Page 19 of How to Kill Your Rival

‘Eliza. I’ve known you for twenty-five years. You don’t waste your time on stupid rivalries.’

‘Because Dad will kill me if I kick his arse at anything but our contests.’

I look at Gaston, who looks back at me with eyes that are as perpetually empty as my bed.

‘Someone’s been poaching my contracts,’ I say. Anything to change the subject.

‘Poaching them how?’

‘Getting there first. Three contracts now.’

‘Someone’s stealing your kills?’

‘Yeah. And not even claiming the payments.’ I finish my glass of wine, and Roman’s out with the bottle in a jiffy. ‘They’re not after the fee. The contracts are voided.’

‘They’re just sabotaging you? For shits and giggles?’

‘To make it look like the Hamiltons can’t deliver. To make us seem unstable, which tells them the person in the chair doesn’t know what she’s doing.’

Maggie stares at me. ‘Is it James? You two have always been competing.’

‘I don’t know. He says no.’

‘But you think⁠—’

‘I don’t know what to think.’

‘What are you going to do about it?’ Maggie asks.

‘If it’s James, I’ll make him wish he’d never set foot in our home. If it’s not… I guess I need to figure out who most wants me to fail, and then strip their skins from their fucking bones.’

‘I’ve got a feeling there’s a long list of people who’d like to see our family unseated.’ Maggie tops up her drink, and I nod.

‘List as long as the bloody census.’

‘You don’t think⁠—’

‘Don’t even go there,’ I whisper, glancing towards the kitchen. ‘It’s long over and you know better than to bring it up.’

No one else knows about my one stupid mistake.

Nor will they.

‘Whoever it is, I’ll root them out.’

Maggie is quiet for a moment while I top up my wine and Roman potters in the kitchen.

‘Has anyone asked about Eddie?’ she asks before worrying at her lip with her teeth.

Eddie still hangs over us like a rotten smell. Only a handful of us know what went down at Dad’s wedding. Maggie, Roman, James, and the three pigs at the far end of the Hamilton estate who had a rather large dinner that night. And I don’t think any of us are likely to crack.

Everyone else thinks he went to Wales and disappeared there.

‘Hector brings him up from time to time,’ I say. ‘Not accusing, but looking for reactions.’

Maggie has gone slightly pale. ‘Do you think they know?’

‘No,’ I say.