Page 78 of Mayfair Madame

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

“It’s been an emotional weekend, baby. What with your mom and your sister. Add in tiredness. Of course you’re impassioned right now. Let’s get washed and dried, and then we’ll tuck into some pie with ice cream. Sound good?”

I lifted her chin and kissed away the few tears that had fallen. I shampooed her hair and washed every part of her, taking my time, showing her with my actions how much I adored her body.

While she dried off, I quickly washed myself, and wearing only towels, we made our way back to the kitchen to collect the pie.

“Here, take this to the table. I’ll grab the ice cream.”

On my way back to the table, my phone pinged. Who the hell could that be?

Unknown number: I warned you bitch, but you didn’t listen.

Fucking twat. How dare he?

I threw the phone onto the table and opened the ice cream. “One scoop or two?”

“Just the one for me. Is everything okay?” She frowned as I dug into the ice cream. The stupid fucking spoon kept bending, and I stabbed at itas hard as I could. I’d have been better off using an ice cream scoop. Pity I didn’t fucking possess one.

“No, Ellie, it’s not okay.” I threw the spoon down in disgust and sat back in the chair, my arms folded.

“Hey, I can go if there’s a problem.” She stood and gripped her towel, ready to leave.

“No, no, no. Sit down, please. I’m sorry. It’s nothing to do with you. Here, read this.”

I unlocked the phone and gave it to her. She sat and scrolled through the messages, her lip firmly between her teeth.

“Before you ask, I think it’s from Godfrey.” I couldn’t explain why I knew without telling her what Rupert and I had done.

“You need to report this.” She handed the phone back to me, the pie and ice cream now forgotten.

“I already did. I called Josh on Friday when I got the first one.”

“And what did he say?”

“We both decided it was inconclusive. It’s all supposition. There’s no proof, and I’m not about to go knocking on his door and accusing him. I’ve had enough of that pompous fucking oaf.”

“So, what are you going to do?”

“What can I do? Yes, it’s a threat, but they don’t give any details. I’ll go about my business as I normally would.”

“Fuck, Naomi. I don’t know what to say.”

“It’s fine. Now let’s eat.”

But the text message had soured the mood. We picked at the pie, and as nice as it was, my appetite had disappeared. Ellie didn’t seem to be faring much better. She’d barely touched the food.

“Let’s take the wine and go back to bed.”

I grabbed the bottle and glass and let my towel fall to the floor. I was dry anyway.

Ellie followed with her glass, her towel firmly clasped in her hand.

I turned on the lamp and brought Ellie close, needing to feel her next to me. Her skin on mine.

“The ice cream will melt.” She settled next to me.

“I’ll buy more. There wasn’t much left anyway after I’d butchered it.”