The Game (Wagered Hearts Series, #3)(33)

Emilia didn't seem surprised or phased at all as we pulled up to my house. Once inside, I gave her a quick tour, but she still seemed a bit dazed and sleepy, so I showed her to her room and left. Even though it was not even midnight, I decided to call it an early night as well. Staying up and obsessing over the fact that Emilia was under my roof, not 20 feet away from me across the hall was not something I wanted to do. The weekend ahead would be taxing enough, and I needed to be at the top of my game.

I fell asleep once my head hit the pillow, more tired than I thought. Thankfully, it was an uninterrupted, dreamless sleep, and I woke up the next morning feeling refreshed. We were on the road to my parents' estate after a quick breakfast. The drive from my place to the estate took longer than usual due to traffic. But as we got closer, I could see Emilia perk up. Seeing her reaction to the surroundings made me wonder what she thought of my little corner of the world.

I wanted to tell her all about the place, share stories about my childhood here, and interesting tidbits about some of the people I'd grown up with, but the words wouldn't come out. I didn't know why I felt so inhibited around her now.

"Are we almost there yet?" she asked, her eyes shining with excitement.

"Yes, not much further," I said.

I wanted to see her reaction when the car crested over the hill and Kettering Hall came into view. It was a beautiful estate. The grounds were well maintained and the house was magnificent. While many of the other great estates had been destroyed, sold, or left to crumble, Kettering Hall was as grand as it ever was. My family reinvested in the estate, modernized, and made sure the next generation took an equal, if not greater interest in maintaining the great house.

I'd never really given much thought to the place as a kid, or even as an adult, really. The family fortune had long since stopped being reliant on land and farming, and we had groundskeepers and other workers to help maintain the land. It was just something that was always there, almost like a family member. But coming here with Emilia, and seeing it through her eyes gave me a different kind of perspective. Was it pride? I'd never seen fit to brag about living in a big drafty old house, but this place had history, hundreds of years of my family's history.

I heard her suck in a sharp gasp as the house came into view. The house looked impressive--a stately Palladian mansion fronted by a huge man-made lake. Even though it was almost winter, and the grounds had frosted over, the house had never looked more beautiful. I felt a blossoming sense of pride.

"It's beautiful," she said in awe.

"It is," I said.

We rode down the slope toward the circular drive of the house. Stella stood on the steps waiting for us. She broke out into a grin when she saw me step out of the car.

"Thank goodness you're here!" she exclaimed.

I bopped her nose and gave her a hug. "Why don't I like the sound of that?" I asked.

"What? Can't I be happy my big brother is here?" she asked, sounding too innocent to be believed.

"No. You've never been happy to see me before," I said.

She punched my arm playfully before turning her attention to Emilia. "Oh right, Stella this is Emilia. Emilia, Stella," I said making the introductions. Stella looked at me incredulously before she gave an unladylike snort.

"We have met before, Rob. You remember at Ryan's house in the Hamptons?" Stella said. She turned her attention to Emilia and leaned in to kiss her cheeks. "It's nice to see you again."

"Nice to see you too. You have a beautiful home," Emilia said.

Stella looked back at the house like she was just noticing it for the first time. "It is nice, but rather big. Half the rooms are closed off or under renovation, and the other half are for public viewing. We only occupy a tiny bit of living space," she said carelessly.

Emilia smiled politely, but didn't say anything. I wondered what she thought. I'd never paid much attention to the space, but since visiting Emilia's childhood home, I could see and understand the disparity between our lives a lot better. She could have probably fit at least ten of her homes in just the east wing of our estate.

"Come inside. Mum and Dad are waiting to meet you," Stella said, interrupting my thoughts. She walked back into the house and Emilia and I trailed her.

"Are you ready for this?" I asked, looking over at her.

She was biting her bottom lip in nervousness and I could see her shoulders were tense. "As ready as I'll ever be," she said.

"Just pretend like you're on stage or in front of a camera, just as if this were another role," I offered, helpfully.

"Yeah, of course," she said. She breathed in deeply and set off toward the front doors without looking back. I caught up to her just as we entered the house. Stella had waited for us, and looked much too giddy to be leading us into the sitting room where my parents were taking their tea.

"You really need to wipe that smirk off your face, Stella. It's really unbecoming on you," I quipped.

She looked like she was ready to argue, but the door to the sitting room opened and my mother poked her head out.

"There you are! I was beginning to wonder if you'd show up at all," she said, stepping out of the room.

"Hello, Mother. You're looking well," I said, kissing her proffered cheek. "May I introduce you to my...uh...fiancée, Emilia Holliday." The word fiancée got stuck in my throat. It was the first time I'd ever introduced her as that to anyone. It was an overwhelming sensation. I tried not to focus on it. Instead I tried to concentrate on my mother's reaction. This whole ruse was set up for her benefit, after all.