Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 120838 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 604(@200wpm)___ 483(@250wpm)___ 403(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 120838 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 604(@200wpm)___ 483(@250wpm)___ 403(@300wpm)
“Your bags are upstairs,” Jeff finished.
“Thank you,” Dair replied.
Jeff jutted his chin mock-diffidently, shot an inscrutable look to Christine, then turned and walked away.
When Dair went back to Christine, he caught her mid-eyeroll.
“Not fond of Helena’s butler?” he inquired.
She blanched and said quickly, “No, sir. It’s just—”
“I ken who he is, or rather, what he is, Christine.” He paused before he added, “We’ll talk later.”
Her eyes widened, but her surprise swiftly turned to relief which then segued to, if he wasn’t wrong, glee.
For certain, Jeff was an issue that had to be dealt with.
Christine’s emotional journey ended on worry.
“Does Lady Blake know that—?”
Dair shook his head. “I dinnae think she’s put it together yet.”
“For the best,” Christine mumbled.
“We’ll be on our way just now.” He looked at his watch. “Dinner at six thirty work for you?”
“Yes, Mr. Wallace—”
“Dair,” he corrected her.
Her mouth twitched.
She heard the Mr.
“Dair,” she said. “I’ve all her favorites in, Lady Blake’s. We’ll get something in her stomach. Keep her energy up, if not her spirits.”
“Thank you, Christine. Terrible circumstances, but lovely to see ye again.”
“Yes, erm…Dair.”
After giving her a smile, he walked away and headed toward the stairs, using his memory of where Blake’s room was when they were young.
That was where he found her.
So he collected her, took her to the car, programmed the SatNav and drove them to the morgue.
Early that evening, they were back in the incrementally less formal lounge having a drink.
Blake was sitting on the sofa, barely sipping, mostly staring morosely out a window.
Dair was next to her, definitely drinking, and watching her face.
He was hoping he never again in his life had to identify another body.
Helena had looked peaceful, but the blanket had been pulled up under her jaw.
She hadn’t been wearing her seatbelt. She’d sustained massive internal injuries during the crash and was eventually crushed. She’d also broken her neck.
Her driver was wearing his seatbelt, but he’d also been crushed.
According to witnesses, a boy racer was zigzagging between lanes while speeding, lost control of his car, and on the busy motorway, he took seven other cars with him. Though, the police told him they were lucky he didn’t involve more.
The boy racer was the last on the list who’d lost his life.
Even so, several others were still in hospital, including the dead little girl’s mum.
While viewing her mother, Blake had not wept. She kept the stiff-upper lip her mother’s side of the family gave her, signed the paperwork, spoke briefly to the police, and then Dair hurried her back to the car and home.
“Anything specific on your mind, lass?” he asked.
“I just…” She shot straight then her head whipped to him. “Daddy!”
She put her drink down and raced from the room.
Much slower, Dair followed suit.
By the time he made the front door, Blake was crying, “Nora!”
Dair stood on the front step as Blake ran to give a quick buss to Nora, then she went direct to her father and threw her arms around him.
And aye, there was Nora Ellington, a family friend of Blake’s, looking classy and elegant and not at all like she’d boarded a plane at the crack of dawn her time.
Dair moved into the gravel drive to go to Nora.
He touched his cheek to hers, stepped back and said, “Glad you’re here.”
Nora had eyes only for Blake. “How is she?”
“She’s had half a banana today and my girl likes her food.”
“Hmm,” Nora hummed, then turned, and he saw her brows immediately arch up. Not long later, he saw a supercilious expression come over her face. “Helena, not exactly full of surprises, but still she manages to surprise,” she said under her breath.
Dair didn’t have to turn, but he did, to see Jeff standing at the front door.
Blake was coming to say a proper hello to Nora as Ned moved his way, his focus on Jeff, his face carved from granite.
Nothing escaped the man, it seemed.
He wiped his expression clean when he offered Dair his hand. “Dair.”
“Ned, good you’re here.”
Ned sent a sideways glance to his daughter who was chatting with Nora.
When he returned his attention to Dair, Dair shook his head once, doing so communicating a number of things including, no, she was not okay, and no, she didn’t know what Jeff was.
Ned let out a sigh.
“God, that would be awesome. I’m so glad you’re here and that will help so much,” Blake was saying to Nora.
“What will help?” Dair asked as Blake clamped down on her father.
Dair offered his arm to Nora who took it.
“Nora is going to help with the funeral arrangements. I’ve no idea where even to begin,” Blake said over her shoulder to him.
Then thank fuck she was there, because he didn’t either.
They stopped awkwardly at Jeff while Blake made introductions.
“You’ll be needing to see to their bags as well, and telling Christine we have an extra so we need another room made up and another plate for dinner,” Dair tacked on when she was done.