Page 49 of A Flower for Angus

When she opened her mouth for what he assumed would be a scathing retort, he held up his forefinger and waggled it at her. “Think verra carefully about what ye are goin’ to say next, because havin’ company in the room won’t save yer backside if ye’re determined to be a brat.”

Darro cleared his throat and tried to hide a smirk until Poppy turned to glare at him. “Uh...Poppy, I spoke with Andrea and Morgan.”

Poppy shivered suddenly as her thoughts were refocused. “I’m not going to Chicago,” she spat out defensively.

“Why do they want Poppy back in Chicago?” Angus asked Darro with a scowl. His eyebrows tried to crawl off his head when he heard that they suspected Adrian of murdering his own father.

“This just keeps getting’ worse and worse,” he finally replied, his grip on Poppy tightening. “I’m sorry ye are goin’ through this, lass. What a nightmare.”

Poppy sagged against him, suddenly deflated and fragile. “It’s never going to end. Edna will take this opportunity to put me in the middle of it again. Especially if the company really is broke. Without Julian’s coffers to fund her lifestyle, she’ll come after my inheritance. I’ve always wondered if she put Adrian up to charging me with Julian’s murder. She didn’t realize I was leaving the house that day.”

“Are ye sure about that?” Angus asked in disbelief once he’d picked his jaw up off the floor.

“Can ye prove any of this, Poppy?” Darro asked, his eyebrows nearly as high as Angus’s.

Poppy shook her head. “Of course, I can’t prove it. But after living with that harridan for the last ten years, I wouldn’t put anything past her. She was another one of the reasons I left Chicago in the first place. She kept inviting her press cronies over to the house where she would secret them away in her wing for hours at a time. I even caught them sneaking around the mansion trying to take pictures of me.”

“Did Edna and Adrian get along?” Lucerne inserted.

“Oh, she spoiled Adrian ridiculously. Julian actually had very little control over his own son. She insisted Julian take Adrian into the family business, which he wanted to do anyway, but it wasn’t something Adrian ever enjoyed. He liked the money; he just didn’t like to work. He was crap at investments and the board didn’t care for him either. He was always thick as thieves with Edna,” she added bitterly.

“The detective on Julian’s death investigation was also a friend of Edna’s. He never missed an opportunity to make me look bad if he could. I guess that makes me a coward, but I finally just ran away from it all,” she confessed.

“What ye did is understandable, lass. What about Morgan? As an FBI agent, wasn’t there anythin’ he could do?” Angus asked.

“What about him?” Poppy flashed back. “Morgan’s hands were tied. Besides, he is my son-in-law, so he wasn’t allowed anywhere near the murder investigation. The case wasn’t FBI jurisdiction and attempting to stick his nose in could have cost him his job. There was nothing hecoulddo.

“I suppose since Adrian’s death looks like a mob execution, that finally gave the FBI the chance to exercise their jurisdiction and investigate Adrian’s connections. I never expected the murder investigation to be re-opened though. Whatever happens, I’m not going back there,” she vowed adamantly.

Angus thought it wise not to point out that she might have to; he knew she was aware of that fact despite the way she felt. He didn’t like anything he was hearing. The Condoloro family had a lot of secrets and he wondered how deep the corruption went. Could Edna be as vicious as Poppy said she was?

The doorbell ringing in the sudden stillness made Poppy jump. “Who can that be?”

“That will be Doc,” Darro replied, heading for the front door.

“Who is Doc?” she asked.

“The man who’s goin’ to check ye over and speak with ye,” Angus replied firmly. “And don’t forget to tell him about the headache tablets ye need, or I will.”

Poppy’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t know who made you the boss, but I don’t need to see a doctor.”

Angus grinned and pointed at Darro as he came around the corner. “He’s the boss and he’s the one who called Doc. Since ye’re still employed, I suggest ye listen to him”

Poppy huffed as she glared at the distinguished looking man behind Darro. He had a full head of neatly cut graying hair, a trim mustache, and a striking resemblance to Darro. He was dressed in casual dark slacks and a white polo and carried a black bag in his hand. His blue eyes landed on Poppy and he smiled appreciatively.

Darro looked down at Poppy. “This is Doc MacCandish and I want ye to speak with him, please.”

Seeing the mulish look on Poppy’s face, Doc’s eyes twinkled. “Well now, lass, as comfortable as ye might be on Angus’s lap, I think I’d like to talk to ye in the kitchen where we can have some doctor patient privacy. Would that be acceptable to ye?” He held out his hand to Poppy with an engaging grin.

Poppy surprised Angus by taking the Doc’s hand and allowing him to help her up as he boosted her with his hands on her waist.

“Since you’ve so kindlyrescuedme from my current predicament, I’ll follow you anywhere,” Poppy retorted. “There’s nothing wrong with me though, just so you know you’ve wasted your time.”

“Poppy,” growled Angus. “Tell him about the headache tabs ye need.”

Darro chuckled. “She’s a feisty one, Doc. Think ye can handle her?”

“Beautiful lasses aren’t handled, Darro, they are thoroughly appreciated,” Doc replied, ushering Poppy ahead of him with a wink and a grin.

---