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Portia was white as a sheet and staring at Lady Jane.
I only had Lou’s profile, but she appeared confused.
As for Ian’s profile, he was regarding them both like they were a mildly interesting play, but even so, he didn’t take his eyes off them.
“Portia,” Lady Jane continued, and I turned my attention, catching my sister’s nervous swallow. “I’m not impressed. I wasn’t impressed with your exit from this house, leaving your family behind with people who don’t know them at all well and expecting us to carry on like the integral connecting piece hadn’t vanished into thin air. But the results of your cruel plotting are abominable. I can only assume your hope for this week was for all of us to learn of each other, including learning to like each other. I can assure you that’s happening, the problem for you is, I’m not learning to like you.”
Harsh.
Fair.
But harsh.
Portia’s attention rushed to me, like I could save her.
Like I often saved her.
I pressed my lips together.
“You disrespected your sister,” Lady Jane went on. “Your stepmother. And me. Making matters worse, you invited them into my home to do it. It’s intolerable.”
“Mum—” Daniel began.
I shifted my attention to him and saw his cheeks were ruddy, and he looked miffed.
Then again, his girlfriend was getting a dressing down, one she deserved, but they were both adults, so this had to be humiliating.
Top that, there was an audience, and the brother Daniel was jealous of was part of it.
“Now,” Lady Jane cut Daniel off, standing. “We have a whole week to learn how to treat each other with respect. I hope I have your assurances there won’t be a repeat of some version of last night.”
“It was just meant to be a joke,” Portia said weakly.
“What was meant to be a joke?” Lou asked.
“Did your sister look amused last night?” Lady Jane demanded.
Portia cast her gaze to the floor.
“Do I have to ask again?” Lady Jane prompted.
“There won’t be a repeat, Mum,” Daniel said.
“Good,” she replied. “Now, I’m certain your sister has a few things to say. I’ll leave her to say them among family.”
With that, she dipped her head to Lou, acknowledging her for the first time, and she gave her version of a warm look to her son, and also, I thought was nice, to me, before she swanned out.
I was surprised she had all that in her. Surprised and impressed.
Then again, it was Lady Jane who said Daniel needed a taskmaster. I just hadn’t put it together at the time that all his life, that role so far had fallen to his mother.
It was Daniel who stepped up first.
“Jesus Christ, Ian,” he sniped, glancing at me briefly while saying, “No offense. I saw you last night and I could tell it went too far,”—back to Ian—“but it was just a goddamned joke.”
“Was it you who asked to put Daphne in the Carnation Room?” Ian returned coolly.
“Oh my God,” Lou whispered.
