The Billionaire’s Runaway Bride(18)

“Grow up Grace. He needs a wife and you will be it. Don’t expect the man to live like a saint”

Her mother’s soft voice had broken in “Don’t say things like that to her…he might well be…”

Her father’s contemptuous glare had silenced his wife as she had looked over at Grace with eyes so full of pain.

“He wants a family. You know that. Grace is to be the mother of his children, that is all, and he wants them soon”

Clearing her throat the feeling of panic filling her she had turned pained eyes on her father

“But papa…I want to go to university. Alexos…”

The loud slam of his hand on the wood and his angry cry stopping her

“I have talked with Alexos about this and we will hear no more! He wants children soon, not some wife spending all her time studying. You will marry him. You will bear his children and you will not interfere with his life…do you understand that?!”

Feeling the tears burning her eyes she had lifted her fork, nodding as her mother had looked at her with such pain, her eyes consoling as she had remained silent.

“Yes papa”, the table once more becoming silent.

Grace had not been able to eat any more of the food, her head spinning with her father’s words. So Alexos had talked to him and despite his admiration for her dream it had all just been words. The thought making her feel sick to her stomach. She had thought he was different, that he was special that he was a good man, but he was no different than the man who was now sitting with a look of satisfaction on his face as he had continued to read the paper.

That night she had once more laid in bed her dreams of university disappearing with the expectations of two men. Her father she knew was keen to get rid of her and Alexos, who had already told her that the weekends he had endured were to appease his 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.#p#分页标题#e#

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.