“Oh?” Lewis asked, his eyebrows rose momentarily. I had spiked his interest.
I nodded. “Yes. I’ve been away for the past two weeks. Our Edinburgh office needed assistance. Their accountant left suddenly.” Yes, in Scotland. He couldn’t possibly think I would have Lily if I’d left the country for a fortnight. A frown set into his face. It seemed his only expression, other than the one of surprise.
“The police still have nothing solid on Hart,” he said. “He must have had something to do with it.” Why is he moving on to Greg? Did he now believe that I had nothing to do with it, or did he just want me to think that? Was he trying to make me feel secure—pretend he no longer suspects so I would slip up?
I smiled through my internal debate. “I’m sure he will be brought to justice if he’s proven to have had any involvement in Summer’s disappearance.” I prayed that they would have enough circumstantial evidence to charge him. There was no guarantee, though. The police couldn’t catch me, so I had little faith. It was only because of me that they had their one and only suspect. I had given them enough; it was now up to them to prosecute him with the evidence. It wasn’t as if Gregory Hart was an honest and innocent man. He deserved to be punished.
“I hope so. She needs to be back with her family,” he said, taking a deep breath as if he was struggling to keep his emotions in check.
She is with her family.
***
As soon as I got home, I had a quick shower and went down to the girls’ room. Lewis was relentless in his search for his “girlfriend,” and I was exhausted. How someone could care so much but be so careless was beyond me. If you loved something, you protected it. There was no use in wanting to do so once they were gone.
“Clover, hello,” Rose said, blinking in surprise. “Are you okay?”
“I’m absolutely fine, thank you. I’m sorry I missed dinner. Time got away from me.”
Rose shook her head. “It’s fine. Would you like something to eat now? We have your plate in the oven.”
I took her hand in mine and smiled at how thoughtful she was. My Rose. My Shannen. My…wife? Perhaps. “That would be lovely.” She grinned and went to prepare my dinner. Poppy followed and got some cutlery to set the table. “Where is Lily?”
Poppy spun around. “In the bedroom. I’ll just go get her.” She skipped to their bedroom and disappeared behind the door. Lily must have been with Violet, looking after her. Violet still had to earn my forgiveness. I wasn’t sure if she was a good fit for our family. Time would tell, though. If it weren’t for my beautiful, loyal, caring Rose, she wouldn’t be here. Giving Violet a second chance was a favor to Rose, a gift from me to her. I couldn’t give her the life I wanted for us, but I could give her this.
Lily entered the room behind Poppy, and I smiled. I could see why Lewis loved her. She had natural beauty, one that she embraced rather than plastering on thick makeup. When would women understand that layers of makeup made them look like cheap whores?
I stepped forward and took her hand. Her body stiffened. “Are you unwell?” I asked her. “You’re very tense.”
She bit her lip. “I have a headache. I’ll be fine, though.”
“Lily, I’ll bring you some aspirin. I don’t want you suffering.”
She stared on with a bemused expression. “Thank you,” she muttered. I brought her hand to my lips and kissed her knuckles. Her eyes flicked to the floor. Still so shy. I sighed. How long would it take for her to feel confident and at home? Perhaps it wasn’t us, though. If her parents hadn’t socialized her properly, then she would be shy around most people. Lily had only been with me for seven months, but I wished she had been with me longer—for her sake.
I sat down on the sofa and patted the cushion beside me. “Come and sit, Lily.” I needed to help her more than the others. She needed more guidance. She slowly made her way to the sofa and sat down, looking at the floor and holding her hands on her lap. Looking into her eyes at that minute, I had never hated anyone more than her family. She was a bright and beautiful young woman, but her personality didn’t always show it.
“How are you feeling really?” I asked her, placing my hand softly on top of hers. “Is it just a headache, or is there more?”
She sat hunched over. “Just that.”
I sighed in frustration. She never looked me directly in the eye. It’s rude. “Look at me when I speak to you, Lily,” I said forcefully.
Her eyes widened and she looked up immediately. “Sorry,” she whispered, her body turning rigid beside me. That was more like it.
“That’s better. I like to look into those beautiful eyes.”
“They’re my mum’s,” she muttered.