Page 57 of Revenge

“Why didn’t you tell me this last term?” I shook my head. “If I’d known the kidnappers were only asking Henry for a larger share of the ransom, I wouldn’t have interfered.”

“I didn’t think you’d actually call the police,” Blake replied.

I stopped. “Why wouldn’t I when your reasons not to worry were so flippant? Telling me that Henry strong and can take care of himself after I’d seen the men overpower him was almost goading me to get help.”

He rubbed the back of his neck and grimaced. “I should have taken you more seriously. I realize that, now.”

I turned away, swallowing back the bitterness crawling up my gullet. One flippant comment from Blake had set off a disastrous chain of events that had turned me from a regular person to someone who snuck about, pretending to be friends with others while planning their downfall. If my schemes backfired on me before I left, I’d face something worse than Charlotte’s gauntlet.

Blake stepped in front of me and tilted his head to the side. “Why do you spend time alone with Edward and Henry but not with me?”

Because being ignored and considered less important than his friends drove him mad. I wouldn’t tell him that, of course. Instead, I said, “You’re the one whose motives I understand the least.”

“Me?”

“Did you ever dislike or mistrust me?”

He stepped back. “Of course not.”

“Yet you joined in on all the pranks. Why?”

He parted his lips, but no words came out.

“You made Charlotte believe you were arranging a relationship with Henry. Then you got her to pay you in fellatio and set up a camera to record her.”

A smile twitched across his handsome face. “But that’s Charlotte. We have a history.”

“And then you played the video on the projector in front of everyone. You even went so far as to steal my phone to make it look like the recording came from me.” I curled my lip. “You’ll do anything to be entertained, even if people get hurt.”

He turned away. Probably because my words were true. Edward had said that night on the balcony that Blake loved to create chaos. I could see that now.

“I don’t know what you want from me,” he said in a small voice.

I would have told him I wanted him to be less two-faced, but I was the most duplicitous of all. “Why don’t we stop dwelling on this? When Edward returns, we can all go back to his study and continue where we left off.”

He grinned. “I wouldn’t be averse to that, although I have a suggestion.”

“What’s that?”

“We return to the new house and use his four-poster.”

I closed my eyes and hummed. The triumvirate, hot and naked and all over me might be an explosive experience to take away when I left. “I’ll think about it.”

* * *

Edward didn’t return to classes for the rest of the afternoon, nor was he at dinner. But the next evening, he walked into the dining room looking drawn.

I placed my hand on top of his wrist. “What’s happened?”

“Inspectors…” He gulped. “Both from the examination boards and the charity commission have invaded the school.”

“What for?” asked Henry.

“They’re trying to ascertain whether International House is part of the academy.” His hands shook as he reached for the teapot.

“Let me do that.” I picked up the pot and poured him a cup of tea, all the while breathing hard. “What’s the headmaster doing?”

“Trying to clean up his mess.” Edward gulped down the steaming, hot tea. “If they deem International House part of the academy, then the examination board will revoke the school’s ability to administer and invigilate A-Levels and GCSE examinations.”