GRAEME UNCAGED: Part One (Taming the Billionaire Book 2) (9 page)

John Spenser was silent for nearly a minute.

“Very magnanimous, aren’t you, Graeme, in victory?”

“Of course,” said Graeme and hung up.

Rose stood at the doorway to his office.

“Mr. Browning, your daughter and Senor de Velaquado are here to have lunch with you and Olivia. I didn’t realize you had arranged to meet them. Do you want me to call down and remind your wife? I think she has arrangements with Haillie.”

Graeme frowned.

What were these two up to?
Had Rod devised a plan so quickly?

“Yes, call her. Let Louisa and Rod know I’ll be out in a few moments.”

Five minutes later, Graeme walked out of his office. Olivia had just come upstairs.  Ten minutes later, the four were seated at the Savoy Grill.

Olivia immediately noticed Louisa’s new ring. It was hard to miss the enormous fiery white stone surrounded by rose diamonds. It seemed to Olivia to be about the same size as the one Graeme had placed on her own finger and that totaled twenty carats…

“Louisa, that ring is beautiful,” she exclaimed.

Graeme peered at his daughter’s left hand. 

“Is that new? I recall William giving you a square cut diamond flanked on either side. It wasn’t nearly that large”

Louisa looked happily at Rodriguez. 

“It is new, Daddy. Rodriguez gave it to me this morning.”

“This morning? I did notice you didn’t come to us last evening. I thought you’d gone to Julia’s.”

Louisa coloured slightly.

“No, Daddy, I stayed at the Four Seasons with ‘Riguez. I...we have something to tell you.”

Rodriguez smiled at Graeme.

“I hope you aren’t going to play the heavy upset father with us, Graeme, when you hear our story.

“You might remember that Louisa spent a couple of weeks in Ireland earlier this year, purchasing a new jumper?”

“I remember,” said Graeme drily. He’d written a hefty cheque for the purchase. It had been twice as much as he’d paid for any other horse he’d bought her.

“Well, as you know, Louisa and I are acquainted through the equestrian circuit, so when we bumped into each other at Summerdown Stables, it was only natural that we go to dinner.

“Dinner led to the best five days of my life. Even then your daughter feared William was cheating on her. I consoled her, and well, one thing led to another…

“We agreed not to tell anyone of our affair to protect Louisa’s marriage because we both believe that divorce is a last resort…

“I didn’t know until Monday when
you
told me that Louisa was pregnant.”

“Oh?” said Graeme quietly, too quietly, thought Olivia.

“The baby is mine, not William’s,” said Rodriguez blandly. “Your daughter and I are to be married as soon as her divorce is finalized.”

Graeme took a deep breath.

“That’s your story and you’re not changing it?”

“You don’t believe us, Daddy?”

“Louisa, it doesn’t matter if I believe you or not. Did Geraldine Grey believe you?”

“Of course she did, Daddy, and more importantly, so did William. He started muttering about DNA tests, and Geraldine said if he did, I’d demand the same from Maxine.”

“William knows?”

“William knows.  He still wanted money to buy a house, but I said you wouldn’t let me give him any. He thinks his father will try to get some by trying to break the pre-nup.”

“So I offered to sell him a place I have in Notting Hill for nothing, Ten Pounds, if he played nicely with us,” added Rodriguez.

“He’s taking Maxine to see her new home this afternoon and then meeting Ms. Grey at four to sign the papers. We have to be back at her office at six to sign, then Louisa’s solicitor will be submitting them in the morning. Ms. Grey is a very clever woman. Louisa and William will be divorced because of unreasonable behaviour instead of adultery. Much less scandalous, eh?”

“Much less scandalous,” smiled Olivia, amused.

“We should be married in about seven weeks,” added Rodriguez in a very satisfied tone of voice.

“That soon? What about the fifteen day waiting period?” asked Graeme.

“My uncle, the King, is delighted with our news. I will be granted special dispensation to marry your wonderful daughter in Espagnolia the day after she gets her decree absolute. My mother shared our news with him this morning. So Mama and Uncle have set the wedding for December fifteenth. That gives them time to organize a wedding appropriate to a prince.

“Mama spoke to Louisa and I last evening. She is so excited that she will have a grandson. She loves Louisa like a daughter already. Why, Mama is already planning the wedding and the nursery. She said to tell you how happy she is that I am marrying into your family, she has such high regard for you, Graeme. I hope you will give us your blessing, it’s very important to Louisa.”

Graeme closed his eyes and squeezed Olivia’s hand under the table.

“Louisa, I severely underestimated you, princess. I just put out about Fifty Million Pounds to get John Spenser immobilized, and you did it yourself by manipulating idiot William.”

Louisa paled. She was, after all, a banker’s daughter.

“Oh, Daddy, I hope you have security for the money!”

Graeme smiled thinly.

“I do, we picked up about Twelve Million secured by his estate, which may be difficult to collect if the old lady digs her heels in, but I think we have that covered, and the rest is secured by the rental portfolio and two commercial properties. 

“Spenser is a slimy character who will always land on his feet in the end. He will hate being indebted to me, and I would imagine we’ll have some offers for his paper within weeks.

“In the end it will probably only make us a million or two, but all in all, it will work out. We bought the paper for a reasonable discount, and I was impressed with the deal Nick and Paul hammered out on the rental portfolio. The exercise was a good learning experience for your brother-in-law.”

“Well, it wasn’t for nothing, Daddy, because you know William has no control over his father, and if you hadn’t done that, I’m sure John would have held things up somehow, and ‘Riguez wants us to be married before the baby is born.”

“I’m impressed with you, young lady. You showed great negotiating skills by the sound of it…”

“Thank you, Daddy. I learned them watching you over the years.”

“I hope this baby looks somewhat like its…eh…father,” remarked Graeme drily.

“So do I,” smiled Rodriguez.

“Luckily William has dark hair and brown eyes, not unlike yourself,” observed Olivia.

“So, will you give your daughter away?”

Graeme laughed. “Where is the wedding to be held? Is it to be a royal wedding?”

“Of course it is! I am a prince in both Espagnolia and Spain after all. And you know how Mama and Uncle love a party! The wedding will be held in the Cathedral in Madriata and the reception will be at Mother’s mansion in Madriata.

“Mother’s best friend’s uncle is the Archbishop. We will have dispensation to marry in the Church. And Louisa will begin to receive instruction immediately to convert to Catholicism.  We’re flying over Sunday after Julia’s wedding so that Louisa can meet my Mama and my Uncle.”

“That was my decision, Daddy. I want our son to grow up in a unified household. ‘Riguez said I didn’t have to, but I want to. I mean, Catholic is pretty similar to Church of England, isn’t it?” Louisa looked anxiously at her father.

He nodded to her, and turned back to her fiancé.

“That house you’re gifting to William? It isn’t the one you won in a poker game at University is it?”

Rodriguez laughed. “The same, Graeme. The chap who put it up couldn’t cover a ten thousand pound wager, so that’s all it really cost me...”

“I’ll give you the ten grand,” smiled Graeme.

“Please, no. I am privileged to paying for your daughter’s needs. And her trust fund? I’d like it to be left untouched for your grandchildren, so after our son is born, perhaps we could just change it to become his trust fund??? I will be settling Fifty Million Euros on Louisa the day we marry, so she will never want.”

“Are you sure about this, princess? I know you wanted to rub William’s nose in it, but you’ve made this decision very quickly.”

“Oh, Daddy, I’m thrilled. I know I’m going to be happy with ‘Riguez. Don’t forget, we’ve known each other through riding for a long time. We share a passion for horses, and we’re extremely attracted to each other.”

Louisa blushed. “He’s so much more a man than William, so strong, so perfect for me in
every
way...I’m just like Mother, Daddy. I need my man to be in control, and William was so weak, I could ride roughshod over him. ‘Riguez on the other hand will definitely be the head of our household, just like you are. It’s how I grew up, and it suits me.”

“I see,” said Graeme. “Then mission accomplished on all fronts. Louisa gets a handsome husband who happens to be wealthy, and who is just as focused on riding as she is. She gets a strong father figure for the baby. 

“Rodriguez gets a son and a beautiful young wife to dispel the rumours his first wife is busy spreading...

“William gets a second wife who is about as silly as he is, maybe even more stupid in fact, and whether John Spenser likes it or not, he gets the guidance of the Bank’s financial experts to try and pull himself out of the hole he so recklessly dug. 

“Tell your mother to send the bills for the wedding to me, Rodriguez. I’m sure I’ll be walking a very happy bride down the aisle...”

“I will be paying for the wedding, Graeme. I insist,” smiled the Prince of Iberia. “I’m delighted to be marrying this young woman. Maria Isabella and I were expected to marry from the time we were children. I was never overly attracted to her, whereas I look forward very much to Louisa and I marrying.

“I find her to be the most desirable woman I’ve ever met.”

He smiled deeply into Louisa’s eyes.

Graeme and Olivia looked at each other, and Olivia rolled her eyes. Graeme bit back his chuckle.

Rodriguez kiss Louisa softly and then looked at Graeme again.

“We plan to spend considerable time here in England, so you will know your grandson very well, Graeme. And of course we would always welcome you and Olivia to any of our homes.”

Olivia looked at the two of them.

“Let me see now, Louisa… 

“Today is Wednesday. You discovered William was unfaithful Friday afternoon, had lunch with your father and I Monday, and asked him to find you a suitable second husband. Graeme called Rodriguez Monday after that luncheon, he was here yesterday, the four of us had dinner last evening, and less than twenty four hours later, you’re planning to be married? That’s rather quick, isn’t it?”

“Oh, ‘Livi, how long did it take you and Daddy?”

“A lot longer than that, Louisa. I worked at the Bank on the same floor as your father for seven months before we began our relationship, and your Father certainly got to know me quite well.”

“But from when you started to see each other, it didn’t take long, did it?”

Olivia hesitated and glanced at Graeme. He was sitting impassively listening.

“Three months, Louisa. And there were extenuating circumstances that had a bearing on us marrying so quickly,” she finally said.

“And they were?” asked Louisa.

“We’re nearly four months pregnant, princess,” smiled her father.

“No!” she shrieked. “I’d never have guessed! Wow, what exciting news. Our babies will be two months apart, oh my...we’ll be able to share all the baby stuff, ‘Livi. Wait till I tell Julia, she’s going to die!”

“Let’s wait until after the wedding to tell Julia, Louisa,” suggested Olivia. “We want it to be her big day, not focused on us.”

“That’s so sweet of you, Olivia, to think of Julia,” smiled Louisa. “You being pregnant wasn’t the only reason Daddy married you quickly, I’m sure. He was afraid if he didn’t snap you up right away, he’d lose you. You are the nicest woman I’ve met!”

Graeme smiled
.

No point in setting his daughter straight and in the process revealing how obtuse he’d been about loving Olivia.

“I knew Olivia was perfect for me. She understands me,” he said.

“A wife who understands you?” smiled Rodriguez. “Maria Isabella certainly did not understand me. Hates horses. I think the second time around will be much better for both of us, eh, Louisa?”

“I know it will, ‘Riguez. We have the same goals and expectations, whereas William doesn’t know what a goal is,” Louisa smiled mischievously.

“And we can’t keep our hands off each other...”

SEVEN

It was after two when Graeme and Olivia got back to the Bank. She raced downstairs to Currency Trading.

At three John Taylor insisted she take her usual tea break, so she went up to Graeme’s office, collected Rose and they made their way to the canteen.