Page 69 of New Blood

“Where?” he insisted, louder now.

“In my father’s office.”

“Were they in envelopes?”

“Why?”

“Because I want to know who sent them.”

“I already told you they were from Danielle.”

“And you saw her name and address on the envelopes?”

“There were no envelopes, just some sheets of paper bundled together.”

“So, in fact, you don’t really know who wrote them.”

“I do!” She growled. “They were signed by Danielle.”

“She signed her full name?”

“Yes!”

“That’s odd. Last night, you said the letters were only initialed. With a D.”

“It was her! It had to be her!”

“So you have no proof. Nothing.”

“But the letters—”

“All you have are accusations! So unless you produce those letters, I have to assume you made it all up to get back at me for not mating with you.”

Eve scoffed. “As if I ever wanted you! I wouldn’t have mated with you if you were the last man on earth!”

“Funny,” he mused. “Then I wonder why you entered my bedroom in the middle of the night wearing nothing more than a bit of lace.”

Eve’s head turned red, and it looked like she was ready to explode.

“You have twenty-four hours to produce the letters. If you can’t, I expect you to apologize to Danielle. And then it’s up to her whether she allows you to remain on the estate, or whether she wants you gone.”

She stared at him in disbelief. “You can’t… this is my home…”

“Which doesn’t give you the right to make accusations without any proof.”

He turned on his heel and walked to the stairs. He knew that Eve would do everything in her power to find the letters she’d spoken of—if they existed. She wasn’t the kind of woman who tolerated being called a liar. And if she didn’t produce the letters, then it was clear that she had invented them simply to hurt him and Danielle.

Downstairs, he caught a flash of Danielle as she disappeared in the hallway leading to the mud room. He followed and caught up with her as she put on a jacket from one of the hooks in the mudroom.

“Danielle.”

She turned her head and smiled at him. “Hey, Jude. I’ll be back in an hour or so.”

She opened the door.

“Going into town?”

“Violet is taking her car into the dealership, and I’m picking her up.”