“At Market and Crescent?” Stephen stepped toward her, a blip of concern for her safety.
“Please tell me you’ve heard of it. The proprietors are sweet and kind but very odd. I wanted to hightail out of there in the worst way, but I don’t know, I felt safe. Peaceful.”
“Corina, there’s nothing between Gliden and Martings. The Manor, at least the one I’m thinking of, was torn down centuries ago.”
“Well, maybe this is a different Manor.”
“Granted, I don’t know every inn and hostel in the city, but I know that intersection well. Some of the boys and I used to play rugby Sunday afternoons in Maritime Park. Across the avenue. They barely squeezed an alley between Gliden and Martings, let alone an inn.”
“Well, not today. I’m telling you, that’s where I’m staying.”
He didn’t like this. Not one bit. “Corina, I’m going to have Thomas check this out. Something is amiss.”
“Stephen, it’s fine.” She moved from her spot, closer to the car. “As odd as it seems.”
From her bag, her phone rang. “Excuse me.” Corina pulled her gaze away from his. “Hello?” She turned her back to Stephen.
He waited, watching, swimming through the cold waters of his soul. This was his chance. Persuade her to sign the annulment documents. Charm her. Be kind to her. Give her some detail about Carlos. Once she signed the papers, he’d be free. By fall he’d be back on the pitch. Life would return to a normal routine.
She hung up and spun round. “That was your brother.”
“Nathaniel?” Stephen frowned. “What did he want?”
“To invite me to dinner tomorrow night. He’s sending a car for me.”
“Dinner?”Nathaniel, you clod.Inviting Corina to family dinner. As if she were his brother’s . . . wife. “How did he know you were in the city?”
“Your sister-in-law saw my tweet on theMadeline & Hyacinth Live!show. She called my office.”
“That Susanna, clever girl.”
“I accepted the invitation.”
“You do so at your own risk. You do realize Mum never held hope for me marrying. She might fall at your feet or something.” Where was he going with this? Mum would fall at his feet once she met Corina properly and beg him to tear up the annulment papers. But Mum only knew snippets of the events in Afghanistan. That her son was wounded in a blast and men died. She didn’t know Corina’s brother had been one of them.
Stephen slapped another layer of bricks around his heart. He needed to close this open wound in his life and do whatever it took to get Corina to sign the annulment without intel on Carlos. To that end, he’d endure whatever came his way.
“I take it your family knows? Otherwise, Susanna wouldn’t have paid attention to my tweet.”
Stephen nodded. “They know.” Nathaniel brought the whole mess to Mum when Stephen was in Florida. Then when Stephen returned home, she popped by to say her piece.
“I’d like to have been at your wedding.”
“Mum, if I’d have told you there would’ve been no wedding.”
“I’d have kept it a secret.”
“And broken Brighton law? Sorry, Mum, it’s not in you.”
Thomas returned to the car, tucking away his phone. “No crew in blue coveralls. We think it was a parent or someone at the tournament.”
“Who just happened to know where I was when Corina came asking?” Stephen squinted into the sun. Something seemed odd about the scenario. “And wearing coveralls?”
“Half the stadium saw you ride off on the cart with the girls. I’d say there’s a good chance. Anyway, I’m satisfied.”
“Then how about this?” Stephen said. “Have you heard of the Manor? A small inn on Market and Crescent?”
He shook his head. “Not to my knowledge, but my specialty is security, not Cathedral City’s hospitality.”
