DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN LEVERAGE
The Countess of Kensington walked across the room in 2-inch heels.
"Sophie, it's okay if your cover's blown. Just find a way out of there. Sophie?" I heard Nate through the intercom. I felt my heart beating in double-time. The countess stood in front of me, her expression unreadable, even to me. Surprisingly, after a second, she smiled.
"Charlotte!" she greeted me, her arms wide open. I sighed in relief.
"Auntie," I replied, embracing her gently. I heard Nate stutter through the comm. He was a startled as I was. I walked with the countess to our table so we could talk and I could complete the con.
The news of the countess's death reached me a year after I'd completed the con. By this time, I'd all but forgotten about the poor woman.
"Nate, we need go to England," I told him after I'd received the devastating phone call from Riley, my cousin whom I've known for many years.
"Why are we going to England?" Nate asked. He seemed confused about my sudden urge to go overseas.
"The Countess of Kensington. She died last night. I just received the call from Alexander. He says I should be there for the reading of her will and the division of her property. Please, Nate? Parker's already on vacation cliff diving off the Grand Canyon…"
"Is that even legal?"
"Nate! Focus! Eliot's away at a fighting camp in Japan and Hardison's doing… well, whatever Hardison does in his free time."
"Well, why should we go? I mean, what if we get a job while we're in England? What do we do then?"
Nate was beginning to annoy me. I took in a deep breath to relax myself.
"Nate! Why do you have to be so unreasonable? Why can't we go?" I argued. I was glad he hadn't said a definite 'no', but it would reach there pretty soon.
"Why do we have to go? Why can't you go by yourself?" Nate retorted.
"Because, even though 'Sophie' has an international license, 'Charlotte' doesn't. I don't want to spend the whole time in taxis, Nate!"
"Good point. So…" he hesitated.
"What?"
"When do you want to leave?"
I was overjoyed.
"Oh, Nate!" I screamed. I hugged him tightly before running upstairs to my room to pack for England.
As soon as we landed in the London Heathrow Airport, I whipped out my cell phone and called Alexander to inform him about our arrival. He seemed overjoyed that I was going to make an appearance at the late countess's funeral and reading of the will. I wasn't sure which one he seemed more excited about. Since Nate had an international license, he borrowed a black jaguar and drove to our hotel in London, close to Kensington. Nate seemed almost at home while driving along the windy roads of the English countryside, except for the times where I had to remind him which side of the road to drive on. We barely spoke at all until we drove into The Kensington Hotel. I thought we could have stayed in a better place: it was only a 4-star hotel, but Nate thought that we would be able to return to Boston within two weeks, and so he didn't think much of it.
"Well, Sophie, here we are. Kensington, England, not more than 4 miles…"
"Kilometers," I corrected.
"Naturally. Ok, so, not more than 4 kilometers…"
"Thank you."
"Will you let me finish!"
"Sorry."
"Ugh. Never mind. Just get your purse and let's go."
I grinned at his exasperated expression as we walked through the doors into the hotel.
The butler, Bentley, led us into an ornately decorated room. There wasn't anything that didn't cost over $1000. I felt a surge of relief as I imagined the disaster that would've happened if Parker came along with us. The whole place would be stripped bare by midnight. I could tell Nate's thoughts were in sync with mine, because he shuddered before entering the parlor. Mr. Brown, the countess's lawyer, was at the podium. Sitting on the velvet-covered chairs were my cousin, Alexander, his sister, Catherine-she preferred to be called Cathy, though- and Isabella Price, Alexander's fiancée, among those of whom I knew. There were easily two hundred other people there.
"Charlotte! It's so nice to see you again," Alexander greeted. "And who is this?" he directed towards Nate. "I don't believe I've seen him before."
"Hello, Alex. This is Nathan Ford, my…"
"Colleague," Nate interrupted. For once, I was glad. I didn't know how to describe our complex relationship to Alex, even though he and his sister were the only part of my childhood that I care to remember.
"Charlotte!" Cathy called from her seat. "Come over here. We've seats for both you and Nate here."
I'd forgotten that Cathy had met Nate before, so her statement shocked me. As we were walking down the long hall, Nate reminded me that he had met Cathy when we were doing the con.
"Charlotte, I believe you've met my fiancée, Isabella Price."
"Yes I have. It's good to see you again, Isabella." I brushed my hair back nervously. She didn't have a chance to reply. Mr. Brown had called the assembly to order, so Nate and I took our seats quickly as he read out her will. Most of it was made out to people I didn't know, but those items were mostly petty baubles the Countess just happened to have lying around. When it came to the estate and the manor, everyone knew the prime candidates were Alexander, Cathy, and me.
"The Countess's estate will go to the countess's niece, Charlotte Lawson," Mr. Brown announced. I kept a straight face, while inside I was ready to scream.
"Would Ms. Lawson please come up to the podium," he asked after the assembly had scattered.
"What's the matter, Mr. Brown?"
"Ms. Lawson, even though the late countess loved you as her niece, there are no legal papers claiming your relations with her. I'm sorry, but unless you find those papers and they are proven genuine by the court, the estate will have to go to Mr. Lawrence, your cousin. Good day, Ms. Lawson."