Page 340 of A Vicious Love

“He did not choose the Bellemere retreat.”

“No sane man would.”

I reached for my phone.

Reeves answered quickly, as always. “Sir.”

“We are skipping breakfast.”

A pause.

Not confusion. Suffering.

“Understood.”

“Relay it to the main house.”

“Which version would you prefer?”

“The accurate one.”

Another pause. “Mr. Crow and Miss Bellemere will be taking breakfast privately at House Alder.”

“Add that we are unavailable until lunch.”

“Unavailable for conversation, obligation, organized activity, surprise family traditions, or all known forms of Bellemere enthusiasm?”

Sienna’s shoulders shook against my chest.

I glanced down at her. “All known forms of Bellemere enthusiasm.”

“Very good, sir.”

“And send breakfast here. Enough for her.”

“For you?”

“Coffee. Whiskey if this family attempts contact before eleven.”

“Sadly, the household staff may resist whiskey before noon.”

“Then educate them.”

Reeves exhaled, faintly. A man suffering beneath his skill level. “I will see what can be done.”

“You sound strained.”

“I am currently standing beside a table containing seven varieties of breakfast preserves and a handwritten chart identifying which aunt made each one.”

Sienna lifted her head, whispering, “That’s the jam chart.”

I covered the phone slightly. “They chart jam?”

Well they could keep their jam charts away from me.

“They’re very serious about it.” She said tracing my chest. This family needed to be studied. That was coming from someone with a bloodline that was regularly studied.

“Reeves can you add to your already busy day. That no one comes to House Alder.”