Donât you think thereâs maybe a slim possibility that I know the market value of a hotel?â
âNot half high on yourself, are you?â As soon as the sarcastic words were out, Emma regretted them.
Alex had made a fair point.
Sheâd been out to prove herself on this deal with Murdoch. Sheâd even gone so far as to secretly hope that whatever he had in mind would save McKinley Inns, so that she wouldnât have to give half of the company to Alex, and she could avoid going through with this farce of a wedding.
But Murdoch hadnât wanted to make a business deal beneficial to McKinley. Heâd simply wanted to make a purchase. Heâd been looking for a bargain.
Not that sheâd ever admit any of it to Alex. He had enough of an advantage over her already.
âLike I said before,â Alex interrupted her thoughts. âThereâs somebody I want you to meet.â
âYour lawyer?â Now that the engagement was out of the way, the prenup was next on the list.
âNo. Not my lawyer. My housekeeper.â
Â
For a man with a reputation as a cold-blooded hard case, Alex sure had a soft spot for his housekeeper. Oh, he tried to hide it. But it was there in the inflection of his voice as they came down his long driveway in Oyster Bay.
âShe can be irritable at times, and sheâs as judgmental as anyone Iâve ever met. But sheâs been with the family since before I was born, so I try to humor her.â
âBecause she scares the life out of you,â Emma guessed.
Alex hesitated just a shade too long. âDonât be ridiculous.â
They drove beneath spreading oaks and past fine-trimmed lawns. The last time Emma had come to the Garrison estate, sheâd been focused on the upcoming conversation with Alex. This time she paid more attention to the landscaping, doing a double take as they passed a magnificent rose garden.
âWhat did you tell her about me?â Emma asked as she craned her neck to watch the stunning blooms. Wow. The Vanderbiltsâ gardener had nothing on the Garrisonsâ.
âThat I was marrying you for your hotels,â he said.
âYou did not.â
âActually, I told her I was helping you out of a financial jam. She guessed the part about the hotels.â
That surprised Emma. âWell, at least I donât have to lie to her.â
âYou donât have to lie to anyone else either.â
Okay, now that was about the most ridiculous thing Emma had ever heard. âYeah, I have to lie.â
âWe tell them weâre getting married,â he explained. âWe tell them we couldnât be happierâwhich, when you consider the money, has got to be true. And we tell them weâre co-managing McKinley Inns. All perfectly valid.â
âAnd what do we do when they ask about our feelings? You planning to pull a Prince Charles?â
He glanced her way, raising an eyebrow. âA Prince Charles?â
âWhen Prince Charles was asked if he loved Diana, he said âwhatever love is.ââ
Alex chuckled.
âHey, you pull a Prince Charles on me, and Iâll pull a Mrs. Nash on you.â
âWhatâs a Mrs. Nash?â
âI donât know, but she does something that intimidates you, and Iâm going to find out what it is.â
âYouâre crazy.â
âLike a fox.â Emma glanced back out the windshield to see the three-story white building rising up in front of them. âI swear your house is bigger than some of my hotels.â
âThatâs why I bought an apartment in Manhattan.â
âYou kept getting lost?â
Alex laughed.
The building grew closer and seemed to get taller. White stone pillars gleamed in the morning sun. Dozens of dormered windows delineated the three, no, four stories, while a fountain dominated the circular driveâs center garden.
âYou spin me around three times in there, I