Page 36 of King of Lies
I had no way of knowing that both his staff and family watched the whole thing with avid interest because this kind of thing has never, in all the years that Rhys has been alive, happened. I, of course, had no idea that this was a monumental deal.
I also had no idea that among the watchers stood a killer.
I always did learn lessons the hard way.
“Mummy, let’s show Stella to her rooms,” the younger redhead says. The two women lead me down a hallway that turns into another and still another, all in the opposite direction of which Rhys and Taylor left.
“Take her to the green rooms,” Saoirse says to her daughter before turning to me. “A word of advice?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Don’t get too comfortable here. You won’t last long,” she says to me before turning on the tall, slim heel of her shoe and walking away.
Did that just happen?
“I’ll … uhh … just show you the way,” Dahlia says before linking her arm with mine and leading me down the hall to an ornate door. When she pulls it open, I’m treated to a beautiful sitting room in shades of ivory and soft mint green. I turn around and see several doors, one of which must lead to the bedroom. “Chambers and dressing room are through there. There’s also a small study.”
“Thank you for showing me the way,” I reply as she shuts the door and leans her back against it.
“Of course,” she says. “Do you have a smoke?”
Did this child just ask me for a cigarette?
“Umm … no?” I answer. “I don’t smoke.”
“Probably best,” she mutters to herself. “The press loves to talk about it if you do.”
“Oh I doubt I’ll be in the press. I keep pretty quiet.”
“Rhys will see to it that they get a good look at you, and keep looking,” she says with a wicked smile on her face. “He already has.”
“Excuse me.”
“Rhys wants everyone to know that he’s serious about you and that you have staying power,” Dahlia explains. “Everyone has just been put on notice. Including Mummy.”
“Oh hell,” I mumble, and she laughs. I didn’t mean for her to hear that but clearly, she did. “You weren’t supposed to hear that.”
“Well, I did,” she laughs again and it’s a beautiful sound. The smile completely changes her face from beautiful to breathtaking. “Besides, don’t worry too much about Mummy. Everyone knows she’s a bitch. Just stay out of her way and you’ll be fine.”
I nod my head because my throat is closing and I’m not sure I could manage to get a sound out anyway. Besides, what does it say about Saoirse if her own daughter doesn’t like her. I really am in over my head.
“Dinner is served at seven sharp,” she says. “I’ll be by at six to show you the way.”
“Thank you.”
“Of course,” she smiles. “I think we girls have to stick together around here.”
I don’t answer but I smile tentatively. What kind of trouble can an eighteen-year-old girl get into anyway? I was harmless at that age. I still am.
Then she whisks open the door and breezes out like she didn’t just shake up my whole world and everything I thought I knew.
Chapter 16
Lady Thomley
“What are you doing?” someone screeches, waking me from a heavy sleep.
“What happened?” I gasp, sitting up in the dark room.
