Page 51 of Retribution

‘Day after tomorrow. Lu Garrett is there with her now.’

Blake looks surprised. ‘Your dad let aGarrettinto his home?’

‘She’s in disguise as some oligarch’s daughter. Even has the accent.’

‘No shit.’

‘Yeah, Daisy said something about her treating it like practice for a role she wants in another play.’

Blake laughs as he turns back around. I leave his room and throw on some clothes. I see an email from Applegate with a link to the classes he’s making sure are recorded for Daisy. I forward it on to her, so she can keep up with everything until we can figure out what we’re going to do.

But whatarewe going to do? The only thing I can think of is to get rid of Joe. It sounds so damned simple, but the nasty fucker is well protected, and Blake is right. If he’s murdered, the Bandervilles won’t rest until the perpetrators are found, and they have the means to do it.

5

DAISY

‘It’s time for yourfriendto go, sweetie.’

Nasty Nurse’s condescending tone makes my eye twitch. I want to tell her to go fuck herself and that Lu,or Marcie, will leave when she’s God damned good and ready.

But John isn’t here now. It’s been over a week since I spoke with him about our deal and, while she mostly stayed out of my way for the first couple of days or so, once John left, she went back to her old ways. She’s been, at best, a thorn in my side. At worst, well, there are aspects of my life now that aren’t far removed from how The Heath was, and to say it’s putting me on edge is an understatement.

She’s halved my food portions, saying that Joe has told her I need to slim down for our wedding. The meals I do get are somehow always a sensory nightmare–gloopy, lumpy, wet, cold, tasteless. I was throwing most of it away, but now she’s taken to sitting with me and watching me eat.

She also seems to have somehow convinced all of John’s staff, except for Samantha and Stephens, that I’m some kind ofmentalinvalid. I still have run of the estate, but most avoid myeyes or get out of a room quickly as soon as I enter it. They don’t listen to my requests, just scamper off to speak to Nasty Nurse.

I overheard one of the younger maids say to her friend that John Novelle is generous to let me stay here because she had a cousin who hadlearning difficultiesand he was sent to a special boarding school.

And don’t even get me started about showering. I try to get up early and get in the bathroom before Nasty Nurse is up because, as she informed me the other day, Joe has asked that she make sure my hygiene is up to scratch and that I don’t slip in the shower. So, she stands there and watches me, her beady eyes taking in my naked body.

I thought I had a pretty high humiliation tolerance, but she’s on another level. I fucking hate it. I fucking hateher. Even at The Heath they didn’t point blank watch me bathe.

But I try not to show that it bothers me. There were always female Blanks around at The Heath and there was never anyrealprivacy, I rationalize.

But she also makes comments. I don’t want to listen. I pretend to ignore her. But her barbs worm their way into my mind, insidious and confidence-destroying. My tits are small. My ass is very round. Why do my ears stick out so much? Could my hair be any duller and more lackluster? My arms are weirdly long. My nails are disgusting.

That one caught me off guard and, to my everlasting shame, I did look down at them. They weren’t dirty, or anything. They just look like normal nails to me.

I’ve had to take off the necklace Blake gave me, too. I noticed her eyeing it, so I know it’s only a matter of time before there’s a ‘no jewelry’ rule and it disappears. Now, it lives in a hole I made in the seam of my pillow.

‘Did you hear me, Marguerite?’ she says even more loudly, her nasally voice making me want to cover my ears.

I say nothing, just keep pretending to work with my friend.

‘Ms. Vandersnatch? I need you to leave.’

Lu gives me a look. ‘Veare not finished,’ she says in her fake accent.

‘Well, Marguerite is clearly getting overtired and overwrought and I’m tasked with making sure she gets her rest after her accident.’

‘Zeaccident was weeks ago. My friendeesfine,’ Lu argues with a flick of her hair. ‘Who are you to tell Marcie Vandersnatchvatto do?’

‘Ma’am, I believe Jacob is downstairs. I would hate to have to call him to escort you to your car,’ Nasty Nurse threatens.

‘Jacob,’ Lu gasps. ‘My mountain, heeeshere? Send him up to me. I like to look atheem.’

The nurse’s eye twitches and, for a second, it looks like she’s swallowed a piece of lemon. Her eyes dart to me and then narrow when I ignore her.