Page 17

Briar

I had never been on a private jet before.

I could count the number of times I had been on any plane.

So when I stepped inside and saw the plush brown leather seats and the cabinet stocked with crystal glasses, I froze for a breath.

The faint scent of leather and citrus polish lingered in the air, a stark contrast to the earthy smells of my garden shop.

My heart climbed into my throat as I realized I didn’t belong there.

Rory laid her hand on my arm, her touch soft and reassuring. “I was the same way when I first saw it. Keep going back and pick whichever seat you want.”

My heart calmed, my new friend’s presence comforting.

During the past week, she had spent her days with me in the green house, potting, arranging, and stocking, while also talking about the plantation she ran in Savannah, Georgia.

I loved listening to her Southern American accent as she enchanted me with her soft drawl and vivid tales.

In the evenings, Amy joined us for dinner.

On two nights, Lorcan and Cormac had joined us as well, but the tension between them was unbearable, and Rory had sent them away, telling them they were ruining everyone’s mood.

And now they stood outside the plane, arguing.

Lorcan had pulled me away from Rory several times during the week, begging me to reconsider but never telling me why, only some vague notion that he was afraid I would get hurt. I couldn’t help but ask Rory about it.

“Their parents have been off for years chasing some sort of enlightenment. We hardly ever hear from them,” she told me. “Ever since they left, the brothers have been at odds. Cormac wants to fix it, but Lorcan blames him for how bad things got with Aiden.”

I tilted my head. “What’s the story with Aiden?” I had heard the name enough to know he was the third brother.

“He’s the wild one who’s always chasing something—control, legacy, status. It gets tense, but that’s old family drama and has nothing to do with this situation. They’ll fix it.”

A blond woman in a sharp black suit pushed a luggage cart down the aisle. I spotted my bag on top and smiled at her.

She smiled back. “Do you need anything at the moment?”

I shook my head. “I don’t think so. I have my backpack.” I laid my hand on it. I could feel the rectangular box Amy had given me last night when she stopped by for dinner.

“Why are you giving me a gift?” I smiled as she handed it to me.

“You aren’t sure when you’re coming back, and I want to know you have your birthday gift.”

I narrowed my eyes. “But the solstice is still weeks away.”

She shrugged. “Just put it in your bag and take it with you. Make me happy knowing there is no possible way for me to miss your birthday.”

“Fine,” I said with a sigh.

“Let’s talk phone logistics because roaming is hellishly expensive.”

I jumped off my bed where I had been sitting, the clothing I was trying to pack strewn around me.

“Rory got that covered for me.” I grabbed a cell phone off my dresser.

“Going to text you now. No international costs to deal with. Here is this number if you need it…” I hit Send.

“But of course we have the app. You can use my regular number and no obnoxious charges.”

Her phone vibrated, and she bit her lip. Her gaze lifted to mine. “I hope you’re right,” she said after she read my message.

The woman started pushing the cart forward again. “If you need anything, the storage is just through the bathroom. It is a twenty-four-hour flight, so don’t hesitate to get whatever you need. Oh, and we’ll stop in Singapore to refuel.”

“Thank you.” My voice sounded small as I caught Rory glancing at me. She sat diagonally to me, her back to the galley. Within minutes, the men joined us, their faces stony. Lorcan glanced around the jet. Certainly he would have been on one like it before if he had grown up with this kind of wealth.

“Prepare for takeoff.” The voice echoed over the speakers, causing the blond woman to scoot toward the front of the plane and disappear into a nook I had noticed on the way in.

The engines roared to life, pressing me back into the supple leather seat as my stomach knotted even while a thrill danced up my spine. I was doing this!

I grabbed the phone and opened my chat with Amy, the last message from our conversation being the one I had sent her the night before. Everything will be fine.

My fingers flew across the letters as I let Amy know my status. We’re taking off. I love you and keep me updated.

The reply came swiftly. Good luck and be careful. I turned the phone off and slid it into my bag.

“You don’t have to turn it off,” said Rory. “It’ll work in flight if you want.”

“Thanks.” I smiled faintly, bubbles in my stomach.

Lorcan tapped a restless rhythm on the armrest, his jaw tightening as his gaze darted between the window and his brother. Across the aisle, Rory and Cormac sat facing each other with drinks in hand as the plane climbed into the air, drowning in each other.

After several minutes, when the plane leveled off, I cleared my throat, breaking the awkward silence. “What is it you do?” I asked, turning to look at Cormac. I couldn’t believe the topic hadn’t come up in my time with his partner over the past week.

He smiled as he took a sip of the amber liquid, its shade slightly more red than I was used to. “The family company is an investment firm with quite a bit in real estate,” he replied. He swirled the contents of his glass as it caught the light.

“That sounds interesting.” I turned back, gazing at Lorcan, his usually pale face even more so now. “But you’re not involved in the business?”

“No, I left a long time ago.” His shoulders hunched as he turned his head to the window, his voice curt. “I’m no longer a part of it.”

I let it go, but curiosity burned inside me. The more I tried to connect, the shorter Lorcan’s answers became.

Cormac set his glass on the small table between him and Aurora before smoothing his lapel. He glanced at his brother and then at me. “Have you thought about where you want to start your research?”

I frowned as I tapped my foot lightly against the carpet.

“Probably the National Archives, unless you have a better idea? My mum spent hours checking the Old Bailey website and all the transcripts that were supposed to be stored in the archives. She found nothing, but I hope there are some paper records.”

Cormac’s gaze turned to his brother. “Lorcan, do you have a better idea than the archives?”

There was a pause as Lorcan glared back. “I’ll think about it.”

Rory glanced between the two, who had engaged in a staring contest, then she smiled at me. “Briar, I don’t know what happened to their gentlemanly manners, but would you like a drink?”

“A glass of water would be nice,” I admitted.

Cormac broke away from Lorcan’s glare and raised a finger. “And the same as I have for Lorcan, please, Dani.”

Before I could wonder who he spoke to, the blond attendant appeared beside me with a glass of iced water. “Here you are, Briar,” she said with a kind smile. How could she have even heard the request? “Lorcan.” She handed him a glass.

He glared at her. “I don’t want it.”

Cormac’s eyes narrowed. “Drink it.”

I gritted my teeth. Why were the two of them arguing even over a drink? Lorcan raised the glass to his lips.

Dani turned back and glanced between Cormac and me. “If you need anything else…”

Rory’s wide Southern grin creased the corners of her eyes, and she looked at Dani. “If you could find me a tranquilizer dart, I’ll let you pick which one of them we use it on first. It might make for a warmer flight.”

A crooked smile tugged at my lips. Cormac narrowed his eyes at her before he turned back to me.

“Apparently, my starlight believes I owe you an apology, Briar. I’m sorry if I have come across as anything less than hospitable.

I promise I’ll keep it in check as long as my brother promises to stop denying he’s above the basics. ”

I tilted my head. “Since when is a glass of alcohol the basics?”

Lorcan snickered. “In Cormac’s world of propriety and finery, nothing happens without a dress code, a monogram, and a stick shoved firmly where the sun can’t reach.” He finished the drink and handed the glass back to Dani. “And don’t forget a glass of whiskey. Happy, brother?”

“Perfectly,” Cormac deadpanned. He returned his gaze to Dani.

“If we could have dinner in about an hour, that would be fantastic.” His tone was casual yet firm, a man accustomed to giving instructions and having them carried out, not being on the receiving end of what he had just taken from his brother.

But there was something unspoken, a shift in the energy between them as though they had reached a temporary truce.

Dani replied to Cormac with a nod. “I’ll see to it.” The faint swish of her tailored pants accompanied her exit.

I let out my breath and caught Rory’s gaze. She smiled, which made my heart settle. “If you’d like, Briar, there’s another room you and I can move to and leave these two to their posturing? Although I think they’re done acting like boys and will start acting like men now.”

I focused on Lorcan as he looked out the window, his eyes glassy.

He glanced at me from the corner of his eye.

His lips twitched in a small, apologetic smile when he saw I was watching.

I wanted to reach across and take his hand, which was planted on his knee.

My chest eased, a smile creeping across my lips.

He said nothing, but in that look, in that tiny curl of his lips, I felt it—that flicker of trust—like maybe he’d prefer if I stayed close.

“Thanks for the offer, but I think we should stay.” I reached into my bag and retrieved a book, settling into the seat.