Page 76 of The Beach Hut on Plum Island
“This time, I have reinforcements,” Murphy told her as there was a knock on the door, and Harley walked in.
“Oh, you traitor!” Harriet hissed as she gave Harley a scathing look.
“I’m sorry, Princess, but it’s for your own safety,” Harley told her unapologetically.
“And I know it’s going to incur your wrath, and we’re going to have to watch our backs for the rest of our lives,” Alex said, wandering in, followed by her brother.
“But we’re all here to back Murphy,” Gray told her.
“Oh, how sad is this?” Harriet said, her eyes narrowing as she eyed each one of them. “Four grown men ganging up against one little woman.”
“Harry, you’re not just any woman, though, are you?” Alex pointed out. “Right now, I know exactly what you’re thinking, and I’mtellingyou not to try it. We’re worried about your safety, so please just go stay with your parents, Finn, or you can stay at my house.”
“Fine!” Harriet sighed. “Do you mind if I change? I feel rather weird standing here in hospital scrubs. I’ll pack a few things.” She looked at Finn. “Would you mind making us some ginger tea?”
“Sure,” Finn said, kissing her forehead. “We’ll stop off at Estelle’s room on the way out to speak to her.”
“You said she’s been confined to her room?” Harriet asked him. “Where is her room?”
“One floor down and directly beneath yours,” Gray told her.
“No way!” Harriet said, frowning. “I can see why you’d think she was the one who did this.” She gave them a tight smile. “I’ll be back in a bit. Make yourselves comfortable.”
Harriet walked into her room and closed her door. She walked over to the dressing room, took a chair, and propped it beneath the handle as she knew they’d hear if she turned the key. Harriet walked into the bathroom and ran some water before quickly putting on a pair of cut-off jeans and a cotton shirt. She slipped on a pair of sneakers, pulled her hair back, and secured it with a band.
Harriet left the bathroom, pulled the door closed, locked it, and put the key in the dresser drawer before stealthily sneaking out the balcony door that led off her bedroom. She couldn’t quite shake the feeling that something was off about her attempted kidnapping. It didn’t make sense to her. Sleeping powder on her pillow, the fire alarm, and then someone being able to strip herbed of all the evidence while the hotel was teeming with security. This seemed like an inside job to Harriet. It was possible that Estelle could’ve put the powder on her pillow when she’d broken into Harriet’s room. But Harriet doubted Estelle could’ve gotten back into Harriet’s room to remove the evidence.
Her mind turned over everything she’d learned since she’d woken up in the Plum Island Clinic as she carefully swung over the balcony, hoping she wasn’t going to slip and land right back there.
“You should’ve used some sheets to do this, Harriet. They always use sheets in the movies,” Harriet muttered as she managed to swing herself onto the balcony below. “I do hope Gray was right, and this is Estelle’s room.” She breathed a sigh of relief as she landed without breaking any bones and managed to slip unnoticed toward the door to the bedroom. “Oh, please, please, let this be Estelle’s room, or I’m going to end up in a cell beside Leon.”
Harriet tested the door, and it was unlocked. She slid it open and stepped in. Relief washed over her when she saw Estelle sleeping on the bed. Harriet snuck up to her, putting a hand over Estelle’s mouth as she woke her. Estelle woke up trying to scream, but Harriet put her finger over her mouth to indicate that she didn’t want her to.
“I’m here to ask you some questions,” Harriet whispered. “If I take my hand off your mouth and you scream, I’m not the one who’s going to get into even more trouble when I tell them you sent me a message to come here.”
Estelle nodded, and Harriet lifted her hand.
“What are you doing sneaking in here like this?” Estelle’s voice was low as she glared at Harriet. “You could just have walked through the front door. Everyone will let the princess in, especially as I told them I’d only speak to you.”
“Then I wouldn’t get the truth from you anyway,” Harriet told her. “Because I think we both know there was no way anyone would let me be alone with you.”
“True.” Estelle nodded. “Aren’t you taking a huge chance being here alone with me now?” She glanced at the door. “Obviously, no one knows you’re here.”
“I wouldn’t be here if I thought you’d tried to drug and kidnap me,” Harriet told her, sitting on the bed beside Estelle. “Why did you insist on talking to me?”
“I wanted to ask you not to tell them that I tried to blackmail you,” Estelle told her. “I’m sorry about that. I was desperate, and I wouldn’t really hurt Finn. He’s been through enough.”
Harriet’s brows shot up as she watched Estelle, and it seemed like she actually meant that. “You said that you wanted to be the duchess and run Gladstone Acres.” Her eyes narrowed. “When you were a duchess, you could have your pick of rich men. But that wasn’t entirely true, was it?”
“No! I’m not even looking for money or a relationship, for that matter. I just want to be free! I’d never have actually gone through with the blackmail,” Estelle told her. “I just wanted my aunt out of my life and to be with someone who could help her out of the financial mess my uncle and cousin had gotten her into.”
“You were very convincing with the whole way you acted that scene out,” Harriet pointed out.
“I’m sorry, Harriet.” Her eyes were filled with remorse before they darkened with emotion. “You have no idea how much I’ve always admired you. You never let anyone keep you in a glass box. You’d just bash right through it, taking no prisoners.” She shook her head. “Do you know how many times I’ve wanted to just run away? But I’m always reminded of how my uncle and aunt took me in and gave me their name. And I know they’d never stop looking for me, or worse, I’d end up on the FBI’s mostwanted list on some trumped-up charge my cousin would’ve manifested.”
“They actually tell you how much they’ve done for you and so on?” Harriet looked at her in disbelief.
“That’s the watered-down version of the many different guilt trips they’d love to throw in my face,” Estelle hissed. “Gloria has been so desperate to get money so as not to lose that stupid estate that since a marriage for me to Gray or you to Leon is off the table, she’s started going through her little black book.”
