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Clenching my jaw, it doesn’t take much to remind me why I don’t talk to them very often. “I’m doing great here, Dad. I don’t need a big job in the city.”
“Well,” he huffs in disbelief. “That’s your choice.”
Those three words make it very clear what he thinks of my choice. It’s been a bone of contention between us for ten years when they moved to London when I was twenty-five, and I stayed here in Hemsway. They always hated it here, and when Dad finally got offered a job in London, they upped and left and never looked back.
“Yes, it’s my choice. Well, I won’t keep you. Just wanted to say ‘hi’.”
“Okay, speak to you soon,” he says and hands the phone back to my mum.
“Bye, dear. Stay in touch more.”
“Sure.”
We hang up, and I shake my head. Not once has she picked up the phone to call me. It’s always the other way around.
Hauling my body out of bed, I climb in the shower to warm up more than get clean at this hour of the morning, and with a yawn, I pull myself together to get showered and resume my packing before breakfast and Sophia’s impending arrival.
* * *
She arrives promptly at halfpast seven. She doesn’t come up, so even though I see her from the window where I’ve been standing for the last half an hour, I wait for her to ring. She does, and I answer straight away.
“You ready?” she asks.
“Yes.” My reply is barely a croak. I keep swinging back and forth on this, not sure if I should go through with it after all. There’s still time to back out and keep my mouth shut.
“Are you having second thoughts?”
“Maybe.”
She giggles softly. “My trip is booked, and I’m going this afternoon. Do you want to leave a helpless idiot on his own to take care of that place?”
Glancing up at the castle, I chew my lip. “Is he really a helpless idiot?”
“So much,” she groans.
Chuckling, I say, “Fine, then. You seem to know which buttons to push on me, Sophia. You know I can’t resist a lost cause.”
“We are kindred,” she says quietly. “You and me. Do you feel it as well?”
Sighing, I relent. “Yeah, I guess I do. If I didn’t, I would’ve told you to get lost.”
“I know. And that’s one of the many things I like about you, Isla. Do not be afraid to tell Gideon to get lost if he hassles you. He is very particular, but don’t let his demands scare you.”
“Okay, nowyouare scaring me.”
“His bark is worse than his bite.”
“Barks still hurt.”
“I know, but he will love you as I do, once he gets over what he will undoubtedly call my betrayal.”
“You’d better be right.”
“I know him.”
“I’m coming down. Just let me turn everything off.”
“Okay.”
