Page 17 of London Dynasty

I don’t know how he knew it was me in the loo. Or why he’d felt the need to point it out. It wasn’t exactly the warmest start to our relationship. Still, every time I thought of the way he’d spoken to me while I hid in the stall, I felt a hungry tick between my legs. I’d listened to a man I’d never met, who I’d practically sold my soul to, fuck another woman. My rational half wanted to be angry about it. My emotional half was confused, jealous even. The confusion seemed to stem from the fact that I had no legitimate claim on him. And underneath my reason and my feelings, something else boiled. It was primal. It clawed inside me, wanting to be unleashed, and rattled the cage of my conscious efforts to contain it. The feeling sent my hand dancing between my legs again and again, but no matter how many times I pleasured myself, I wasn’t sated.

I was still lying in bed when the room lightened at dawn, sunlight filtering through the drawn curtains, and I was awake when someone knocked on the door.

“Yes?” I called not bothering to rise from my pillow fort but pulling the covers over me more tightly.

Giles entered, carrying a tray, and brought it to the bedside table. “Having a lie-in?”

“Something like that,” I muttered. Struggling to sit up, I tugged the old t-shirt, one of the few things I’d brought along with me, down, so I was presentable.

“I have your schedule for the day,” he informed me as he made me a cup of tea. He paused when he lifted the lid of the sugar jar. “How do you take this?”

“Two sugars,” I said. “But you really don’t have to do that for me.”

His head cocked. “Interesting, but no, I really do.”

I supposed this was more of the expectations I needed to absorb and adhere to if I was to pass for Kerrigan. “What do you mean by schedule?”

“Your father—pardon me, Mr. Belmond—would like to leave sharply at seven. Your hairdresser and make-up artist are scheduled accordingly, and your facialist will be here in an hour. Iris would like to hang out with you after your facial while you’re getting ready.” He shifted uncomfortably, lifting his glasses from his tipped nose and then cleaning them on a handkerchief. “Her words. Not mine.”

“Of course,” I said, breathing in the floral scent of the black tea.

“You should know that Kerrigan didn’t approve of her father’s romance with Miss Adler.”

I frowned. “So I should ignore her?”

“You’re the one present, Miss…” he trailed off and I realized he wasn’t sure what to call me.

“My name is Kate,” I said softly.

“It would be better not to get in the habit of using it. If I were to slip up and use it in front of the wrong person, the consequences could be messy.” He spoke apologetically, and I appreciated the difficult position he was in.

“What about K?”

“K?” he repeated.

“Just call me K, like a nickname. I’ll tell everyone that I picked it up while I was traveling,” I added the last pointedly. Later, I planned to drill Giles for as much background on Kerrigan’s whereabouts as possible. I didn’t want to be caught off guard—like I’d been with Caroline—again.

“I suppose, Miss...K,” he self-corrected. “How you proceed within this social circle is up to you. I am only here to offer insight.”

“Then I’d like to get ready with Iris.” That was an easy decision. It was understandable that Kerrigan had bristled at her stepmother’s closeness in age, but I had to believe if she’d gotten to know her that she might feel differently. “But am I seriously, just getting pretty all day?”

“It is a rather important day. We should go over who will be in attendance—”

“But you’ll be there, right?”

“If you would like,” he said, his eyebrows lifting in surprise. “I can attend with the driver and stay in the car.”

“You can’t come to the party?” I shook my head, abandoning my tea to the bedside table as panic began to take hold of me. I needed someone there. Someone who was on my side.

“I am not an invited guest. It is a very exclusive occasion. However, should you like me to remain nearby…”

“No. I won’t ask you to wait in the car. I can’t believe they’re that snobby.” I paused and recalled how Caroline had acted at lunch. Maybe I could believe it, but there had to be others like Iris and Evie who were different. Still, I wouldn’t ask Giles to sit around while I sipped champagne and danced. “What happens if I forget something or need help?”

“Your father...bloody hell, I did it again. Pardon me, Mr. Belmond will be nearby, but there’s a simpler solution.”

I clutched a pillow to my chest and nodded.

“Keep a glass of champagne with you. Whenever you need to avoid someone or some question, take a drink and nod or smile.”