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Orna grins. “I’ll pass on the compliments to the chef—she also happens to be my sister.”
I cock my head. “Really? You both work at the Quinn estate?”
“Uh-huh, and our eldest sister too. She’s another housekeeper like me. You’ll probably see her around—us Quinn girls are easy to spot.”
“How long have you been here?”
She laughs. “Forever, lovie. I grew up here, and now I work here.”
I look out the window at the sprawling grounds. Golden hour is setting in, washing an amber glow over the hedges. Orna picks up on what I’m thinking. “It’s a strange little hierarchy, right,” she says, dipping a taco into the pot of salsa. “Quinn men run business, Quinn women run the home. In other words, they make money and we make the beds.”
There’s no hiding that bitterness dripping from her tone. “That sounds shitty,” I say honestly. “What if you don’t want to?”
“Come on,” she says softly, lowering her eyes to the food that separates us. “There’s no such thing as choice in this family. You’ve witnessed that first hand.”
My heart aches for her. I’ve been held here against my will for less than a week and I’m crawling up the walls—I can’t imagine being heremy entire life.
“Well then let’s escape.” The words tumble from my lips before I can stop them.She locks the door behind her, Poppy. Orna is not an ally.
Orna takes the time dusting the crumbs from her pants, before looking up at me from behind her thick lashes. “Sorry, lovie. I think I’ve given you the wrong impression. I’m not…” she wrings her hands, conjuring up the right word. “trappedhere like you. Yeah, this is the life that I’ve been dealt, but spending my days cooking and cleaning really isn’t that bad. I love my family—” she raises an eyebrow “—yes, even Lorcan, believe it or not. I get to spend time with them all day. I take holidays whenever I want and—not to be crude or anything, but I have more money than I could possibly ever spend in my life. Being a Quinn is great.”
I study her face. “Then why do you look so sad?”
She raises her shoulders to her ears. “Everyone has dreams, right?”
I nod. “And what’s yours?”
She flashes me a shy smile, as if I’ll find whatever comes from her lips ridiculous. “Business school. I love numbers,” she gushes. “I’d be an accountant if I could.”
My heart warms and aches for her at the same time. “So, why can’t you… help out? In the family business?”
She looks at me like I’m stupid. “And go against over fifty years of Quinn family tradition? No dream is worth that amount of aggravation.”
The radio on her belt crackles. She glances at the screen and sighs. “I gotta go, Antoin needs me.”
“Who’s Antoin?” I ask as she rises to her feet.
“You haven’t met him yet?” She frowns. “He’s my brother. Lorc’s right-hand man.”
I nod, taking everything in. “Well, thanks for dinner.”
Orna stops by the door, a smile warming up her face. “Thanks for inviting me. Finish up—I’ll be back in a few hours to clear up. Need anything else?”
I shake my head and she disappears through the door, locking it after her.
Pushing a half-eaten taco around my plate, I let out a loud sigh into the silence. Whatever weird, unwarranted feelings I had for Lorcan dissolved within seconds of hearing Orna speak about her duty here.
If he can’t even let his own cousin live out her dream, there’s no way he’s going to let me return to mine.
Lorcan
Why is your light still on, China Doll?
I stare out of my office window, at the soft glow washing over the leaves of the old oak tree. It comes from the side of the Museum, where Poppy’s bedroom is located. A glance down at my Audemars Piguet and I realize it’s almost midnight. Why is she still awake? I wonder what she’s doing. If she’s thinking about me. If she’s replaying me touching her—
“Lorcan?” A sharp voice comes from over my shoulder. “Are you listening to me?”
Antoin’s annoyed tone pulls me back from my thoughts and into the darkness of the study. He appears by my shoulder, following my gaze out of the window, a frown denting his brow. “Pussy that good, huh?”
