Cruel Shame (Knights of Templar Academy #3) - Sofia Daniel Page 0,80
Adewale.”
Outside was a black BMW X6, the same model Sammy drove. I peered down into the front seat, relieved to find the driver was Asian.
“Professor.” Gideon opened the door, letting out a gust of warm air.
“Huh?” I climbed inside and scooted to the far end.
“My parents are very strict on titles.” Gideon took the seat next to me and shut the door. “Father used to teach Chemical Engineering before he accepted a research position with Shell Nigeria.”
My stomach lining trembled with trepidation. A doctor and a professor? Gideon himself was posh enough. What kind of people was I going to meet?
The driver took us to the Templar House—the same tudor-style hotel Orlando had arranged our romantic night together. Its lobby consisted of dark wood floors and beamed ceilings with red-velvet chairs arranged around a roaring fire twice the size of Mr. Burgh’s. Behind its counter stood a pair of women wearing waistcoats the same shade as the chairs.
One of them walked toward us with a clipboard and beamed. “Mr. Gideon Adewale?”
He offered the woman a tight smile. “Good morning.”
“Professor and Doctor Adewale said to seat you at their table if you arrived before them.” The woman hurried down through a wood-paneled library, which led to another hallway of arched, stone walls and checkered marble floors.
“What’s going on?” I whispered.
“Don’t ask,” he whispered back.
At the end of the passageway were tall, stained glass windows, and to our immediate right stood the doors to a restaurant half the size of the academy’s dining room. The receptionist handed us over to the host, who told us our table for five was ready.
We stepped into a bright room, illuminated by crystal wall lights shaped like candles and three delicate-looking crystal chandeliers. Tall windows took up an entire wall flooding the space with even more light. Unlike the reception, the chairs were deep, blue velvet that matched the sweeping drapes.
The host sat us at a window seat with a view of the hotel’s huge lawn and pond that stretched up to an evergreen forest. Beyond the breathtaking sight were hills and then mountains shrouded by mist.
“Is Mary coming?” I asked.
“She left early to meet them at church,” Gideon muttered.
I nodded, trying to remember if I’d seen his cousin on the few occasions I’d visited the chapel within the Templar Academy’s grounds.
After the host brought us a soft drink from the bar, Gideon took my hand and frowned. “How are you coping with recent revelations?”
I shook my head. “It’s hard to say. So much has happened since the last weekend that I don’t have enough time to recover from one shook before the next comes along and kicks me in the gut.”
His eyes softened. “To think that everything terrible that’s happened from your family was the work of three evil individuals.”
“It’s no wonder Elizabeth turned out so badly.”
Gideon took a sip of his diet coke. “I hope that Mr. Burgh can mount a suitable attack, now you’ve armed him with the truth.”
I was about to reply when his eyes widened and he rose to his feet. I turned to find the most spectacular woman standing in the doorway. Her skin was several shades lighter than Gideon’s, and she wore a head wrap of sparkling green silk with large, silver earrings and a thick necklace of emeralds set in silver.
Her outfit was a lace dress with a mermaid silhouette that hugged a curvaceous hourglass figure. Its transparent sleeves flared at the elbows and at the bottom, it flared at the knees. My gaze dropped down to her limited edition Louis Vuitton bag, and I gulped. At least I knew where Gideon got his flamboyant style.
Dr. Adewale’s face broke out into a smile of red lipstick and high cheekbones that gave her a radiant glow. She crossed the room with her arms outstretched.
Behind her was Mary, who wore her school uniform, and a six foot-tall man who looked exactly like the actor who played Mr. Eko on Lost. He wore an eggplant-colored, two-piece suit in a shade that appeared nearly black with a matching tie and pink shirt. I gulped. If I was into older men, I’d probably be salivating right now.
His mother swept Gideon into a hug, and spoke to him in a rapid language I didn’t recognize. Gideon hugged back, answering her questions in English.
“Miss Lilah Hancock, I presume?” Gideon’s dad’s voice was as posh as his son’s but as smooth as silk-velvet. He held out his hand and flashed me a dazzling smile.