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Ulk.
Bottom line: was I reading into the flirty when I should be reading into the friendly?
“And there you go, talking yourself out of how blatantly into you he is,” Lou noted, watching me closely.
“I think I need to get some things straight,” I admitted.
“Do that. Be honest. I sense he’ll appreciate it and want you both on the same footing from the jump, whatever that is. Though I know he likes you, and in future, you’ll be spending more time in the southeast wing.”
I rolled my eyes.
She ignored this and carried on, “But also, one of us, and obviously that’s going to be you, has to stay and see how things turn out, because Portia played into our hands. Daniel was not best pleased her allowance plummeted. He might come from money, but that doesn’t mean he has it. She could already be acting as his sugar mama.”
“Mm,” I hummed my agreement, because from what I saw between them not twenty minutes ago, that was a definite possibility.
“So now that you’ve erased any possibility of the high life for both of them, we’ll see the real of their relationship,” she concluded.
“Yes,” I agreed again.
“It’s all going to be okay, Daph.”
Her change in tone, reassuring and sympathetic, made me focus fully on her.
“Do you think it was just a joke?” I asked.
Her expression altered, grew harder at the same time contemplative.
And then, like it was difficult for her to force out the words, she said, “You know, it might be the headache talking, the drama of all this, but some things seem to be coming clear. I hate to say it, but I’m not sure I’d put anything past your sister. So keep your chin up, lovely, and your eyes open.”
Indeed.
The strange and intrusive request for an entire week in the country. Dragging Ian from his life too, so we were all drawn into the game. Daniel walking into the mist in the dark of night. Them throwing us together, then disappearing for nearly two days. The Carnation Room and carnations. Whatever was standing between Lou and Richard and Jane, something that was still her secret, and I wasn’t going to pry, but I had to admit, I was curious.
Ian was right.
He knew more about how this house should feel.
Even so, I felt it too.
Something was off.
Something was coming.
At least Lou would be out of it.
And Ian and I were a team.
“I’ve done what I can here. I’m going to pop down to see Bonnie, maybe get a snack and a bottle, then come up and take a bath,” Lou said.
My cue to roll off the bed and leave her to it, something I did after stopping to give her a quick hug.
After I slipped out of the Poppy Room, I kinda wanted to go to the Brandy Room to look for Aunt Louisa’s diaries, but I didn’t.
I went to the Rose Room, mostly because it was closer, and I was feeling lazy.
I threw myself on the chaise longue and watched the unchanging gray horizon.
That was numbingly boring, so I got up to grab my Kindle.
