“It was part of an estate.” My hand goes to the stones as it weighs against my chest.
“It’s perfect to wear all the time. Who’s it from?”
I don’t know if I can tell her.
There’s a note in the box, handwritten. Brief.
If you can’t see the stars, look at these.
I x
Chapter Nineteen
The area around the Midland Hotel is in lockdown. We’re in the centre of Manchester; the roads around us have been blocked and there’s an exclusion zone around the hotel. I look out of the window at the city, the mixture of buildings that are old and new dominating the skyline, along with a mountain range of cranes. Security is in maximum mode; there are two guards outside the door to my suite and more around the hotel and in the vicinity. There are complaints about the cost to the city and the tax payer, with police drafted in for overtime. All for a posh dinner and a speech.
Lennox has spent the day in talks with Goldsmith and his advisors. Both of them are speaking to the public tomorrow in one of the city’s squares that’s near the hotel, which is probably our security department’s worst nightmare.
I’m dressed for dinner; black dress, simple and fitted. Three-quarter-length sleeves with an ankle-length skirt and a split to the top of my thigh. My hair is up and I only wear gold stud earrings and one other piece of jewellery: my emerald necklace. The black is the perfect background to the gold and the three green stones.
“You look elegant.” Franklyn’s eyes cast over me, checking, possibly judging. “Do you need anything setting up here?” He looks around the suite.
“I don’t think so.”
“You know Ben’s here for this.”
I pause, bite my lips together. It’s the first time Ben’s name has been mentioned by Franklyn, although he knows all about him. He’s found him in my bed before now. I didn’t know Ben was here. I knew he should be; predicting him was a different matter.
“I didn’t know it was confirmed.”
“He’s here. He’s also very grumpy.”
“It isn’t like you to offer an opinion, Frank.” I sit down to put my shoes on.
Franklyn shrugs, then automatically smooths down his suit jacket. “Not something I usually need to do. You need to head downstairs. Your presence was required about five minutes ago.”
I roll my eyes at him because he likes to remind me that I’m usually late.
* * *
The hotel is huge and empty; its usage purely for the members of states and royalty that are attending the dinner and the conference. The floors have been allocated to different groups of people, different wings and corridors to give us space from what can be an intense few hours and days. Franklyn walks with me as we head to the elevator, security placed outside them. He speaks on his phone before we enter, letting whoever it is on the ground floor know I’m on my way.
When we get to the bottom, the doors open and my heart gives one heavy thud and seems to stop.
Ben stands there, dressed in a tuxedo, only his tie is missing and the top button of his shirt is undone. His eyes drink me in when he sees me, from head to toe, over my breasts, legs. His gaze is slow, but not deliberate.
Franklyn coughs. “I’ll see you in the morning, Blair.”
I pull my own eyes away from Ben and fight the urge to beg Franklyn to let me go with him. I don’t know if I can do this.
Isaac is here tonight, has been all day and I wear the necklace he bought for me. And Ben is here and I don’t know what I can say to him apart from why and ask for answers I know he won’t give.
I’ve never been afraid.
I haven’t been taught fear. But now I feel it.
“Can I walk you to the reception.” Ben offers me his arm.
It’s the first time I’ve touched him since we were in the maze. I don’t flinch when I feel the shocks that I always get; I plaster a mask on my face and remember my title and my role, but inside I’m crying. I don’t want to stop touching him. I don’t want to have to stop touching him.
