women who throw themselves at me and my brothers when we go out for a rare evening ofentertainment, I can’t see there’ll be any problem finding a suitable candidate when the inevitable must happen. Or shall I say, a suitable victim? Joining the Rochester family is a job in itself. It’s no easy ride, despite our billionaire status.

Whoever theunluckygirl is, she’ll get plenty out of the arrangement, so as long as we understand each other upfront, no one will get hurt, and it will be convenient for us both.

Marriages of convenience and arranged marriages. They sound so old-fashioned, but they are still super popular with the wealthy. Even when wealthy couples ostensibly marry for love, it’s rare to marry without a pre-nup and a stack of rules around the marriage, so what is that if not arranged? That being said, I understand from a few of my married friends that whatever rules and legalese you set up to protect yourself, marriage is anything but convenient.

My grandfather has intimated he would like to make a suitable match for me, but when the time comes, I will tell him I will arrange it myself. I’m not having a marriage arranged by him. If he must approve my choice of bride, then so be it. I’ll pick someone he will approve of, so it won’t be a problem.

No. I won’t be falling into the love trap again. My icy heart is sealed more securely than Grandfather’s vault at the Bank of England.

My inbox pings and I see an incoming email from the ghostwriter.

I click on the attachment and look at the book plan summary. All very efficient. There’s a note with it too:

Dear Mr Rochester,

Are you able to make the same time tomorrow? I’m going to need at least an hour of your uninterrupted time. Below are some guidelines on how to prepare for the session so we can get the most out of it.

Please confirm if 10 a.m. tomorrow works for you, and if not, let me have an alternative time.

Many thanks,

Jamie Jackson

Um. She’s determined. I chuckle at her signing off with her full name. The name that caused the misunderstanding. With a sigh, I hit reply:

10 a.m. is fine.

Regards,

DR

And then I get on with my day. We’re in the middle of buying up lots of smaller media companies in Europe so we can expand faster. It gives me a kick, but my schedule is rammed.

I look around my Greystone office, which used to be Grandfather’s. This room has witnessed countless deals in the Rochester dynasty’s empire building. It’s a beautiful room with vaulted ceilings and light flooding in from the large bay windows. He vacated it for me, saying he doesn’t need an office anymore. Said he’s retired. I know he works in the library as he’s always loved it in there.Retired.Ha! That’ll be the day.

I buzz my assistant and tell her to free up some time today on my schedule for us to prepare for the book session tomorrow.

A few minutes later, I see a new entry on my calendar. There’s an hour blocked out at 8 p.m. today. I click to accept without hesitation. I’ll eat dinner at my desk. Again. What else would I be doing, anyway?

Not sure when my assistant eats, but she’ll figure it out. That’s what I pay her for.

CHAPTER10

Jamie

It’s a shame I didn’t have time to get to know Marian as she seems just my kind of girl, which is interesting because she’s a billionaire’s daughter and we couldn’t be more different.

Hopefully she’ll come back again soon and we can get to know each other. After I leave the kitchen, I go for a wander around the gardens at the back of the house. The estate is vast, and I haven’t got my bearings yet, but I’m determined to make the most of being at Greystone. Even if my boss is difficult. The sun is shining, but the wind is high, and I zip up my jacket.

I’m feeling more optimistic about my future and even beginning to think maybe I dodged a bullet with Simon. He was the one who wanted to get married initially. I’m twenty-nine and I want kids at some point, so it seemed like the right thing to do. I said yes, but now it’s all over I wonder if I was ever madly in love with him. If I were, wouldn’t I be utterly devastated? Shouldn’t it be so shocking to lose him that I can’t even function so soon after he broke it off?