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He chuckles and holds me a bit tighter. “Very well. I’ll be your personal Sandringham space heater, but only because you insist.”
Once we untangle ourselves and Kit heads to his own room to get ready, I turn the shower on as hot as it’ll go and stand under the scalding water long enough to boil a lobster. By the time I dry off and dress in my warmest sweater, I have some feeling in my fingers again, and I braid my damp hair and head out into the hallway, determined to find something hot for breakfast. Before I can take more than a couple of steps, however, a door across the corridor opens, and Ben appears.
Instantly our eyes meet. He’s wearing contacts instead of his typical brown frames, making his stare even more penetrating than usual, and slowly I register the fact that his hunting outfit matches Maisie’s.
“Evangeline,” he says, and while his tone is as genial as ever, it still turns my blood to ice. “Are you not joining us today?”
“I’m not in the mood to kill things,” I say coldly, and he chuckles.
“Pity. I rather think you’d be good at it.” He smiles, but there’s no real warmth behind it—only a mimicry. “If you’ll excuse me.”
He starts to walk away, but with a surge of bravery—or, more likely, sheer recklessness and a generous lack of self-preservation—Ifollow, my footsteps matching his.
“I got your flowers,” I say, and he slows. “I’d say thank you, but.”
“Flowers?” he says innocently. There’s a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth, though, and I know he knows exactly what I’m talking about—the bouquet of blood-red gerbera daisies that accompanied the threatening note he sent to my first public appearance. “I’m afraid they must’ve been from someone else.”
“Must’ve been,” I agree in a tone that makes it clear I’m not the least bit fooled. “Why did you do it?”
“Send flowers?” says Ben. “I thought we just established—”
“Not that. All of it. Jasper, the video—everything that happened this summer. Why?”
Ben stills completely now, almost unnaturally so. “You’ve asked me that before.”
“You didn’t answer then, either,” I say. “But I think I deserve to know. What is it that made you hate me so damn much that you tried to ruin my life?”
He tilts his head. “I didn’t try to ruin your life, Evan. You did that on your own the moment you decided to join this family.”
Before I can argue, a creak sounds behind me, and I glance over my shoulder. A member of the security team stands fifteen feet away, his gray suit a stark contrast to the rich velvets and dark woods that decorate the hallway. When I look back at Ben, his shoulders are squared and his posture is stiff as he takes in the sight of the officer.
“The family’s expecting me,” he says, his gaze once again meeting mine. We stand there for several eternal seconds until at last, with a mocking dip of his head that anyone else might assume is a bow, he turns and continues on his way down the corridor.
I watch him go, his footsteps muffled by the hunter-green carpet, and only once he’s turned out of sight do I unclench and exhale. My legs feel like they’re made of putty, and I lean against the wall, resting the back of my head on the edge of a gilded frame as I focus on my breathing.
Shit.
CHAPTER TEN
Aoife
it was grand seeing you yesterday, kitters. have you and evangeline got a spare hour today? or maybe after christmas?
Kit
We have a tight schedule today, I’m afraid, and we’ll be leaving for Klosters on Boxing Day.
Aoife
damn
Aoife
I like her. she seems delightfully normal, or whatever passes for normal in that bloody family of yours.
Kit
It’s a rather low bar, admittedly.
