“Are you kidding? Rowling graffitied the back of the statue?”
“She sure did. It’s a testament that she finished the last book here. Why not sign and date it? The hotel loved it so much they put it on display under glass. Shall we see how Sophia responds to it?”
“Let me give her some room.” When he was clear, Eve called her over.
“Sophia, I think you’re going to want to see this.”
Eve stepped back to give the girl plenty of room. Sophia didn’t let them down and squealed when she realized what was written on the bust.
“I couldn’t have asked for a more enthusiastic recipient,” Darius said. “Mrs. Hernandez, we’ve ordered a cot for you, and the hotel staff will set it up in the living room each evening. Eve is in the room next door so she’ll be close. I have a suite down the hall that’s big enough we can gather together. It’s also got a dining room large enough to seat all of us. Joe and Noah have a room next to mine.”
Darius then turned his attention to Sophia, his expression very much like he expected an argument. Eve hoped he had enough finesse to deal with a teenage girl.
“I imagine this is exciting for you, but I also understand that we have to be careful that you don’t overdo it. I don’t know if Eve mentioned that I had an aunt who had lupus, so I do understand a little about what you’re dealing with. I’d hate for you to overdo it on your first day and ruin the rest of the trip by triggering a flare-up that puts you in bed.”
Sophia nodded. Eve gave her an approving smile. It was frustrating, especially for a teenager who just wanted to be like everyone else, to be constantly reminded about health issues. Eve worked with many adolescents who had been diagnosed with diabetes. They hated being different, not being able to eat the same kinds of foods their friends did. When they felt rebellious and acted out by eating wrong or refusing to take their insulin, they could put themselves in dangerous and sometimes deadly situations.
“I suggest we take time to unpack and get settled in our rooms. I highly recommend that Sophia try to nap.” Darius glanced at his phone. “I’ve arranged for dinner to be served for all of us in my suite in two hours. We can discuss the itinerary that Eve’s put together with the places Sophia’s said she’d like to visit. Eve’s mapped out a route that will be the least stressful. On our third day here, I believe we’ll be visiting Edinburgh Castle. I’ve arranged for a wheelchair just in case the walking gets to be too much. The castle’s hilly, and it’s the farthest of all our locations from the hotel. Once again, we want to do this in such a way that you can enjoy all three of your days here.”
“Thank you, Mr. Dimitriou,” Carmen said. “My daughter and I appreciate everything you’re doing for her.”
Sophia’s cheeks darkened, but her illness had made her old for her years. Eve wasn’t surprised when the girl straightened her shoulders and seemed to mentally accept the limitations on her trip.
“Yes, thank you,” she said. “Iamgrateful.”
“Good for you,” Eve said softly.
Sophia shot her a grateful look. Eve then left the mother and daughter to unpack.
5
Eve stood at her window overlooking the streets. The dinner had gone well, and she’d been impressed with the apartment-like suite Darius had. It’d be a good place to work if he needed it. With all of their rooms spread out on the floor, it wasn’t quite as cozy as the accommodations had been in Ireland, but it would also afford a bit more privacy.
She wasn’t ready to go to sleep yet. Though it had been tempting to take a nap earlier, she knew better than to do that if she wanted to adjust to Scotland’s time zone. She wondered if it was safe for her to go for a walk. It might or might not be. Would Darius be sleeping already? Maybe she should drop by his room and see if he wanted to explore.
Eve put on her walking shoes and headed out. She gave a soft tap on his door, hoping she wasn’t waking him. It opened immediately, and Joe stood in the entrance.
“Come in.” He stepped back and held the door open for her.
Noah sat at the desk with his hands poised over a laptop, and Darius looked like he’d been talking. He rose.
“Is everything all right?”
“Sophia’s going to bed, but I’m not ready to sleep,” Eve said. “I wanted to take a walk but thought maybe I shouldn’t go out alone, so I was wondering if any of you guys would like to keep me company.”
“It’s safer in numbers, and company is always nice” Joe said.
“I’ll come,” Darius said.
“And Joe will come anywhere you go.” Eve grinned at the bodyguard.
“What’s that?” Darius glanced at the older man who shrugged.
“It’s my job.”
“Yeah,” Eve’s said, “Kayn wasn’t thrilled about it either, but he finally got used to it.” She said to Noah, “You coming?”
“I scheduled a game with the lads since I’m in their time zone again.” He glanced at Darius. “If that’s all right.”
