Five Dates with the Billionaire - Alyssa J. Montgomery Page 0,67

in so I can surprise Gran?’

‘Er… Mrs Stewart isn’t at home for visitors, sir.’

What the hell? ‘I’m hardly a visitor, Dawson. For God’s sake, why aren’t you letting me in?’ Anxiety crept up his spine. ‘Is Gran okay?’

Last night, Dawson had said she was doing fabulously and there’d been no call through the night to say otherwise.

‘She’s perfectly well, Mr Stewart.’ He stepped aside and Connor walked past him.

‘Is she in the breakfast room?’

‘When I said she’s not at home for visitors, sir, I meant she’s not at home.’

Connor glanced at his watch. ‘It’s only seven-thirty! Where the devil is she at this time of the day?’

She had to be at home. Gran always enjoyed lingering over breakfast no matter what else she had planned for the day.

Besides, Tony had linked Connor into an app that tracked Gran’s new bodyguards. The app showed all four were still guarding the house.

Irritation needled the nape of his neck.

He couldn’t believe his friend’s security team had failed in their duty and let Gran slip past them early this morning.

The butler let out a long breath. ‘Mr Stewart, please don’t be alarmed. Mrs Stewart is fine, but she’s at London Bridge Hospital.’

‘What?’

‘I was under strict instructions not to tell you unless something went wrong but she decided to have her scheduled surgical procedure.’

What the devil?

‘When did this happen?’

‘Nell and I drove her to the hospital on Friday afternoon while you were on your way to Venice, and your grandmother was the last patient on Dr Forrester’s surgical list for Friday evening.’

Connor swore savagely, and Dawson flinched. ‘I should’ve been told.’ What if something had gone wrong?

Gran had manipulated him. Again.

Huh! The bodyguards had been deployed late last night and had no doubt assumed Gran was already in bed. They weren’t to know they were guarding an empty house.

‘Dr Forrester says that Mrs Stewart is as good as new,’ Dawson rushed to placate him. ‘It seems likely she’ll be home later today or early tomorrow morning. She was hoping to be out of hospital by the time you arrived home tomorrow night.’

Damping down on his shock and aggravation, he tried to keep uppermost in his mind that the surgery had gone well. How bloody typical of Gran to go off and do things her way. Honestly, she was the most steely-minded, stubborn… ‘Does Miss Simms know about this?’

‘No, sir. Mrs Stewart made it clear nobody was to be told.’

‘Thank you, Dawson. I’ll make my way there directly.’ As frustrated as Connor was, he wouldn’t vent his annoyance on Dawson. ‘Is there anything I need to take to her this morning?’

‘No, sir. As far as I’m aware, she has everything she needs.’

‘Right.’

He turned to go, but stopped when Dawson said, ‘Sir, I know you’re upset, but this is the way your grandmother wanted it. I truly would’ve called you if she had needed you to come home.’

‘I know you were following her instructions, Dawson.’ The older man’s first loyalty lay with Gran. ‘I’m glad she’s had the surgery and everything’s going well. That’s the most important thing.’ It was the whole reason he’d agreed to the five dates with Mia in the first place. ‘I’ll see you later.’

As he got into his car, he phoned Tony. Stanley had assured him that Violet didn’t need any protection, but Connor wasn’t taking any chances. Some of Tony’s men needed to be redeployed to the hospital.

Carlisle had been very specific that Connor wasn’t to visit, phone or even text Mia, so he sent a text to the FBI agent instead and asked him to update both Mia and Stanley that Gran’s surgery had already taken place.

***

‘Dash it all, Connor, what in God’s name are you doing back so early?’

‘Fancy seeing you here, Gran!’

‘Sarcasm doesn’t sit well with you and Dawson’s already phoned to say you were on your way.’ She sat up straighter against the pillows. ‘Why aren’t you still enjoying one of the most romantic cities in the world with Mia? You didn’t leave her in France by herself, did you?’

‘I’ll tell you, but you need to explain yourself first.’ And there was no way he was going to let her back out.

She raised her eyebrows in a somewhat haughty expression that reminded him very much of Mia’s grandmother. Duchess Ivy had been the epitome of intimidating whenever he’d encountered her as a child.

‘I needed the procedure and I had it. You didn’t really think I was so foolish I was going to sit around with a “ticking