said stiffly, “but I’m afraid I can no longer see you.” Then she turned on her heel.
“Alex!” Marc called.
But she had already disappeared through the narrow passageway.
CHAPTER FOUR
Alex heard the gentle purr of the sedan entering the mews and coming to a stop on the cobblestones below.
It was time to go.
Grabbing a pair of dark glasses, she left her flat and went down the stairs. No one would question the dark circles under her eyes. Or that she was going directly to the hospital to see her grandmother. For many of The Sadler’s long-time staff and frequent guests, Miss Eugenie Sadler was the equivalent of royalty. Her health and well-being were woven into the very fabric of the hotel, and they would be waiting for reassurance.
George opened the rear door at her approach. “Morning, Miss.”
Alex returned the greeting with a smile. He’d been calling her “miss” since he’d arrived at The Sadler as a young man. She’d been eight-years-old then, and here she was, twenty years later, about to step into the top position at one of London’s most exclusive hotels.
She’d never felt more alone.
She fought the impulse to glance at the windows of Marc’s suite, and lost. The curtains were still drawn – was he asleep, she wondered? Or had he tossed and turned as she had?
“Miss?” prompted George.
Flushing, Alex ducked into the back of the car. The last thing she wanted was for anybody to suspect the truth…that she was all over the map.
One minute she was worrying about her grandmother, the next she was reliving how perfect it had felt to be in Marc’s arms, and how quickly it had all disintegrated when she’d thrust him away. She bit her lip. She hadn’t been fair to him; but how could he possibly know the pressure she was under? The entire legacy of her family rested on her shoulders. It was her choice. Her mother was more than capable of running a business like The Sadler, but as Grannie liked to say with an accepting shrug, “A love of place often skips a generation.”
Alex sighed. She’d fallen for The Sadler the first summer she’d spent with her grandparents in London, and now, it was her home.
She should call Marc as soon as she had a chance. The least she could do was to try and fix it, find a way to explain the situation so that he understood how torn she was between him and the hotel.
“Do give Miss Sadler my best,” said George as he stopped to let her out.
“I will,” said Alex. “And, thank you. She’ll appreciate it.”
Hurrying along the hospital corridors towards her grandmother’s room, it was hard to believe scarcely more than twenty-four hours had passed since she’d found her grandmother crumpled on the floor of her suite, her leg twisted, and…Alex dashed the image from her mind. It didn’t bear thinking about.
She knew Grannie was fine; she’d called the nurses’ station at least half-a-dozen times in the last twelve hours, but until she saw for herself, Alex couldn’t settle. An orderly was clattering by with an empty trolley as Alex reached the room. She stuck her head in the open doorway. Grannie was awake, looking tired and pale, but sitting up, surrounded by enough bouquets to fill a flower shop.
“Good morning, Grannie,” said Alex as she approached. “Looks like half the florists in London have been here before me!”
“They must think I’m dead already,” grumbled her grandmother.
“I doubt it.” Alex leaned over and kissed the elderly woman’s cheek. “Not enough lilies for a funeral, Grannie,” Alex teased. “Just a long list of admirers wishing you well.”
Miss Sadler responded with a chuckle, and then gripped her granddaughter’s hand. “All this attention has me convinced. I need to free up my schedule, and enjoy the rest of my life. Maybe even a find myself an older version of your Marc.”
“He’s not my Marc, Grannie.”
“Maybe not yet,” her grandmother replied, “but we can spar over that
“Alex!” Marc called.
But she had already disappeared through the narrow passageway.
CHAPTER FOUR
Alex heard the gentle purr of the sedan entering the mews and coming to a stop on the cobblestones below.
It was time to go.
Grabbing a pair of dark glasses, she left her flat and went down the stairs. No one would question the dark circles under her eyes. Or that she was going directly to the hospital to see her grandmother. For many of The Sadler’s long-time staff and frequent guests, Miss Eugenie Sadler was the equivalent of royalty. Her health and well-being were woven into the very fabric of the hotel, and they would be waiting for reassurance.
George opened the rear door at her approach. “Morning, Miss.”
Alex returned the greeting with a smile. He’d been calling her “miss” since he’d arrived at The Sadler as a young man. She’d been eight-years-old then, and here she was, twenty years later, about to step into the top position at one of London’s most exclusive hotels.
She’d never felt more alone.
She fought the impulse to glance at the windows of Marc’s suite, and lost. The curtains were still drawn – was he asleep, she wondered? Or had he tossed and turned as she had?
“Miss?” prompted George.
Flushing, Alex ducked into the back of the car. The last thing she wanted was for anybody to suspect the truth…that she was all over the map.
One minute she was worrying about her grandmother, the next she was reliving how perfect it had felt to be in Marc’s arms, and how quickly it had all disintegrated when she’d thrust him away. She bit her lip. She hadn’t been fair to him; but how could he possibly know the pressure she was under? The entire legacy of her family rested on her shoulders. It was her choice. Her mother was more than capable of running a business like The Sadler, but as Grannie liked to say with an accepting shrug, “A love of place often skips a generation.”
Alex sighed. She’d fallen for The Sadler the first summer she’d spent with her grandparents in London, and now, it was her home.
She should call Marc as soon as she had a chance. The least she could do was to try and fix it, find a way to explain the situation so that he understood how torn she was between him and the hotel.
“Do give Miss Sadler my best,” said George as he stopped to let her out.
“I will,” said Alex. “And, thank you. She’ll appreciate it.”
Hurrying along the hospital corridors towards her grandmother’s room, it was hard to believe scarcely more than twenty-four hours had passed since she’d found her grandmother crumpled on the floor of her suite, her leg twisted, and…Alex dashed the image from her mind. It didn’t bear thinking about.
She knew Grannie was fine; she’d called the nurses’ station at least half-a-dozen times in the last twelve hours, but until she saw for herself, Alex couldn’t settle. An orderly was clattering by with an empty trolley as Alex reached the room. She stuck her head in the open doorway. Grannie was awake, looking tired and pale, but sitting up, surrounded by enough bouquets to fill a flower shop.
“Good morning, Grannie,” said Alex as she approached. “Looks like half the florists in London have been here before me!”
“They must think I’m dead already,” grumbled her grandmother.
“I doubt it.” Alex leaned over and kissed the elderly woman’s cheek. “Not enough lilies for a funeral, Grannie,” Alex teased. “Just a long list of admirers wishing you well.”
Miss Sadler responded with a chuckle, and then gripped her granddaughter’s hand. “All this attention has me convinced. I need to free up my schedule, and enjoy the rest of my life. Maybe even a find myself an older version of your Marc.”
“He’s not my Marc, Grannie.”
“Maybe not yet,” her grandmother replied, “but we can spar over that
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