Leaping from her perch, Poppy ran up the aisle, darting around anyone who tried to reach out or get in her way.
There were several rooms off the long vestibule beyond the double doors she burst through. Her grandmother, Marigold Granger, stood outside one.
“Come here,” Marigold said, opening the door and gesturing her over.
She and her grandmother had always been bonded. It bothered her sisters sometimes, but Poppy was grateful for it. Especially then. She’d need an ally.
Poppy assumed her family were inside, except the narrow room was empty, of people anyway. There were tables and chairs and all sorts of other furniture piled up at the back of the space like it was a storage area.
“What are we doing in here?” Poppy asked, spinning around just as her grandmother closed the door. “Where is everyone?”
“This will be a story,” Marigold said, coming over to take her arms. “He’s one of the richest men in the country. And he left his bride at the altar for her sister.”
“Nothing has ever happened between us,” Poppy said, her insistence becoming disgust. “I would never… Holden is Violet’s.”
Even if he wasn’t, Poppy wouldn’t want him.
“Are you sure about that?” her grandmother asked, inspecting her gaze. “Because it seems he’s yours for the taking. If you want him, you have to follow your heart.”
“My…” She exhaled. “Geez, Grammie, of everyone, I would think you would believe me. Why would I want a man like Holden?”
Marigold’s smile was slow. “Just checking you’re still the girl I raised.” Poppy rolled her eyes. “You’ve always been a determined girl. Since you were little. People called you precocious. Some thought you were rude… I always prayed you’d keep that fire; that you would never force yourself into their mold.”
“You do know the money is yours right?” Poppy asked. “That we have all this… the big fancy house, the company, the society, the possessions… because of you.”
“And some say it was my decision to marry your grandfather that sent my mother to an early grave. That mold belongs to the Adlers, not the Grangers.”
Poppy smiled. Her grandmother was born an Adler, but married a Granger, much to everyone’s outrage. The story of her grandparents’ courtship always brightened Poppy’s mood. Her grandfather was the groundskeeper’s apprentice. Dallying with the prestigious Adler family was forbidden for the help, especially back then.
Still, Marigold hadn’t hesitated. She’d followed her heart, going so far as to shun her family to run away with her love. It took years for her to reconcile with the Adler family. Marigold married her love, William Granger, without hesitation and only heard from her mother again after the news of her pregnancy reached the Adler Estate.
“I don’t want to marry Holden,” Poppy said. “I’ve never met anyone I want to marry.”
“And that’s why you have to leave.”
Shocked, Poppy’s mouth opened. “What?”
Marigold kept on smiling. “You’ll make it out there, Tot. You’ll love it.” She sighed and cupped her granddaughter’s face. “You haven’t been happy on the estate for a long time.”
Sometimes Poppy wondered if she ever had been. “Leaving will be a sign of guilt.”
Marigold raised her chin and took both of her hands. “They’ll believe you’re guilty anyway.” A sad truth. “The media. Society. They’ll believe you led him on… It’s not fair, but it’s always the way. It’s always the fault of the female.” Not a truth that Poppy liked to face, though it wasn’t one she could refute. “And your sister will bleed this for all it’s worth.”
It only took her a second to smile. Usually, her grandmother wasn’t so overt in her judgement of the spoiled Violet.
“Father would never let me leave.”
“Your father isn’t here,” Marigold said, letting go of her to remove her own earrings and necklace.
“What are you doing?” Poppy asked when her grandmother put the jewelry in her hands.
Marigold took off her bracelet and gave her that too. “It will get you started. I don’t have any cash and they’ll trace cards.”
“Grammie, I can’t just—”
“Yes, you can,” she said, holding up her hand to show the wedding and engagement rings on her finger. “You come back to me when you find someone worthy of giving this to you.”
“Grammie…”
“It’s okay,” Marigold said, pulling her into a hug. “I’ll take care of what I can here. You need to get away before the circus begins. There’s probably footage from inside.” Damnit, maybe she should’ve thought about that before punching Holden. “You call though… I won’t tell your parents, your siblings… You call me