Page 44 of Cruel Games

Mr. Burgh raised his head and ran long fingers through his silver hair.

“Abigail refused to see me while she was incarcerated, and after she was released, Billy Hancock threatened to have me arrested if I kept harassing his wife and new daughter.”

“But he’s been in prison for four years. Why didn’t you come and see me then?”

Mr. Burgh paused and squeezed his eyes shut, struggling to form words. “My wife’s—your grandmother—Parkinson’s disease got worse, and she needed constant care. It was a difficult few years.” The rims of his eyes turned red. “I failed you, and for that, I am truly sorry.”

I didn’t know what to say. If Mother had shut him out of my life from before I was even born, it was unfair to expect Mr. Burgh to keep fighting for me, especially with a sick and dying wife.

Coming here at the age of eleven would have been like getting the Hogwarts letter or Willy Wonka’s golden ticket. An escape from a shitty life.

“I see…” What else could I say?

Unshed tears blurred the black-and-red tartan of my skirt. Right now, I needed to speak to Mother. I had to ask her why she didn’t send me here earlier. Why she had let me fester in foster care until Sammy came to my rescue? And why she had referred to her own father as the headmaster when she called me in the sewing room to warn me that Billy’s friends were on the warpath.

“Lilah, are you alright?” asked Mr. Burg.

“I don’t know.”

“Can I get you a cup of tea?”

Raising my head, I met his warm, sapphire-blue eyes. “How about a shot of Scotch for the shock?”

The corner of his mouth curled into a smile. “Unfortunately, I can’t do that.”

“We’re really related?”

His smile widened. “We are.”

“What do I call you, then?”

“Duncan, in private. Can I call you Delilah?”

I raised my shoulders, thinking that Duncan and Delilah sounded like a great pair. “If you like. Is it alright if I come and see you sometime?”

“It would be my pleasure.”

The words warmed my heart so much, it melted around the edges. It wasn’t like I needed a parent or anything, but it was still nice to have a family. Now that I knew his snooping on my life had been the activities of a concerned grandparent, any resentment I had about our last conversation melted into the ether.

“There’s a few things I need to tell you about Elizabeth.”

His brows rose. “What?”

The entire story spilled out, starting from the stupid nickname to her attempt to get everyone in the academy to bully me. I told him about the dirt she had uncovered about me in public, and Mr. Burgh’s face hardened.

Apparently, he had never seen this side of Elizabeth and had been blinded by her status as the daughter of the archbishop.

“I will keep an eye on that girl,” he said. “If she restarts that nonsense, her father will be the first to know.”

“Thank you,” I gave him a smile. Now that the entire school knew about my influential grandfather, I dared anyone to call me Hand-Cock, handjob, or treat me like the academy’s whipping girl.

My arms twitched to reach out for him, but I didn’t want to scare him away. Instead, I stood and said, “Thanks for the chat. I’d better go and find my friend.”

Mr. Burgh’s smile dimmed, and he also stood. “Of course. Mr. Adewale is an impressive young man and a wonderful influence.”

“He’s taught me a lot.” Especially how to flirt with a guy and make him crazy keen.

To avoid any awkward goodbyes, I hurried to the door.