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He visibly relaxed a little, which was incredibly endearing.
“But I also want to figure out what those two are up to,” he went on. “The whole house feels…off. It has since I got here for this visit.”
Interesting.
And I’d never been here before, but I could sure as hell say it felt the same way to me.
“So it’s not always picture-perfect yet filled with familial dysfunction?” I quipped.
He smiled. “It’s always that, this time it’s just more.”
“But you don’t know what that more is?”
“Mum’s quiet, but she’s quieter than normal. I don’t think she likes Portia, but it isn’t only that. Dad is actively being an asshole, rather than generally being one. He tried to hide who put you in the Carnation Room. I thought it was him being a dick. Now I wonder if it was Danny’s suggestion and Dad generally being an asshole went along with it. Laura is Mum’s favorite maid, and she can be watchful, looking after Mum, but now she’s being…strange. Brittany’s new, and I don’t have a good feeling about her. She’s not friendly like the rest. She doesn’t seem to fit in, which makes her an odd choice for Stevenson. He’s good with building a tight team. It’s everywhere, Daphne. And I don’t like it.”
“My, but you do sell horror, country-house holiday like no other, Lord Alcott,” I fake simpered. “But of course I’ll join you on the continuation of our Great Adventure of Mischief on the Moors.”
He chuckled and gave me a squeeze.
But I got serious. “Truth, Portia’s acting weird too. I noticed it the minute I saw her when I got here. I don’t know what she’s up to and I don’t know if I want to know. All I know is, if I stymie her by leaving, she’ll just hatch some other scheme later, and I’d rather have it done with now than have something else sprung on me down the line.”
“At least now we can be more vigilant and communicate. You can tell me what you see and hear, like Danny taking a walk in the early hours of the morning, and I can do the same.”
“Right. But I have to say, I’m going to try to talk Lou into leaving. She has chronic migraines, but this is crazy. I think Portia is stressing her out. She needs to go home.”
“Agreed.”
“So it seems the game is afoot, Lord Alcott.”
“It seems it is, Miss Ryan.”
I was looking up at him. He was looking down at me. We were cuddled together. We’d slept in the same bed.
It was the perfect time for a kiss.
And it happened.
It was just that the kiss was Ian pressing his beautiful lips to my forehead.
Ah well.
That felt nice too, I supposed.
He pulled away but tipped his head toward the tray. “Get something to eat. Lou checked in a little bit ago. She seemed better, said she had a hint of a headache, but that happens after a migraine. She was going out to take a walk.”
“Okay,” I replied, pulled away and was loading up a croissant with butter and jam when there was a restrained knock on the door.
“All right?” Ian asked me.
I looked over my shoulder at him and nodded.
“Yes?” he called.
The door opened and Laura stood there.
She studiously avoided looking at me when she announced, “Lady Alcott would like for you both to meet her in the Sherry Room at one o’clock.”
There was resignation in his voice when Ian said, “We’ll be there.”
