Free Undone by the Star by Stephanie Browning Page B

visit before the snow flies…. The pale pink roses are from Marc.”
    “They’re lovely,” said Alex. She bent over to breathe in their heady scent, lightly brushing the petals of the tallest stem with her thumb. They felt silky soft. Alex swallowed. Marc had been so helpful yesterday. Coming to her side without a second thought. Staying with her until Grannie was settled. And then, spending the evening together, recapturing the easy intimacy they’d had the previous Saturday as they strolled along the darkened streets.
    Alex tried to hold back the tears.
    “I called the hotel a little while ago to thank him,” she heard her grandmother say quietly. “But I was told he’d checked out.”
    “Oh, Grannie,” sobbed Alex. She left the roses to go to her grandmother’s side, gently leaning over to slide into her outstretched arms. “I’ve made such a muddle of everything.”
    “That’s not possible,” cooed her grandmother. “I’ve seen the way he looks at you…now blow your nose and sit down beside me.”
    Alex reached for a tissue.
    “There now,” said her grandmother patting Alex’s knee. “Start at the beginning and explain to me why you’re so upset. And then you can tell me all the gossip.”
    Alex couldn’t help but smile. “Should I start with Cyril or Marc?
    “Your choice,” her grandmother snorted. “Just don’t leave out the juicy parts.” And before long, Alex found she had summed the situation up pretty well, including the incident in the mews that had left her so unsettled. “I like Marc, Grannie, I really do…it’s just that the timing is all wrong.”
    “Oh, Alex….” Her grandmother leaned back against the pillows. “If falling in love were dependent on good timing and convenience, no one would ever manage it. Including your grandfather and me.”
    “Marc’s taken a flat in Kensington. On the bright side he’s still wants to use the small boardroom as his production office.”
    “Excellent. Do you know, I think his godfather stayed at The Sadler whenever he came up to London. Unfortunately, I don’t think I ever met him. Your grandfather’s career took us to Europe for most of those years.” A faraway look softened the lines of her grandmother’s face as she visited a past Alex could not see. Like the hotel itself, her grandmother was a repository of vivid memories, people, places and love.
    Alex sighed. “At least, he knows where to find me,” she said as much to herself as to her grandmother, “if he’s interested in getting to know me better….”
    “You say he has the small board room booked?”
    “For the next six weeks.”
    “Well done,” her grandmother approved. “And don’t forget, he’s a bachelor. He needs to eat. Perhaps you could invite him to dine with you in the Garden Room.”
    “I thought discretion was our mantra.”
    “It is, dear.” Miss Sadler’s eyes twinkled. “But it never hurts to have a handsome film star like Marc visit The Sadler. Especially when there’s royalty in residence. They love rubbing shoulders with celebrity.”
    “Grannie! You’re incorrigible!”
    “I know. Isn’t it wonderful?”
     

 
    CHAPTER FIVE
     
    Marc made note of the dialogue change on his copy of the script and slipped it into his folder. It had been a long, but productive meeting. “One more pass at the third act should do it,” he told his scriptwriter, “then we send it out.”
    “Brace yourself,” Tim said as he stuffed his own pages and laptop into his briefcase. He got to his feet and rolled his shoulders. “Actors can be notoriously fickle.”
    “Don’t I know it,” Marc said.
    “No offence,” Tim offered with a grin. He picked up his briefcase. “How’s Friday work for you?”
    “Perfect,” said Marc. “See you here.” As soon as Tim was out the door, Marc topped up his tea. He knew he and his partners were being spoiled, but who was he to argue? The board room at The Sadler was more comfortable than many of the other