Connie

I warn you that this is 5,314 words long and therefore, it is UNEDITED. The first part was written on my Chromebook and the autocorrect on that hates me! So, the first half will most definitely contain a lot of mistakes. If you spot any, tell me. I don't get offended.

Ok, some photos first! (Because I'm loving the multimedia functions now!)

This is Courtenay Manor House where Daniel grew up and where Connie still lives. It's the setting for this chapter.

This is Baxterley, by the way- (at least, how I imagine him to be)

And this is Connie-

Finally, meet Elias-

Blind man's bluff is a game where someone ('it') is blindfolded and they have to tag someone else.

I think that's all the important things. So, let's get straight into the chapter!

~*~*~

"Sophie, will you play Snap with me?" Nola asked from opposite me as we rode the train to the country. I looked up from the laptop that was open in front of me and saw Nola's hopeful eyes on me, a deck of cards ready shuffled in her hand. "Please?"

After talking with Daniel last night, I decided to text Elias and ask if he and Nola would like to accompany Jasmine and I to visit Connie. Nola had asked Daniel when she'd next see me and I didn't want to disappoint the little girl, but at the same time I didn't want Elias to flake out of his duties as Nola's father. Daniel had mentioned that Elias would probably cancel looking after his daughter today and I didn't like the thought of Nola being let down once again. For someone so young, she didn't deserve to have her hopes raised and dashed like that, like she was unimportant.

Saving the article that I was editing, I powered down the laptop and handed it to Jasmine so that she could put it away. I nodded at Nola and held up four fingers. "Jasmine can play, too, right?" I asked. With a quick nod of her head, Nola's smile widened. "And your dad?"

Nola frowned then, looking confused by the term 'dad.' I quickly looked in Elias' direction, and noticing him reading something on his phone, I kicked him under the table, making him jump when my foot connected with his shin. His eyes narrowed on me, not that it affected me. I gave him a sweet smile, laced with a threat, and motioned for him to put his phone away.

"Elias can play," Nola said, calling her father by his first name. "If he's not too busy."

Her voice almost cracked as she said the last part, almost like she knew he would back out. It had taken a lot of convincing to get Elias to come with us today. He was more than ready to allow Nola to come, but Elias himself was reluctant. In the end, I had to make some threats in order to get him on the train. He'd whined, of course, asking why we were taking the train, why we were visiting Connie, why wasn't Daniel coming. I simply fobbed him off with some half-arsed explanation and told him we'd meet him at Paddington at eight am.

"Shuffle me in, kid," Elias finally said, looking down at his daughter. When Nola nodded and looked away from Elias, he continued to stare down at her, a slow smile creeping onto his lips and a hint of pride flashing in his eyes. Feeling my eyes on him, Elias turned to me, his face a blank canvas. "What?"

I shrugged and laughed. Once Nola had distributed the cards evenly, she pushed each pile towards each player. "I'll start," she said, flipping over her first card to show a Two of Diamonds. "Elias, you're next."

The first round was a short one, as when Elias flipped over his card, he threw down a Two of Spades. Nola's hand shot out quickly and called 'SNAP!' Elias' eyes widened at the speed Nola played cards, mumbling something that sounded like, 'Definitely my daughter.'

The journey from London to Amesbury was just over two and a half hours, with another twenty or so minutes in the car. I'd prearranged that Baxterley, Connie's butler would meet us at Pewsey station to take us to the house, where Jasmine and I would sit with Connie while Elias and Nola could go an play outside. It was the perfect scenario.

The game of cards made the journey on the train fly by and soon enough the announcer was telling us that the next stop would be ours. Nola sighed and went to put her cards away. Just before she did, Elias placed his hand on her arm and asked for the deck of cards.

"Want to see a trick?" He asked Nola. She nodded reluctantly and watched as Elias shuffled the cards, holding the deck out for her to choose one. "Look at your card and show it to Sophie and Jasmine."

She showed us the Queen of Hearts. Placing it back in the pack, Elias shuffled again before he jerked his wrist and a card fell out of the pack. He reached out for the card and held it up for Nola to see. "Is this your card?" Nola nodded, her face full of wonder at how the trick was done. Elias turned it so that he could see, his lips curving at the side. "Queen of Hearts."

Descending the train, I led the way through the crowd at the station and headed for the car park. Jasmine was at my side, asking a ton of questions about Stonehenge. I shrugged my shoulders and told her that I didn't know anything that she was asking about. She sighed heavily and muttered something about how weird it was that I didn't know anything about Britain, considering I was British. I was half tempted to tell her that I was Irish-French and not British, but having grown up in England, that would have led to even more questions that I didn't want to answer.

Trailing behind us was Elias and Nola, who kept asking, "Can you show me another trick, Daddy?"

Reaching the car park, I spotted Baxterley stood in front of a large, black Range Rover. Once again, he wore a dark suit, crisp white shirt and a light blue tie. Spotting me in the crowd, Baxterley raised his arm to wave at me and smiled when I was near enough.

"Miss Clément," he greeted me, even though I had told him enough times to call me Sophie. He gave Jasmine and Elias a curt nod before crouching down to Nola's height, ruffling her hair with his hand. "Hello, Miss Nola."

"Hi, Edward," Nola smiled, wrapping her arms around Baxterley's neck. He returned her hug warmly, scooping her up in his hands as he walked her to the car. "Edward, I'm seven now. I can walk, you know."

Laughing, Baxterley ignored her, only stopping to place her back on the ground when they reached the rear door of the car. He opened the door and held out a hand as he helped her inside. "Don't forget your seatbelt, Miss Nola," Baxterley reminded her. He kept a close eye on Nola, nodding satisfactorily when he heard the click of her belt. Turning to myself, Baxterley motioned to the door. "Miss Clément."

Five minutes later, with Nola sat between Elias and I in the back seat and Jasmine up front, Baxterley began the drive towards Courtenay Manor House. Jasmine continued to ask questions about Stonehenge, wondering how far the attraction was from our destination, and to his credit, Baxterley answered all her queries diligently.

Meanwhile, Nola was asking lots of questions in the back seat. "Have you and Daniel fallen out?" She asked, looking up at me from under her lashes. "He's been acting weird since Sunday."

"Nola," Elias warned her, his eyes casting over at me apologetically. "You don't have to answer her, you know."

"It's ok," I tell him. Looking at Nola, I gave her my best smile but her eyes told me she didn't buy my fake happiness. I dropped the smile, and my shoulders, and shook my head sadly. "Daniel and I aren't getting along so well at the moment, sweetheart."

"Why?" Nola enquired, her head tilted to one side.

"It's a grown up thing," I try to explain. "I said something but I didn't mean it, but then I did mean it but Daniel thought that I didn't, so he told me that we couldn't be friends in the way that I want to be friends with him, so I'm a little bit sad and Daniel... I'm not sure how he feels."

Nola stared at me, as did Elias. Suddenly, the young girl nodded like she understood. "Basically, you're in love with Daniel."

"Something like that," I say, trying my hardest to keep the tremor from my voice. I see Baxterley watching me through the rear view mirror, while Jasmine nods her head. Elias, meanwhile, watched me curiously, trying to determine that validity of my confirmation. Shaking off everyone's attention, I look at Nola. "But he doesn't feel the same way. It happens like that sometimes."

Nola shakes her head. "He loves you, too. He's just being a boy. Boys are stupid."

The car went quiet after that, the rest of the drive to the house passing in silence. Nola snuggled under Elias' arm, Jasmine was on Google, looking for more information about Stonehenge, and Baxterley was concentrating on the driving, leaving me to watch as the scenery passed by in a blur.

I wasn't sure if Nola's words could be taken as gospel, but I couldn't help but overanalyse them. Could it be that Daniel was in love with me? I thought that he did; it was only three weeks ago that he and I were in his new house, affirming our feelings for each other. He said that I was his soulmate, his person, that we'd probably get married. How could he say all those words and then, not even a month later, shit all over it?

Nola's right. Boys are stupid. And they're liars. And they're just... so... urgh!

Men!

"Holy shit!" Jasmine practically shouts, making me jump in my seat. Nola gasps, making Jasmine turn to apologise. "Sorry, I forgot that there's a minor in that car. But, look! This house is a frickin' mansion."

"It's a Manor House," Baxterley says as a matter of fact. "The original house was built in the fifteenth century by Bishop of Salisbury before passing into the hands of the Courtenay family in the seventeenth century. The house was maintained sporadically until early twentieth century, when it was restored in the Arts and Crafts movement of the era. The gardens were designed by Thomas Mawson, who added the terrace and the lake-"

"There's a lake?" Jasmine interrupted, shooting a glance over her shoulder at me. "Is he for real? There's a lake?"

I nod. "Yes, Jasmine, there's a lake. If you're lucky, Baxterley might show it to us later."

"It'll be my pleasure," Baxterley smiled as he brought the car to a stop outside the main entrance. Killing the engine, Baxterley opened my door before rounding to open the doors for Elias and Jasmine. "Welcome to Courtenay Manor."

I followed Baxterley to the door, my palms getting clammy at the thought of coming face to face with Connie. Daniel said that he hadn't said anything to her about our situation, but I knew that she'd be able to sense it. I pasted a frozen smile on my face and walked the length of the hallway towards the Panelled room, the room Connie favoured the most. Baxterley knocked, waiting for that commanding voice to reply.

"Come in."

Baxterley opened the door and stood aside, allowing me to enter the room. Slowly, I stepped inside, taking note that the room looked exactly as it had when I'd last visited Connie. I came one weekend without Daniel, in the hopes that I could gather more insight of the man for the article I was writing about him. It had been the second time that I met Connie, but it was a visit that cemented my bond with her. We had sat in this room for hours, enjoying an afternoon tea that Baxterley had brought in for us to enjoy, and as we talked I learnt a lot about Daniel, as well as his family. That day, as I left, Connie pulled me into a warm hug and whispered, 'Welcome to the family, Sophie.'

Now, as I walked into the same room once again, I felt a lump grow in my throat. Connie, dressed in a pair of loose fitting trousers and a patterned blouse with her hair perfectly styled, was sat on one side of the cream couch, a book in her hand. As I entered, she looked up and smiled, removing her glasses and coming to greet me half way. I had to crouch slightly when she moved in for a hug, her arms wrapping around my shoulders tightly.

"Sophie, darling," her hoarse voice sounded. Pulling away, she studied my face closely, frowning when her eyes trace across my features. "Oh, no. What did that grandson of mine do?"

Inexplicably, I burst out crying then, covering my face with my hands.

"Baxterley," Connie called her butler forward. "Could you send for some tea? Elias, you and Nola take Sophie's friend outside, show her the grounds. We have a lake that's particularly lovely this time of year. Sophie and I have a lot to discuss."

"Of course," I heard Elias say, followed seconds later by the sound of the door clicking shut.

Connie, taking my hand, led me to the couch, forcing me to sit. I felt the chair dip next to me a Connie took her place, one arm draping around my shoulders so that my head rested against her shoulder and her other hand grasping mine tightly. All the while, she kept saying, "There, there. It'll all be alright."

Baxterley returned shortly after, setting down a tray of tea before leaving Connie and I. Once the tea was poured, cup and saucer in hand, Connie instructed that I tell her everything. I wasn't sure where to start, so I went right back to the beginning.

I told her all about how Daniel and I had met, how we had spoken to each other every day on the phone, how my feeling for him had grown since that first day, how I thought that he felt the same for me, how Daniel could have been the one to make me happy... I told her everything, including how he practically ripped out my heart and left me broken.

I had half expected Connie to interrupt me at some point, telling me that I had been stupid to believe that I could fall in love with someone so quick or how I shouldn't have put my trust in Daniel like I had. I wanted her to tell me that it had all been in my mind, that I had imagined he reciprocated my feeling, or that this past week had been a dream. If I had misread Daniel's feeling, then this hurt was all on me. If this week had all been a dream, then I'd wake up and I'd be happy again. But as I spoke, she said nothing. Connie sat and listened.

Eventually, after becoming a crying wreck once more, I finished my story.

"Well," Connie said slowly. "My grandson is a complete and utter fool, if you ask me. It's clear from how you speak about him that you're damn well in love with him, and I've seen the looks you give each other. I saw it that first day that Daniel brought you here. Even a blind person could see it. How Daniel could have misinterpreted that is beyond me."

"But-"

"Sophie," Connie warningly says my name. Slipping away from me, her steel blue eyes meet mine with such fierce determination held within them that I'm momentarily paralysed from fear. "I love my grandson, truly, I do. He is, however, an absolute idiot to have let you go. I remember the first time he brought Arabella here to meet the family. Ghastly girl. She sauntered through that door, all out to impress us that she entirely forgot about Daniel. He could have sat there all night speaking Greek and she would not have noticed.

"You, meanwhile," she continued, a smile creeping across her face. "You and Daniel? I've never seen two people so in tune to each other. If he moved, your eyes followed him. If you moved, his eyes followed you. When you spoke, he was captivated, and vice versa. And, darling, when either of you smiled, the other just lit up. That's how I knew that, one day, you were going to be a part of this family."

I shake my head. "That's never going to happen now, though, is it? He doesn't want me."

"Silly girl," she laughs in a loving way. Tapping my hand, she says, "I know my grandson, and he wants you. He's just spooked, that's all. He thinks you don't want him and in his mind, that meant that he had to back away. I'm not making excuses for him, but I don't think Daniel had ever had someone truly love him. He loved that Arabella girl more than she deserved and all he got out of it was heartache. I can see why he wouldn't want to go through that again, but at the same time, he should have known better than to expect that from you."

"What should I do?" I ask her, hoping she had some sage advice for me.

"For now," she sighs, standing up and heading for the door. Walking along the hallway and up the stairs, she continues. "I say we go upstairs and take a look at these clothes that I have no need for ever again. With regards to Daniel, well... your heart is fragile, Sophie, and you need time to see if Daniel is really what you want. Daniel, meanwhile, needs to realise that he let a good one go, work out how to win you back, and grovel on his hands and knees while apologising profusely for being a plonker."

I laugh at her words. "Plonker?"

"I could call him a lot worse, believe me," Connie says as we reach the final landing on the second floor. We head for a door to the right that leads into a darkened attic room. Connie flicked a switch on, flooding the room in light that bounced off various mirrors, the reflection of several vintage couture gowns greeting me. I gasp. "Yes, it's messy, I know. I hadn't been up here for years but once I did, I knew you were the only person that would appreciate it all."

Stepping into the room, I walked towards one of the several rail, skimming my hand over a black velvet gown, trimmed with gold. Reading the label, I see the name Maggy Rouff. I had read the name before; she'd been influential in the Paris fashion world in the thirties but I had never seen a design with her name on it before.

"That was my mother's," Connie said as she walked closer. "This entire rail is hers, while the rest are mine and my sisters. How about I leave you to it? When you're finished, come back downstairs and we'll discuss things a little more."

Too stunned to speak, I nod my head, letting my eyes cast around the room, as I take in all the designs that are here. Dior, Givenchy, Vionnet, Chanel, Balmain, Lanvin... all vintage and in pristine condition. This room is a fashionista's dream and I'm currently stood amongst the works of some of the greatest designers in the world.

I spotted a green velvet gown made by Marcel Rochas amongst the treasures, as well as a silk Nina Ricci gown from the thirties. A maroon day dress by Gilbert Adrian was hidden between a long Biba coat from the sixties and a mini disk dress by Paco Robanne. Not forgetting, either, the Oleg Cassini gown that looked strikingly similar to something that Jackie Kennedy once wore.

"Holy shit!" I swore aloud when I reached the final rail, where several large garment bags held a selection of ball gowns. Having seen the one that Connie had already gifted me, I could only imagine what the rest of the ball gowns would look like. Undoing the zip of the first garment bag, I sucked in a breath and pulled, looking at the label stitched on the dress. "No way! Madame Grès!"

The next dress was vintage Dior, followed by a Balenciaga masterpiece and a Balmain gown that was simply gorgeous. Finally, reaching for the last bag, I opened the bag and gaped at the dress inside. "Jean Patou," I read the label. "What the...?"

"It's a hell of a collection, huh?" A deep voice from behind me commented. I froze in my place, unable to turn around. That voice- it was familiar, but not quite right. "Does my brother know you're here?"

Slowly, I spun, only to come face to face with Samuel Courtenay, Daniel's brother. He was dressed casually in a pair of jeans and a grey t-shirt that clung to him, a pair of well-worn Vans on his feet. In comparison to Daniel, Samuel looked too cool, especially with that hipster haircut of his. However, where the brothers differed in their style, in looks, they were rather similar. Both had dark hair and those piercing green eyes, strong jaw and tall stature. Samuel, like Daniel, was over six feet tall and they both had broad shoulders and defined arms.

Samuel had a mischievous look on his face, almost like he knew the answer to his question without needing to ask. "I heard about your ding-dong, by the way," He said eventually, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned against the door frame, one leg crossed in front of the other. "I would offer you a shoulder to cry on, but I don't handle rejection well, so I'm not even going to bother."

He was right but still, I quirked an eyebrow at him challengingly. "How would you know that I'd reject you?"

"Because," Samuel laughed, shaking his head in amusement. "You only have eyes for Dan."

"Been talking to your grandmother, have you?" I asked, turning my back to him so that I could zip up the Jean Patou garment bag.

"Please, I have eyes, you know," Samuel snorted. I heard footsteps enter the room, stopping a few feet behind me. "These dresses have been up here for years. God know why she kept them for so long, especially considering my grandmother never had a daughter. My mother, of course, had her eye on some of these gowns for years, but Gran would never let her come near them. And the jewels!"

Samuel passed me, striding towards a large armoire in the corner of the room. He pulled the door open dramatically and waved his hands over hundreds of pieces of jewellery that glistened under the lights of the room. I made my way to Samuel's side, peering at the countless emeralds, sapphires and rubies on show. Not to mention the diamonds. Earrings, necklaces, bracelets, rings... there must be a hundred of thousands of pounds worth of jewels here.

"The thing is, these aren't even the highlight of the collection," Samuel said, lifting his fingers to push my jaw closed. He reached over me, careful not to touch me again, and opened a smaller door within the armoire. Hidden behind there was a small safe with a biometric system. Samuel pressed his finger down on the pad and a small green light lit up, followed by the click of the safe door opening. "These are the highlights. You have Astley Clarke, De Beers, Graff, Tarratt, Asprey, Cartier, Chopard, a few items from Boodles, Bulgari, Piaget, Buccellati, Tiffany's, Van Cleef and Arpels, and of course, Harry Winston."

My eyes bugged out at seeing the millions of pounds worth of gems staring back at me. One piece, a large sapphire necklace and earring set, was mounted on a display, taking pride of place in the centre of the safe. Around it, tens of earrings, bracelets and rings were arranged around the side of the safe, while other necklaces carefully adorned other smaller displays. At the rear of the safe was a tiara, adorned with pearls and diamonds that glimmered like night stars.

"Ah, the family head piece," Samuel mused as he followed my gaze to the farthest corner of the safe. "Bentley and Skinner, I believe. Apparently, it converts into a necklace but I'm not sure. Every bride marrying the Duke, or the heir to the Dukedom, wears the tiara on their wedding day. Except my mother, of course. Gran isn't a fan of Mum. Still, it's a pretty thing to look at."

All I could do was nod and whisper, "Yeah."

Samuel laughed. "Don't worry you're pretty little head. You'll wear it one day, I'm sure. Come on, let's go back down, otherwise Gran will think I'm up here, trying to get you into bed."

Samuel made sure to lock the safe, close the armoire and hustle me out the door before closing the room off to others. I followed him the entire way back to the ground floor, because I was pretty sure I'd get lost in the plethora of staircases and hallways. Instead of going down the main staircase, Samuel took me through the narrow rear ones, bringing us out in the boot room. Walking out of the boot room, we crossed the hallway and entered the panelled room once more, greeted by a beaming Connie, who had a phone pressed to her ear.

"Ah, here she is," Connie spoke into the phone. "Just a moment and I'll pass you over." She held the phone out to me, mouthing Daniel as she forced the handset into my hand. "Samuel, come and help me entertain the rest of our guests, and then Sophie and I will have a lot of things to discuss."

The door to the panelled room closed with a thud- I guessed that Samuel was the last to leave the room- and suddenly I was forced to speak to Daniel on the other end of the phone that I was holding.

"Hello?" I said into the mouthpiece.

"How's it going in Amesbury?" Daniel asked down the line. "From what my grandmother told me, there's quite a few of you down there today."

"I brought Jasmine with me," I say, sitting at the window seat and watching everyone outside. Jasmine and Nola were running around, trying to avoid a blind folded Elias, as both girls called out his name. Poor Elias looked completely lost trying to find either of them, but the smile on his face and the laughter coming from Nola more than made up for his frustrations. "Nola and Elias are here, too."

"Yeah, why is that?" Daniel enquired. "I mean, Elias actually hanging out with his daughter? Did hell freeze over and no one told me?"

I shrugged. "I don't think it did. Anyway, it'll do them good to bond. They're playing blind man's bluff outside with Jasmine and Elias is 'it.' Connie and Samuel are here too."

I was met with silence on the other end of the line, followed by, "Did Samuel try to hit on you?"

"He didn't even bother trying," I tell him with more honesty than he deserved. "He said he knew I'd reject him, so he wasn't going to waste his time."

"Good," Daniel sighed heavily. "How's the off day going?"

"Fine," I said, picking at the hem of my t-shirt. I heard Samuel shouting outside and looked up to see him, Jasmine and Nola pouncing on Elias, who was lying face down on the ground. They were all laughing while Connie filmed on Samuel's smartphone. I laughed. "This lot are crazy people."

"What's going on?"

"Oh, you know, they're all ganging up on Elias," I tell him naturally, almost like how I spoke to him before everything went awry between us. Sobering up, I try to detach myself from those emotions. "Your grandmother showed me all the clothes she has in the attic room and Samuel showed me the jewels she has, too."

"Did you see the horrible ring?" He asks. "Remember me telling you that all women see in me is the stupid heirloom ring that is just ugly?"

"No." I shake my head and feel my hair fan around me. "I saw the tiara, though."

"No one knows about that," Daniel asserts. I hear something squeak in the background, almost like he was repositioning himself in his computer chair in his office. "The brides marrying into the family only find out about it the morning of the wedding."

"I heard that your mother didn't get the opportunity to wear it," I say, recalling what Samuel had told me. "What did your mother do to upset your grandmother so much, anyway? From how Connie speaks about her, I'm guessing she's not your mum's biggest fan."

Daniel laughs bitterly. "Understatement," he grumbles. "I'm not sure what happened between them but they've never gotten along. Clash of personalities, maybe."

"Mm," I muse, watching outside as Elias swoops down to pick Nola up from the ground, twirling her around quickly as she screams in enjoyment. Jasmine videos the interaction, a smile on her face when Nola spreads her arms out to make it look like she's fling. It's adorable. "Are you in work? If Nola's here with Elias, that means you're no longer on stand-by, right?"

Daniel makes a non-committal sound. "I'm at work for now, but I'm taking a half day," he explains. "I'm meeting someone later."

"Oh?"

"Well, Alfie and I are meeting someone later," he clarifies. "We're meeting Clara and Frankie in the park."

My heart stopped. "Clara?"

No response.

"Well, I, uh..." I stammer, unable to formulate words. I'm pretty sure I'd be incapable of that. "Enjoy?"

Nothing.

"Daniel?" I call out his name, only to hear him sigh heavily on the other end of the line.

"Clara works at my office and we've been hanging out," he says quietly, a hint of guilt seeping into his words. "We're just friends, though."

"You don't need to explain yourself to me," I snap at him, feeling the anger bubbling inside. Knowing that I'd regret yelling at him, I pinch my eyes closed, press a hand to my head and try to even out my breathing. When I've calmed down enough, I open my eyes. "I should go. Connie wants to talk to me about something and I shouldn't keep her. Elias, Nola, Jasmine and I have a train to catch back, too, plus I need to rest in preparation for tomorrow."

"Ok," he says, although his tone shows he means the opposite of what he's really saying. "Good luck in the race tomorrow. I'll call you after, see if you manage to run a sub three."

I nod. "Sure. If I'm still alive after the race."

"You'll do great, Sophie," he tells me in a soft whisper. It's then that the tears prick my eyes, as it dawns on my how much I miss hearing him call me Soph. "Good luck. In a while, crocodile?"

I gulp, the first tear sliding down my cheek, as it always did when I heard Daniel say those familiar goodbyes. Trying to keep my voice level, I whisper, "Later alligator," to him.

"You said it back!" Daniel shouted, a clatter from his end of the line telling me that he'd stood up too quickly and the chair had fallen. "You said it back!"

Before he could say anything else, I press the red button on the phone handset, ending the call. I sat there staring at the phone like it was a bomb about to explode, but when it didn't ring, I let out the breath I hadn't known I was holding and sighed in relief.

"Everything ok?" I heard Connie's familiar voice ask from the doorway. Looking over my shoulder, I nod. She steps into the room, picking up a folder that was on the coffee table and makes her way to the couch where we had sat earlier. "You're lying to me, but that's ok. Now, come over here and let's discuss this project I want you to get involved with."

~*~*~

Should she have said it back?

What does Connie want Sophie to get involved with?

Why is it that everyone else can see that Sophie is in love with Daniel, but he's being a complete arsehole about it?!

What do we think about Elias spending time with Nola?

Samuel didn't even try to hit on Sophie! Thoughts?

I'm not sure who this Clara is, or what she wants with Daniel, but she better back the hell off!

I think that's about it. Did I miss anything? Comment here if I did.

See ya,

Sarah xx

22:09