Page 44 of Behind These Four Walls
Victor didn’t have to look. He knew exactly who Isla was referring to. His lips pressed into a thin line as he contemplated how to reply. Then, his expression softened slightly, the edges of his hard demeanor cracking to reveal deep hurt and sadness inside. “My daughter Edie.”
Isla feigned surprise, looking first at Myles, who stared intently at the Persian rug on the floor, and then at Dixon, whose expression remained stoic. She returned to Victor.
“I didn’t realize . . . I thought . . . but the portrait downstairs . . .”
“Was commissioned recently, so she was unable to be in it,” Victor said simply. “Edie has been away for many years now. She opts to live away from the home—abroad. It’s complicated.”
You have no idea,Isla thought. Or maybe he did and he was just playing with her. But that wasn’t the sense Isla was getting from him.
“How old is she?” Isla said, as if trying to figure out where Eden fell in the birth line of his offspring.
“She’s a little younger than Bennett,” Victor replied, looking at Isla when he delivered that. “She’d be about your age. And before you ask further, yes, she was born after my marriage to my second wife, Brooke, and the birth of our son Bennett.”
There was heavy silence in the room as his words settled on Isla to make her conclusions and judgments. She kept her thoughts and her surprise at how open Victor was being to herself, lest he change his mind.
Before she could probe any more, Victor said, “I think we’ve started with some good material for you. I have business to take care of, so we can talk more some other time. Just let Dixon or my admin assistant know when you’d like to meet.” He looked past her. “Myles, will you walk her out? Help her with her things? Come back later, and we can talk about what’s on your agenda.”
As she headed toward the door, following Myles while Dixon joined Victor at his desk, Isla stopped as if remembering. “I’ll be heading to town soon to gather outside perspectives on you and the family, along with speaking with house staff and employees I come across. It’ll help round out the whole piece.”
Victor broke out in a smile, his sadness temporarily wiped away. “I’m not sure I want to know what they all think of me.” He winced. “Even I have feelings, contrary to popular belief.”
“You might be pleasantly surprised, Mr. Corrigan,” she said, back to her bubbly self. “I promise the finished product will be unforgettable.”
She was at the door, about to walk through, when he called out, “You’ve got tenacity, Isla Thorne. I’ll give you that. Just be careful when you go around—this family has a way of testing people. And not everyone is up for the challenge.”
“Oh, don’t worry about me. I’m up for any challenge you throw at me.”
He laughed. “Now that, I believe.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
The following day, Isla was glad she was used to walking as she headed toward the guard station at the front gates. She needed to get to town, and knowing no rideshare would be allowed beyond the gates, she would meet them there. She was walking down the tree-lined road that she’d ridden up on the day before when suddenly she wasn’t alone anymore. A car slowed beside her and stopped when she did.
“Myles,” she said with surprise, ignoring the annoying little flutter in her stomach when the window rolled down and she saw him behind the wheel this time. No driver, his own personal car.
He asked casually, “What are you doing?”
She told him her plan, and then she heard the door unlock. She looked at him questioningly.
“The walk to the gate is over half a mile. You should have just asked for a driver. Dad instructed everyone to help you with what you need.”
She wished she had known that before she’d started this trek.
“I can take you into town,” Myles offered. She couldn’t tell if the offer was genuine or because of the directive from his father. Plus, she was planning to visit Eden’s high school friend Sara. She didn’t need Myles knowing what she was up to.
“Or not,” he said when her reply was taking too long.
She got in, saying, “I’ll take the ride to the guard station. I’ll order an Uber from there so I don’t take up your time. I know you’re busy.”
“Did I say I was busy?” he said through clenched teeth. She’d annoyed him again. She didn’t know how to be around him.
“Sorry,” she mumbled, deciding silence was her best bet. They remained that way until they got to the gates and pulled up behind an idling car, one from their fleet.
“You can use that car to get around since riding with me must be unbearable,” Myles said gruffly, his eyes ahead of him.
“That’s not what I meant!”
It didn’t matter. “The guards have the keys.” When shock and confusion kept her in her seat, he prompted, “If you don’t mind”—the doors unlocked, and he still looked ahead—“I’m rather busy.”