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get you out of my home and family for good.”
    “Enough!” Diana’s voice echoes
through the hall, forbidding dispute. “Remington, I am ashamed of your cruelty
as well as your manners. This is not how I raised you to behave. If you are
going to throw tantrums like a baby you must go and change out of your suit and
into diapers. We wanted you to celebrate with us today, but if you will not,
you will kindly leave so that we can enjoy our very special moment together.
With or without you, this is my wedding day and I have never been happier.”
    With that she laces her arm firmly
through my father’s and kisses him on the cheek before walking intentionally
past Remington and towards the dance floor.
    “Play, maestro!” Diana shouts,
laughing, and the quartet flares back to life with a snappy waltz.
    This leaves just me alone with Remington
standing in the aisle staring after them, dumbfounded, angry and breathing
heavily. The guests all rise and move to join the newlyweds on the dance floor
or bar, so that when Remington turns to face me again, I am completely alone
and vulnerable. He looks me up and down, his face a warring mask of contempt
and…is that lust? I really hope that’s lust. I want him to want me. I want him
to touch me.
    No. No, Veronique. No.
    God I feel naked.
    My mouth goes dry at Remington’s
frank perusal and I force myself to play it as cool as possible. It would be
intimidating enough to meet Remington Wilde under normal circumstances. But
meeting at our parent’s surprise wedding and becoming his instant enemy is
definitely not helping. What do I do? What do I say?
    “Look,” I begin, hating my voice
for faltering. “Let’s try this again. I am Veronique. Veronique LaRoux.”
    I hold out my hand, but he ignores
it.
    Wow. What a brat! Is that what they
treat rich kids in their fancy schools – how to be rude?
    I sigh, and try again.
    “I know this is all very sudden,” I
say. “I just found out about this, too, and it wasn’t exactly convenient for me
to be here. I have no idea what is going on, but I also know that I have never
seen my Dad look so happy. Can’t that be enough of an explanation for right
now? I am sure we can sit them down and get the full story later.”
    Remington’s eyes snap back at me.
“What full story,” he grunts. “This is the full story. Don’t give me the love
at first sight bullshit. My mother, the tycoon of industry, was fooled by a
common con man. You and your father cannot fool me. I know your kind.”
    “My father is not a con man,” I say
as patiently as I can. “He is actually quite lovable, if you give him a chance.
Your mother seems quite lovable too.”
    He glares at me. “I am sure that to
your father, she is very lovable – two billion pounds of lovable. You expect me
to believe that her fortune was not a factor in your father’s hasty courtship?
You expect me to believe there is more to it than that after one week?”
    My heart leaps to my throat as I
try not to show how intimidated I am by the thought of that much money. I am
pretty sure he said billion with a b. But that is not the point.
    “Oh,” I gulp. “One week? They’ve
only planned this for a week?”
    “No,” Remington grunts. “They have
only known each other for a week. Or didn’t you know? Wasn’t that part of your
plan?”
    Wow. One week? That was fast.
    “No,” I snap. “I didn’t know. There
was no plan. I am as surprised as you are, but I have the tact to be supportive
of my father’s decision and not attack the integrity of his bride’s family at
the very first meeting. I try not to define people by the size of their
wallets, Mr. Wilde. Maybe if you open your eyes and give human beings a chance
to prove themselves, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.”
    I try to let my anger with Remington
mask my concern and worry. One week?!? Are they crazy? Who gets married after
one week?
    But I don’t want to give Remington
the satisfaction of seeing that, in spite