“I don’t care.” He gave her a stiff smile of his own. “You got me into it. Now get me out.”
“Oh, but the poor thing is fond of you,” she cried. “I just could not break her heart. Besides, you enjoy her company. You said so yourself.”
“Oh, so you’re jealous?” he demanded, but thankfully in a low voice. He sounded a bit incredulous. “Is that what this is about?”
She laughed in his face. “You are a clever man, Detective. Surely you realize how insaneyousound right now.”
One of his dark brows lifted for an instant as amusement hovered around his eyes. “Okay. I’ll meet with her. Who knows, maybe she’s the one.”
“Maybe,” she sang without biting her tongue.
He waved at the sisters and then turned to her. “Maybe I’ll have two.”
“Hmm.” She took her drink and swigged the contents. She wanted to tell him to enjoy himself, but what she really wanted was for them all to roll around in poison ivy.
She watched him down two more cups of wine.Good man. Get nice and drunk so I can get away from you again tonight.She had to check on Preston and see how he was doing. What would she do if Amanda was there? She slammed her cup onto the table, then looked around guiltily.
She met her father’s admonishing gaze and looked away. Mostly because he looked blurry. She didn’t care if he was angry with her. Too bad for him that his daughter was disruptive! But she wasn’t a child anymore and her days of seeking his attention were over.
She looked away and remained quiet because she didn’t want to appear to be a drunk. Especially not in front of the Baxter twins…or Detective Pendridge.
She covered her cup with her hand when the server came around again.
Michael did not. He spoke to the others just fine, but some of his words were a bit slurred. Most didn’t notice that his mood had grown grimmer and darker, since he was those things to begin with.
But she noticed. And when he finally rose to bid them all a good eve, she noted that he seemed extremely distracted—and not by the twins.
She watched him leave the dining hall. She wanted to leave as well. How obvious would it look if she followed him? He was her father’s guest after all.
Her father put up a weak fight when she rose from her chair to go.
He left her. He left his post and the dining hall where her father wanted him to be and walked out of the dining hall as if there were no more reason to stay.
What she should she do? She could go see Preston without the detective on her tail. She could go find Michael.
She stepped through the doors when she heard him.
“Clements. No! Don’t go inside alone. Wait for me…wait for me…”
“Michael,” she called out and hurried toward the shadows. He was there, at the bend of the corridor, in the darkness. Was someone with him? Was he asleep? “Michael,” she said again when she reached him. “Who are you talking to?”
“Clements,” he said in a tone so filled with sadness it almost made her cry. “It’s Jimmy. I thought he had gone away. But he’s back.”
She looked around. There was no one there with them. He’d had much to drink. He wasn’t in a good state of mind. “Is Jimmy a memory?”
He was quiet. His breathing changed. She thought she heard his heart in the darkness.
“Yeah,” he finally said and stepped forward into the light. She followed. His eyes were red, likely from all the drink…or from tears. She didn’t think he was the crying type.
He stumbled a little and looked straight at her when she grabbed hold of him to keep him steady.
She almost saw a glimpse of him in the deep well of his eyes, of who he truly was. Protective, patient, weary.
“I’m sorry.” He sounded ashamed. He looked away as if to prove he was.
“Why are you sorry?” she asked, helping him to the stairs.
“For this. It won’t happen again. Things were feeling okay. I messed it up by drinking again.”
