Chapter Twenty-three
NATE
Margaret herded everyone to a matinee at the theatre on Monday afternoon, leaving Alex and me alone in the house. I still didn’t like the idea of searching Steven’s room. James’s study had felt like fair game, but Steven’s bedroom was his private space.
Despite my aversion to the idea, Alex was right that it was a sensible move. As he disappeared into Steven’s room, I hung over the bannister, listening for any movement.
Alex must have taken about half an hour, though it felt longer.
“Well?” I greeted him when he emerged.
“I looked everywhere, and the only thing I found was a stack of new business cards, hidden in the back of the wardrobe—Steven Fortescue, CEO Fortescue Bank. I can’t work out if that deserves mockery or is actually rather sad.”
I had the same dilemma. “I wonder how long he’s had them.”
“There was a box of papers, too. I felt bad about going through them once I realised what they were, but I skimmed them, just in case. They were things from his childhood—birthday cards, photos, that sort of thing. Oh, and a cycling proficiency badge.”
I snorted. “Good to know he’s qualified to handle a bicycle.”
“None of it was of any use to us.” Alex hesitated. “There was this one photo, though. He looked about five or six. I didn’t know that even rich kids suffered from pudding-basin haircuts. Anyway, he’s outside what must be the entrance to the Fortescues’ bank, with the family name over the door, and he looks sohappy,so proud. I wonder what happened to make him the jerk he is now.”
“Don’t make me feel sorry for him,” I warned Alex. Too late. A tendril of sympathy was stirring. I wondered when Steven had found out that Charlie was going to take over the bank rather than its governance being a joint venture between all three children.
“Which one is Ella’s room?” Alex asked, moving along the landing.
“What?No.You can’t do that.” For the first time, I was angry with Alex.
“Nate, I promise you, I’m not going to dig around in anything that looks personal, but there might be something there. She’s central to James’s plot, after all.”
Damn it. He was right. He usually was. I gestured reluctantly to Ella’s door.
With a serious look at me, assuring me of his good intentions, Alex slipped inside. I returned to the staircase to keep watch.
He was much quicker this time. When he emerged, he suggested we go for a walk, and I was relieved to leave the scene of the crime.
“She had nothing relating to what we want to know,” Alex said, once we were safely out of the house. “But there was one interesting thing. I pulled out the bottom drawer of her deskto look in the space underneath, because that’s where I used to hide the good stuff from my parents, and there was a piece of paper with a list of U.S. colleges. They had details of academic ranking and courses, but the way they were prioritised was by distance from Bath. The one furthest away was number one on the list.” He glanced at me. “I think Ella’s making escape plans.”
She must be desperate if she was willing to leave her entire family. “She may know some of the American banking families, so she wouldn’t be completely alone over there,” I deduced.
“Or perhaps even being alone would be better than being forcibly married off to someone she hates.”
“She doesn’t hate you,” I said. No one could hate Alex.
“Yeah, she does. I don’t blame her, either.”
We reached Sheila’s coffee shop, only to find it was closed.
“What the hell? Howdareshe have a day off?” Alex asked, laughter bleeding through his mock outrage. I wanted to kiss him, so badly it hurt.
“Would this be a good time for that hotel room idea?” I suggested. “Room service doesn’t have a day off.”
“If it means I get to eat, I guess I could force myself to have sex with you,” Alex said, and pressed a quick kiss to my lips. “How far away is the hotel?”
Not far at all, thankfully.
ALEX
Over the following weeks, we managed to be together discreetly for at least part of each day. Nate was still spending time with Charlie, and had I not been part-human, that might have become a problem. As it was, I managed to talk my dragon down every time he became too possessive.
