I cleared my throat. “Right as rain, Fred. Thank you for the concern. And I mean that.”
“That vampire is an important one,” Fred said as his impersonal butler mask fell back into place.
An important one? In the game, absolutely. To the kings, yes. To me?
I inclined my head.
Fred’s face twisted. “I know it’s not my place to be saying this, but the thought of such a monster in your personal space makes me sick inside. I’m certain your grandmother never intended you to take the game so far.”
His words were a punch in the gut. Despite his initial bluff, he knew exactly what those screams were about.
The words fucking awkward came to mind.
I opened the first email, an update from my stockbroking team. “You’re right. It isn’t your place. Is there anything more I can help you with?”
When I glanced back at him, red had flushed across his cheeks. Not the angry sort. The butler appeared absolutely mortified.
The truth was, I felt disgusted at the thought of what my grandmother would say if she knew what I was doing. My words came out harsher than intended, but I couldn’t back down now.
“I apologise for overstepping, miss,” he said, bowing. “There’s nothing else to discuss. I will leave you to your correspondence.”
And the guilt is back.
“One more thing,” I called when he was at the door. “Is Mr Tetley gone?”
He turned, mouth pulling down. “Yes, Miss Le Spyre. I’m in the process of finding a replacement.”
Tommy kept her promise then. I wasn’t surprised her father would follow his only daughter. She was the moon, stars, and sun in his life.
“Hey, Freddy boy, is Basilia in there?”
Mrs Gaughton sidled into the office without waiting for his reply. “Hey, Basi.”
I smiled at Fred over her head. “That will be all, Fred. Thank you.”
Sorry.
“Mrs Hannah,” I said when the door was closed. Reaching under the table, I started the frequency generator. It wouldn’t stop the Indebted who really wanted to listen in, but they’d have to be close to overhear, and I knew my main crew of seven stuck closest to the house.
She eyed my clothing. “Heading out on Live Right business today?”
“Sure am. Have to catch up after the three weeks off.”
“I like you, Basi, but I’ve got to say that I think Live Right is seriously dodgy. If you ever want to work for a business who have the best interests of Bluff City residents at heart, you come to me.”
Was Mrs Gaughton vetting me for my own company? She had no idea I was the owner.
I loved her.
“You’re enjoying the new job with Tommy then?” I asked her. Tommy’s name left a sour taste in my mouth.
She winked. “I’m not supposed to talk about it. But yes. Tommy is actually on leave, so I’ve stepped into her HR position for a little bit. I’ve been doing some hiring.”
I made a mental note to read the latest report from Churchill without delay. “Anyone I know?”
“Well, get this. There’s such a thing as trouble properties in Bluff City. We’re having a hard time acquiring them. So I thought… why not hire some of them?”
Considering I did the same thing to her, I’d say that was great reasoning. “We have the same trouble list at Live Right, I’d say. I probably know the names of your new employees.”
“Mr Triffz was my first one.”
My jaw dropped. “Mr Triffz? You’re kidding me! That’s the bastard who threw compost at me.”
“All he needed was a battle to fight.” She eyed me. “He wants to take down Live Right and Foremost. He thinks they’re secret agents who put old people in homes.”
And now he was working for me.
“When I sold his home to a lovely family from Spain, I helped him find a smaller rental. One thing led to another.”
I absorbed that as best I could. “Anyone else?”
“Mr Trenington. And a Mrs Franger.”
Both off the trouble list. I’d only met the suspicious Mr Trenington. Mrs Franger put on her sprinklers each time I reached her letterbox. “You acquired all their houses too?”
She cackled. “Not so hard, really. Just got to talk to them like they’re people.”
I bit back on my smile. “Sounds like you’re a HR natural.”
“Yeah, but it’s only until Tommy is back.” The older woman sounded moderately miffed. “You know when she’s back?”
Hesitating for a beat, I decided to impart some of the truth. “Tommy and I aren’t in a good place at the minute. I was the reason behind the breakup with her boyfriend. I told Theodore what I thought of him and he took off without telling her where. She’s really angry at me.”
The older woman studied me. “I’ve never known you to be unnecessarily mean. He was hurting her?”
I nodded. “Badly. Without her knowing.”
“Then he’s a fucker. If Tommy has any sense, which I know she does, she’ll come around in time. Never easy to deal with a broken heart, especially if it’s her first one.”
They were words I so desperately wanted to believe in.
“And the pure hunk of god I saw walk in here the other day looked familiar. Strutted as if he owned the place, too, I might add.”
“Who?” I asked her innocently.
She waved a hand in the air. “None of that now. We all heard the screams.”
Ugh. I choked on laughter. “Stubbed my toe.”
Her gaze darkened. “I’d like to stub my toe like that a few times.”
I grinned. “Can’t say I’d mind a repeat.”
She scowled. “You went back there with the guy who wanted you for your money? I mean, not that I blame you. He’s a tall drink of something.”
“He told me he’s not after any of that,” I replied, grimacing. “I’m not so sure. So I’m testing him. Could you do me a favour?”
“Sure.”
“If he asks you anything about how you came to be here or about the work you and Tommy do, could you lie through your teeth and let me know? He’ll assume that you work for me or are a family member, so if he’s here for the wrong reasons, I believe he’ll speak to you first. Make sure to bullshit him.”
The glint in her eye was 110 percent evil. “It would be my pleasure.” Her gaze turned shrewd. “So we can expect him around here often?”
I arched a brow. “Yes. Why’s that?”
“Just wondering if you’ll have soul-destroying sex all the time.”
Leaping up from the table, I shooed her out of the room, husky laughter bursting from my lips. “Time for Mrs Hannah to leave so Basilia can get her work done.”
“Tell me!” the woman blurted just before I got the office door closed.
7
“I got hold of all the papers relevant to Mr Ringly’s development approval,” Lady Treena said. “And everything in his file. Thought we should be thorough. There may be a past transgression we can use to stall things.”
Pretty sure Sundulus already tried that.
I sat with my grandmother’s friends around the round table.