Chupalla - A Chilean hat worn for special occasions.
Chapter Six
In which Catriona plays the deadliest game of all.
Catriona…
I should have known. From the first twinge in my stomach, I should have known.
I’m sweating and shaking, and this bastard issmilingat me. Grabbing my wine glass, I smash it against the side of the table and hold the shattered edge to his throat.
“What the feck did ye give me?” I screech.
“If you cut my throat, you’ll never find out,” Hugo says disapprovingly. A thin red line appears on his skin, sending a single drop of blood trickling down his neck, but he dinnae flinch.
“Aye, but you’ll be dead with me, ye son of a bitch!” I’m shouting, and my heart’s pounding so hard that it feels like it’s echoing through my skull.
“Now, stop this shouting.” He’s sitting perfectly still. “It’s just a bit of a game,mo chere amie.I must admit to being a bit hurt that you didn’t recognize me right away. It seemed like a testwas appropriate. There was a bit of a mushroom garnish in theshaslik. Just a trace, really.”
“What kind?” I bend over as another cramp rips through my abdomen, dropping my sad improvised weapon.
“Amanite phalloides, also known as a Death Cap mushroom,” he says, sliding a tray in front of me, five bottles lined up. “You will find the antidote in one of these bottles, the perfect dosage for your height and weight. It’s quite common, really. I’m sure you’ll spot it immediately.”
I’m gonna kill him. I’m gonna fecking kill him… I pull the tray closer and read the labels.
Fomepizole… Pyridoxine…
Acetylcysteine. I yank the cap off and drink it, every drop.
“Excellent!” Hugo looks so fecking happy. “You’ll be right as rain in no time,oui?I’ll give you a moment to collect yourself, Édouard will help you back to your room.”
He’s humming a bit, the sound fading as he leaves the enormous room. I lie on the floor, shivering until I think the antidote has been absorbed, then I stick my finger down my throat, vomiting all over the table and down the front of this hideous dress.
***
ma chere amie -French for my dear friend
Shaslik - Russian lamb kebabs.
Chapter Seven
In which Lucas has a breakthrough, and Catriona borrows the butler’s clothes.
Lucas…
Going through Cat’s phone records is harder than I expected.
Evidence of a life lived without me, dozens of texts for outings with her cousins, daily yoga, weight-lifting. Good, she’s staying with Dr. Tennant’s plan.
After going back through a year’s worth of messages, I notice there’s nothing about a man. No dates, no mentions of meeting up, though there is one conversation where her cousin Kenna pushes her to go on a date with one of the doctors in her medical group.
I’ve never liked Kenna. She used to drag all the girls into trouble when they were younger.
Really, arsehole? Or is it because she wanted Cat to move on?
Pictures…
They hit me like a punch in the chest. Cat dancing, head thrown back in that boisterous laughter she gives out for any ridiculous situation. Images of lunch with friends, dinner at the MacTavish estate. A couple of her in her lab, excitedly holding up some concoction or another. There’s one from a black-tie fundraiser, I remember trailing her at events like that for hours, itchy in my custom tuxedo. With a build like mine, it’s hard to buy anything off the rack.
