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Daisy laughs. “He’s been Drix’s best friend since we were kids. Didn’t much like him back then, and I sure as hell don’t now. He has become more of a jerk over the years. Frankly, I don’t understand what all the women he sleeps with see in him.”
“But Drix seems to like him, given they’re best friends,” I observe.
“Drix likes an awful lot of people he shouldn’t, present company excluded, of course.” She gives me a smile and shakes her head. “Sorry, Dalton just rubs me up the wrong way. Always has.”
“So he was never one of the waifs or strays you brought home as a kid then?”
Daisy blows a breath through her pursed lips. “Hell would freeze over first. Besides, Dalton comes from old money, the Gunn’s aren’t short of a pound or a billion.”
“A billion? You’re joking, right?”
“Nope,” she replies, popping the ‘p’ with an exaggerated breath.
“Wow. That’s a lot of money.”
“Yeah, it is.”
“What made you take a job working for Dalton then?” I ask, curious as to how she ended up working as a receptionist of the hotel he owns, or why, given she too is wealthy.
“Carl offered me the job, and I happen to like working at the hotel. Been doing it since I was a teenager. Hubert, our father, wanted us to understand the value of hardwork and earning our own money. Besides, most of the time Dalton’s not around anyway. He’s one of those managers who doesn’t actually manage all that much. He spends most of his time being a player and getting his dick wet at every opportunity.”
“Sounds like Dalton doesn’t understand how privileged he is.”
“Oh, he knows. He just doesn’t care. No doubt he’ll eventually swan back off to the Maldives living his playboy life for months on end, sleeping with everyone he meets whilst everyone else works their arses off to keep him in the lifestyle he’s accustomed to. At least Sterling and Benedict are more down to earth and willing to work for a living.”
“Who are Sterling and Benedict?”
“They’re Dalton and Drix’s friends. Been friends ever since Hubert adopted us both. Sterling is Robert Blade’s son, another wealthy man in Princetown. Sterling is this really talented artist, much to his dad’s annoyance. I honestly don’t understand why he doesn’t support him, but I guess he wants Sterling to take over his business too, just like the other heirs.”
“Heirs?”
Daisy gives me a sheepish smile. “To their families’ fortunes. There are basically four families that run this town. The Blades, the Gunns, the Pikes and the Hammers. Well, up until Hubert passed away of course.”
“Run this town? You make it sound like the wild west, not some picturesque town in England.”
She shrugs. “I guess it does sound like that, doesn’t it? But basically they own most of the businesses in town between them, supporting the families living here.”
“And does Drix do that now?” I ask curiously.
“Since Hubert passed away, in terms of the business side of things, not so much. Though honestly, I think Drix prefers it that way.”
“And Drix’s other friend you mentioned, Benedict?”
“He’s Walter Pike’s son,” she explains. “Walter owns Bandits Bar, and a few other pubs in the area. Benedict runs the bar and manages Princetown Bandits, a local band.”
“Oh, yes. I saw them play briefly when Toby had to use the toilet in the bar the other night. They’re good.”
“They’re fantastic! Maybe you could come watch them live with me sometime?” she offers, enthusiastically.
“Maybe,” I reply, stepping into the den and stopping short when I see Toby sprawled out on a thick sheepskin rug playing with the prettiest looking toy unicorns I’ve ever seen. “Well you look like you’re having fun.”
“Mama, look at them, aren’t they great?” he asks, sitting up and grabbing a blue sparkly unicorn with rainbow coloured hair.
“They’re pretty,” I agree, crouching down beside him.
“That one is called Trixy Bluebell the third,” Daisy says, winking at me when Toby gasps.
“That’s a cool name.”
