Page 33 of Finding the One (River Rain #7)

She lifted a shoulder, but her half-shrug was ill at ease.

“You were the next in line. She focused on you. It was like she was grooming you to be like her. Blake, I knew she was doing that, even when I was young and I didn’t understand what it was called.

I knew it wasn’t fun for you. And I escaped. I left you to it.”

“It was hardly your job to protect me from her.”

“We should have been a team.”

“We were,” I asserted, and her head twitched. “Okay, maybe not a very functioning one.”

She started to laugh.

I tightened my hold on her. “But we made it through.”

“Thank you for all you did for the wedding.”

“I loved doing it.”

“It was the perfect day.”

“I’m glad.”

“And thank you for taking the hit of Mum’s… scene so I didn’t have to think about that while Rix and I were in St. Lucia.”

I managed not to flinch at thinking about Mum’s “scene.”

More progress.

“Not a problem.”

“You’re a good sister, Blake.” She leaned toward me and added, “The best.”

The tears stung so bad, I had to release them.

Though she was watery, I saw the same happen to her.

Listing forward, we hugged.

We heard a throat cleared at the door, let each other go and looked that way.

Dad was standing in the door, a gentle, settled look on his handsome face as he took us in.

“I’ll not interrupt except to say I love you both very deeply,” he stated.

And then he was gone.

Alex’s hiccoughing sob broke the air.

Mine followed it.

And we were in each other’s arms again.

Fellow captives.

A team.

Sisters.

I was moving down the back hall toward the kitchen, looking for Dair, because Mika told me she’d seen him heading back there.

It wasn’t lost on me that bumping into friends and family anywhere I went in Treverton was a balm to my frayed emotions. I couldn’t remember the last time Treverton had so many people in it, making the house come alive.

And there was never a time when there were so many people there that I loved, and they all hadn’t even arrived yet.

It was like we were making happy memories in the midst of a tragedy, and there was something beautiful about that.

This was a weird bi-product of Mum dying, but I’d be eternally grateful for it.

Just like I was grateful that Dair and I had a date to ride.

Doing something we both enjoyed, and doing it together, would be another happy memory to add to that prized pot.

Not to mention, I hadn’t been riding since the last time I was in England, and that was another reason I was looking forward to it.

I was in my jeans, those tucked into riding boots, and a sweater, ready to roll.

“It’s a problem,” I heard Christine saying as I closed in on the corner that would round into the kitchen. “He says he’s in mourning, which means he’s not budging.”

“I dinnae give a shite how he feels, he has to move,” Dair replied angrily.

So angrily, I stopped.

Why was he angry at Christine?

“I’m not one to tell tales,” Christine declared.

“You’ll be telling this one,” Dair demanded. “I have to know what I’m dealing with.”

There was a moment of silence before Christine spoke again.

“Because not as much staff was needed as in olden times, and he was having trouble retaining people who would live in, the old lord, Lady Helena’s father, had the staff quarters on the top floor converted to apartments in an effort to entice hires.

They’re very nice. Sitting room. Bedroom.

Little kitchen. A nice bathroom,” Christine explained.

“You’re telling me this…?” Dair prompted.

“He should be there. In the staff quarters.”

“Aye, he should be.”

“He’s not.”

“Aye, I ken. This is what we’re talking about.

Genny and Duncan and my family are arriving tomorrow.

Tom, Judge and Jamie will be here at the weekend.

Dru, Cadence, Sully, Gage, Sasha and Matt are looking at coming.

Blake will want her people close, not in some inn somewhere.

We need the room. Dru and Cadence, Sully and Gage are going to have to bunk together as it is. ”

“I’m looking forward to having a full house again,” Christine verbally rejoiced.

“I’m pleased for ye,” Dair replied impatiently. “But Dru, Cadence, Sully and Gage aren’t going to be sandwiched between the butler’s room.”

The butler’s room?

“He thinks that’s where he belongs because Lady Helena put him there, and frankly, he doesn’t know any better,” Christine said.

All right.

Enough.

I turned the corner and asked, “What’s going on?”

Christine jumped like she was guilty of something.

Dair looked to the ceiling, his wide chest expanded, making it impossibly wider, and then he let out a deep sigh.

He turned to me. “Nothing, love.” His eyes traveled up and down my frame before he suggested, “Meet at the stables?”

I came to a stop at them and demanded again, “What’s going on?”

“Erm, I’ll leave you both to it,” Christine said.

“No, I’d rather you stay and explain what’s happening.” I looked between them, continuing, “I thought we had plenty of room for everyone.”

Dair’s jaw tightened before he stated, “Ye would. If Jeff wasn’t in one of those rooms.”

“Jeff?” I asked.

“Jeff,” Dair replied.

He didn’t speak further.

I was confused. “Wait, are you saying Jeff stays in the main house?”

Christine was looking anywhere but me.

Dair was looking like he wanted to shout very loudly.

He didn’t.

He requested, “I’d like your permission to have a word with him.”

“Why would you need my permission?”

“Because you’re lady of the manor, love.”

I turned to Christine. “Actually, don’t you?—?”

Christine cut me off. “Staffing, apartment allotments, most everything is ultimately overseen by a butler.”

“So Jeff knows we need that room,” I pointed out.

“He lives there, Blake,” Dair said. “In that room.”

“And he has for three years,” Christine mumbled.

“Okay, I’m obviously not catching—” I stopped speaking abruptly as it hit me.

And then I couldn’t continue speaking because I wasn’t sure, if I opened my mouth, vomit wouldn’t come out.

After I swallowed the bile, I forced out, “Mum and Jeff…?”

Christine was studying the wall beyond me.

Dair jerked up his chin uncomfortably.

“Oh my God,” I whispered. It was much louder when I exclaimed, “Gross!”

“Let me deal with this, darling,” Dair offered.

Hell no.

I looked to Christine. “Does he do anything a butler would do?”

Christine didn’t appear much more comfortable than Dair when she said, “Probably in order not to get the sack, he’s putting on a show right now, but no.

When your mum wasn’t here, mostly he had his mates over to drink her liquor, eat her food, ride her horses, play footie in the back garden and mess up the lounge with pizza boxes and cans of lager. ”

“But he didn’t work,” I said to confirm.

“Not as…” her eyes slashed to Dair before she finished, “such.”

Ulk!

“And now…what?” I pressed. “He’s refusing to move out of his room which is now my room?”

“Blake—” That was Dair.

“Yes.” That was Christine.

Again.

Hell no.

I turned on my very attractive riding boot and stomped down the corridor, Dair coming after me, calling, “Lass.”

I went faster.

Drat his long legs, Dair caught up with me.

But he didn’t stop me.

“Maybe let me deal with this,” he suggested again as I was jogging up the steps.

I stopped on the half landing. “Why?”

“Because ye have enough on your mind.”

God, he was such a good guy.

“Stop protecting me, Dair.”

“Ye ask the impossible, Blake.”

Man, I needed to suck his dick.

He was a mouthful, but he had a very delicious dick.

I’d do that later.

For the now, I resumed jogging up the stairs.

I heard Dair heave another sigh before I heard him follow me, and when I made the first floor, I went on instinct, and yes (yuck!), you guessed it.

There was a television sounding from the room that had an adjoining door to Mum’s.

I’d learned ages ago this was because, back in the day, it wasn’t done for couples to sleep together. So the woman got the bedroom (the only boon she got back then), and the man was relegated to sleep in his dressing room and only attend her when they had business to see to.

Oh, and this likely gave him ample opportunity not to get caught coming and going on his bent to gamble away the fortune or meet one of his mistresses.

The television noises were coming from that room.

Everyone else was downstairs, chatting, or in Nora’s case, on the phone bossing people around (kindly) while making funeral arrangements.

I knocked hard on the door and didn’t wait for a call to come in.

I opened it and took two steps in.

I felt Dair come in behind me.

And we both watched Jeff scramble off the bed wearing nothing but a pair of long shorts.

“Enjoying a break?” I asked.

“Um…” he didn’t answer.

“As you know, we’ve had several people join us today,” I pointed out.

“We have four more arriving tomorrow. Three at the weekend. With possibly six more coming. A funeral is being organized. I’m aware that Christine has hired another maid she trusts from the village, but there’s work to be done.

Can you explain why you’re in your room, watching TV? ”

“Well—”

“Did my mother pay you?” I asked.

His gaze pinged back and forth between Dair and me before it settled on me. “Yes.”

“Are you up to date with your pay packet?” I went on.

A flush crept up his neck and he pushed out, “Yes.”

“So, I’ll repeat, can you explain why you’re watching TV when there are things to be done?”

He moved to a chair, and it was then I noted he did, indeed, live here.

The place was a mess of clothes, athletic shoes, spent cans of beer, dirty plates that needed to be taken to the kitchen (some of them needed that two weeks ago), and various personal items, like trophies and electronics.

Oh, and it smelled like boy .

He pulled on a T-shirt and turned to me.

“With Helena, I had a—” he started.