Mel POV
After her little display, Mel headed in Gwen’s direction. On her way over, she studied her new sister-in-law.While she was well dressed and looking flawless, there was a discomfort about her that Mel sensed. Harry was right; the woman didn’t want to be here. The question that Mel was debating on was, if Gwen was uncomfortable with the thought of meeting Mel.
She walked over to stand next to Gwen, looking out at the room in the same direction. “Do you know everybody here?” she asked, taking a sip of her wine.
Gwen turned to see who was standing next to her, and started in surprised. She recovered well, thought Mel, and she was impressed.
“Not even half,” Gwen responded. “But that’s still probably a lot more than you know. Are you recovering from your talk with Aunty?”
Mel laughed. “That’s what the wine is for. She moved be moving on the hard stuff too- and i think that I may have annoyed her a little bit.”
“From the look on her face during your conversation. I think that you may be right.”
“Has she ever made anyone cry?” Mel asked lightly.
Gwen grinned. “Yeah.”
“Holy cow!”
“You’re the first person I’ve seen laugh,” Gwen admitted. “So welcome to the family. I understand that harry has kept you hidden for a while.”
“A bit long, probably. And it nice to finally meet you.” Mel replied.
“How long have you known my brother?”
“Not very long, so I understand a lot of the puzzled looks I’m getting.”
Gwen shook her head. “Don’t take this wrong, but I think the puzzled part is because you’re not the type of woman Harry normally dates.”
“Oh believe me, I know that.” Mel laughed.
Gwen laughed. “And harry tells us that you’re a lawyer?”
“I am. I practice family law now. I did criminal for a while. And you? Harry said that you’re in the medical field, but he didn’t give any more than that.”
“He probably didn’t know more because I am not in the family business. I’m a medical doctor.”
Mel set her plate down on a table nearby and munching after offering to share with Gwen. “I grabbed too much, feel free. So harry seems to thinks that both you and your aunty suspect that everyone he’s with is after his money. I can kind of see that with your aunty, but ....”
Gwen nearly choked on her wine. Mel handed her a napkin and patted her lightly on the back. “Are you ok?” she asked.
“Fine. I’m just surprised and kind of amused, to be honest. Because harry thinks that anyone I date is after our family’s money or he doesn’t trust their motives.
“You’re all a suspicious family, aren’t you?” Mel asked with a grin. “I just ask because I think I like you and I want us to be friends. And I want to assure that there are many reasons why I am married to your brother, but his money isn’t one of them.”
Gwen started laughing. “Yeah. I think I got that from the start. The man must absolutely adore you. And you’re too comfortable in your own skin to be looking for your identity though rich man. And this time welcome to the family and I mean it.”
Mel clinked her glass to Gwen’s. “Adore may be too strong of a word,” she confided.
The ride that night was quite. Mel was tired from her conversation with Claire had worn her out. When they got back home, Mel went upstairs, while Harry locked up downstairs. Mel was in her bedroom, when harry knocked lightly on her door. Mel turned around to see him leaning in the frame.
“Did you asked my aunty if she’d married my uncle for money?” he asked softly
Mel nodded, unable to tell if he was angry or just curious. “I did,” she responded.
“Whatever possessed you to do that?”
She shrugged. “She insulted you.”
“Me?”
“Yes. She thinks that i am married to you because of your money. So I made her understand that you had other qualities in you than just your bank account. So I asked her if that kind of thing was in her own past.”
“She was offended, but I think she got over it when she realised that you were defending me.”
“Did your parents have a good marriage?”
The defensive walls went up immediately. Mel could see them fall into place. “Why? he asked shortly.
“Why what?”
“Why do you want to know?”
Mel rolled her eyes. “I’m making small talk, harry. I’m interested in your family relationship. That’s all.”
Harry looked at her for several beats before responding. “No. They had an awful marriage. There was no bond between them. They divorce when i was seven years old; Aunty Claire and my uncle took me in and raised me as their son”
“So is that what you think of when you think of marriage?”
Walls not only up, but defences in place and offense fully engaged. “Again, why?”
“Because I’m married to you. And yes, it may be a business deal, but it stills a marriage. And it sounds an awful lot like your parents’ marriage,” she added.
“Are you asking for more, Rose?” he asked mockingly, as he continued to lean against the door frame. “is this your way of asking for a different kind of relationship? Because I’d be happy to join you in your bed this evening after your little performance and let see if we can continued. I know that it’s not part of the contract, I would be willing to work around that.”
She blushed, but didn’t turn away. He was deliberately trying to provoke her, and she wasn’t having any of it. “NO thank you?”
“I’d better let you get some sleep,” harry said finally. “Gwen liked you, and so was my mates and their girlfriends.”
“I liked them too. And good night, harry.”