father, just saw her as a means for him to placate his father. Turning she had punched the pillow as Daryle’s words had once more come to her, Grace finding herself mulling them over with serious thought. By morning she was tired, but with a real plan in her mind.
As she had left the house, her father had smiled at her, a rare event indeed, she returning the smile.
Reaching the shelter she had grabbed a surprised Daryle, dragging him outside where the two had sat on the grass, the sun beating warmly down on them both.
Staring at his friend Daryle had raised his eyebrows at the way her eyes had glowed with excitement.
“Do you remember last month…what you said?”
Frowning he had nodded giving an embarrassed laugh “Yeah…stupid I know”
Her hand had moved to grab his arm, her head shaking furiously “No…no Daryle…it really could work. Were you serious?”
His stupefied face had watched her before a slow smile had spread across his handsome features.
“Are you seriously considering this Grace?” smiling wider as she had nodded, her features so sombre
“It is like you said Daryle. This is my life - why should I not live it the way I want to?”
Laughing he had pulled her into his arms. “Well OK…future Mrs Dionis” the two holding each other as they had had laughed nervously together.
Over the next few weeks the two had put their plan into action. Daryle had contacted the firm in London getting the job after he had informed them of his upcoming marriage. The two had organised for a civil wedding holding their breath for the three weeks in which their names were displayed for everybody to see, both so nervous that they would be discovered and the plan halted before it could take place.
Alexos had continued to phone her and email her, Grace feeling such mournful sadness each time he did, not understanding her own feelings. He wanted a wife, part of her almost wondering if maybe that would be enough, knowing that it would not. Like her mother and father, his lifestyle would eventually become too much for her to bear and then they would become like them, and how would that affect any children they did have?
Each day some small gift would arrive, whether that was flowers, chocolates or small teddy bears and her mother had been beside herself with happiness congratulating her daughter on having landed such a caring, generous and handsome husband.
Grace had felt the tingle of guilt leading Alexos on, but knowing how important it was that nobody be any the wiser to her plans so she had smiled back nodding, hoping that she was carrying off the happy bride to be charade.
Finally the day had arrived for the two to elope, Grace feeling sick with the nerves that had held every part of her. With Alexos expected to arrive for their next official date the next week, his important business finally completed she had obtained her father’s permission to visit her friend in Rome to buy a more suitable wardrobe to meet the billionaire.
With her passport hidden in her overnight bag she had kissed her mother goodbye for the last time desperately holding back the tears which had inexplicably risen to her eyes as she had taken a final look at the home she had grown up in before with determination she had jumped onto the bus, Daryle joining her at the next stop.
The wedding had been fast, with two strangers dragged in from the street to be witnesses for them, Daryle giving them money for their trouble. With the licence safely registered for legal purposes the two had flown to the UK where Daryle had organised for a rental two bedroom flat for them both.
That night the two had sat looking so afraid while so excited at the same time.
“I can’t believe we did it” she had whispered to him as he had given her a small groan.
“Now comes the hard part” the two of them pulling out their phones as they had moved into different rooms to make the phone calls that they knew would be devastating to those left back
As she had left the house, her father had smiled at her, a rare event indeed, she returning the smile.
Reaching the shelter she had grabbed a surprised Daryle, dragging him outside where the two had sat on the grass, the sun beating warmly down on them both.
Staring at his friend Daryle had raised his eyebrows at the way her eyes had glowed with excitement.
“Do you remember last month…what you said?”
Frowning he had nodded giving an embarrassed laugh “Yeah…stupid I know”
Her hand had moved to grab his arm, her head shaking furiously “No…no Daryle…it really could work. Were you serious?”
His stupefied face had watched her before a slow smile had spread across his handsome features.
“Are you seriously considering this Grace?” smiling wider as she had nodded, her features so sombre
“It is like you said Daryle. This is my life - why should I not live it the way I want to?”
Laughing he had pulled her into his arms. “Well OK…future Mrs Dionis” the two holding each other as they had had laughed nervously together.
Over the next few weeks the two had put their plan into action. Daryle had contacted the firm in London getting the job after he had informed them of his upcoming marriage. The two had organised for a civil wedding holding their breath for the three weeks in which their names were displayed for everybody to see, both so nervous that they would be discovered and the plan halted before it could take place.
Alexos had continued to phone her and email her, Grace feeling such mournful sadness each time he did, not understanding her own feelings. He wanted a wife, part of her almost wondering if maybe that would be enough, knowing that it would not. Like her mother and father, his lifestyle would eventually become too much for her to bear and then they would become like them, and how would that affect any children they did have?
Each day some small gift would arrive, whether that was flowers, chocolates or small teddy bears and her mother had been beside herself with happiness congratulating her daughter on having landed such a caring, generous and handsome husband.
Grace had felt the tingle of guilt leading Alexos on, but knowing how important it was that nobody be any the wiser to her plans so she had smiled back nodding, hoping that she was carrying off the happy bride to be charade.
Finally the day had arrived for the two to elope, Grace feeling sick with the nerves that had held every part of her. With Alexos expected to arrive for their next official date the next week, his important business finally completed she had obtained her father’s permission to visit her friend in Rome to buy a more suitable wardrobe to meet the billionaire.
With her passport hidden in her overnight bag she had kissed her mother goodbye for the last time desperately holding back the tears which had inexplicably risen to her eyes as she had taken a final look at the home she had grown up in before with determination she had jumped onto the bus, Daryle joining her at the next stop.
The wedding had been fast, with two strangers dragged in from the street to be witnesses for them, Daryle giving them money for their trouble. With the licence safely registered for legal purposes the two had flown to the UK where Daryle had organised for a rental two bedroom flat for them both.
That night the two had sat looking so afraid while so excited at the same time.
“I can’t believe we did it” she had whispered to him as he had given her a small groan.
“Now comes the hard part” the two of them pulling out their phones as they had moved into different rooms to make the phone calls that they knew would be devastating to those left back
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