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I rolled my eyes. “An engineer and a neurosurgeon, his parents are well-educated professionals. Nothing about that says social climber.”
“He’s not his parents.”
At my bland look, his eyes narrowed.
“You hadn’t heard of him before today,” Adam pointed out. “Not to mention your own judgment is compromised.”
“Excuse me?”
“You know who I’m discussing,” Adam said, then he flicked a look behind me. “Who is that?”
“Dolion Karagiani, bodyguard.”
His eyes narrowed and Adam focused on me. “What happened?”
Andrea would be back any minute. So we had to keep this short. While I’d like to tweak him… it would have to wait.
“Ezra happened,” I said with a shrug. “He sent his guard dog back to follow me around. I’ll deal with him later.”
Adam’s frown deepened, but I caught sight of Andrea heading back to us.
“Let it go for now and let the boy go for now. Do your research and we can talk about it later…”
His dark look promised me he wasn’t done, but it smoothed away as Andrea returned. She looked nervous so I just raised a hand before she could bring the subject up.
“We’ll think about it and let you know.” Mutiny and disappointment vied for supremacy on her face. “That’s all you’re getting for now, so I suggest you let it sit there and we can discuss what you were thinking of for a dress…”
Thankfully, Adam didn’t dispute me and despite her upset, Andrea fought her own objections. “I was thinking something in pink and silver… maybe a swan look?”
It was only a diversion and it would only last so long. I recognized the look on Adam’s face. He didn’t want boys around our sister. He hadn’t liked them around me either and he’d been a pain in the ass about it.
Him and Ezra both.
Fortunately, they couldn’t run Pretty Boy off and that thought made me smile. Ice shivered over my skin and I knew without looking, Adam glared at me. He didn’t like my smile.
Too damn bad.
“What do you think, Lainey? Would I make a good swan?”
ChapterThirteen
EZRA
Dinner at Harrows Park was not my idea of a good time. At least the plentiful alcohol could lubricate the ten-course meal. We’d switched to wine for the meal proper and I’d finished two glasses before the meat course.
“Ezra, darling,” Mother said. “You’ve been to see their girl, right? She’s doing well?”
Their girl? I’d checked out of the conversation sometime between the appetizer and the salad. Considering Julius King was also a guest at tonight’s dinner along with the Cliftons, the Marlowes, and the Adleys. At least he hadn’t brought a date. Then I hadn’t either. The Marlowes brought their daughter Tally and she was seated at the other end of the table from me.
Good plan.
“He’s referring to Emersyn Sharpe,” Claudette Marlowe, Tally’s mother, was seated to my right. “Poor girl. Her whole family, though…Moira is still alive, right? We haven’t heard from her in a while.”
“She’s in California,” Imogene Adley offered. “I think she’s taking the time to be in the sun and to be away. She buried both Reginald and Bradley. It can’t have been easy on them. But I heard Emersyn is touring again.”
“I don’t really see it as a loss,” Lloyd Clifton mused. “Bradley was terrible at sharing business opportunities and his absence has left the field open.”
“Lloyd,” his wife scolded, it was more automatic though, being that her amused smile said she didn’t disagree. Course, the Sharpes had controlled a great deal of influence, it was why he disguised everything he did and kept it hidden. He never let anyone see the monster he truly was. Then again, who among us wanted to show our monstrous sides to the world?.
