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They didn’t. Donna wasn’t known as the family doormat for nothing.
“He can’t do that,” Agnes said. “It wasn’t in your employment contract. I know. I read it. Unlike you.”
“I need that reference, and the lord of the manor won’t give me one if I don’t stay two weeks.”
“Does he know you call him that?” Mairi said.
“Are you insane?” Donna said. “He doesn’t know half of what we call him behind his back.”
“Can we focus?” Isobel said, sounding strangely like Callum. “You can’t give two weeks’ notice because we need to leave in a couple of days.”
“I’ll follow you,” Donna said. “You get settled and I’ll be there two weeks later. It isn’t that long.”
Isobel shook her head. “I can’t leave you behind. Everyone knows us here, and Eddie would use you to get to me. He’ll hurt you, Donna. I can’t let him hurt you. Either we all go together or we stay together.”
“If you stay, he’ll hurt you.” Donna shuddered. “I can hide at the manor house. He won’t be able to get to me.”
“Yes, he will.” Isobel knew exactly what Eddie Granger was capable of doing. “We need to get out now. Together. We need to start somewhere where no one knows us and no one can find us.”
“Did you plan to tell me that you’re running away?”
The voice startled everyone, and all eyes turned to the staircase leading to the house above.
Callum stood in the entrance, his feet apart, his arms folded and his jaw set. He was not pleased.
Isobel swallowed hard. “Yes. I planned to tell you.”
“When?” The temperature in the room dropped, and Isobel shivered.
“I don’t know. Soon.” She squirmed.
“Before or after you disappeared?” His voice was deadly calm, and Isobel noticed that the room was suddenly very silent.
“Callum, we can talk about this later. We don’t have any definite plans right now.”
“Sounds definite to me. Donna is giving notice and Mairi is informing their landlord.” His eyes were like lasers burning into her. “You didn’t mention a deadline for the money when you told me about the loan shark hitting you.”
“He hit you?” Jack was off the sofa and charging towards her, as though he could save her from something that had already happened.
“I’m okay,” Isobel said. “It’s nothing.”
“It isn’t nothing.” Callum stood beside Jack. “She could have cracked ribs.”
“Let me see,” Jack demanded. He took a step towards Isobel, and Callum put a hand on his shoulder to stop him.
“Isobel!” Donna said. “You didn’t tell us that.”
“I was handling it,” Isobel said. “I’m sure my ribs are fine.”
“The same way you’re sure you aren’t pregnant?” Callum said. “You can’t will things to happen just because you want them to be that way.”
“I am not pregnant. I don’t have broken ribs and I am dealing with everything.” Her voice turned into a hysterical screech. People needed to back off and give her some
space. She was coping with things as best she could. She would be doing a whole lot better if the problems stopped coming at her so damn fast.
There was a thud, and then the door to the bedroom Callum used crashed open. A second later, a wheelchair appeared with a stuffed giraffe sitting in the middle of it. Sophie’s hands could be seen wrapped around the handles, but apart from that, the only other thing anyone could see was the top of her motorcycle helmet.
Callum went very still, and Isobel knew he was mad that someone had been in his bedroom.
