At least I can say I tried. Roshni is the kind, logical angel on my shoulder, but she doesn’t stand a chance against the bitter, scarred devil on the other. I can already feel self-hatred starting to settle in, my old friend that I can’t cut ties with, but I push it aside into a dark, far-off place to deal with later. Like I do with all my problems.
“It’s okay,” I assure her. “I want to do this for Juliette.”
“I don’t see why. It’s not like she’s gone out of her way to helpyou.”
That one stings, but I guess the truth hurts. I swallow it down and throw on a strained smile.
“She will, though. She promised me she would. Now, please don’t worry about me, okay? Everything is going to be fine.”
“I hope so,” she answers, and I have to force myself to ignore the disappointed tenor in her voice. “So, if you’re not going to work on your own project, I’ll also assume that you’re a no to the London hotspots, then?”
“I’m thinking so. It looks like I’ll be heading to Abinger.”
“And how are you going to get there?”
I shrug my shoulders, but a small grin eventually appears when I take a solid guess as to my mode of transport.
Liam arrives two hours later and rolls his window down as Ollie and I wait on the sidewalk.
“And how are we all doing this morning?” he asks.
“Feeling good and ready for a road trip. Any chance you have a light vintage scarf and sunglasses for Ollie to wear? This is his first substantial car ride, so I feel like he should probably look the part.”
“You know, I wasthisclose to bringing those exact items, but then decided against it. Rookie mistake on my part. I apologize.”
“Apology accepted. Shall we hit the road?”
“We shall, indeed.” He hops out of the car and opens the back seat door, and I see that he’s lined the space with a blanket and a couple of pillows. His thoughtful nature doesn’t just apply to me, but extends to Ollie as well, and it makes me appreciate him all the more.
Ollie’s tail wags back and forth rapidly as he walks the length of the seat, sniffing everything. I close the door and move around to the passenger side, and Liam quickly sneaks past me to get there first. “Allow me,” he says, gallantly opening the door.
“How very suave,” I say. “And thank you for taking us today. Are you sure you aren’t busy?”
“Too busy for an adventure with you lot? Never.”
I flash him a smile and slide inside. He gingerly closes the door and walks around to get in the driver’s seat. “Ready?” he asks.
“As ready as I’ll ever be.”
“Then off we go.”
He fires up the engine and pulls away from the curb. Twenty minutes pass, and we’re soon heading out of London and onto the A316. Traffic is light, and there’s not a cloud in the sky. The radio is playing on a soft volume, and I tilt my face towards the sun that’s beaming in through my window.
“So, you never told me,” Liam says as we continue cruising. “What is this new project you’re working on for Juliette that has us taking this trip?”
“Just research,” I answer.
“What kind of research?”
How to phrase this? I guess I have to tell him the truth since he’s about to be privy to all of today’s events.
“I’m trying to find a former gentleman caller of hers,” I end up replying.
“A former gentleman caller? Tell me, was this before or after she was launched into Regency high society in search of a husband?”
I turn away from the window to give him a sarcastic grin. “If you must know, I’m not quite sure how to refer to him, since this is a very delicate matter.”
“In what way is it delicate?” he asks, looking at me briefly before turning back to focus on the road.
