Poppy had no hesitation, sliding off her seat and happily leaving the room with the older woman.
‘She’s not shy, then,’ Callum noted.
‘Not usually. She’s a bit of a social butterfly,’ Kenzie agreed.
‘Not really a Campbell trait,’ he said, studying Kenzie shrewdly.
A shiver of annoyance ran through her at his barely veiled words, but she supposed the man had the right to look out for his son.
‘Definitely a McNeil trait, though.’ Ewan shrugged, glancing at Kenzie. ‘Mum’s maiden name. You’ll see the “social butterfly” trait when you meet my sister.’
Callum looked at his son, his expression reminding Kenzie of a lion lazily observing his prey, biding his time.
‘So, what are your plans now?’ he asked.
‘I’ll let the dust settle for a bit then look for another job.’
‘Back in the corporate world, with all the movers and shakers,’ his father said with an edge of sarcasm.
Kenzie was caught off guard by the older man’s hostility. Ewan had mentioned he and his father didn’t have a great relationship, but she hadn’t expected this level of belligerence.She flicked Ewan a swift glance and wondered how he was managing to remain so seemingly unruffled by it.
‘It’s a living.’
‘So’s working in a brothel, but it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, though, is it.’
Kenzie started at Callum’s vulgar observation, but Ewan seemed unperturbed. ‘It doesn’t have to be everyone’s cup of tea. Turns out, I’m good at what I do.’
‘At making other people rich and not yourself?’ his father asked doubtfully.
Ewan shook his head. ‘That’s not what happens.’
‘Isn’t it? You work for a corporation, buying and selling businesses so they make a profit. You just earn a wage.’
‘How’s that different from what I was doing here?’ Ewan shot back.
‘Here, you had the opportunity to work your way up in the family business. But you gave up when it got too hard.’
‘Yeah.That’swhy I left,’ Ewan said sarcastically.
Callum opened his mouth to say something more but abruptly closed it when his wife walked back into the room.
‘Here we are,’ Vera said, leading Poppy by the hand. ‘All clean again.’
‘They havefivebathrooms,’ Poppy informed her with wide eyes and a solemn expression.
‘Wow,’ Kenzie said, equally impressed.
There was a beat of strained silence, and Vera looked between her husband and son, both studying the floor withset jaws. ‘Luckily I don’t have to clean them all,’ Vera said, wearing a tolerant smile.
‘No, that would fall to me,’ Peggy said drolly, coming to remove the tray and empty cups before leaving again.
‘Well, you must be tired after your big trip. Come on and I’ll show you to your room,’ Vera said. Kenzie noticed the slight tension around her mouth, but she quickly formed a bright smile and lifted her hands in a gesture to rise and follow her. ‘Darling, go fetch the suitcases and bring them up, won’t you?’ she threw over her shoulder to her son as she ushered Kenzie and Poppy out of the room.
Kenzie was curious to explore the rest of the house and grateful for the chance to escape.
They walked up the gently curving staircase and Kenzie placed her hand on the balustrade, feeling the smooth, well-worn timber. On the second floor, a wide hallway spread out before them with doors leading off to either side.
‘I’ve put you in the end room. It was apparently the original nursery, so it opens into another bedroom, where the family nanny would sleep. That way, you can be near Poppy.’
