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“I might run a hot bath,” she said, silkily. “Would you care to join me?”
“It’s almost one a.m.” I said.
“So? I want to bathe with my husband on our first night together.”
My heart beat erratically as my mind hurried through the possible options for escape.
“You know… some stuff hit the fan today,” I began.
Elspeth’s eyes narrowed but her forehead hardly moved. “What kind of stuff?”
“Supplies were heading our way, but… they never made it.”
“Supplies? Today? But everyone was at the wedding.” She shook her head trying to figure it out, then her voice dropped. “What do you mean they never made it?”
“The boat sank.”
She wrapped her hands around her stomach, knowing the gravity of such a thing happening. “It sank? How? Does anyone know?”
I knocked back the whisky and passed a glass to her. She did the same, without looking to check what was in it. “Yes, it sank. We think an explosive device was used. And we don’t know who knows. We have to assume that the authorities will know sooner rather than later. The coast guard will have seen it happen, or at least known a vessel had disappeared from its radar.”
“Shit.” She placed her glass on a sideboard, walked towards the fire and held her hands over the warmth. “Where does this leave you?”
A thought occurred to me, followed quickly by an overwhelming sense of relief. “I won’t be able to come on the honeymoon. There’s too much at stake.”
To my surprise, Elspeth’s breathing remained steady and her tone was calm when she replied. “I understand. We can postpone it.”
I walked up behind her and wrapped my grateful arms around her waist. “No, you should go anyway. Take your mother or one of your friends. It might be better that you get away while all this is going on.”
She rested her head back on my shoulder. “I can’t go on my honeymoon with someone other than you. Can’t you see how that will look? I’ll be a laughingstock.”
“Then let’s not call it a honeymoon. If anyone asks, we’ve postponed it and you’re taking a well-needed break in the meantime.”
Her eyes closed and she breathed out heavily. “Fine. I’ll figure something out.”
“Thank you,” I said quietly in her ear. “Let me run you that bath.”
Just as I turned off the taps, my phone buzzed on the mat. The word ‘Father’ blinked up from the screen, turning my stomach.
“Good evening.” I couldn’t help the bark in my tone.
Sinclair didn’t bother with any such pleasantries. “You ready?”
“For what?” I asked, peering round the bathroom door to where Elspeth was twirling languidly around the tiny living space.
“The honeymoon’s over, son. We’ve got work to do.”
“What do you mean ‘honeymoon’? I’ve barely had a wedding.”
Elspeth looked over her shoulder at me.
“You’ve got plenty of time to fuck that filly, Rupert. Tonight, we have a business to defend and a traitor to find.”
As grateful as I was to be diverted from sleeping with Elspeth, I had to at least show willing. “But I won’t have any more wedding nights.”
Elspeth frowned as I shook my head.
“They’re nothing special, trust me. Now, get yourself here immediately. I’ve sent a car.”
