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My father glared at them then looked down at me, his face softening.
“But your pets...” My heart ached at the thought, and I hugged him again. He stroked my hair then looked over at West. “How? How did they get past you?”
I looked over at West and realised any answer he gave would just leave my father thinking a normal human being had managed to get past them. He’d let them go in a heartbeat, and pain blossomed in my chest at the thought of them going.
“Mice,” I blurted, looking up at my father.
He blinked at me. “Mice?”
“Yes. West told me that they found dead mice heads around the grounds. He thinks the bastard gave loads of mice some really slow acting poison and then released them into the grounds. When the cats were out hunting, they ate them and then died from the poison. Nobody was near me, Daddy.”
I looked over at West and Jack. Jack gave me a small smile, but West stared straight ahead, refusing to meet my gaze.
“I see...” My father pondered for a moment. “Very well, but I think we need to... I don’t know… How can we improve our security, West? Do you need to recruit more men? Just say the word and you’ll have the funds.”
I breathed a sigh of relief when West didn’t contradict me, but simply stepped forward.
“In all honesty, my lord, I am concerned. The estate is so large, it’s hard to defend, and the world knows she’s here. I would suggest taking her somewhere secret until we manage to trace the culprit.”
“Like a villa or hotel somewhere?”
“I would rather stay in the country. We have more resources here and more chances of tracking down leads. I do have a place in mind. If I have your permission, I shall relocate her there today.”
My father nodded, and I stared at them both. “Um, don’t I get a say in this?” I asked.
“You promised you would act more like an adult and take the safer path,” my father reminded me, and I clamped my mouth shut as I remembered the worry I’d put them through. The lioness inside me was battling to surface and hunt down the threat to my life, but the sheltered girl had to at least appear to abide by her father’s wishes. I took a breath and simply nodded, and my father gave an audible sigh of relief that amused me greatly. Was I really that much of a challenge?
“I’m not arguing, but is this really necessary?” I queried. “And if it’s necessary to leave, then shouldn’t you not be here either?” I looked over at my mother. “If anything happened to either of you because of me...”
“Nothing is going to happen to us,” my mother assured me, taking my hand. “We just need to keep you safe.”
“We’ve never been mentioned in any of the messages,” my father added. “I think we’ll be fine.”
“West?” I asked.
He nodded.
“Okay, fine. Can I at least go and pack before you whisk me away to your hideout?” I requested.
West finally looked at me, but his face gave nothing away. “Of course. I’ll need to make some arrangements first anyway.”
“Where are you going to take her?” my father asked.
“If you don’t mind, my lord, I think the fewer people who know the location, the better. But I assure you, it’s very well protected.”
My phone buzzed in my back pocket, and I slipped it out as West and my father began to talk logistics. A message flashed up on the screen, and I stared at it for a few moments.
“Lady Victoria, are you okay?” Jack’s voice filtered into my mind, and I looked up from the screen to see them all watching me.
“Oh, um, yes. Fine. West, is there any chance we could spend one night in London on the way to your hideout?”
“Why?” my father asked. “What’s in London that’s so important?”
I held up my phone. “Jasper messaged me. He wants to see me, and he says it needs to be face to face.”
My father took a breath and looked at West. “Can she do it?”
West looked over at me, his expression impassive. I was convinced he’d say no, so I was really surprised when he nodded. “I’ll book a hotel room under another name, and they can meet in the hotel bar or in the suite.”
